Before:
Dara and Aubrey have been inseparable since they became best friends in sixth grade. However, as they begin their sophomore year of high school, cracks in their friendship begin to form, testing the bond they always thought was unbreakable.
After:
It's been fifteen months since the accident that killed Aubrey, and not a day goes by that Dara isn't racked with guilt over her role in her best friend's death. Dara thought nothing could be worse than confronting the memories of Aubrey that relentlessly haunt her, but she soon realizes it isn't half as difficult as seeing Ethan, Aubrey's brother, every day. Not just because he is a walking reminder of what she did, but because the more her feelings for him change, the more she knows she is betraying her best friend one final time. (Pub Date: Aug 1, 2017)
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. I also want to thank the publisher for giving me this opportunity.
The book deserves 3.5.
This is a romance between Dara, who had to change schools after accidentally killing her best friend and now decided to go back and face punishment from their peers, and Ethan, the same best friend's little brother, who has all the reasons to hate Dara and is surely isn't as little anymore. In fact, he's about to become the most important person in Dara's life.
And Rebecca Phillips did it again for me. I wasn't ready for a story with so much depth. I mean, were it not YA, I think it would have needed more but as YA this is the second book I read from this author and this is the second time I'm sure she went beyond. It's great to read one of those form time to time, to know authors still respect YA readers enough to do a little more.
There's a little about bullying, of course that's the main problem Dara faces when she's back at her former school, but I don't think it deserves trigger warnings. For one, they were never the focus so there isn't much detailing; for two, there wasn't much in number, either. Or maybe I was just ready for much worse—and I'm glad it didn't happen.
I think Phillips knew to keep focus on the romance. That's why I was reading the story, after all. But for most of the book each chapter in the present was followed by one during the school year right before the accident. I'm not a fan of this style—although it's quite used lately—but it contributed to have some mystery hang in the air and also to eliminate or at least reduce the oddness of a girl falling for someone she used to see as a little boy.
Talking about those flashbacks, not only Ethan's change was very well portrayed but also Dara's. I'm not sure if I can call it subtle but it was a great way to show and not just tell. You can really see her go from "Dare-ya", as they used to call her old self, to current traumatized Dara.
Even though I liked it better than Phillips's previous release, Any Other Girl, I can't say I had as much fun to round it to 4 stars. It was an easy, quick read, I don't mean I was bored, but I can't say I was that much into it. I confess I expected a plot twist or anything big that never came. So this is just the nice book you'd expect it to be but it has a plus of being very well executed. And I loved the cover!
It's only been two books but I guess I can say I'm becoming a fan. I can't wait for Phillips's next work.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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