S. Walden

I was warned. So, only fair to pass the warning along. This novel does not end with a HEA. It ends up breaking your heart for Emma and Anton. Their start is rocky. Two very different people purposely thrown together for a final senior project. In the process of writing a group paper, each character has to learn about each other culturally. What wasn't in the project outline was for them to fall in love.

"You're a senior. Know what I mean? It's time to grow up and deal with it. And when I say 'it' I mean, well, everything."

Emma and Anton go through everything. I mean everything. A rich white girl befriending a poor black boy is already tough enough. They have partial support of family and friends. And then there are others who feel that their relationship should never be. I loved both Emma and Anton. They tried so hard to strong. To want what they wanted no matter the odds were against them. They both fumble, yet learn how to be with the other. But it's not enough. The writing is done in third person POV that is often hard to get right in flow. I felt that Ms. Walden nailed the pace and dialogue of the characters. You really could feel and know where they were coming from. I gave the novel a .5 star deduction as I have to agree with a few other reviewers. The concluding chapters left me with a lot of questions unanswered and felt a bit rushed. However, the epilogue does attempt to give you closure - not the closure you want - but some closure.

This was a first time novel read from this author. I was very impressed with the storyline and writing. I really look forward to reading more from her. If you are looking for something different. Maybe a bit raw and real, this story is for you. You've been warned- be prepared for tissues.

4.5 out of 5 stars… (lisätietoja)

Man, this is a difficult book to rate and review.
I guess 3.5 stars? But I'm not even sure.

Only mild spoilers, but I put them in tags just in case you want to skip them.


I'm not easily shocked or scared because of books or movies and I enjoy being suprised, so I thought this was a perfect book for me. I thought I could handle it and wouldn't feel sick about this story at all. I was wrong. The story is kind of disturbing and the idea of actual people like this and events like this did make me sick to my stomach. It's well written and just very real...

That being said, there was a lot about the story I didn't like. I wasn't a fan of Jeremy.
His dream about killing Regan was disturbing, his mindset regarding the shooting made me wanna turn the gun on him instead.

Regan was a bit annoying, naieve and kind of a gullible idiot, to be honest. If you associate yourself with horrible people and do nothing to stop their bullying, you are kind of guilty by association. Also, I find it a bit hard to believe that someone who used to protect kids that were bullied on, all of a sudden wouldn't recognize bullying when it practically hit her in the face.
Also, for future reference.... when you find a notebook with very detailed information about a shooting, you turn it in damn it. You do not believe a person when he/she tells you that it's just an idea, grown out of frustration, never meant to become a reality. You don't keep going over there and kiss the bastard. People who plan massacres aren't cute, romantic or just misunderstood.

This is kind of an ugly book. Filled with hurt, pain, horrible thoughts and ideas, terrible people, bullying, mistakes, growing up and romance. S Walden sure knows how to write about very difficult subjects (if you don't believe me, go check out [b:Going Under|17337522|Going Under|S. Walden|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364409096s/17337522.jpg|24070983]).

The 'finale' was difficult to read and kept me up for a bit (though that might also be because it was almost 3 am by the time I finished the book). I had to finish this book. Not necessarily because I loved it so much, but mostly because I just couldn't wait to see how it ends. The ending was a bit of a shock and a suprise. Which I loved, because these days you can usually see twists coming from a mile away.

Difficult book, difficult subject matter, annoying people, well written, intriguing.
Give it a chance, it's a very interesting read. But be mindful of the fact that this is not a happy book and if you can't deal with these settings, stay away.… (lisätietoja)

This is a difficult book to rate.
It took me a bit of time to get into this story. I think that was mostly because this story in set in high school and because I wasn't really a fan of Brooklyn at the start of the story.
It's not really a feel good story, it deals with some dark subject matters - rape and suicide. Stay away from this book if you can't handle to read about either of them.

This book was - at times - hard to read. It's not pretty, it's not fluffy and sweet. What I did like about it is the way S Walden was just honest and real about it, that something horrible happened - which I really did not expect to happen - total shocker!, Brooklyn's father, Gretchen and Ryan. Ryan is a sweet and great guy. Though he did seem a bit too old for his age.

Why not 5 stars? It took me a while to get into the story and I felt that the last part - after all the shock and events happened - was a bit rushed. I felt like this difficult story deserved a longer ending and I felt that we as readers of this hard story needed more information than we got.

Thought-provoking, beautiful and at times horrific book. Read at your own risk. If you don't mind the subject of the book, give it a try. It's a dark and beautiful story.… (lisätietoja)