“The walk made me realize that in real life, there isn’t actually a last thing. Nothing ends; it just turns into a different story.” That’s what happened with this book, it starts out one story, takes you into another, brings you back to the original, and then ends something completely new.
Hawthorne would say things throughout like “I wished [they] would win the lottery and lose the ticket. I wished they would only ever be able to take cold showers. I wished every glass of lemonade they drank for the rest of their lives would be just a little too sour.” And “There was something childlike about his smile, which was startling to see on such an old face. Getting a genuine smile from an adult was about as rare as seeing multiple suns in the sky.” That second quote got to me – it really got me thinking about adults and genuine happiness. Hawthorne had a different, selfish but unique and intriguing outlook on life and circumstances and situations. You get so sucked in to following her and her thoughts and her life, you forget that a mystery is actually going to be solved at the end, and when it happens it comes back and slams you like a huge wave you didn’t see coming. You get inside Hawthorne’s way of thinking that you completely forget the reality of what began this story in the first place, and wow, it really hits you, almost, but not quite, as hard as it hits Hawthorne. This is a very REAL book. From relationships, differing coping mechanisms, conflicting emotions, and topics and I can’t breach in this review without spoiling what must be read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chelsea Sedoti fell in love with writing at a young age after discovering that making up stories was more fun than doing her school work (her teachers didn’t always appreciate this). In an effort to avoid getting a “real” job, Chelsea explored careers as a balloon twister, filmmaker, and paranormal investigator. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. When she’s not at the computer, Chelsea spends her time exploring abandoned buildings, eating junk food at roadside diners, and trying to befriend every animal in the world.