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After the Moment
A new novel by the Printz Honor author Garret Freymann-Weyr, about a boy who discovers what happens when love fails us - or we fail love.
Maia Morland is pretty, only not pretty-pretty. She's smart. She's brave. She's also a self-proclaimed train wreck. Leigh Hunter is smart, popular, and extremely polite. He's also completely and forever in love with Maia Morland. Their young love starts off like a romance novel: full of hope, strength, and passion. But life is not a romance novel and theirs will never become a true romance. For when Maia needs him the most, Leigh betrays both her trust and her love.
Told with compassion and true understanding, After the Moment is about what happens when a young man discovers that sometimes love fails us, and that, quite often, we fail love.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2009
23 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Garret Weyr, also Freymann-Weyr
9 books99 followersGarret Freymann-Weyr (rhymes with 'I'm on fire") is a novelist and teacher whose seven books have been banned, translated into a multitude of languages, and included in college curricula. She is a Printz honor award recipient and her short stories have been published in the Greensboro Review, the now sadly missed Christopher Street, and the anthology Starry Eyed. Her next book will be published under the name Garret Weyr (Divorce. Painful. Don't ask.)
She is a native of New York City and now lives with a large cat and a sweet dog. She reads too much, drinks too much tea, and loves listening to readers talk about their passions. She is studying Spanish. Has anyone else read "Buenas Noches, Luna?"
She is a native of New York City and now lives with a large cat and a sweet dog. She reads too much, drinks too much tea, and loves listening to readers talk about their passions. She is studying Spanish. Has anyone else read "Buenas Noches, Luna?"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Angie Fisher for TeensReadToo.com
No one can forget their first love, and Leigh Hunter isn't any different.
Leigh is as close to the perfect boy as a girl could ever hope for: attractive, athletic, smart, and selfless. His life is rolling along nicely, as he is looking forward to his senior year and what the future might hold for him beyond high school. Leigh's biggest worry is finding a summer job that would look good on his college applications, until something horrible happens and his sister, Millie, needs him.
Not willing to let her down, Leigh packs up his things and moves a state away to be with Millie and help her begin to recover from her loss.
While taking care of Millie is in his plan, falling for the sweet-if-not-a-bit-odd Maia Morland is not, especially since he still claims the hottest girl in his school back home as his girlfriend. But even the best laid plans have a way of changing, and the best intentions a way of crumbling.
AFTER THE MOMENT is a story of first love, but it's so much more. It's a story of perseverance, strength and loyalty, but also of betrayal, pain, and disappointment. It's a story every reader who has loved and lost can relate to, which is the very reason it's not one to be missed.
No one can forget their first love, and Leigh Hunter isn't any different.
Leigh is as close to the perfect boy as a girl could ever hope for: attractive, athletic, smart, and selfless. His life is rolling along nicely, as he is looking forward to his senior year and what the future might hold for him beyond high school. Leigh's biggest worry is finding a summer job that would look good on his college applications, until something horrible happens and his sister, Millie, needs him.
Not willing to let her down, Leigh packs up his things and moves a state away to be with Millie and help her begin to recover from her loss.
While taking care of Millie is in his plan, falling for the sweet-if-not-a-bit-odd Maia Morland is not, especially since he still claims the hottest girl in his school back home as his girlfriend. But even the best laid plans have a way of changing, and the best intentions a way of crumbling.
AFTER THE MOMENT is a story of first love, but it's so much more. It's a story of perseverance, strength and loyalty, but also of betrayal, pain, and disappointment. It's a story every reader who has loved and lost can relate to, which is the very reason it's not one to be missed.
May 26, 2009
This is quite possibly one of the most heartbreaking and yet entirely hopeful books I have read. I'm actually a bit surprised that this is considered a YA novel because although it deals with YA issues and the main characters are teenagers for most of the book, the nuance in emotions and relationships are not something you can readily find in alot of YA lit. Nonetheless, I am incredibly happy that this is on the shelf for teens because I think it will be both challenging and of interest for many of them. Basically the plot is as follows: Leigh moves to a new school and falls in love with the beautiful but typically wounded and vulnerable "bad" girl. When she is raped by several jocks, an act that is videotaped, Leigh must help her through the ordeal and deal with his own emotions about the issue. I know the setup sounds like a horrible "problem" novel, but it is not! Both Leigh and Maia are authentic characters with strong voices and believable responses to the situation they are in. Their love story has all of the passion and heat one finds in first love, tempered by the very horrible and very adult circumstances. Amazing.
November 9, 2009
AFTER THE MOMENT is a subtle exploration of the power of different kinds of relationships in one young man’s adolescence, a dramatically poignant love story that will perhaps appeal best to adult fans of doomed romance novelists like Nicholas Sparks. Personally, however, I had trouble connecting with the characters as well as believing the story arc.
A love story told from the guy’s point of view is rare and certainly no easy feat, but Leigh Hunter is a genially complex protagonist. It’s obvious that he cares very much for his family members (particularly his stepsister, the ineffable and incredibly mature middle schooler Millie), although he may not agree with them most of the time and hardly aspires to be like his emotionally autistic father. Leigh is forced to make incredibly difficult decisions; it is easy to see why the events of his senior year have had an impact on the rest of his life.
However, I found it hard to become emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. The story is told from the point of view of an older Leigh, which I think contributes to the distance I felt from the characters. They were living out their tragedies and dramas in a snowglobe, to which I was only a polite audience. The supporting characters, while well-meaning, never felt quite fully developed for me: the adults were either dispensers of inexplicable wisdom or else emotionally unavailable, and the preteens and teens often did not act their age.
Perhaps all of this would have been fine for me had the main storyline—Leigh and Maia’s romance—been believable and likable. As it is, however, it’s hard to see why Maia is the source of so many guys’ interests. I felt like there was a disconnect between her tragic side—a truly heartwrenching and relatable mix of maternal neglect, self-destruction, anxiety, and self-blame—and the part of her that attracts nearly everyone around her to her. As an interesting and complex character, Maia was fascinating; as the love interest, not so much.
I found the plot and pacing to be quite slow and often unengaging. Since the narrator is an older-and-wiser Leigh, the story often reads like a clinical examination of Leigh’s first love, with plenty of time devoted to Leigh’s characterization and his interactions with other people, and not enough to the readers’ engagement in the story. The ending—the horrifying event that befalls Maia, Leigh’s reaction and the consequences that result—felt like it was so rushed and unexpected, which I suspect had more to do with my emotionally detachment from the story and less with the actual proceedings, a detachment that unfortunately contributed to my disbelief of the events in the last part of the book.
It is obvious to me, though, that Freymann-Weyr cares very much about the psychological workings of adolescents, and I think that AFTER THE MOMENT is not a flop of a story, but rather a poignant tale that was marketed to the wrong audience. Certainly Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts fans will appreciate the gentle and affecting romance between Leigh and Maia. If you’re an adult reader looking for a slow but sweet read, or a teen with lots of patience and a penchant for intense romances and enigmatic heroines, consider AFTER THE MOMENT for a stirring and relaxing weekend read.
A love story told from the guy’s point of view is rare and certainly no easy feat, but Leigh Hunter is a genially complex protagonist. It’s obvious that he cares very much for his family members (particularly his stepsister, the ineffable and incredibly mature middle schooler Millie), although he may not agree with them most of the time and hardly aspires to be like his emotionally autistic father. Leigh is forced to make incredibly difficult decisions; it is easy to see why the events of his senior year have had an impact on the rest of his life.
However, I found it hard to become emotionally invested in the characters and their stories. The story is told from the point of view of an older Leigh, which I think contributes to the distance I felt from the characters. They were living out their tragedies and dramas in a snowglobe, to which I was only a polite audience. The supporting characters, while well-meaning, never felt quite fully developed for me: the adults were either dispensers of inexplicable wisdom or else emotionally unavailable, and the preteens and teens often did not act their age.
Perhaps all of this would have been fine for me had the main storyline—Leigh and Maia’s romance—been believable and likable. As it is, however, it’s hard to see why Maia is the source of so many guys’ interests. I felt like there was a disconnect between her tragic side—a truly heartwrenching and relatable mix of maternal neglect, self-destruction, anxiety, and self-blame—and the part of her that attracts nearly everyone around her to her. As an interesting and complex character, Maia was fascinating; as the love interest, not so much.
I found the plot and pacing to be quite slow and often unengaging. Since the narrator is an older-and-wiser Leigh, the story often reads like a clinical examination of Leigh’s first love, with plenty of time devoted to Leigh’s characterization and his interactions with other people, and not enough to the readers’ engagement in the story. The ending—the horrifying event that befalls Maia, Leigh’s reaction and the consequences that result—felt like it was so rushed and unexpected, which I suspect had more to do with my emotionally detachment from the story and less with the actual proceedings, a detachment that unfortunately contributed to my disbelief of the events in the last part of the book.
It is obvious to me, though, that Freymann-Weyr cares very much about the psychological workings of adolescents, and I think that AFTER THE MOMENT is not a flop of a story, but rather a poignant tale that was marketed to the wrong audience. Certainly Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts fans will appreciate the gentle and affecting romance between Leigh and Maia. If you’re an adult reader looking for a slow but sweet read, or a teen with lots of patience and a penchant for intense romances and enigmatic heroines, consider AFTER THE MOMENT for a stirring and relaxing weekend read.
January 16, 2019
Personal Response
After the Moment was a good romance that had quite a few twists to it. For the most part, this novel was really easy to understand, but the beginning of the novel was very hard for me to get into. One thing that I really liked about After the Moment was the fact that it was based on a situation that could impact many teenagers’ lives in the present day. Overall, After the Moment was a very interesting romance that pulled me in toward the end.
Plot Summary
After the Moment covers the life of a teenage girl who undergoes the stress and struggles of quite a few teens. Maia has had a pretty hectic few years with her father, Josh, in jail and no longer connecting with her mother. These family problems led to self-abuse for Maia. Leigh tends to show that he really cares about Maia and has Millie having some suspicion. Even though Leigh is dating another girl at the time he really cares about Maia but does not want to break up with his girlfriend over the phone or over email. This causes Maia and Leigh to take a trip to his girlfriend’s house to break up with her. Though this seemed like a good idea at the time, Maia eventually has to go home leaving Leigh with his ex, who needed someone to talk to due to family problems. When Maia was home she got invited to a party with four of her close guy friends and did a little drinking along with it. This drinking leads to Maia and one of her guy friends to have sex with one of the other guys recording it. With the recording being available, Maia was going to bring it to court, but she ended up not following through with it. Leigh later took matters into his own hands and beat up the guy who recorded it and nearly got into some major trouble. Later on, Maia decided it was best to move on and moved to a different school. Overall, Maia and Leigh had something going on, but pretty much ended it when court cases began to become an option for his actions.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to anyone in the grade nine and up. I say this because the content in the book I could have read toward the end of eighth grade or so, but the maturity level needed is mainly about a ninth grader’s or higher even. After the Moment was a pretty easy read for the most part, even with a few uninteresting parts. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, both guys and girls, because it shows how both genders can be affected by just a few drinks and is a way to provide some insight on such a topic.
After the Moment was a good romance that had quite a few twists to it. For the most part, this novel was really easy to understand, but the beginning of the novel was very hard for me to get into. One thing that I really liked about After the Moment was the fact that it was based on a situation that could impact many teenagers’ lives in the present day. Overall, After the Moment was a very interesting romance that pulled me in toward the end.
Plot Summary
After the Moment covers the life of a teenage girl who undergoes the stress and struggles of quite a few teens. Maia has had a pretty hectic few years with her father, Josh, in jail and no longer connecting with her mother. These family problems led to self-abuse for Maia. Leigh tends to show that he really cares about Maia and has Millie having some suspicion. Even though Leigh is dating another girl at the time he really cares about Maia but does not want to break up with his girlfriend over the phone or over email. This causes Maia and Leigh to take a trip to his girlfriend’s house to break up with her. Though this seemed like a good idea at the time, Maia eventually has to go home leaving Leigh with his ex, who needed someone to talk to due to family problems. When Maia was home she got invited to a party with four of her close guy friends and did a little drinking along with it. This drinking leads to Maia and one of her guy friends to have sex with one of the other guys recording it. With the recording being available, Maia was going to bring it to court, but she ended up not following through with it. Leigh later took matters into his own hands and beat up the guy who recorded it and nearly got into some major trouble. Later on, Maia decided it was best to move on and moved to a different school. Overall, Maia and Leigh had something going on, but pretty much ended it when court cases began to become an option for his actions.
Recommendation
I would recommend this book to anyone in the grade nine and up. I say this because the content in the book I could have read toward the end of eighth grade or so, but the maturity level needed is mainly about a ninth grader’s or higher even. After the Moment was a pretty easy read for the most part, even with a few uninteresting parts. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone, both guys and girls, because it shows how both genders can be affected by just a few drinks and is a way to provide some insight on such a topic.
June 7, 2009
Meh. This had a decent premise - a young love story told from a nice guy POV. Well, it ended up being just okay in execution. I didn't like the helpless, completely mental Maia. I understood why Leigh felt he could/had to take care of her (because he's a nice guy! He's upset because his dad is comfortable enough to keep Leigh out of the army and Leigh has residual issues about 9-11 and fighting for the country!) but she was just SOOOOOO crazy that I felt bad for him. I watched a video on the author's website that said this novel is about a love story and how it's impacted by violence. Yeah, okay, whatever. I wish that the violence had happened sooner in the book because it moved. so. slowly. zzzzzzzz.... By the time the CLIMAX of the novel happens (the violence part, that is) I was bored and scaredish for Leigh because I thought it was fairly obvious that because of Maia's insanity and insecurity and Leigh's helpy nature their love would die in a not so pretty way. And it did. And does Freymann-Weyr include a dinner party scene (it's #90 on the list of Stuff White People Like!) in all of her novels?
April 24, 2017
The writing here was good, but I wasn't really a fan of this one. It's pretty much all about a guy finding a way to make a tragic thing that happens to his girlfriend all about him. Not something I'd recommend or reread.
November 16, 2009
The book opens at a dinner party in New York City, when Leigh sees Maia Moreland for the first time since high school. We're immediately aware of her impact on him and that he's never gotten over some event in their past where he did something dreadful. We don't know their history, only that there was something beautiful and fragile that was destroyed somehow and that Leigh has carried this with him for years.
After reading the opening pages of their chance encounter at the NY dinner party, I was pushed so off-center that I put the book down for weeks. I didn't want to read about the violence or how Leigh hurt Maia so badly and was still so affected by their past. I won't go into details - you deserve to read the book without any spoilers - and to enjoy it as the story slowly unfolds.
Here is just a quick peek into the plot and characters:
After the brief scene where Leigh and Maia meet in the present, the main story opens in flashbacks to Leigh's last years in high school. Towards the end of his junior year, seventeen-year-old Leigh has everything going for him - excellent grades, a spot on the soccer team, and Astra, his dropdead beautiful, popular and smart girlfriend that most everyone else wants to date. He's not unappreciative of his life even though "the good fortune that Leigh knew as his wasn't something that he could feel or point to...It was more like oxygen or blood; it was that intrinsic." Leigh knows that he doesn't yet know what future he wants but he's steady and dependable and he does his level best, knowing it's "a matter of continuing to do the right things: study and apply to colleges, as well as keep old friends and make new ones." Though Leigh isn't driven by clear plans for his future, he will do almost anything for his younger step sister Millie. So when Millie's father dies and she asks Leigh to move to Maryland for a year, Leigh uproots his life. He leaves New York, his mother and Astra for Maryland, Millie, and her troubled friend Maia. Maia is the polar opposite of Astra - nervous, eating disordered, and troubled - but somehow Leigh finds himself drawn to her.
Once I got over my initial hesitation and returned to the book, got to know Leigh and how he cared for the people around him, I was hooked. In After the Moment, Garret Freymann-Weyr created unforgettable characters dealing with complex and real life concerns. It's a beautiful and moving book.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1 edition (May 18, 2009), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the author and TLC Book Tours.
After reading the opening pages of their chance encounter at the NY dinner party, I was pushed so off-center that I put the book down for weeks. I didn't want to read about the violence or how Leigh hurt Maia so badly and was still so affected by their past. I won't go into details - you deserve to read the book without any spoilers - and to enjoy it as the story slowly unfolds.
Here is just a quick peek into the plot and characters:
After the brief scene where Leigh and Maia meet in the present, the main story opens in flashbacks to Leigh's last years in high school. Towards the end of his junior year, seventeen-year-old Leigh has everything going for him - excellent grades, a spot on the soccer team, and Astra, his dropdead beautiful, popular and smart girlfriend that most everyone else wants to date. He's not unappreciative of his life even though "the good fortune that Leigh knew as his wasn't something that he could feel or point to...It was more like oxygen or blood; it was that intrinsic." Leigh knows that he doesn't yet know what future he wants but he's steady and dependable and he does his level best, knowing it's "a matter of continuing to do the right things: study and apply to colleges, as well as keep old friends and make new ones." Though Leigh isn't driven by clear plans for his future, he will do almost anything for his younger step sister Millie. So when Millie's father dies and she asks Leigh to move to Maryland for a year, Leigh uproots his life. He leaves New York, his mother and Astra for Maryland, Millie, and her troubled friend Maia. Maia is the polar opposite of Astra - nervous, eating disordered, and troubled - but somehow Leigh finds himself drawn to her.
Once I got over my initial hesitation and returned to the book, got to know Leigh and how he cared for the people around him, I was hooked. In After the Moment, Garret Freymann-Weyr created unforgettable characters dealing with complex and real life concerns. It's a beautiful and moving book.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; 1 edition (May 18, 2009), 336 pages.
Review copy provided by the author and TLC Book Tours.
February 19, 2009
After The Moment is a story of love--love that is true but cannot hold strong through tough times. This book was a little more serious than I expected touching on subjects such as self-mutilation, death of a loved one, bullying, and many others. Even though it was a bit more serious it was truly an amazing story.
Leigh Hunter is the golden boy: soccer star, straight-A student, and boyfriend to Astra Grein. At least, he is until his stepsister's father dies and he is asked to move to Washington to be there for her. Leigh and Astra decide that they would rather have a long distance relationship than break up but Leigh never expected to fall for Maia Morland, the train wreck.
Maia has many different problems. Her stepfather that actually cares about her is in jail, her mother doesn't notice her, and she has her own issues such as self-mutilation, anorexia, and she had a tendency to act out sexually until her psychiatrist made her sign a contract.
When Leigh meets Maia he never once thinks that he could love her. She is the exact opposite of Astra and yet he can't get her off his mind. Leigh begins to drive Maia to her prison visits and in the process, gets to know her. He doesn't realize that he loves her until being away from her to visit his mom in Maine. When he returns home he goes straight to Maia's and is surprised to find out that she feels the same way. They begin dating, even though Leigh still hasn't broken up with Astra.
Finally, Leigh decides that he needs to end things once and for all with Astra and decides to go to New York and tell her in person. He never knew that his decision to stay in New York for one extra night would have such drastic consequences. When he returns to Washington nothing is the same and when he finds out why, he wishes he could change things but he can't.
Unknowingly Leigh breaks Maia's trust and loses their relationship. He will always love her but they can never be together.
And if you want to know why, you will just have to read the book. I wouldn't just give away the ending. ;]
Leigh Hunter is the golden boy: soccer star, straight-A student, and boyfriend to Astra Grein. At least, he is until his stepsister's father dies and he is asked to move to Washington to be there for her. Leigh and Astra decide that they would rather have a long distance relationship than break up but Leigh never expected to fall for Maia Morland, the train wreck.
Maia has many different problems. Her stepfather that actually cares about her is in jail, her mother doesn't notice her, and she has her own issues such as self-mutilation, anorexia, and she had a tendency to act out sexually until her psychiatrist made her sign a contract.
When Leigh meets Maia he never once thinks that he could love her. She is the exact opposite of Astra and yet he can't get her off his mind. Leigh begins to drive Maia to her prison visits and in the process, gets to know her. He doesn't realize that he loves her until being away from her to visit his mom in Maine. When he returns home he goes straight to Maia's and is surprised to find out that she feels the same way. They begin dating, even though Leigh still hasn't broken up with Astra.
Finally, Leigh decides that he needs to end things once and for all with Astra and decides to go to New York and tell her in person. He never knew that his decision to stay in New York for one extra night would have such drastic consequences. When he returns to Washington nothing is the same and when he finds out why, he wishes he could change things but he can't.
Unknowingly Leigh breaks Maia's trust and loses their relationship. He will always love her but they can never be together.
And if you want to know why, you will just have to read the book. I wouldn't just give away the ending. ;]
October 27, 2009
After the Moment is really hard to describe. In some ways I really really liked it and it shocked me and intrigued me but in a few other ways I'm not sure if I understood everything the author wanted me to.
Right off the bat we know that something has happened, happened between main character Leight (a male, as others have said sometimes his name made me have to remind myself he was a guy) and Maia his sister's friend that he has fallen for, extremely hard. That mystery definitely intrigued me and really drew me into the book.
I loved Leigh's character, an overall nice guy that looks out for his family and friends. I LOVED his relationship with his half-sister Millie (actually having two main female characters with M names sort of disrupted the flow of my reading from time to time to). He really looks out for Millie and she adores him. Through this relationship Leigh meets all of her other friends, including the sweet Franklin, the easy going Preston and Maia who has so many issues I couldn't remember them all.
My main issue with the book was Maia. While she openly admits to all of her problems, I just really didn't connect with her. Usually odd is awesome for me, but I just didn't understand her. Some things I did like, like her connection with her step-father from a marriage or two back but that was it really. I understand the idea of someone wanting to help her as Leigh does but I just didn't fully see why he would care for her so deeply in a romantic way. And also the way that the mystery unfolds was kind of odd.
What I did like, was what happens after the truth is out there in the open. At one point I had my hand to my mouth just shocked and wrapped up in what I was reading (page 267 if you are interested). So it's hard to really put my feelings into words for this book, some things I really really liked others I didn't really understand. Overall, I'd definitely be interested in reading another of the author's books and maybe that one would hit it exactly on the mark for me!
Right off the bat we know that something has happened, happened between main character Leight (a male, as others have said sometimes his name made me have to remind myself he was a guy) and Maia his sister's friend that he has fallen for, extremely hard. That mystery definitely intrigued me and really drew me into the book.
I loved Leigh's character, an overall nice guy that looks out for his family and friends. I LOVED his relationship with his half-sister Millie (actually having two main female characters with M names sort of disrupted the flow of my reading from time to time to). He really looks out for Millie and she adores him. Through this relationship Leigh meets all of her other friends, including the sweet Franklin, the easy going Preston and Maia who has so many issues I couldn't remember them all.
My main issue with the book was Maia. While she openly admits to all of her problems, I just really didn't connect with her. Usually odd is awesome for me, but I just didn't understand her. Some things I did like, like her connection with her step-father from a marriage or two back but that was it really. I understand the idea of someone wanting to help her as Leigh does but I just didn't fully see why he would care for her so deeply in a romantic way. And also the way that the mystery unfolds was kind of odd.
What I did like, was what happens after the truth is out there in the open. At one point I had my hand to my mouth just shocked and wrapped up in what I was reading (page 267 if you are interested). So it's hard to really put my feelings into words for this book, some things I really really liked others I didn't really understand. Overall, I'd definitely be interested in reading another of the author's books and maybe that one would hit it exactly on the mark for me!
March 27, 2010
I find it helpful when a reviewer summarizes the book, so here it goes:
In short the book Leigh Hunter and his relationship with a girl named Maia. They are complete opposites: Leigh is the smart, kind, athletic kid dating the most popular prettiest girl in school. His half-sister's (by marriage) father passes away in a tragic accident, and as the two are close, Leigh agrees to move in with his father and his father's new wife to be with his sister.
Which is how he meets Maia, his sister's friend. Maia is anorexic, a cutter, a burner, and sexually promiscuous as a result of her step-dad (whom she is very close with) getting locked up. Leigh ends up falling in love with her and leaving his girlfriend. When he goes to see his girlfriend in Vermont (i believe) to break up, Maia (disappointed he didn't come back right away) agrees to go to a bar with a guy she hates. She ends up getting drunk and being raped. Which is video taped. Leigh, angry and feeling that he failed her, ends up lashing out at one of the guys who was present during her rape and almost killing him. I mean he beats the crap out this dude. In the end, so Leigh won't get in trouble, Leigh's lawyer father asks Maia to sign a waiver that she won't take her case to court. She signs it and moves to a school for troubled young women (okay that's not what its called but what it is in essence). The two part on good terms, though Leigh is broken hearted.
Years later, the two meet coincidentally at a dinner party. She looks better, can eat without difficulty and refuses to be served wine. Leigh is still as much as love with her. yada yada, the ending was kind of blah.
The book wasn't terrible. Wasn't great either.
In short the book Leigh Hunter and his relationship with a girl named Maia. They are complete opposites: Leigh is the smart, kind, athletic kid dating the most popular prettiest girl in school. His half-sister's (by marriage) father passes away in a tragic accident, and as the two are close, Leigh agrees to move in with his father and his father's new wife to be with his sister.
Which is how he meets Maia, his sister's friend. Maia is anorexic, a cutter, a burner, and sexually promiscuous as a result of her step-dad (whom she is very close with) getting locked up. Leigh ends up falling in love with her and leaving his girlfriend. When he goes to see his girlfriend in Vermont (i believe) to break up, Maia (disappointed he didn't come back right away) agrees to go to a bar with a guy she hates. She ends up getting drunk and being raped. Which is video taped. Leigh, angry and feeling that he failed her, ends up lashing out at one of the guys who was present during her rape and almost killing him. I mean he beats the crap out this dude. In the end, so Leigh won't get in trouble, Leigh's lawyer father asks Maia to sign a waiver that she won't take her case to court. She signs it and moves to a school for troubled young women (okay that's not what its called but what it is in essence). The two part on good terms, though Leigh is broken hearted.
Years later, the two meet coincidentally at a dinner party. She looks better, can eat without difficulty and refuses to be served wine. Leigh is still as much as love with her. yada yada, the ending was kind of blah.
The book wasn't terrible. Wasn't great either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2009
I really liked this, and I really don't know why. I think part of it was because it felt like something I could have written. It was explored relationships at the end of high school without looking down on them and passing them off as puppy love, or just something that teenagers think is important because they don't know any better. It showed how those relationships can have an effect on the rest of one's life, but at the same time showed that they aren't the be all and end all, and yet did this without being condescending.
The writing was simple and straight-forward, but the images were superb, and it was a joy to read with such ease. The digressions in Leigh's thoughts were never confusing. Everything came back to what was going on at that particular moment. It all worked really well.
I'm obviously still pretty inarticulate about why I liked this book. I can say the one thing that confused me, though: keeping some of the characters straight, particularly the parents. I managed to do that eventually, but in the beginning, all these names were thrown around and I had a really hard time remembering which name went with which child from which marriage.
A really good book, though, as I've said already. I definitely recommend this one.
The writing was simple and straight-forward, but the images were superb, and it was a joy to read with such ease. The digressions in Leigh's thoughts were never confusing. Everything came back to what was going on at that particular moment. It all worked really well.
I'm obviously still pretty inarticulate about why I liked this book. I can say the one thing that confused me, though: keeping some of the characters straight, particularly the parents. I managed to do that eventually, but in the beginning, all these names were thrown around and I had a really hard time remembering which name went with which child from which marriage.
A really good book, though, as I've said already. I definitely recommend this one.
March 30, 2010
Leigh Hunter is a smart, respectful, young man involved in a multi-parent family, who answers his half sister’s Lillian’s wish after the death of her father, to move in with her family for the school year. He meets Lillian’s best friend, Maya Morland, and falls head over heels in love with her. What we witness is Leigh’s progression from a tentative teen, who ponders many things, but never says them. We know Leigh already has a girlfriend, Astrid, who is a swimmer, smart, and sleeps with Leigh any time they can grab some alone time. Lillian looks out for her self-proclaimed train wreck of a friend, Maya, because she doesn’t eat, cuts her feet (why she always wears socks) and is a germaphobe. She enlists Leigh’s help with getting Maya to eat, driving her to visit her father in jail, and just talking and walking. As Leigh falls deeply in love with Maya, he becomes her protector, confidant, and knows he must break up with Astrid. It is when he leaves that fateful weekend, that Maya is irreparably harmed, and she doesn’t want to talk about it, with Leigh or anyone else, and the rift begins to form in their relationship, forever changing their bond. A compelling read about the failure of love to save and heal.
January 7, 2011
At first, I thought the book was boring around page 96. But then I really got into it. The part that got interesting and emotional was the part where Maia told Leigh that she got raped by the bullies in the school. She was drunk at that time. It was interesting to see how Leigh reacted, because he was Maia's boyfriend at that time. I liked the way how in the beginning of the story, the author wrote in pass tense but the feeling was in the present (When Leigh was older [21 I think]) and then the next chapter changed into the pass. It showed Leigh's feelings and actions towards school and his family (because his parents got divorced...) And then when Maia was in Leigh's life, he couldn't stop thinking about her; how strange she was and how that attracted him. In the end of the book, (the last chapter) the author went back to the present (when Leigh is 21) and showed Leigh's feelings towards Maia when seeing her at a party he was in.
I thought Leigh and Maia would get back together. However, that was not the case. They went to their separate ways and that ended the book. I guess the author did this to make the readers imagine widely and greatly to the characters in this "endless" story. ;P
I thought Leigh and Maia would get back together. However, that was not the case. They went to their separate ways and that ended the book. I guess the author did this to make the readers imagine widely and greatly to the characters in this "endless" story. ;P
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2009
I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. This story of first love, told from a teenage boy's perspective, ended tragically. Leigh Hunter was too much of the stereotypical nice guy, and his love interest, Maia Morland, was too much of the damsel in distress. He's a good student, a soccer player, generally popular from a well-to-do family; she's an anorexic self-mutilator with a self-involved mother and a jailed stepfather. He loves her because it seems that she needs someone to protect her, the complete opposite of his first girlfriend, who was practical and confident. I kept waiting for "the moment". I began to get tired of Leigh's mooning over Maia, and of Maia's insipid helplessness. With only 100 or so pages left, "the moment" happened. And Leigh became the typical possessive boyfriend while Maia remained the piteous victim. So Leigh lashes out at the least likely of the perpetrators, and Maia scorns his knight in shining armor heroic. Overall, I found this story uninspiring.
January 31, 2010
Language- PG (1-A and 1 "faggot"); Violence- PG; Sexual Content- PG-13. $16.99.
Meet Maia Morland. Self-proclaimed train wreck. Enter Leigh Hunter. Popular, smart guy who on the outside has everything going for him. But everything changes the summer they meet. Although Maia has serious issues (anorexia, self-injury, sex contracts etc.) Leigh falls for her and takes on the "lover/protector" role. Everything goes well and Maia seems to be making progress with her struggles until Leigh is out of town and something terrible happens to Maia. Will their love conquer the issues that now face them?
This was an extremely hard book for me to get through. I didn't like the style of writing. It seemed too shifty and disconnected to me. I couldn't connect with the characters. Leighs sex cravings/thoughts were too much for me. The ending was extremely unsatisfying. One thing I did find positive about this book was that it dealt with the grave, serious issues without too much detail or being too graphic. 9th grade/HS-OPTIONAL
Meet Maia Morland. Self-proclaimed train wreck. Enter Leigh Hunter. Popular, smart guy who on the outside has everything going for him. But everything changes the summer they meet. Although Maia has serious issues (anorexia, self-injury, sex contracts etc.) Leigh falls for her and takes on the "lover/protector" role. Everything goes well and Maia seems to be making progress with her struggles until Leigh is out of town and something terrible happens to Maia. Will their love conquer the issues that now face them?
This was an extremely hard book for me to get through. I didn't like the style of writing. It seemed too shifty and disconnected to me. I couldn't connect with the characters. Leighs sex cravings/thoughts were too much for me. The ending was extremely unsatisfying. One thing I did find positive about this book was that it dealt with the grave, serious issues without too much detail or being too graphic. 9th grade/HS-OPTIONAL
October 19, 2009
After the Moment felt to me like I was looking in a private affair through a glass window. Captivated but knowing that it was bad to be watching. Because of this I felt a disconnection between all the characters. Like I know of them, but I don’t know them.
I would agree with some that After the Moment was slow and a tad on the boring side. It felt that I was fluttering along the novel waiting for something, anything, to happen. It would touch on many subjects, never breaking free of that one barrier to make it astounding. There was a lot of build, a lot, to reach the climax. I felt that the climax could have been dragged a bit longer for a better impact but still managed to shake the reader (especially with the gruesome fist to fist fighting).
There was a lot of potential behind this book. Some came through others needed to be expanded more. The ending for me was bittersweet.
I would agree with some that After the Moment was slow and a tad on the boring side. It felt that I was fluttering along the novel waiting for something, anything, to happen. It would touch on many subjects, never breaking free of that one barrier to make it astounding. There was a lot of build, a lot, to reach the climax. I felt that the climax could have been dragged a bit longer for a better impact but still managed to shake the reader (especially with the gruesome fist to fist fighting).
There was a lot of potential behind this book. Some came through others needed to be expanded more. The ending for me was bittersweet.
October 24, 2009
This book started out with a great amount of potential. Told by a 17-year-old boy during his senior year of high school, the voice was refreshing. The thoughts and feelings seemed both honest to the age and yet not typically male - he was very open about emotions and challenged a lot of stereotypes. The story takes place shortly after the war in Iraq begins, and the author began by weaving war events into the story. But about halfway through, it began to feel forced. The story lost cohesiveness, and many serious events occurred without buildup or a suggestion of the seriousness. Characters I initially related to became unconvincing and generally I was disappointed. It was a great idea but she didn't pull it off.
May 8, 2012
I really disliked this book, which came as a surprise since I have enjoyed other works by Freymann-Weyr. The whole book just came off as too technical. It felt like all fact and no feeling. I believe part of the problem was that Freymann-Weyr often used complex sentence structure, which ensured that I was always seeing the words on the page instead of seeing through them into the story. The actual story itself wasn't bad, it's just I couldn't get into it at all. The main character is said to take after his father who simply cannot deal with emotions of any sort... so if the book was meant to feel that way, being told by the son, then Freymann-Weyr succeeded admirably.... but the end result is completely unenjoyable.
November 18, 2014
This was the first book of hers I ever read, and it immediately catapulted her into the ranks of my favorite authors. It broke my heart in a 500-Days-of-Summer way, which is not normally something I like to subject myself to, but I didn't care because everything felt so real. It helped that we started with 20-something characters and flashed back to high school in '03 (my age exactly), but it just took my breath away. It's one of the first times a male teenage protagonist has been completely thoughtful, complex, sympathetic and interesting. I read every page slowly, with a breathless sense of uncovering treasure. Incredibly rich.
September 12, 2009
A really good coming of age novel, that I didn't decide I loved until the last 30 pages. It's set in 2003, and talks about current events more than most YA novels I've come across. Leigh, the main character is interesting, but slow to develop. The book is mainly a romance, but I cared more about the lesser characters than the main couple. I think that has more to do with the author's ability to write side characters well. Overall, this is a novel I'd recommend. The middle was hard to get through, but worth it in the end.
July 20, 2011
It seems like very few people are giving this book a 2 star rating but I just couldn't get through it. I was bored and felt somewhat disconnected. I just felt like it was too drawn out in the beginning and just took forever to get to the point of it all. The very beginning (titled: A Few Pages) was so inviting that that is what kept me motivating to finish and yet I still couldn't. Maybe it is just my adult mind wanting and expecting more but I just thought that it fell flat and took me a long and hard time to finish something that seemed so simple.
I was bored.
I was bored.
May 24, 2009
As a college student, Leigh runs into his high school girlfriend and starts flashing back to events of their relationship, beginning with his move from NYC to DC before his senior year. Interesting, complicated family dynamics make up part of this novel, as does his girlfriend Maia's recovery from anorexia and cutting. And then there's a tragic, horrible, ugly event with repercussions that ruin everything. Beautiful writing, but very sophisticated in tone...maybe too much so.
March 3, 2016
This is billed as a story about love and loss, which it is on a minor level. On a major level it is about rape and its aftermath. This should be known going in.
Also, I dislike the resolution of the tale, the characters were not really believable with the exception of the father, Clayton. He has the emotional depth of all the characters, but is the best described.
Also, I dislike the resolution of the tale, the characters were not really believable with the exception of the father, Clayton. He has the emotional depth of all the characters, but is the best described.
May 23, 2024
This book deals with topics of grief, mental health, eating disorders and sexual assault in such a tragic, yet beautiful way. Topics that are so taboo and difficult to discuss are handled so delicately and in such a raw, effective way. I strongly recommend this book to readers who like those realistic, hardship stories but beware- while it is a love story it is NOT a romance. This is your trigger warning.
June 1, 2025
-Why does Leigh always have to mention how much he likes sex?? It was not necessary😁!! Right at the beginning he said “The best thing about Astra was the sex with Astra.” HELLO?
-Leigh wants to be the hero so bad bro.
-Maia is painted as the “damsel in distress” (and this alone isn’t terrible, it’s just that it seemed this was all she was)
Bonus:
-Lowkey romanticized Maia’s anorexia and self harm??? And Leigh says “I love you and all your crazy stuff” as if it’s a quirk
-Leigh wants to be the hero so bad bro.
-Maia is painted as the “damsel in distress” (and this alone isn’t terrible, it’s just that it seemed this was all she was)
Bonus:
-Lowkey romanticized Maia’s anorexia and self harm??? And Leigh says “I love you and all your crazy stuff” as if it’s a quirk
January 1, 2020
A heart breaking, heart stopping story of first and forever love that can change and be forever undone in a finger-snap with a friends betrayal and a crushed boyfriends flying fists.
For anyone, it can take you back to the one that got away; bring that soft smile and bittersweet twinge to your heart, make you remember all the 'what ifs'.
For anyone, it can take you back to the one that got away; bring that soft smile and bittersweet twinge to your heart, make you remember all the 'what ifs'.
August 9, 2018
started August 3rd 2018
March 16, 2017
This was a very honest read. You got to see some real, honest, dirty things that a lot of people don't like to talk about. The main character was very relatable to me. He doesn't know what he is going to do with his life, but he is decent at multiple things.
June 11, 2010
Title: After the Moment
Author: Garret Freymann-Weyr
Publisher: Graphia
A book for young-adults that pictures everything a true, real-life-honest-to-goodness romance is hard to find. Sure, we have our Hush, Hush's and Twilight's...but they don't REALLY portray what it's like to be a teenager and in love. Love is complicated and hard and with a person that confuses you yet is an open door...it's not just about getting a hot-ass angel or vampire and having him obsess over you. Even if it is sexy. But that real romance is so hard to find...and After the Moment has that kind of romance, and the kind of writing, that really bring it out. And it focuses on a male, too. Yep, that's right folks, we have a true diamond in the rough here.
What would you do if someone close to you lost a loved one, amidst a war where people are dying every day? If you're Leigh Hunter, you try to comfort them. When Leigh's step-sister Millie loses her father, Leigh can only think of helping her, and decides to live with Millie, his father, and his step-mother, Janet. Millie's strong, but appreciates her big brother coming to stay. And in coming to stay...Leigh meets Maia.
There's no direct hit. Cupids arrow does not suddenly make Maia stand out as being perfect, and they do not live the life of a romance novel, as Leigh so aptly puts it. Maia deals with depression, masochism, and is coping with anorexia. She is unusual and, in many cases, the kind of girl no one would want to date. But Maia and Leigh have that connection that only happens because of true love...and with that connection, Leigh learns more about the world around him than ever before.
These characters! If I could plop them down in real life and watch the assimilation...Man, they are good! Leigh is a guy character that so thankfully does not buy into the stereotype. He isn't feminine, he isn't uber masculine and cracks a joke every two seconds...he is simply a person that notices things and thinks about things a little differently. Maia is like his perfect balance...a lady of the mist that manages to be both complex and simple. Their romance is so adorable and perfect, even with it's ending. The side characters were just as fun; Millie and her love for romance novels...Franklin and his cute little smart-boyness. They fit so well, and I like that. The family situation which, while confusing, is very real-life with the many divorces and remarriages. The parents are actually in Leigh's life, too! Imagine that! Clearly, characterization is deep here.
Plot wise...It's hard to explain the plot of a romance. It's all about Leigh and his relationship with Maia and the world. We see a boy grow into a man, and we see him realize that the things some people do aren't always so confusing. The parallels and confusion brought on by the war are an example of this, and they are deftly put in to the point where they blend almost seamlessly. The connection between Leigh's mother's romance novel writing and the actual romance of the book was interesting, too. I appreciated all of the little tid-bits dealt with her writing, and how serious the topic was taken. In a way, this doubles as both the reason why romances are important...yet not examples of real life. As a reader of the genre, it worked a lot for me. Every little upset in Maia and Leigh's lives will take you for a spin...and, especially at the end, you feel every emotion to the highest extent possible.
After the Moments is just everything a teen romance should be. It isn't entirely sudden, the ending is far from perfect, and the characters are unique without feeling either forced or cliche. It handles many, many heavy subjects with grace and poise. From anorexia to divorce to love to imprisonment...You will see the world and back in this book. Freymann-Weyr has crafted a romance that I will keep on my shelf for some time, and I would suggest everyone think of taking a look at it.
Cover Comments: I like the front/back model separation. It captures the mood nicely.
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Copy: Received from Garret and Graphia (Thanks to you both!)
Author: Garret Freymann-Weyr
Publisher: Graphia
A book for young-adults that pictures everything a true, real-life-honest-to-goodness romance is hard to find. Sure, we have our Hush, Hush's and Twilight's...but they don't REALLY portray what it's like to be a teenager and in love. Love is complicated and hard and with a person that confuses you yet is an open door...it's not just about getting a hot-ass angel or vampire and having him obsess over you. Even if it is sexy. But that real romance is so hard to find...and After the Moment has that kind of romance, and the kind of writing, that really bring it out. And it focuses on a male, too. Yep, that's right folks, we have a true diamond in the rough here.
What would you do if someone close to you lost a loved one, amidst a war where people are dying every day? If you're Leigh Hunter, you try to comfort them. When Leigh's step-sister Millie loses her father, Leigh can only think of helping her, and decides to live with Millie, his father, and his step-mother, Janet. Millie's strong, but appreciates her big brother coming to stay. And in coming to stay...Leigh meets Maia.
There's no direct hit. Cupids arrow does not suddenly make Maia stand out as being perfect, and they do not live the life of a romance novel, as Leigh so aptly puts it. Maia deals with depression, masochism, and is coping with anorexia. She is unusual and, in many cases, the kind of girl no one would want to date. But Maia and Leigh have that connection that only happens because of true love...and with that connection, Leigh learns more about the world around him than ever before.
These characters! If I could plop them down in real life and watch the assimilation...Man, they are good! Leigh is a guy character that so thankfully does not buy into the stereotype. He isn't feminine, he isn't uber masculine and cracks a joke every two seconds...he is simply a person that notices things and thinks about things a little differently. Maia is like his perfect balance...a lady of the mist that manages to be both complex and simple. Their romance is so adorable and perfect, even with it's ending. The side characters were just as fun; Millie and her love for romance novels...Franklin and his cute little smart-boyness. They fit so well, and I like that. The family situation which, while confusing, is very real-life with the many divorces and remarriages. The parents are actually in Leigh's life, too! Imagine that! Clearly, characterization is deep here.
Plot wise...It's hard to explain the plot of a romance. It's all about Leigh and his relationship with Maia and the world. We see a boy grow into a man, and we see him realize that the things some people do aren't always so confusing. The parallels and confusion brought on by the war are an example of this, and they are deftly put in to the point where they blend almost seamlessly. The connection between Leigh's mother's romance novel writing and the actual romance of the book was interesting, too. I appreciated all of the little tid-bits dealt with her writing, and how serious the topic was taken. In a way, this doubles as both the reason why romances are important...yet not examples of real life. As a reader of the genre, it worked a lot for me. Every little upset in Maia and Leigh's lives will take you for a spin...and, especially at the end, you feel every emotion to the highest extent possible.
After the Moments is just everything a teen romance should be. It isn't entirely sudden, the ending is far from perfect, and the characters are unique without feeling either forced or cliche. It handles many, many heavy subjects with grace and poise. From anorexia to divorce to love to imprisonment...You will see the world and back in this book. Freymann-Weyr has crafted a romance that I will keep on my shelf for some time, and I would suggest everyone think of taking a look at it.
Cover Comments: I like the front/back model separation. It captures the mood nicely.
Rating: 5.0 Stars
Copy: Received from Garret and Graphia (Thanks to you both!)
June 2, 2012
After the Moment Review
By: Aleksandra Majstorovic
Title: After the Moment
Author: Garret Freymann-Weyr
Date Published: 2009
Genre: Fiction
After the Moment takes place in Maryland and New York. During the four seasons. The book is from Leigh's point of view. He is the main character. Leigh had a step-sister, named Millie, he dad died in a car accident. Leigh went to visit her to help her get through the hard time. After staying a while, Millie asks him to move in. So Leigh does, while he is there he meets one of Millie’s friends, named Maria. Maria is a very skinny girl, she has a hard time eating and she burns and cuts herself. Leigh gets her know her better and he begins to like her. Maria’s dad is in prison, so Leigh drives her to the prison everyday. Leigh starts to really like her, they start dating. When school starts Maria and Leigh go to the same school. Leigh got in a fight the first day of school with this guy, who used to be Maria’s ex-boyfriend. Leigh has a girlfriend named. Astra, he has not yet broken up with her. So he goes to New York to brake up with her. When he is in New York, Maria hangs out with theses guys and she gets drunk and she gets raped by these guys. As, she’s getting raped this one guy is videotaping it. When Leigh finds out, he get very mad but when he finds out that the guy that was videotaping it was his friend, Preston he gets really mad. When they were at lunch Leigh got in a fight with Preston. Leigh breaks Preston’s right cheekbone, shuts one of his eyes closed and knocked him unconscious. Leigh also gets hurt, he bit trough his tongue and one of his eyes are shut closed too. Maria gets very mad at Leigh for doing that to Preston. She decides to move away and go to a all girls school. Leigh still love Maria but he knows he has to let her go.
The theme of the book is that no matter how someone is on the outside when you get to know them, they are better. Maria was a girl who hurts herself on purpose. Leigh saw past that part of her and really got to love her. She also doesn’t eat much; she has trouble swallowing food when she eats. Leigh got past that part too. Maria never walks around without socks, even when it’s really hot outside. Leigh got past all those things and got to know the real Maria and really loved her for who she was not how she was on the outside.
Teenagers will enjoy this book. The main characters are teenagers. This book takes place during their senior year in high school. Many teenagers may relate to this book or they could understand how the characters feel. The author has a good way of writing; people may enjoy how she writes. This book is different then books I read before because you get everyone’s feelings and thoughts in the book.
“Your heart can break a thousand times, but never more than once for the same person.” Page 310
This book has thought me so many things. It really educated me on how to act when I get in the high school. People are not what they seem they are from the outside. Don’t just judge people before you get to really know them. I really enjoyed how the author writes. She always ends it at the right times, to give you a mystery of what will happen next.
By: Aleksandra Majstorovic
Title: After the Moment
Author: Garret Freymann-Weyr
Date Published: 2009
Genre: Fiction
After the Moment takes place in Maryland and New York. During the four seasons. The book is from Leigh's point of view. He is the main character. Leigh had a step-sister, named Millie, he dad died in a car accident. Leigh went to visit her to help her get through the hard time. After staying a while, Millie asks him to move in. So Leigh does, while he is there he meets one of Millie’s friends, named Maria. Maria is a very skinny girl, she has a hard time eating and she burns and cuts herself. Leigh gets her know her better and he begins to like her. Maria’s dad is in prison, so Leigh drives her to the prison everyday. Leigh starts to really like her, they start dating. When school starts Maria and Leigh go to the same school. Leigh got in a fight the first day of school with this guy, who used to be Maria’s ex-boyfriend. Leigh has a girlfriend named. Astra, he has not yet broken up with her. So he goes to New York to brake up with her. When he is in New York, Maria hangs out with theses guys and she gets drunk and she gets raped by these guys. As, she’s getting raped this one guy is videotaping it. When Leigh finds out, he get very mad but when he finds out that the guy that was videotaping it was his friend, Preston he gets really mad. When they were at lunch Leigh got in a fight with Preston. Leigh breaks Preston’s right cheekbone, shuts one of his eyes closed and knocked him unconscious. Leigh also gets hurt, he bit trough his tongue and one of his eyes are shut closed too. Maria gets very mad at Leigh for doing that to Preston. She decides to move away and go to a all girls school. Leigh still love Maria but he knows he has to let her go.
The theme of the book is that no matter how someone is on the outside when you get to know them, they are better. Maria was a girl who hurts herself on purpose. Leigh saw past that part of her and really got to love her. She also doesn’t eat much; she has trouble swallowing food when she eats. Leigh got past that part too. Maria never walks around without socks, even when it’s really hot outside. Leigh got past all those things and got to know the real Maria and really loved her for who she was not how she was on the outside.
Teenagers will enjoy this book. The main characters are teenagers. This book takes place during their senior year in high school. Many teenagers may relate to this book or they could understand how the characters feel. The author has a good way of writing; people may enjoy how she writes. This book is different then books I read before because you get everyone’s feelings and thoughts in the book.
“Your heart can break a thousand times, but never more than once for the same person.” Page 310
This book has thought me so many things. It really educated me on how to act when I get in the high school. People are not what they seem they are from the outside. Don’t just judge people before you get to really know them. I really enjoyed how the author writes. She always ends it at the right times, to give you a mystery of what will happen next.
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