Once in a lifetime (In a Lifetime, #1)

by Amanda Claire

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I went into this story with a high level of expectation based on the blurb. I thought the story would be high on the emotional radar, but it was just a lukewarm read. Once in a Lifetime by Amanda Claire is the first book in the In a Lifetime series, but it can be read as a stand-alone.



How would you cope if you lost had lost half your family tragically? This happened to the heroine who proved to be an admirable character. Her strength and determination shined throughout the story. Not only did she lose half her family, she was uprooted from the only home she knew and thrust into a new environment. She however, proved she could handle the hand fate dealt her, and she did so beautifully and courageously. She was no walkover. She handled every contact she had with the school’s mean girl, well.



Riley, the hero and Alyssa’s love interest was sweet and adorable. Unlike most high school jocks, he was not self-centred. I loved the relationship he had with his family. He was a well-adjusted teen, but despite this, he had his share of struggles associated with him being an athlete.



Their relationship developed within days of them meeting each other. However, despite the fast development it did not feel rushed. I believe this was due to the pace at which the story moved. The events transpired over a few days, but it felt like the events were moving in slow motion. They worked well as a couple. Riley made her feel alive again and restored happiness in her life.



The secondary characters featured prominently in the story which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, in this case it took the spotlight away from the main characters. As the story is about high school, it was not without the typical teenage drama. It had all the angst that comes with being a teenager. It highlighted the struggles teenagers face when trying to fit in and dealing with bullies. I loved how the story tied up. My favourite part was the epilogue which was a good surprise. It whetted my appetite for the sequel.



As stated earlier, I expected this to be an emotional read throughout, but this was not the case. They were a few heart breaking moments, but not enough to put this story in the category of an emotional read. The writing was ok, but it needed improvement in the areas of sentence structure. The story was repetitive in some areas. This occurred when the same scene is given from the perspective of both protagonists. I believed this helped to make the story seem longer than it was and caused it to drag in some areas.



Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, this was an average read for me. Not bad for the author’s first book