Release Date: May 25th 2012
Publisher: Penguin
Source: Bought
Genre: Contemporary
My rating:
Synopsis:
"A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.
When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy."
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This really lived up to its expectations so I was extremely pleased.
At first I was going to give this 4 or 4.5 stars, but when I slowly thought about this book and all the things that made it whole, I realised it really was worthy of 5 stars. For me, it wasn't one of those books that kept me going "OMG WOAH WHAT... WHAT EVEN HOW" every time I turned the page. Rather, it was subtle smiles and "oh I see, yes that really makes sense" and everything slowly came together and at the end it's like the book changed and moved something inside me.
Sexual assault is a really touchy subject and I generally shy away from books like those because it's hard to take away the icky (yes icky lol) feeling the issue brings while also concentrating on other things the book is about.
But Easy did it perfectly. The assault wasn't downplayed at all and yet the book managed to focus on the budding romance and college life - it was a really nice balance. Easy dealt with the consequences of somebody not reporting a sexual assault and the effects of that - how assaulter becomes stalker, becomes obsessive and in need of that control that he couldn't get the first time, and also how it could happen to someone else. These events are all weaved throughout the course of the book which I really liked. The assault isn't just something that happens and is left there as a starting point for the novel - it's what this book is about and it keeps it that way while drawing in other themes like friendship, love and trust.
The thing I liked was the pace - the events aren't all happening too slowly or too quickly, it's extremely realistic and I could really relate to Jacqueline. Emotions are conveyed amazingly and my heart just broke for Lucas.
All the characters are really believable and had great personalities. Jacqueline was quick to like, Lucas I was quick to fall for and Erin's support I loved. However, if that's college life in the States, I'm not sure I want to be part of it.
With all the YA sci-fi/fantasies that are out and manage to suck me in completely, it's hard to find a contemporary that lives up to that. Other than The Fault in Our Stars and the Slammed series, there aren't many I'd re-read and give 5 stars to, but Easy did just that!
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