“What a blessing it is to love books as I love them;- to be able to converse with the dead, and to live amidst the unreal!” ― Thomas Babington Macaulay
Rating 9/10"I bet when sliced bread talks about something cool, it uses him as an example." "I wasn't always someone who worried about everything. As a kid, I assumed things would generally work out okay." "Unfortunately, real life isn't a choose-your-own-adventure book where you can go back ad start over if you don't like how things turned out." "If he told me that we were moving to hell, would I have to stop by and take a tour before I decided it was too hot for my taste?" "I was going to be so good, I would make Mother teresa look like an escapee from a Girls Gone Wild video." "I spun in a couple wide circles, trying to get it under control. Interesting technique, Drew yelled over the sound of the machine." | I didn't have super high expectations about this book going in. However, I left considering it one of the best books I've read this year. I love books about boarding school. And Hailey not going for Joel after he told her he loved her was so heart breaking. But Joel was also kind of a jerk. That roast of Hailey in the cafeteria? Way harsh! And Tristian wasn't too much better. I'm surprised Hailey was so OK with him and Kelsi getting together so soon after everything hit the fan. And then there's Drew. He's a jerk at the beginning, but you can tell as the pair start to spend more time together, he really starts to care for Hailey. The Dean was also a bit of a dick. But he's kind of funny about it. I also thought Hailey's dad was not a great guy either. How can you just break promises and avoid your own blood when you need each other most? All of these things really get you thinking and draw you into the story and make you emotionally attached to the outcome of the situations. I was kind of surprised Hailey wasn't cut more slack. She was the vice president of the class and a great student after all. I guess it just adds to the jerk factor of the dean! From the sledding episode to the Walmart outfits to all the exposed feelings, the story was great from start to finish. We may not like how things happen to us in life, but in the end, those hardships actually end up making us stronger. "Best part of being lost, you know, is discovering things you didn't know you were looking for." "There are two kinds of people in this world. People who are a part of what happens and people who sit back and watch other people make it happen. Life isn't supposed to be a spectator sport. It's supposed to be messy." "The fall went fine right up until the very end." "We're guys. I punched him, he punched me back, and then everything was fine. We went out for ice cream after." "Being brave is about being scared but doing it anyway." |