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The Truth of Right Now

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If you could take back one thing you’ve done in your life, do you know what it would be?

Lily is returning to her privileged Manhattan high school after a harrowing end to her sophomore year and it’s not pretty. She hates chemistry and her spiteful lab partner, her friends are either not speaking to her or suffocating her with concerned glances, and nothing seems to give her joy anymore. Worst of all, she can’t escape her own thoughts about what drove her away from everyone in the first place.

Enter Dari (short for Dariomauritius), the artistic and mysterious transfer student, adept at cutting class. Not that he’d rather be at home with his domineering Trinidadian father. Dari is everything that Lily needs: bright, creative, honest, and unpredictable. And in a school where no one really stands out, Dari finds Lily’s sensitivity and openness magnetic. Their attraction ignites immediately, and for the first time in what feels like forever, Lily and Dari find happiness in each other.

In twenty-first-century New York City, the fact that Lily is white and Dari is black shouldn’t matter that much, but nothing’s as simple as it seems. When tragedy becomes reality, can friendship survive even if romance cannot?

279 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2017

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About the author

Kara Lee Corthron

8 books99 followers
Kara Lee Corthron lives and writes in New York City. She’s written many plays that have been performed around the U.S. including AliceGraceAnon, Welcome to Fear City, Listen for the Light, and Holly Down in Heaven, which won her the Princess Grace Award (and a dance with Prince Albert II, of Monaco). The Truth of Right Now is her first novel and the winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award.

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5 stars
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142 (28%)
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161 (31%)
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66 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel Elisse.
157 reviews2 followers
December 30, 2017
This book has a different kind of vibe that intrigued me at first--more of a real, 'life can get messed up' vibe, but I just didn't like the path it took. And the ending made me mad. Like I sort of wondered about the whole point of the story. I understood some of the awareness it tried to bring about racism, but it wasn't enough throughout the whole book to make the impact I believe was intended with the ending. And the relationship between Dari and Lily? I don't even know what to think about it. Were they good for each other, or bad? I guess the author wants the reader to decide? I don't know. Like I said, I ended it thinking: What was the point of everything that happened?

(Note-book contains language and sexual content)

Spoilers-- I hated that all the blame was felt, and even conveyed by Dari at the end, on Lily. Hated that. She was pissed he kissed her mom! Yep. That's messed up. I'd leave him to the cops too. His anger didn't help the situation between the cops-not that the cops weren't in the wrong with their racial prejudice, but let's spread the blame instead of pin point it. And Dari loved the mother AND daughter? And we just have to skip past feeling that disaster, straight to dealing with Dari almost dying. I didn't like that skip over and that all Lily can think about is asking Dari forgiveness. Life or death trumps the kiss to the mom, but it needed to be resolved for me. How about the fact that in reality Lily would never be able to forgive Dari that? That he's not completely off the hook for his actions either? I'm fine with them not being together. They shouldn't be. It was a catastrophe. And Lily is pretty screwed up emotionally/mentally that she needs someone who is safe and not going to screw her up more by kissing and doing pot with the mom.
Profile Image for Meli.
645 reviews444 followers
March 5, 2017
Manic pixie dream girl conoce a manic pixie dream boy, para vivir una intensa e infumable manic pixie dream historia.

Recomendado para hipsters o para nadie, mejor.
Profile Image for Sylvan.
151 reviews11 followers
November 17, 2016
I was expecting the usual sort of teen fiction requesting for this book. I fell in love immediately with the book cover and over Dari because he's an artist like me. Instead, I found myself in a world that I would never experience myself and was reminded of the privilege that I own as a white person.

This book is unforgiveably intense, real, and full of raw emotions and a heavy reminder of how intense racism truly is. It also shows just how important it is to treat mental illness just like any other illness and that asking for help is not a weakness. This book felt real and raw, something you don't see often in teen fiction, and I wish I did.

Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Kourtney.
165 reviews
April 12, 2017
I have to say this is one of the worst books I've read. I couldn't stand all the characters expect Dari. I did like Dari and his story. He was the only reason why I finished it because I wanted to read his story and see how it turned out. I couldn't stand Lily or Lily's mom. Even though Lily's mom was young when she had Lily, I thought she was way over the top irresponsible. I often forgot she was Lily's mom and not an older sister or friend.I felt like Lily was a pain, I really couldn't stand her. I thought that her depression was over rated and frankly I cringed when I read why she was despressed. I know its a real thing and it happens to people but I just didn't think it fit into THIS story. I didn't think it matched up with Dari's story. I have never read a book were I don't want the main characters to together. I was really happy with the ending of the book even though it wasn't a "happy ending"
Profile Image for Brian.
1,748 reviews45 followers
February 7, 2017
High school is not an easy time but its very hard for Lilith, "Lily," who has returned to school after a suicide attempt. Her former best friends are acting weird and she absolutely cannot stand her lab partner Tara. But Lily encounters Dari, an African American student who was transferred to the school, and the two loners bond. Can these budding romance survive Lily's ongoing mental struggles? This book was pretty well written with some interesting side characters. I enjoyed the switching chapters and thought that the mother was very memorable as well, as well as Dari's extremely nasty father. This was a lot like other teen romance stories, but it kept me engaged throughout.
Profile Image for Kelly.
Author 7 books1,217 followers
Read
August 7, 2017
A book to hand to those who loved The Hate U Give and All American Boys.

Lily's got a secret that caused her reputation to shatter last year, and she's back at school anyway. Dari is the new guy, a black student in an otherwise almost all-white private school, and he's bored with his classes, his former girlfriend, and the abusive father with whom he lives. When Lily and Dari start to talk, though, sparks fly.

When things become heated, though, and we get the backstory of Lily's life, as well as begin to see her trust in Dari shift, we also see how much their relationship needs to take a hard look at the challenges of race.

Unlike the previously mentioned titles, this book takes on police brutality and black lives matter, but it does so in a matter which also shines a light on white privilege. I don't want to compare this to GET OUT, since it's not like that as a whole, but the manner in which white people are portrayed as "good white people" here is eerily similar and done excellently. We see Lily as a good white girlfriend, and there are moments when she clearly believes it of herself. But then we see Dari and the challenges he experiences as a black teen that Lily can and will never understand. The final page? That final paragraph of this book? Absolutely outstanding and unforgettable.

Corthron's debut is really impressive, and her use of both first person and third person to tell the story is brilliant. There is a LOT here to dig into and talk about. This book certainly hasn't seen the sort of light it deserves to, so it's one to press into the hands of readers itching for more books about race in modern America.
Profile Image for Resch Reads.
1,126 reviews36 followers
October 21, 2018
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

*This Review Contains Spoilers*

This book was a misleading hot mess, I feel that the synopsis is extremely disconnected from the actual story I read. I went into this book expecting a moving, poignant tale that tackles misconceptions and racism in a modern light. What I actually got was a discombobulated mess of every troupe under the sun sprinkled in with unrealistic, irrational parents. Honestly, I was just happy to finish the book because now I can finally move on a read something different so let me tell you about the troupe vomit that happens.

First off, our main character Lily, needs to be in in-patient therapy because the girl is a train wreck. Affair with a teacher, suicide attempt, depression, insta-love, you name it and Lily has done it. She is reckless and her mom needs to be in in-patient therapy with her for her inability to actually parent her child. Both of these characters are drowning and you can't really get a grasp on either as their emotional capacity is as fickle as the weather. They are constantly bobbing around with no sense of self-worth, self-value or pride. They just throw themselves at the first thing that gives me attention...enters Dari.

Dari's story line is just as complex as Lily's which creates a jumble mess as these two struggle for the spotlight in their own story. Dari's dad is abusive, he feels abandonment by everyone, as soon as someone loves him-he bails, he is really horny and constantly wanting sex for a high school male, and he just doesn't seem to give a f*ck about anything.

Now as if this isn't messy enough, Lily and Dari are going to hook up but wait, that's not the worst of it because he kisses/maybe hooked up with Lily's mom?! Yeah it goes into a vague/use your imagination mode there but WHAT THE F*CK?! NO, JUST NO. This is not okay. And while you have all the troupes and this new drama listed about happening, there are hints of racism. Dari getting stopped and patted down by a cop while walking the street, an old, white man giving them the stink eye as Dari holds Lily's hand on the subway, and then the ending which is just full blown, blind-sided racism.

There was just too much vying for my attention and in the end I was over it. I wish the author would have focused on one of the characters and their struggles instead of throwing everything in the pot and then letting it loose. Also the ending was very misleading, there was some serious betrayal and then Lily was kissing Dari's *ss wanting forgiveness and friendship. Just back away slowly from this book and save yourself the mess.
Profile Image for Kia Corthron.
4 reviews11 followers
February 9, 2017
Let me be upfront: the author of this book is my sister. I would have liked this book no matter what, but I wouldn't necessarily be raving about it. What begins as a well written yet recognizable teen drama about two high school social misfits finding each other takes the reader on unexpected turns - some delightful, some harrowing - often at breakneck speed. The girl is white, the boy black, and in 21st Century America this doesn't matter a whole lot - until it agonizingly does. You won't be able to anticipate what's coming next to the LAST WORD. There are a select few books I've read that I consider "good to the last drop." This is most certainly one of them.
Profile Image for ⋆☆☽ Kriss ☾☆⋆.
589 reviews199 followers
April 23, 2017
Some good things to start out with that attracted me to this book:
• Written by a WOC author! (and she’s actually aware of how teenagers of today work; everything felt authentic to the times, which I appreciate greatly in a contemporary!)
• Features a lot of deep topics like mental illness and racism, and touches on subjects like sexual and emotional abuse (including a teacher/student relationship, bad home life, and bullying).
• Has a primary focus on an interracial friendship/romance that covers the highs and the lows (but this still doesn’t really feel like a romance so much as it feels like an exploration of human relationships, if that makes sense.)

The Truth of Right Now is a pretty good little novel. It has a simple premise “boy and girl who have problems and are vastly different meet and their relationship changes them both—for better and for worse” and it’s focus is less on plot direction and more on characters and their interactions and growth. It’s kind of hard to summarize because there’s no goal outside of these two teenagers being friends and then more and then maybe far less.

What gives the story its bulk and its substance is in the details and the everyday interactions. We learn about the pasts and realities of these two very different characters—Lily a rich, upper-class white girl and the victim of a sexual predator; Dari is a black teen in a racist world trying to deal with his bad home life—and see how their circumstances, differences, similarities, and general teenage qualities impact their relationship with one another. At times they are closer because of them, sometimes they are driven apart by them.

Lily and Dari are pretty interesting, engaging characters and I like all the detail work the author put into them that may not have had an overall story impact but spoke to give a framework to their personalities. I appreciated their interactions with each other and could understand them; like Dari’s defensiveness over race and Lily’s quickness to have meltdowns, their moments of childishness and rashness, their inability to express their feelings despite the overwhelming nature of them, all the flaws of being a teenager and all the strengths and qualities too. Each has strengths; each has flaws, each of them changes as a result of their relationship with the other. It’s quite a nice journey as a reader to see things unfold and it’s easy to find ways to relate to both of them, even if you don’t have much in common with them on the surface.

The book is split into two points of view; one is Lily’s first person and the other is Dari’s third person, which a little bit at the end that has some paragraphs that are in first person for Dari. I think this format was ultimately necessary, since both characters are treated as being very important to the story and denying one POV would have eliminated a lot of story that gives the tale depth and perspective. It’s also split into three “parts” though I’m not quite sure on the significance of each; they just sort of mark the sections in which the gears of the story shift a little. The ending is also a little not ideal, it works, but for some readers it might come across as a little harsh and sudden. Just bear in mind that this isn’t a real “nice clean, wrapped up” sort of ending so much as it is just kind of a stark and realistic one.

And now a list of things I really didn’t like:
• At the end, one of the big trigger events that causes the big story climax to occur is the fact that Lily’s mother (who Lily constantly reminds the reader is super beautiful and looks super young) kisses Dari on the mouth one day after being sort of a friend/mother figure to him and Lily sees it. The author kind of treats this as “it was a mistake but it was no big deal” and honestly I don’t agree. At no point should an adult with a fifteen year old ever be in a position where she might lose control and kiss a teenage boy and especially not one her daughter is in love with. Like it’s really gross I don’t care how lonely or sad she was about aging or how touched she was that Dari drew a picture of her or liked talking to her, she knows better for the general sake of not being a gross adult and also for her daughter who already has enough shit in her life to deal with that doesn’t involve her attractive mom making a move on her love interest.
• There was also a slight moment of transphobia where Dari is talking about his sister’s girlfriend being jealous of him and he goes “not only do I share blood with Izzy [his sister[ but I have a dick I’m not her type” as if lesbian translates to “likes people with vaginas” and “vagina means being a woman.” When genitals and gender are not exclusive to each other; you can have any genitals or several genitals or none at all and be any gender that feels right. (This may seem like a nitpicky thing but casual transphobia is still an issue that contributes to the overall problem and I just want to take the opportunity to discuss it since it’s here). I don’t know if the author personally thinks this way, since earlier she wrote a passage where she correctly pronounced a drag queen without a problem, or if she was just trying to give variety to the characters in how they think/respond, but it kind of bugged me anyway.
• I also don’t really care at all about how Lily dealt with Tara because I was bullied and I know people like Lily who were bystanders who never helped and who got in some laughs like watching a kid being bullied is a show. Lily’s growth in that regard wasn’t impressive and I understand Tara’s actions and feelings way more. I suppose I’m a little biased but honestly, it’s not that hard to just Be Decent to people.

And a little list of some details I noticed that I liked!
• Lily consciously reminds herself not to use the word r*tarded because it’s a nasty slur and it’s just an overall good thing to cycle its casual use out of our vocabulary as a term that means bad/stupid/etc. at the expense of a whole demographic of people. She isn’t 100% on a good alternative and makes a mistake but is more willing to make the effort than be like “no it’s an inconvenience” and try to defend its usage; I was happy about this.
• Lily is also a feminist and there’s a moment or two where she tries to analyze a situation with a feminist perspective, like whether liking having Dari buy her dinner was bad or not (it’s not everyone likes to be treated the problem would lie in expecting to have him pay because he’s a guy or him feeling obligated because Lily’s a girl)
• Dari doesn’t victim blame Lily for what happened with her teacher! He consciously tries to be respectful and shows restraint and seems generally honest and forthcoming with her; although he’s not always The Greatest Person he doesn’t ever seem to be unhealthy for Lily to have as a friend/date-mate.
• The mom, outside of the gross kiss, was pretty chill; I liked how she was willing to help her daughter be safe about sex and like do the whole “it’s your body, do whatever you want to, but just be careful while living life” thing and I appreciate that the mom wasn’t too strict or too loose in her parenting. I mean, she makes some slip ups and junk, but I like that she’s a “cool mom” but also like a caring, grown-up who has a role mom.

Also, I did like how this book was so character driven but still had some time to be a bit of a platform to talk about some generally issues. Very nice. I think it’s a good book for 15+ teens to read since even the most mature subjects are handled well; not real descriptive or anything, but also not sugar coated or stripped to nothing. Though this book did take me a few days to finish (it’s hard to read pure character stories without a clear goal, you know?) and I don’t think it’s the kind of book I’ll ever reread. A pretty solid 3.5 stars!

Also, library book #2 read!
Profile Image for layla :) .
131 reviews16 followers
February 22, 2021
what the frackers is this chaotic book .
Tbh the only reason I gave this a three because I have a weird thing for nyc and it addresses some stuff.
the characters are slapdash and Dari is so pretentious I literally can't (his life story was interesting and he is valued but chill out fam ). There are some cute things about this book, and the main character has good music taste, but it is soooooo fast paced. AND WHAT IS THAT ENDING . also im bouta throw some hands at Lilys mom SHE MADE OUT WITH HER DAUGHTERS BOYFRIEND GET HELP . the only character deserving of all my love is daris sister .I'm mad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Symphony Hale.
Author 2 books7 followers
November 24, 2016
I received a copy from Simon & Schuster and Jellybooks.

A heart aching portrayal about the loss of innocence and the effect people have on the lives of those around them. Powerful in its honesty and stunningly beautiful!

Profile Image for Meaghan.
463 reviews
March 23, 2020
I don’t know how to feel about this book. I’m giving this 3 stars because I don’t know if I liked this book or not. It was hard for me to read, and although I read this fast, it wasn’t an easy story to keep reading. I do wish there were trigger warnings for certain parts ahead of time though.
Profile Image for Brittany.
352 reviews4 followers
February 7, 2017
Phew. This book is a long emotional whirlwind, and a fabulous debut novel by Kara Lee Corthron.

Let's start by talking about the characters. Lily, struggling to get by from her painful past and lonely present, makes for a startlingly accurate leading teen. And then there's Dari, who lives with such passion, curiousity, and a thirst for life and living on the edge like none other. The characters are so well defined, dynamic and bold but just mysterious enough to keep the plot accelerating.

The book has the quintessential pieces of a teen YA romance - but a lot more too. It's not just your typical guy falls for girl or vice versa - it deals with lots of real-life, in-your-face topics too. A few among the many - abuse, rape, harassment, sexual intimacy, family conflicts, mental illness, violence, fending for yourself as a minor, inappropriate actions with dire consequences, racism, privilege, truth, lies, betrayal - it's everything and more.

While the arc of their romance holds the plot together - the side plots are just as intriguing. Their pain and isolation seems to bring them together in school, while their adventure and freedom outside of the school walls seems to breathe life into both of them like nothing else can. Chaotic apart and at times even more of a mess together - the joy (and pain) of young love seep over every inch of this novel.

As far as grade levels - due to the intimate nature of violence, sexual scenes and language - I'd limit this one to upper HS classrooms if it were going in my library. An absolutely brilliant read, but one that definitely would be recommended with care.
Profile Image for kai | 凯香.
385 reviews60 followers
June 1, 2018
1.5* honestly it took me awhile to figure out a rating for this book because I have so many mixed feelings.
it started out strong, I liked our honest the commentary of both characters was. such as when Lily would subconsciously use a word, ex. r***rd, she would make the effort to correct herself, and I appreciated the honesty of it.
I also love the style of writing that the author has, which is more difficult to describe unless you read it yourself
and I like how Dari ended up not forgiving Lily, and it wasn’t this whole redeeming love story at the end, because truthfully he definitely shouldn’t forgive her. and it’s respectable that he didn’t resent her either afterwards.

however, towards the end it just gradually became more disgusting. although I understand that these things happen, the fact that Dari was in love with both Lily and her mom?? I mean, wasn’t it enough that Lily and her teacher were, not only romantically, but sexually involved with each other??? it really just ruined the book in my opinion, in a very prominent way. I think it was enough that Lily was involved with her teacher, and the fact that Dari and Lily’s mom were somewhat involved with each other just tossed it too far overboard and didn’t give the book the sort of closure I was hoping for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
56 reviews14 followers
December 13, 2016
I absolutely LOOOVEED this book. I however would not recommend it for all types of readers. It is a deep book that addresses problems society doesn't realize are big issues facing teenagers of this time and we see racism play a huge role in the end of the book. If you are not comfortable reading about these kind of things, it's not a book I would advice you read. It is a well written story of 2 kids each with their own problems who use each other to refind themselves. I love how Kara Lee Corthron seems so in tune with the characters it almost seemed to me like the characters were real and were narrating their story to me. I really liked how she changed the narrator each chapter, it allowed for me to see the story from both their points of view. One thing I didn't like was how when Dari faced a major problem at what I would say is the falling action of the book Lily was the narrator. I feel like it hindered us from truly feeling the intensity of the moment though it added an air of mystery. All in all this was an amazing read (you can tell because I read it when I was supposed to be studying for finals) and hats off to Kara Lee Corthron for a job well done on her first book.
Profile Image for Eugenie.
75 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2017
I thought this book was extremely entertaining. I thought Corthron did an excellent job with the character of Dari, I can almost picture him or at least I have know someone like him all my life. If I could as the author one question about this book: Who was the man with the Red Hair? This book also makes you question your feelings about interracial dating, the subtlety of the way the author hints at the things that we think about when are alone are so prevalent in this novel. I appreciate this novel for its Truth... I get it
Profile Image for Conor.
37 reviews
March 15, 2017
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this book. The two characters have such extreme problems but I still found ways to relate to them and their messed up lives. I really enjoyed how it was written in such a way that it made their internal struggles timeless and the problems in their so current. It is so hard to find books that have characters that are so relatable and loveable but Kara Lee Corthron has achieved this feat so well. I cannot wait for other books she might write!
Profile Image for Meghan.
1,329 reviews42 followers
April 12, 2017
My prediction is that the playwright Corthron sisters Kara Lee and Kia are the next big thing in books, since both of their debut novels are just the best. This is the best YA I've read in forever, surprising and utterly non-condescending and super relevant. It explodes the manic pixie dream girl trope and is so sharp and makes so many subtle points about racism.

Also the cover is a total throwback to the best of 70s realistic YA like Divorce Express and A Hero Ain't Nothin but a Sandwich.
146 reviews
November 29, 2016
I wasn't expecting this book to be as intense and emotionally charged as it ended up being when I picked it up. The issues it deals with are not taken on lightly and let you see from perspectives other than what you might usually see. The alternating viewpoint chapters are handled quite well and the story flows nicely for the most part.
Profile Image for Madison ★.
57 reviews
July 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were 3-dimensional, and the plot was raw. I liked the style of writing; easy to read and follow. It tackles some difficult topics which I feel could have been more involved but nevertheless were addressed appropriately and well-done. 4/5 stars & would recommend
Profile Image for Barb.
1,065 reviews
December 17, 2017
I’m waiting to rate and review this one.

12/17/2017–Well, it’s been a week...
When asked if I liked the story? Or the main female character? Or her mother?
My answer?
No, not really.
But, when asked if I could have written a better last word in the story?
My answer?
Same as Dari’s...No.
Profile Image for Amy.
124 reviews3 followers
February 4, 2017
A story of damaged people finding more damaged people to create more damage. The ending was a bit of a twist that was honest and not a fairy tale.
Profile Image for Candice Gigous.
160 reviews2 followers
February 7, 2017
This story is a contemporary that deals with social issues, but attempts to take on too many. The author tries to cover mental illnesses, inappropriate relationships, abusive parents, alcoholism, racism, bullying, and police violence, not really covering any of the issues well. The story has mostly alternating chapters. Chapters are told in first person by Lily and in third person about Dari, until the last chapter which switches between both characters in first person. Set in present day New York, the story begins with Lily returning to school after a traumatic and humiliating breakup that happened a few months earlier. Lily is managing her depression and the fallout over the breakup. Her friends are distant and Lily is bullied at school. Dari is a new kid in the school and his family life is troubling. Dari’s father is abusive and cruel. Lily is drawn to Dari and Dari is intrigued by Lily. Lily and Dari start hanging out while dealing with their own very different problems. A fight between Dari and his father has Dari moving in with Lily and her mother, Savannah. Meanwhile, the feelings between Lily and Dari have for each other quickly grows to something more than friendship. Then soap opera drama happens, which puts their relationship in jeopardy.

The story has a good pace and characters, but is ruined with the unnecessary drama and by how the author handles the social issues. The story keeps a good pace, until the latter half when the annoying soap opera drama happens. The amount of issues the author tries to include in the story are too many and she does not always handle them the best. The author seems to blame Lily’s anger issues or mental state for everything that happened to her and Dari, but the blame is wrongly placed. Lily is a good character, she was working through her depression over the earlier breakup and her growing feelings for Dari. The author tries to make the reader think Lily has some anger issues, but she dealt with her anger rationally, she had a right to be angry about what happened to her. Dari is also a good character, but he was a jerk sometimes and caused a lot of his own problems. The romance between Dari and Lily was not insta-love, but their relationship did move rather quickly, they only knew each for a couple months. The secondary characters are great, each has a distinct personally. While the story does have some sex scenes, they are not overly descriptive or racy. The story does have some violent and physical abuse scenes. The ending does not resolve anything and is left open. The story should have had an epilogue. If you are looking for a story about two people who fall in love and work together to overcome their problems, this story is not that. I did not really enjoy this book and would not try others by the author. I would recommend reading books by Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, or Susane Colasanti instead. I received a copy from Jellybooks in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Courtney Whetten.
138 reviews
July 19, 2020
My favorite part about this book was the characters and each of their backstories. Lily's past gave me a perspective to read that I don't hear about that much and I liked understanding where she was coming from and what she went through. It gave me some insight on something that I didn't really have an understanding of before reading it. And I liked reading about Dari's past too for the same reason. I felt like I could really feel what they were each going through and I could understand it even though I've never experienced it.

I loved that Dari is an artist. I just think it's such a beautiful way for someone to express themselves and I felt and saw the passion whenever he drew or painted. Artists really amaze me because that's how they express themselves and I think it's beautiful the way they can do it.

Other than those things, this was such a short book but it didn't feel that way and as much as I was invested in the characters I wasn't invested in the story or the plot line. I loved learning about their backstories but I wasn't as invested in the story itself. It also didn't really feel like there was a point to the story and I think that's why it kind of dragged on for me and I didn't really care to see how it ended.

There were many moments where I was confused about what was happening and it didn't matter how many times I reread it, it still didn't make sense. The ending was also kind of confusing for me and I didn't like or completely understand all the blame and shame that the story ended with. Along with that, the ending felt very abrupt and it didn't feel like the story was wrapped up, instead it just suddenly ended.

And as much as I love the characters I felt like they could have all been developed more and I could have all gotten to know them a little bit better mostly meaning all the characters besides the two main characters.

I wanted to like this book more because I loved the characters so much but the rest just kind of fell flat for me.
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