Only she doesn't know how big a secret it really is. Because Chase is actually Charlie, the boy who'd accidentally killed Rachel with his car on a night he'll regret forever. Newly out of juvie, he's been sent to live in a new town with his mother and her new husband, the town's mayor. And though he's determined to start his life over and make amends, the classmates at his new school aren't eager to let him forget the sins of his past. Shockingly, Libby, who has more reason than anyone to want nothing to do with him, is willing to give him a second chance despite what her friends and parents think of him. For her own protection, Chase insists their friendship remain a secret. Yet the more time they spend together, the more their feelings start to deepen--and the more determined Libby becomes to clear Chase's name, even if it costs her relationships with those who mean the most to her. (Pub Date: June 26, 2018)
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
I don't believe this could work in real life, I don't even believe this easily happen considering all the specifics to the case, and yet, I feel like I've learned a lot from this reading.
3.5 rounded up to 4.
I'm not sure why the main character's name is Libby in the summary but let's go. This is actually about Beth, whose sister died in an accident three years before, which made her parents take extreme matters to keep safe their "surviving child". She feels smothered and, after behaving for all that time, she decides to go to a party and blow some steam. That's where she meets Chase and loses her virginity. The thing is that the next Monday she finds out not only he's starting at her school but he is the very driver who ran her sister over and changed her life. The whole school is against his enrollment but Beth sees beyond it all.
I'm not into this sort of plot. First, good girl meets bad boy, then girl with a traumatic past meets boy who was part of the trauma. But Erin Watt is an author I trust to explore just the right sides.
Even with all the potential for drama, this didn't feel overwhelming. It was actually very easy to read and enjoy, especially since I was itching to know how Beth would get out of the whole situation of feeling attracted to her sister's killer.
This also approaches themes like penance, the difference between fixing wrongs and making damage while you do that, there's really a lot. It's great for a book club but also for teenagers. I've mentioned in other reviews but teenagers sometimes deal with stuff they don't feel comfortable talking about so they mirror themselves in books for answers. Of course not many will be 100% in Beth's shoes, but overprotective parents, being bullied for something you've done but already paid for, toxic relationships are some of the topics most teens will identify with.
It was a pity there was so much happening with Beth and the book had to keep going so there wasn't enough time but Watt teaches here an important trick about coping, which is doing the small things you can do at the moment. Now that is a lesson beneficial not only for teenagers.
The rating wasn't higher exactly because it failed to give me the illusion this could happen with that many turns of events. Also, I don't think Jeff was a well-explained character. There were many details like that making me frown. It was much less than I had expected, Watt can work miracles really, but they were still there.
Still, a surprisingly entertaining story. I can't wait to get my hands on Watt's next work!
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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