Author: Marci Lyn Curtis
Pub. Date: September 4, 2018
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Pages: 336
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD
Just when Grace is beginning to get used to being an orphan, her estranged uncle suddenly comes forward to claim her. That might have been okay if he'd spoken to her even once since her father died. Or if moving in with Uncle Rusty didn't mean returning to New Harbor.
Grace once spent the best summers of her life in New Harbor. Now the place just reminds her of all she's lost: her best friend, her boyfriend and any memory of the night that changed her forever.
People say the truth will set you free, but Grace isn't sure about that. Once she starts looking for it, the truth about that night is hard to find --- and what happens when her healing hurts the people she cares about the most?
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product."When you’re a virgin for fifteen years of your life, it’s pretty easy to tell when you suddenly aren’t."
At the beginning, I had a hard time connecting with Grace as a character. She would say or think things that were meant to be funny or sarcastic, but they came across feeling forced and unnatural. However, there were times the comments were so unexpected they surprised a laugh out of me. "But in New Harbor, where it’s so quiet, a squirrel scurrying up a tree sounds like an assassin wading through the sawgrass with a hatchet." She grew on me towards the end, and I learned to appreciate her personality.
I wish some of the people in Grace's life had been more proactive. After her dad died, she didn't really have anyone in her corner. There was no support system, and she was left to deal with her grief on her own. Sexual assault, the death of her father -- she was 15-years old. When she starts searching for the bastard that assaulted her, we find out that quite a few people knew something was wrong or off with the situation. I wish one of them had been brave enough to come forward, or at least expressed concern on her behalf.
It also didn't seem fair to me that everyone judged Grace for cutting ties with them, but they made no effort of their own to reach out to her. Janna and Owen's parents were like a second mom and dad for Grace, but they didn't think to check on her when she'd been absent for two years? She basically lived in their house every summer and holiday since she was four, but then years go by without a word. A few things are explained later on, but still... someone should have made contact.
Rusty (her uncle) is spontaneous and easygoing. He's a child masquerading as an adult most of the time, but he loves Grace. He and her father were really close, and his death affected him as much as it did his niece. Rusty felt responsible in a way, so he kept his distance from Grace when she needed him the most. It was heartbreaking to see on both sides, because they were both hurting, and I'm glad they were finally able to grieve together.
Owen is a beautiful, broken soul. He always has the best intentions, but life keeps taking him out at the knees. First, there was the accident that has taken him years to cope with, and then he was blamed for something he would never even dream of doing. He is a genuinely good person, and I hated to see him hurting for the bulk of the book.
NetGalley had some additional information I wanted to share: Marci Lyn Curtis, the critically acclaimed author of The One Thing, has crafted an honest and emotional story that will resonate with the wide range of readers impacted by sexual assault. Sexual assault does not define this story, however, just as it does not define Grace. Wry humor and true love emerge as Grace, like many in the #MeToo era, seeks to find her truth, face her truth, and speak her truth.
About Marci Lyn Curtis:
Marci Lyn Curtis is the author of young adult dramedies THE ONE THING and THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW. She lives near Tampa, Florida with her husband.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will win a finished copy of THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/27/2018- Sophie Reads YA- Review
8/28/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview
8/29/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review
8/30/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review
8/31/2018- Book-Keeping- Review
Week Two:
9/3/2018- Pacific Northwest Bookworm- Review
9/4/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
9/5/2018- Sweet Southern Home- Excerpt
9/6/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review
9/7/2018- Arctic Books- Excerpt
Week One:
8/27/2018- Sophie Reads YA- Review
8/28/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview
8/29/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous- Review
8/30/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review
8/31/2018- Book-Keeping- Review
Week Two:
9/3/2018- Pacific Northwest Bookworm- Review
9/4/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
9/5/2018- Sweet Southern Home- Excerpt
9/6/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review
9/7/2018- Arctic Books- Excerpt
I hadn't heard of this one yet.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you mostly liked it despite a few quibbles about Grace.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
I did end up liking it despite my issues with Grace. I think that was just her personality, which is fine, but it grated on my nerves a little. Believe it or not... there are people in this world that frustrate me. Haha! ;)
DeleteOoh, it sounds super good!
ReplyDeleteIt was a very engaging read! I also think the author handled the content really well, and portrayed it in a way that others will be able to relate to. I recommend it. :)
DeleteThis does sound good but I'm not sure if it would be for me or not. Lovely review though!
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their thing! Despite feeling frustrated by the main character, she was easy to understand and her decisions made sense. She was violated a few years ago with no recollection of the instance. She just knows that it happened, and she's gone years without talking about it or telling someone that it happened. It's going to impact her choices and the way she views the world. I think the author captured that really well!
DeleteI hadn't heard about this one but it made your skin crawl, I love it.
ReplyDeleteI like that the author was able to elicit such a feeling, but I hate the reasons behind it. It's something that happens to people every day, and it felt so very real.
DeleteInteresting, I wonder if her personality was intentional.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think so. She suffered a great loss, then lost something of herself that she cannot remember clearly, was dumped into foster care for two years, and eventually ended up with her uncle. She has no idea why he took two years to sign her guardianship papers, her other surrogate family never tried to get in touch, and she hasn't talked about The Incident with anyone. I'm sure all of those things impacted the way she thought about the world, and also how she chose to deal with things. It was a very interesting read, Kimberly. :)
DeleteOoooh! I love the cover. The MC's personality sounds like it would irk me too much... Thanks for the heads up!! :) Great review!
ReplyDeleteI was okay with her personality because I could understand it. I haven't been through what she has, but I would imagine those things changed a person. Her reactions and feelings were bound to be different after the last two years. I'm okay with a character I don't connect with as long as their are reasons for their behaviors.
DeleteGrace sounds like a bundle of contradictions - which could make for an interesting, multi-layered character, or could just be jarring. It’s sad that the adults in her life don’t seem very stable or protective. :(
ReplyDeleteI would go with interesting and multi-layered. Her choices wouldn't be my choices, but we haven't lived the same life. I cannot imagine going through the different things that she did -- personal loss, a loss of self, etc. Her situation was more jarring than her personality.
DeleteThe adults in this one suck. They seem great on the surface, but they are ugly underneath. I even loved Janna and Owen's parents, but cannot forgive them for ignoring Grace for two years. She needed people and had no one.