ARC Review: Me Since You by Laura Wiess

Me Since You

Author: Laura Wiess

Series: -

Pages: 368

Publisher: MTV Books

Amazon

Release date: 18^th February 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

“Laura Wiess’s masterful prose kept me turning the pages. This is the first book in a very long time that made me say, ‘Wish I’d written this’” (Ellen Hopkins, author of Crank, on Such a Pretty Girl).Oh c’mon, Dad, nothing’s going to happen.

And for sixteen year-old Rowan Areno, shielded by her parents from the dark side of life, nothing bad usually does…until that last Friday in March when Rowan cuts school for a day of fun—and a random stranger’s shocking crime sets a traumatic series of events into motion that will change her life forever.

The crime video goes viral, the cruel, relentless aftermath threatening Rowan, her family, and Eli, a witness haunted by losses of his own. But when tragedy strikes, shattering Rowan’s world and destroying all she thought was true, not even Eli can protect her from the devastation.

Her life now divided into Before and After, Rowan struggles to survive, searching for answers, and desperate to make sense of what remains. She discovers that everyone grieves differently, though, and the path to love and forgiveness isn’t simple or straightforward. Will she carry these emotional wounds with her forever, or with Eli’s help, can she learn to trust, hope and believe in happiness again?

Me Since You is Laura Wiess at her finest—a beautiful, gripping, and painfully honest examination of love, loss, and a family in crisis.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers

I have to admit, I felt so down after I finished this book and needed to start on something a little more happy go lucky straight away; it is an overwhelming poignant read that really makes you think and feel.

Me Since You is depressing but written in a way that is believable and true to life; filled with betrayal, loss and heartache it follows the story of Sixteen year-old Rowan who is devastated, angry and lost since her police officer father sunk into a terrible depression after a job he responded to went downhill and as a result it led to a devastating event.

Witness to the terrible incident was Eli, uprooted from the life he has known since his own father was killed in action he understands what Rowan is going through and tries to help her in her desperate time of need in spite of his own personal demons, they form a sweet friendship and eventual romance but it wasn’t at the forefront of the story at all; it was a small glimpse that showed the hope.

Me Since You is written beautifully, I am not a crier when it comes to books but by the end of this I was frantically grasping the tissues, it was heart-wrenching seeing the characters crumble after loss and watch them slowly having to pull themselves back together and live again; you can grasp the hopelessness.

This isn’t the type of book I tend to read, I honestly tend to steer clear of books that are so emotionally draining and you know from the synopsis alone this book is going to tug at your heart-strings but it was compassionate and convincing and I was eager to see a bit of comfort and optimism for the characters, the author draws you into her storytelling and makes you grasp what the characters are feeling – the sensory details were written to perfection, you feel the anger, loss and sorrow and understand the reactions.

Overall, Me Since You gives you all the feels, it is a morose story but also shows that there is hope after loss.

Thank-you kindly to MTV Books/Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review Me Since You.