Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg

Past Perfect Life

by Elizabeth Eulberg

An exciting new direction for acclaimed author Elizabeth Eulberg, Past Perfect Life is a tense and tender read about secrets and lies, reality and identity, and the ways we put ourselves back together when everything is broken.

Small-town Wisconsin high school senior Allison Smith loves her life the way it is--spending quality time with her widowed father and her tight-knit circle of friends, including best friend Marian and maybe-more-than-friends Neil. Sure she is stressed out about college applications . . . who wouldn’t be? In a few short months, everything’s going to change, big time.

But when Ally files her applications, they send up a red flag . . . because she’s not Allison Smith. And Ally’s--make that Amanda’s--ordinary life is suddenly blown apart. Was everything before a lie? Who will she be after? And what will she do as now comes crashing down around her?

Perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, this is the story of one teen’s search for herself amid the confusion of a shattered past and a future far from all she planned.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

Share
A secret from Ally's past had caught up with her, which drastically altered her life, and threatened to derail her future.

I am going to apologize up front for being vague, but it is too easy to give away the plot here, and I liked when my suspicions were confirmed. It was a good gasp worthy moment for me, and I want you to have that too. Therefore, I will share as much as I think I can without spoiling anything.
"Two truths and a lie?"
"I'm angry. I'm scared. My life."

• My emotions! I will admit, my emotions were all over the place as I read this book. I was definitely channeling Ally at times, because I felt mad, hurt, sad, empty, frustrated, happy, and swoony. I would definitely say, that Eulberg did an amazing job conveying the emotions of the characters in this book.

• Found family - It was just Ally and her dad, but she was lucky enough to be "adopted" by her best friend Marian, who came from a HUGE family. They were her de facto family, and when push came to shove, they stood up for her and stood by her side.

• An adorable romance - Right before her life imploded, Ally finally declared her feelings for her long time crush. The two of them together were utterly precious and so, so cute. My heart broke just thinking about them having to be apart, but that boy kept surprising me (and Ally) in the best ways.

• Father-daughter bond - Ally and her dad shared something special, which I think is not too unusual when it comes to small families. I adored all their "theme nights", and their affection for each other was really beautiful.

• Setting - Hello, Wisconsin! It was nice to be out in the midwest for a little change of pace, and Eulberg treated us to lots of weather, cheese, and Packers related anecdotes. I also loved their small town, and the way all the residents circled round to protect Ally.

• Friendship - Ally was blessed with an incredible group of friends. Their lunch time follies were amusing, and I was really touched by their dedication to each other.

This was an emotional and compelling read. I really tore through it, and though, I wish there was an epilogue, I was still left really hopeful for Ally and her family.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 23 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 23 June, 2019: Reviewed