Overall: 4/5 Stars
Summary of review:
What a great book! I really enjoyed this book a lot! Read it before the movie comes out!
Summary:
Finley is 18 years old and already had a tragedy in her life. Her brother has died. She decides to follow in her brother’s footsteps to Ireland to finish her senior year. Her brother created a journal of the places that he went and how inspirational it was for him. She travels there with every intention of going to every spot that her brother went.
The place that she is staying at has another visitor though, Beckett Rush. He is a Hollywood teenager best known for his vampire movies (think Twilight series). Finley has no interest in him at all. But he strikes up a bargain- you become my assistant, and he will take her to the places on her brother’s list.
This story is about grief, depression, love, finding God, etc. As she goes through her senior year, we follow Finley’s journey. She meets some people that need her help, bullies, and goes through a lot of pain.
My thoughts:
I wanted to read this before I watched the movie. I went in not knowing what to expect. I thought it was going to be a simple YA romance book. This book had so much more than just a romance though.
This book really hit home for me. I lost a close family member as well. Grieving is not just over when the funeral is over. This book really touched my soul.
There are a lot of elements of God in this book. The messages to the main character were very thought-provoking. I read a lot of the passages over again.
I loved the characters. I caught myself gasping and saying “Awe” throughout the novel. Finley deals with a lot of very heavy stuff, but mixed in is a sweet love story. This story sure does make you smile, cry, and then back again! I got to know Finlay a lot throughout the story and was really rooting for her. I also loved how similar Beckett and Finley were, but also different. They both lived lives where they “fool” people. Finley with her being happy and okay; Beckett with the media and his father. I also liked Finley’s journey to discover herself, grief for her brother, and also find God.
I loved reading about Ireland too. I wish there were more moments where Ireland was explained in more detail.
Conclusion:
This is a YA book but not your typical romance one. If you want a story that has real world issues and a little romance put in, then this is the book for you.
Trigger Warnings: Eating disorder, depression, family member death, grieving, bullying, and slight mentions of domestic abuse