e-ARC, 384 pages
Release Date: July 11, 2017Published by: HarperTeen
Read from: July 15-18, 2017Stand-aloneSource: Edelweiss (I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)For fans of: Contemporary, Romance, Sparkly Covers, DEAR, Realistic Fiction, YA
Somehow I’ve become a liar. A coward. Here’s how it happened.
When Genevieve Grace wakes up from a coma, she can’t remember the car crash that injured her and killed her boyfriend Dallas, a YouTube star who had just released his first album. Genevieve knows she was there, and that there was another driver, a man named Brad Freeman, who everyone assumes is guilty. But as she slowly pieces together the night of the accident, Genevieve is hit with a sickening sense of dread—that maybe she had something to do with what happened.
As the internet rages against Brad Freeman, condemning him in a brutal trial by social media, Genevieve escapes to her father’s house, where she can hide from reporters and spend the summer volunteering in beautiful Zion National Park. But she quickly realizes that she can’t run away from the accident, or the terrible aftermath of it all.
Incredibly thought-provoking and beautifully told, Paula Stokes’s story will compel readers to examine the consequences of making mistakes in a world where the internet is always watching…and judging.
*MY THOUGHTS*
After reading Girl Against the Universe in two sittings I added this Stokes book without even reading what it was about. Hell I don’t think I even got a good look at the cover but I still added it. I had heard this was a little heavier than what she ususally writes, but I didn’t mind because it was her. And I was right not to worry because it was still so good.
Genevieve Grace awakes from a coma and doesn’t remember what put her there at first. As things start to come back, she realizes that there was a crash and her famous boyfriend didn’t make it. The other person involved in the accident is the one person who everyone assumed was guilty because of his past. Genevieve starts to realize that maybe their anger to Brad might be misplaced.
I really couldn’t put this book down. I was reading it in line at the grocery store, at the desk when I was at work, at lunch from work. Just everywhere. I was hooked on wanting to know what Genevieve would do next. I was rooting for her, but then I got mad at her, and then I was happy with her again. I was all over the place with my feelings for her character and that’s how I knew I loved the book. Whenever I can feel so much for them, I know that it’s something I love.
I also really love Stokes’ way for words. Her writing style always sweeps me away to wherever the book is set. And this one is set in the beautiful state of Utah. I’ve never been, but from this book I imagined being at the park where she volunteered and seeing all the cliffs and different views that she saw in the book. It literally took me away to the Utah and made it easy to imagine the setting.
And of course, last but not least, I loved the super relevant message from this story. A lot of times people don’t give a second thought to their words or actions because they are behind a screen. But this book makes the reader really think about the person on the other side of the screen and whether or not what they may have said or done was justified. It’s such an important message to remember in this digital age and to remember what you say can really affect some people. Remember to keep kindness first.
There’s not too many books that I say should be considered required reading in schools. To be honest, there’s only been two this year so far: THUG and This is How it Happened. Teens need thi message to make sure they think about more than just the amount of retweets or likes they’ll get.
Overall, I give this
