I had originally re-arranged my weekly TBR to read a light-hearted romance before this one, because I suspected a story about a homeless teen and an abused teen would make me a little sad, and there were some parts where I felt sad (and mad), but mostly, this book made me feel happy.
•Pro: Linden was so easy to root for. She essentially had so many things working against her and so many obstacles in her way, but she kept chasing her dream, day after day. I will always root for a survivor, especially one, who was able to own my heart by the first chapter.
•Pro: Linden chose wisely, when she picked Ham and Seung as her friends. They both had so many wonderful qualities to admire, but mostly, they cared for Linden, and would do nice things for her on the sly, just to make her life easier. I adored these three together.
•Pro: Believe it or not, family was a big theme in this book. Linden's family was explored as well her "family", those friends that took her in and treated her as their own. Seung's mom was quite incredible. She would do all these lovely things for Linden, which made me totally understand what Linden meant when she compared Mrs. Rhee to her jersey jogger pants. Calling them "as cozy as she is".
•Pro: This book really gave me a new appreciation for all the little things I have and take for granted on a daily basis.
•Pro: I was quite impressed with the way Rufener tackled teen homelessness and abuse without neither diminishing the gravity of the topics nor making the story too heavy. It was quite a balancing act she accomplished, and I applaud her for it.
•Pro: This story is drenched in hope, and I have to tell, I really needed an injection of hope.
•Pro: The romance was precious. I adored watching these two tip toe around the attraction, as they grew more and more aware of their growing feelings.
•Pro: So. Many. Feels. But mostly, happy feels.
•Pro: Hooray for that ending! We got a jump ahead that was beyond my expectations, and gave me so many answers. Endings like this one are the best.
There's a line in one of Ham's mob movies that defines family as who you are sworn to, not who you are born to. Friends included. My friends have become my family. My family is my friends.
Overall: A wonderful story of one girl's struggle to survive, and her desire to find a place where she fit, which left me elated, hopeful, and full of joy.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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