The Opposite of Falling Apart

by Micah Good

An unmissable and uplifting debut novel for fans of John Green and Jennifer Niven.

Jonas had done two things when he'd come home from the hospital for the first time after The Accident.

1. He'd taken a permanent marker and scribbled out the lower half of the left leg on his Bones of the Human Skeleton poster, which had hung on his closet door since fifth grade.

2. He'd looked at the newly altered poster and cried, for the first time after and the only time since.
_______

Jonas Avery has lost his leg in a terrible car accident. All he wants is to leave for college, where he can finally start over.

Brennan Davis is dreading leaving home. It is the only place she can manage her anxiety.

When Jonas and Brennan meet by chance the summer before they move away, can they push each other to overcome what's holding them back?

And will allowing themselves to fall in love be the most daring thing of all?

• ISBN10: 0241455774
• ISBN13: 9780241455777
• Publish Date: 27 February 2020 (first published 25 February 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 432
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

A year after losing his leg in a car accident, Jonas got into a little fender bender, which was the start of something great, for both him and the girl whose car he hit.

Both Jonas and Brennan were supposed to be getting ready to leave for college, but they were "stuck" for different reasons.

Brennan was dealing with severe anxiety. Fear and racing thoughts were keeping her from moving forward, and she didn't seem to have a lot of support at home. While Jonas was making no progress on accepting his new normal since losing his leg. He refused therapy, would not use his prosthesis, and choose to mope around, taking out his frustrations on his family.

What I Liked...

The friendship between Brennan and Jonas was the standout element for me. Though their circumstances were different, they could relate to what the other was going through. Their relationship did not start out on solid ground. It was not an instant friendship, but because of that, it felt like a reward, when it finally formed and began to grow.

I was totally rooting for this friendship to turn into a romance, and I don't care if it's a predictable thing, because these two was too cute together. The stirrings of first love in all its glory was right there for me to enjoy, and I loved every second of it.

I also appreciated how much both Jonas and Brennan grew. Brennan gained confidence, as Jonas came to terms with his situation. It was a treat, that we got to spend such a long period of time with these two, as well as getting to tag along to college with them. The change of scenery came with new challenges for both of them, but along the way, they realized their most important resources were themselves and each other.

Good really took a lot of time to explore both Jonas' and Brennan's issues. After spending copious amounts of time in the characters' heads, I felt like I really understood what they were going through. Their struggles were palpable, and came across as authentic.

What I Wish...

This book had a LOT of introspection, and I do believe it was an important part of the story. However, I wish I had spent a little less time in the characters' heads. For me, it hampered the pacing a bit, but I would have also loved some of that page time to be allotted to seeing more of the romance play out, as I absolutely adored these two together. They were precious and adorable, and I wanted more of those heart eyes time with them.

Overall

Despite the pacing issues, I enjoyed this book very much. I found that I cared about the fate of Jonas and Brennan. It was heartwarming and touching watching these two fight to overcome some big obstacles, and work to achieve the things they wanted. I was glad to be a part of their journey.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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