Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad - her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares - has been cancelled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb's free... if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.
But despite the horror of their shared history, somehow Caleb and Maggie can't seem to stay away from each other, with the heat and attraction between them becoming undeniable to them both.
Until Caleb decides to leave Paradise, taking with him a secret he promised to take to his grave, because if the truth ever got out, it would ruin everything.
Eight months have passed since Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Maggie has tried to be strong, and somehow has managed to move on, determined to make a new life for herself.
But when Caleb returns unexpectedly, he and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them.
What a brilliant duology. I love Simone Elkeles' books, although I've only read two of them. She just taps into teenagers' heads perfectly, and I loved Maggie, and I loved Caleb, and I loved how they tried to not talk to each other, since Caleb ran Maggie over with his car (it was an accident - probably), but they couldn't fight their feelings and I just nearly dissolved into a puddle of happy goo.
It just made me so happy. That's what I love about these light YA contemporaries, you can lose yourself in a book for a while without thinking *too* hard, and you just know it's going to make you smile and laugh and be happy.
I need to read the rest of Simone's books ASAP and hope she's working on new stuff, because reading Paradise reminded me of how much I *love* her books and her writing.
