The Leading Edge of Now by Marci Lyn Curtis Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the The Leading Edge of Now blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I'm really happy to share my thoughts on this book with you!

Title: THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW
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?

"When you’re a virgin for fifteen years of your life, it’s pretty easy to tell when you suddenly aren’t."

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 Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

The Leading Edge of Now made my skin crawl. You know that feeling you get when you think you're being watched? That's pretty much what it feels like to read this book. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I barely breathed while I waited for the other shoe to drop. It was hard watching Grace revisit the ghosts of her past, and I desperately wished she hadn't been alone for so many years. She really needed her friends, but she'd already isolated everyone by that point.

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.

The Leading Edge of Now was a quick read that made me feel violated on Grace's behalf. It's sickening how often people are taken advantage of, and I think the author does a good job of expressing Grace's inner turmoil and how it effected her day-to-day life. A guy on the bus kept glancing at her breasts and then touched her without her permission -- it messed with her head. No one should ever have to feel that way. Also, people have the right to say no, and that response should be respected.

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:

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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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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