"Four years. A quarter of my life. Twenty-five percent of it lost"
This is exactly what the title implies. It is the story of what happens afterward. Caroline's little brother, who is also autistic, is kidnapped. After being missing for several days, the police find him, but they also find Ethan, who had been kidnapped from their town 4 years earlier. The story is told from alternating POVs (Caroline and Ethan) over the course of a year after Ethan and Dylan are rescued.
"I want to disintegrate into a million little pieces and float through the atmosphere. I want to rocket up past the moon and disappear somewhere into ht router bands of the Milky Way. I want to be somewhere where I don't feel anything"
The focus may have been on Ethan and Caroline, but Mathieu really showed how differently the two families healed and dealt with the kidnappings. One family, Ethan's, was able to afford the best therapists and faced the problem head on. While the other family, Caroline's, was cash strapped, and wanted to pretend the kidnapping never happened. As a result, one family grows closer as the other falls apart. This was sad, but realistic.
"I'm not going to try and reduce the weight of your burden, but I'm going to help you grow strong enough to carry it."
I became very attached to Ethan quite quickly. The therapy sessions with Dr. Greenberg were some of my favorite parts, because this is where we could really see how Ethan was changing and healing. These sessions were also some of the most emotional parts of the book, as Ethan starts to fill int he holes in his memory. **Sidenote: Dr. Greenberg and Groovy were awesome**
but the thing about Moments is that when you try to have them, you can't. They only sneak up on you when you don't expect them."
Caroline is sort of a mess, but this "event" seems to be a catalyst for change. In my opinion, she becomes a much better person over the course of the story. The kidnapping forced her to grow up a little, and to focus on other people a little more. She develops new friendships, starts to take her responsibilities more seriously, and even gets a little closer to her mom. I felt sort of proud of her at the end of the book, whereas, I did not think too much of her and her actions in the beginning of the book.
"I think you and Caroline must be int he same karass"
The friendship that develops between Caroline and Ethan is quite beautiful. It's a tough basis for a relationship, but both of them got so much out of being with the other. They helped each other just "be", and through this musical therapy, each of them healed and grew a little.
"she grins because she knows. She knows we've got a million songs ahead of us, all of them waiting to be found, and we can't wait to play every single one of them together."
Another solid "ripped from the headlines" book from Jennifer Mathieu.
**I was lucky enough to have my "wish granted" and obtained an eARC copy of this from NetGalley. Quotes may differ in the final copy**