This book was a beautiful tragedy. Everything about it held me completely entranced. I was waiting on pins and needles for the moment we would find out the truth about the horrible tragedy that occurs in the beginning of the book. I want to write so much in this review, but this is one of those books were you can’t write a too in depth review without giving everything away. It was an emotional read that takes you on a journey of forgiveness leading to the path of a forever love.
I want to tell you about this girl who fell into the darkness, but piece by piece she was brought back to a place of healing, forgiveness and most importantly…love.
In the beginning of the book we meet a group of friends about to graduate high school the following day. They had plans to go to a party that night and celebrate with all the seniors of their class. These three girls were more like sisters than friends. They were a trio of fun loving girls on the verge of starting their lives together…until a horrible tragedy left one girl behind grieving for the loss of her best friends and wondering why God couldn’t have taken her instead. (This is not a Christian Novel)
“I’m sorry, Haley.” His words were soft but pierced through to my heart. “They didn’t make it.”
“Does it ever go away?” I asked. “The pain. The memories.”
“Haley,” his voice cracked, “I wish I had an answer for you. I promise to be there for you as long as it takes. I’ll be your friend.”
But don’t think this book is just a sad story with no happy ending in sight. There was so much more to this book than a story of tragedy. This is also a story about a never ending kind of love that we can only dream of finding. Haley and Seth had been together since middle school and had a relationship built on love, friendship, trust, and the ability to bare their deepest thoughts and feelings to one another. These high school sweet hearts had a relationship that was sweet, innocent, pure and just plain beautiful. They only had one problem…their love was about to face a tragedy so devastating that it ripped them to pieces and they never quite knew how to put it back together.
“We’d been together so many years and had seen the best and worst in each other. Was that love? Was that enough for a life together? I wanted to ask these things. But this was the worst thing ever to ask a guy near graduation. He’d run for the first bus out of town.”
Haley was supposed to have a girl’s night before the party but found a way to involve Seth and his friends. When they finally break apart for a while before the party Seth runs into Carly, a class mate who has made no secret of the fact that she wants Seth, at the beach and is told some devastating news that shocked him and sent him looking for comfort at the bottom of a bottle instead of the arms of his girlfriends and best friend.
“My phone buzzed and I pulled it out. But it wasn’t Haley. It was Carly. I ignored her. I was sure it was about the party later, asking if I was going. She’d been subtly hitting on me for months. Good thing Haley hadn’t noticed, at least I didn’t think she had. I admit. Carly was pretty hot. Curves all in the right places. An intoxicating smell. But my heart knew and only responded to Haley.”
“Carter pulled me aside. “Hey, man. Carly’s been hot for you for years, but you’re not thinking about cheating on Haley, are you?”
“No way.”
I dug my toes into the sand. She stood down at the water, with her back to us, alone. I sighed.
Carter punched me. “You’re not giving in to her games.”
“It’s different this time. I’ll be right back. Don’t lose for us.” Despite my friend’s objections, I headed toward the waves and Carly”
When I look back on this book I realize that this book was about a single devastating tragedy that could have been caused by any number of events prior to the accident. But the real travesty of this story is how guilt and blame tore apart a relationship that was so strong it should have been able to withstand anything.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” His words stutter out and his voice is breathy like he ran a marathon. “I have to talk to you.” His deep breath rattles in his throat, before he plunges forward. “I’m sorry about last year. I never came to visit you. I was wrong. I was wrong to run away and not talk to you for a year.”
“We wouldn’t have been able to move on without the mystery behind this being wrapped up.”-Kama's mom
“It’s not going to be easy,” he says. “All we have to work through.”
“No, it won’t be,” I murmur. “But we’ll make it.”
“Love you, forever,” he whispers between kisses.
“With every little piece of my heart.”>
Quotes:
“This past year, the ocean has been my solace. A place where I’m accepted with no questions asked."-Haley
“I’m not ready for this,” I croak out.
He kisses the top of my forehead. “I don’t care where I am or what I’m doing. If you ever need a hug you let me know. No questions asked.”
“Your chance is over. We’re done. Your few days are up. Go find someone else to be your little project.”
“That’s fine, then. Go play at your secret little hideaway home by the shore. Just remember you’re not the only one hurting. You’ve shut out your family and your friends. Everyone! Did you ever think we need you too?”-Noah
"I’m sorry, Haley. That was stupid of me.”-Noah
“No!”-Haley
“I’m leaving now. And you’re right. It was stupid of you because my friends are dead.”-Haley
“Thank you. For being my friends. For laughing. For loving me. For always being there. I’m sorry…I’m so sorry. Kama that you’ll never do great things on stage. You would’ve been a star. Brin and I would’ve been there opening night. We would’ve brought you the biggest bouquet of flowers ever made and bragged all over town about you.”-Haley