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Cover to cover this is teenage angst and drama but
completely immersive. So much so that the emotions spill over way after you’ve
completed the book. And no, it doesn’t matter whether you are way past your
teens – the emotions that the book evokes are valid across ages.
Quinn Hughes, a high school senior, is a swimmer. She missed
qualifying for the Olympics by a hair’s breadth and is now determined to
qualify for the next Olympics and earn a couple of World Championships too, and
follows a punishing schedule to achieve that. She is also open and proud. Her
friends in school comprise other out people and some of her swim team mates.
The group is not very high on the popularity pole of the school. The popular
group is made up of the girls’ soccer team and the boys’ football team, which
includes Quinn’s brother, Liam and Kennedy Reed. Kennedy and Quinn were best
friends from age seven to thirteen. At thirteen, Kennedy’s parents were moving.
The two girls promised to keep in touch and while saying goodbye, Kennedy
kissed Quinn for a grand total of three seconds. After that Kennedy disappeared
on Quinn. When she returned in the sophomore year, she froze Quinn out and
since then ignored her completely. Except that now, she seems to be reviving
the friendship.
The book is written in first person from Quinn’s PoV so we
know every thought and feeling that she has. But, honestly, we didn’t like
Quinn. Especially her behaviour with Riley. Plus we found her supremely
self-centred. Yes, she is seventeen, but there are other seventeen year olds in
the book giving her advice to at least try to understand where another
person is.
Kennedy Reed. We fell in love with this girl and she was
really the reason we sacrificed our sleep to read this through the night.
Searching, scared, strong…she is beautiful.
However, the end left us feeling rather low. Very low, in
fact. We need an epilogue to know that Kennedy is happy.
On the whole, read this and be prepared for heartache at the
end – which we think was completely unnecessary. It could have easily been a perfectly happy ending. There was zero need for a sad ending. Zero!
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