The Day Before

by Lisa Schroeder

One moment can change everything.

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him.  And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

• ISBN10: 1442417439
• ISBN13: 9781442417434
• Publish Date: 28 June 2011
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

"The day before
your life changes
is a big day."

I never ever thought that I would enjoy a book written in verse for two reasons:
1) Purple prose isn't my thing
2) I always feel that there's a wall between the story and my emotions.
However, The Day Before proved me wrong!

Lisa Schroeder poetry is not written in a flowery or lyrical way. Her poetry is written in free-verse and it's simple, but the story unfolds naturally, evokes emotion and adds depth to what could have been a fairly light-hearted read.

It's extremely easy to get swept up in this story and the characters. In The Day Before, Amber sneaks off from home to have one day for herself in order to escape the troubles that she faces. On this day, she meets Cade at the aquarium and they spend the day together and find comfort and self-discovery in each others company.

Amber and Cade are extremely likable characters and have so much of personality and depth. Naturally, out of their companionship, a romance develops that doesn't feel "insta-lovey" even although it is - as this book takes place within a 24 hour time period. I know that there is no genuine development in Amber and Cade's relationship and I know that they don't know enough about each other to form the strong bond that they have in The Day Before but, I don't care! Amber and Cade are two lost and lonely souls who find solace and understanding in each other. It's easy to love them and empathise with them.

The Day Before is a beautiful book that's filled with depth, emotions and characters that are easy to love. It's about living everyday to the fullest, overcoming hurdles and enjoying the little things that life has to offer.

I don't know what this book has done to me... I feel so happy and hopeful!

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

I read this novel a few weeks ago and I came away from the reading experience with two things, 1.) it was my first time to read a novel in verse and 2.) I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The words and imagery just seemed to flow so smoothly and effortlessly, it was quite beautiful. Even though the insta-love Amber had for Cade had me scratching my head, becuase she'd only known him for pretty much all of one day, there was a tenderness that it seemed to possess that gave it a very realistic feel.

There was a vulerability in The Day Before that resonated with me, it was a very easy read, as I said before the words just seemed to float easily and gracefully from one page to the next, the prose was well developed, and it was easy to feel with the characters instead of just for them. The novel possessed a means of escapism, for both Amber and Cade, which I can understand and relate to in a sense.

The fear of one life being lost and another one being uprooted against her wishes, left me longing for them to find some semblance of peace and happiness, even if for just one day. It made me want the happy ending. All in all, I really did enjoy this book and I find that I can easily give it four stars without any qualms.

Note: I received this book through a Simon&Schuster Galley Grab.