“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” — Gustave Flaubert
Rating 8.5/10"...Begging me to collapse in the sun and not move for a Lost: Season Three marathon amount of time." "I can't be blamed if Mom got it right the first time and had to double up for perfection after that." "I'm a summary complainer. Hit the high points and then fill in the entire story once the audience is settled in for the long haul." "We were sitting in three inches of water, a river racing toward us, about to wash away the bridge that might already be gone, and he says the engine is damp. Luke Parker, King of the Understatement." "He reached across the three-inch canyon between our cots and pushed my hair out of my face so he could see me too. 'My God,' he whispered. 'You're so beautiful.'" Didn't he know I was there, pleading for forgiveness with everything inside of me?" "'Apparently, I ran too fast.' Luke stared at me for a long moment before busting out laughing. 'Only you could annoy someone by excelling.'" | I liked this story for the most part. It started out kind of slow but after it picked up, I didn't want to put it down until I finished. Plus it was funny. It's a rare occurrence for me to laugh out loud or physically smile when reading a book but there were so many parts where I did just that after Amy had a witty quip or something else hilarious happened. I thought it was a bit weird how Luke was drawn to Amy immediately from the start but got over that technicality as the story went on. Quinlan had the reader pulling for Amy and Luke because of just how much of a jerk Chris was. Yeah, he might have cared about Amy some and I don't think he was 100% pure selfish, but I do think he just wasn't right for Amy. If someone doesn't want to be with you in public, you shouldn't be with them at all. It took Amy a while to figure this out, but I'm glad she finally did and it all worked out in the end. But gosh was Chris a jerk more times than not! From not telling Amy she got invited to the pool part to still staying with Cheryl even in private — yuck! Amy might have been invisible or at least thought she was but she knew how to hang with the guys and stick it to the haters. I just smiled and smiled when the kid picked Amy to beat at running. What a naïve little boy. "I hoped the ground hurt when it rushed up to meet his thick skull." I also love how Luke was able to read Amy so well. He barely even knew her and could tell what she needed i different situations. This is really what proved that they were meant to be together. It should be easy like that, not stressful and heartbreaking and confusing like it was for Amy and Chris. Plus the fact that Luke is such a gentleman is so attractive. How he cared for her when she fell: "He just kept digging things that belonged in nature — not in skin — out of my hand." And held open the door even when he wasn't happy with her. AND HOW HE CAME TO SAVE HER FROM THE FLOOD AND HELPED MOVE HER MOTHER'S FURNITURE. Swoon. I also liked the family aspect. While Amy pretty much had no family, she found solace in Luke's, getting much-needed hugs from his mom and playing with Tom and seeking comfort from Justin. It's exactly what she needed even though she didn't know it at the time. And it, once again, proved that Luke was the right choice. She hadn't even ever met Chris' parents for pete's sake! And finally the grand gesture. I have to give Amy props. For someone so shy, like I am, she sure did take a risk. I would have never done something that had a potential result of having to go on stage in front of a group of people. And I was so worried she would be humiliated by Luke still being mad and saying no, but I also knew it wouldn't happen. That's why I would never in a million years put myself out there like that — fear of rejection and all that jazz. But Amy was strong enough to handle it, and I admire her for it. But he was there "At the end of my yellow brick road — okay, so it was a foul line." And she got her happy ending just like she deserved. Chris was even civil and supportive in the end, which strengthens my opinion that he wasn't all bad (although I was rooting for him to not get captain at one point just to take him off his high horse). So there it is. Going in, I thought this would be more of a transition book for me. Something to read to pass the time before I found my next great story. But it wasn't. It was so much better. |