The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1
Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.
For starters, it was told in four different perspectives: Suzanne, Noah, Lily, and Simon. I enjoyed getting to know each of these characters and to learn about their opinions on each other and their different experiences. Simon had the biggest section and, by the end, I felt I knew his character the most. He had been through a tough time and his life was by no means perfect. Noah, Lily, and Simon were basically caught in a love triangle. Noah liked Lily who liked Simon who liked someone completely different. I felt the strong emotions between the different characters and all of them were dealing with a lot. Noah, Lily, and Simon were all outcasts who banded together and became best friends by sharing cigarettes and cutting class.
Steve truly made each of his characters so believable. While I couldn’t really relate to any of them I felt a connection to each and every one of them by the end. It was an emotional read and my heart went out to Noah, Lily, and Simon.
The plot was fast paced and something new was happening on every page. There were a variety of plot twists and I was always on the edge of my seat wanting to know how things would work out for each of the characters. The ending was a little abrupt and I really want to know more about what happened to Noah, Lily, Simon, and Suzanne.
Steve Brezenoff is definitely an author to watch. He knows how to write a complex and emotional story that will draw readers in from the first page. While the plot may have been a little rushed, his characters were extremely memorable. I can’t wait to see what he writes next!
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
September 1, 2010/Carolrhoda/264 Pages/Young Adult
Source: Author
I kept hearing talk about this book, but never a review. Thanks so much for posting this, I'm definitely going to pick this up, it sounds great. I love how there is mulitiple points of view! (Definitely my weakness)
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