Kristina McBride
Publisher: Egmont
Released: June 26, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 272
Source: Netgalley
This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.I'm going to go ahead and get what I didn't like out of the way. You see how up there in the synopsis it says Maggie lost her memory of the final moments before the accident? Well, she didn't lose enough. From the very beginning, way too many details were known for there to be any mystery for me. Maggie may not have remembered exactly what happened to Joey, but I did, and it made for a long, drawn-out "mystery" that lacked both surprise and my enthusiasm.
Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?
As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?
Now that said, this book was not without merit. I did, after all, not only finish but enjoy it. This was definitely one of those, "it's not about the destination but the journey," types of books. Maggie was a classy girl who kept her cool even though some pretty crappy things happened to her. There were a few smaller mysteries that also weren't hard to figure out, but were much more enjoyable to see played out. I also really appreciated the romantic aspect, or rather lack thereof. Maggie could have easily fallen into the arms of Adam, and though she did frequently lean on him, she remained on her own two feet - a characteristic that is often lacking in YA's female protagonists.
The writing was quite good, good enough that I definitely want to read the author's previous title, The Tension of Opposites. But unfortunately I think the too-revealing beginning chapter will deter many other readers as well.
FTC: I received an eARC of this novel from Egmont via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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