As She Fades

by Abbi Glines

On the night of her high school graduation, Vale McKinley and her boyfriend Crawford are in a terrible car accident that leaves Crawford in a coma. They were supposed to spend the summer planning for college, for a bright future full of possibility. Together. Instead, Vale spends long days in the hospital, hoping Crawford will awaken. Slate Allen, a college friend of Vale’s brother, has been visiting his dying uncle at the same hospital. When he and Vale meet, she can’t deny the flutter of an illicit attraction. She tries to ignore her feelings, but she's not immune to Slate's charm. Slowly, they form a cautious friendship.
Then, Crawford wakes up . . . with no memory of Vale or their relationship. Heartbroken, Vale opts to leave for college and move on with her life. Except now, she’s in Slate’s territory, and their story is about to take a very strange turn.

• ISBN13: 9781250294678
• Publish Date: 1 May 2019 (first published 1 May 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Square Fish
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 272
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250294678

Reviews

[kymmiejournals]

That was..............weird.



I now get why readers reviewed this as "rushed", the first scene at the hospiral seem like there's already going on between Slate and Vale. I had to read twice if it was really that fast or advanced. I would've expected some background between the two or Crawford's condition (I know he's in don't comatose but like any medical explanation or so). It was like - POOF!

I'm so frustrated, I drop an explosive spoiler! For brave souls only. LOL!

--- STAY CONNECTED ---
Blog ❤ Twitter ❤ Goodreads

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.It's been a long time since I've read an Abbi Glines book.  Boy was this one a little different.

Val had her post-high school life mapped out, planning on following boyfriend Crawford to college.  But an accident changes everything and Val is left to figure out what happens next.

I can honestly say, I wasn't expecting the twist and turns of Val's story.  Val was a girl who had defined herself with her relationship with Crawford and when all that blows up, she has to figure out who she wants to be.  I didn't envy Val and the choices she had to make, but she grew into a much stronger person for those choices and the partner she chose.

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I have now read 28 books by Abbi Glines, and I keep coming back to her, time after time, because she fills a certain reading need of mine. Though this book was a lot lower drama than her previous books, it still had many of Glines' signature elements, which never fail to delight me.

•Pro: One of my favorite things in this book was the family focus. Vale was the youngest of five, with four protective older brothers and loving, present parents. I really enjoyed my time with the McKinley family, and was glad Glines shared so many of their family moments with us. The way the Mckinley family welcomed Slate in his time of need tugged on my heartstrings, and I was happy knowing he had a support system.

•Pro: Slate was quite the interesting character. He had a reputation, but there was really so much more going on beneath that. Between his backstory and the lovely relationship he shared with his uncle, I really grew to like him a lot.

•Pro: Underneath it all, this was a story about self growth and the belief that we can grow and change. Vale had to face that she was not the same person she was before the accident, and after dealing with ill uncle, Slate realized that he wanted more from his relationships than he had in the past.

•Pro: After a traumatic event, many people will reevaluate their lives, and Vale recognized that her perfect relationship wasn't so perfect. I thought her struggle was very genuine and I was both happy and sad for her, when she reached her resolution

•Pro: The twist was interesting. I kept thinking back to the "before" part of the book, to look for clues. There are actually a lot of things I would discuss with you right now if this was book club, but since we have not all read the book I will just say, it was a very intriguing approach, which I enjoyed.

•Con: The ending seemed a little rushed. It was sweet, but everyone knows how greedy I am about endings.

•Pro: Glines made me feel a bunch of things, and I even cried a little. That's always something I am looking for when I read a book.

•Pro: I don't know if it was tongue-in-cheek or unintentional, but I think Glines acknowledged her love for odd names via a character in this book.

Overall: A touching journey of growth and change with a sweet romance and a surprising twist.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS