4.5*
Oh, this is a lovely gem of a book. Thought provoking and quite full of life lessons, it ended up being an awesome read for me. It started a bit slow, but after awhile, I was definitely all in. So let's check out the good parts first, shall we?
- An emotionally powerful yet flawed main character kept me invested. Genevieve was obviously sympathetic at the start of the book, because of course she was. Her damn boyfriend just died in a car accident, who would not like her? But things get... murky along the way. I won't get into it too much for the sake of spoilers (though it wasn't altogether surprising where the story was headed, it also didn't have an effect on my liking of the book), but Genevieve running away certainly didn't endear her to people. That is part of what makes the book so good for me though. The author does a fabulous job of making you feel for Genevieve even in the midst of some decisions that the reader may not agree with. Because honestly, does any of us know how we'd react in her shoes?
- Super relevant and timely lessons in cyber bullying. We live in a world where the damn president is bullying people on Twitter, so this could not come at a better time. I loved that the author doesn't present this as a lecture of who is right and who is wrong, but in a very morally gray way. Initially, when people are ranting about the potentially intoxicated driver, no one bats an eye. But is it ever our right to attack someone? Even if we did know all the facts, what makes it okay? These questions are presented a lot throughout the story, and in a really fabulous and heart-wrenching way.
- Such incredibly vivid description of the surroundings made the book feel so real and vibrant. When Genevieve goes to Utah, I didn't expect the lovely descriptions that I ended up getting. And when she went to volunteer at Zion... well, because of the author's amazing ability to make the park come to life, it's now on my bucket list. It was honestly an unexpected, but much welcomed surprise in a contemporary novel. And, it made me relate a lot more to Genevieve because I could so intensely picture what she was going through- both emotionally and physically. I dare say all contemporaries I read from here on out will be judged by a higher standard because of the vividness of Ms. Stokes's writing.
- Genevieve's relationships were so incredibly authentic feeling. Her parents were flawed too, but it was abundantly clear that they loved her and would be there for her. Her relationships with them were messy at times, but they never wavered in having her best interests at heart. And for her part, Genevieve loved them too. She also had some really great friend relationships along the way, which I was so glad for. And yes, there is a bit of a romance, and I won't lie, I adored it.
The only thing that made me give this 4.5 instead of 5 full stars is that it did take me a little bit of time to get into the story. So if you happen to find yourself unsure about it, I urge you to push through a bit more, because for me it was completely worth it!
Bottom Line: Lovely, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, this novel about trying to do the right thing and overcoming difficult obstacles hit me in the feels over and over.
*Copy provided for review