Type: Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, Coming of Age, Military, War, Paradise Motel and Pool
About the Book: If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper. [Synopsis provided by Goodreads.com]
My Review: Oh, wow. This is one of those books that I loved so much that my review will be hard to write. I don't want to just gush all over this page, but I might have to - this book was that good. I don't usually get emotional while reading - I go through the emotions with the main character, but it is muted, because I know this isn't my real life. But when Skylar felt hopeless, when everything was falling apart in her life - this author made me feel it. I hurt, I even cried, and it was amazing.
This book wasn't perfect, no book is. I felt the big climax, the "misunderstanding that sets our budding relationship back several steps," was far from original, but author Heather Demetrios made it work for her. The awkwardness, the "why" - that was new and different. The author took a trope I have seen countless times before, and added her own spin to it. And lastly, I thought Skylar's downward spiral happened too fast. She went from one extreme to another. But I can even find myself explaining that away as well - sometimes life just sucks, and you find yourself doing something you never wanted, and never expected. This book was that good - I'm practically petting it and telling it that everything is okay. Even the not-so-great stuff is still amazing.
This is my favorite book of 2015, so far. It's one of those books I wish I had the money to buy multiple copies so I can throw them at people, forcing them to read it. It wasn't perfect, but even its imperfections made me love it all the more.
Cover Lovin': This doesn't exactly give you a good idea about the book's story or content. However, the run-down sign fits perfectly with their tiny little can't-even-afford-a-horse-town.
Recommendation: This is one of those books that can and will appeal to both young adult and new adult lovers. It's incredibly compelling and emotionally astounding. Recommended to absolutely everyone! It was that good.
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS (5/5)!!! My favorite book of 2015 so far, hands down. It will take a lot to top this, for sure. I can't say enough good things about this book.
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
