Review: All We Left Behind by Ingrid Sundberg

All We Left Behind

Author: Ingrid Sundberg

Series: -

Pages: 432

Publisher/Source: Simon Pulse

Release date: 1^st December 2015

Synopsis: (Goodreads)

For fans of Simone Elkeles and Courtney Summers, this haunting debut novel is about two teenagers battling their inner demons as they fall in love for the first time.

When Marion Taylor, the shy bookworm, meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing quickly turns into a total mess. One moment they’re alone in the middle of a lake, igniting sparks of electricity. The next, they’re on dry land, pretending they’ve never met. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something real, terrifying, and completely unforgettable for them both.

As Marion and Kurt struggle to build a relationship from the fractured pieces of their pasts, every kiss they share uncovers memories both would rather keep buried. Marion desperately wants to trust Kurt and share the one secret she’s never told anyone—but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. Kurt is also still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back.

Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt seem totally wrong for each other—but could they turn out to be more right than they ever thought possible?

Review: 2 ½ out of 5 stars

This is a book that had me curious because of the Simone Elkeles and Courtney Summers comparison in the blurb but unfortunately for me I couldn’t see the comparisons at all, I was left a little underwhelmed by the end.

Marion Taylor is shy and blends in, she doesn’t like to be the centre of attention, she also has a big secret that she holds close to her chest and fears if it is revealed it would ruin everything for her.

When Marion meets popular soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, they click but she doesn’t think they would have any interactions after this event. Kurt has problems of his own and also doesn’t like to divulge too much to anyone. I found both characters to be ok but there was nothing that made them stand out; they both had their secrets that I was dying to know but it was dragged out and normally this wouldn’t frustrate me but it did.

The subject matter is raw and gritty and certainly touches on some sensitive issues; I felt the author did a great job with this but the blend of the storyline, romance and too much build up just didn’t work for me.

I couldn’t fault Ingrid Sundberg’s writing, it was detailed and engaging and shows us the complications on teen love but this book at this time didn’t wow me unfortunately.

Thank you to Simon Pulse via Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this book.