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Blurb
Being young is all about the experiences: the first time you skip school, the first time you fall in love…the first time someone holds a gun to your head.
After being held hostage during a robbery at the local convenience store, seventeen year old Edie finds her attitude about life shattered. Unwilling to put up with the snobbery and bullying at her private school, she enrolls at the local public high school, crossing paths with John. The boy who risked his life to save hers.
While Edie’s beginning to run wild, however, John’s just starting to settle down. After years of partying and dealing drugs with his older brother, he’s going straight—getting to class on time, and thinking about the future.
An unlikely bond grows between the two as John keeps Edie out of trouble and helps her broaden her horizons. But when he helps her out with another first—losing her virginity—their friendship gets complicated.
Meanwhile, Edie and John are pulled back into the dangerous world they narrowly escaped. They were lucky to survive the first time, but this time they have more to lose—each other.
Review
4 stars!
I’m a big fan of Kylie Scott, and was so excited when I saw she was writing a YA book (and will you look at that cover… I freaking love it!). And from the moment I opened this book, I was completely and utterly hooked. It’s a unique story which is raw and emotional, holding nothing back, and I feel like I’ve been on a ride with these characters and I’m still not quite ready to let them go. This book is a mix of sweet, funny, dramatic, traumatic and romantic – a weird combination, but it works beautifully, and I really enjoyed this one!
Edie is a 17 year old girl on summer vacation when she is caught up in a brutal armed robbery. The experience is terrifying, leaving her injured and traumatised, and feeling lost and alone, while at the same time stronger, not willing to put up with crap and keen to experience life in a whole new way. When the bullying at her snobby private school becomes too much, she asks for a transfer to the local public school, and that’s where she runs into John Cole – the boy who saved her life that night, and the only one who understands what she’s feeling.
“He’s the only one who gets me. Who knows what it was like, going through what happened that night … And he’s the only one I know for sure would risk himself to keep me safe.”
John has a difficult life and an even worse reputation, but like Edie, that night left him changed and he is trying hard to pick up the pieces and set his life right. Their initial interactions are strained to say the least, but there is a connection between them that draws them together. They get each other, they understand what the other one is feeling, and they soon learn that although they are very different, they need each other to lean on as they move forward.
An unlikely but powerful friendship develops as Edie and John find comfort and strength in each other, Edie supporting John as he fights to improve his life, John right by Edie’s side as she strives to experience all that life has to offer. But as their attraction to each other grows, things become complicated.
I’m not going to delve any further into the story because you just need to experience all that is Edie and John’s journey – the sweet, the fun, the drama and confusion, and even the angst. It wasn’t always easy, and the teen angst is expected from two kids in their situation, but the pacing is perfect and there’s great character development as they figure it all out and the romance flows naturally out of it all.
I loved these characters. Flawed but real, there’s a real sense of them coming into their own and finding their place, and I enjoyed that part of the story. The side characters are also fantastic and bring a lot to the story, and I thought the portrayal of high school life was realistic and really well written.
This is a raw but realistic story which is more than just a romance, and the additional themes of family, friendship, overcoming trauma and finding yourself are tied in really well. There are a few surprises along the way but it ends in a good place, and I really enjoyed the ride.
It was us against the world, forever and ever.
4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Trailer
Excerpt
“You were going to give it up to Duncan Dickerson?” he sneered. “Are you serious?”
I halted, staring at him. This was not good. “How do you know about that?”
“Anders overheard you and Hang talking.”
“Bastard.”
“Well?” he demanded, acting all authoritarian. Idiot.
“To be fair, I didn’t know his last name was Dickerson,” I said. “That’s unfortunate. Though, I wasn’t actually planning on marrying him, so…”
“Not funny.”
I shrugged.
“You barely know the guy.”
“Um, yeah. None of your concern. We’re not talking about this.” How mortifying! My face burned bright. People should just gather around and cook s’mores. “I appreciate that we’re friends. You mean a lot to me. But this is going to have to fall under definitely none of your damn business, so go away please.”
“We’re talking about it.” He advanced a step.
“No we are not.” And I retreated.
“You were going to let a complete stranger touch you.” Advance.
Retreat. “People do it all the time. You do it all the time.”
“But you don’t,” he said, taking the final step, backing me up against the side of his car and getting all in my face. “Edie, this is your first time we’re talking about. Isn’t it?”
“Yes, and it’s going to be messy and painful and probably horribly embarrassing and I just want it over and done with.” I tried to meet his eyes but failed, settling for a spot on his right shoulder. “You’re not a girl; you wouldn’t understand. Also, last time I checked, you’re not the gatekeeper of my hymen, John Cole. So back the fuck off.”
He said nothing.
Deep, calming breaths. “Look, someday I’ll meet someone I really like and we’ll have a deep and meaningful relationship and go at it like bunnies. But I don’t want to be the dumb virgin in that scenario.”
He slowly shook his head.
“Also, I do not want to die a virgin.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Hey, you and I both know death can occur at any time.”
“This is crazy.”
“I’m seeing a therapist!” I told his shoulder. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m a little bit messed up these days. It’s hard for me to trust people. That’s not going to change anytime soon.”
He screwed up his face at me. “Wha—”
“I’m just trying to be practical.”
“Well, you’re being ridiculous. None of this makes sense.”
“It does to me.”
Again, he said nothing.
In fact, he said nothing for so long that I finally looked him in the eye. The anger had left him, replaced by an emotion I didn’t recognize. Worst of all, he still smelled like summer. A little sweat and the open night air, everything I loved. Liked. I meant liked.
“What?” I said, finally.
He let loose a breath. “I’ll do it.”
About the Author
Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie on her website.
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