Never Let You Go

by Emma Carlson-Berne

While working on a farm during the summer, Megan falls in love with her unstable best friend's crush, with frightening consequences.

• ISBN10: 1442440171
• ISBN13: 9781442440173
• Publish Date: 1 January 2013 (first published 4 December 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Wow. Never Let You Go is pages of crazy! But it was fun crazy, and kind of scary crazy. That’s exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up! The story follows two friends, Megan and Anna, during the summer that is suppose to rekindle their friendship. The year prior, Megan got drunk and made out with Anna’s boyfriend, but she’s determined not to mess up again. Enter Jordan, another teen that will be working on Anna’s family farm that summer. Anna has already put her claim on him before Megan arrived, so Megan promises herself to stay away. Unfortunately for Anna, he’s just not that into her, and of course he likes Megan. What follows is one of those crazy, but entertaining, “If I can’t have him, no one can” tales!

Immediately, I knew something was off with Anna. She just says things and behaves in a way that seemed unbalanced. Of course, she does have the right to still be upset with Megan, but she takes her jokes and jabs too far sometimes. We do get some memories from Megan that suggest that this behavior isn’t recent, just worse. As awful as Anna was at times, she intrigued me. I could not wait to see what she did next, although she does do one thing I found way too horrible and wish hadn’t been included. It definitely added to her crazy though. Megan on the other hand, is super innocent and socially awkward. She also came across as quite immature at times. They’re an odd pairing, but Anna kind of preys on Megan’s insecurities.

The over-the-top plot was definitely what kept me turning pages though. Sure there’s some romance at the center of Never Let You Go, but it’s all about Anna. She completely loses her mind during this summer! I was highly disturbed at times, but also entertained. I read this in one sitting because I had to know what Anna was up to! Things do get a little ridiculous, making this more of a 3.5 stars, but I’ll round up because it was fun! I also wish there had been a little bit more about Anna’s mental health at the end. The end is insane, but more explanation would have been nice. Also that epilogue…creepy!

Clearly, I really enjoyed Never Let You Go. There’s something about the whole “If I can’t have you, no one can” storyline that I’m just fascinated by. Anna is stuck in her own little world, until reality finally sneaks in and she snaps. Like I said, I wish we had gotten to know more about how she got to that point. There are several mentions of her father leaving when she was young, but I think there was more to it than that. Either way, I thought the story was handled well. It’s on the short side, so if you’re looking for something quick, suspenseful, and even a little silly, grab this one!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.