Audiobook, Audible
Author: Parker S. Huntington
Narrators: Sebastian York, Ava Erickson and Jacob Morgan
On a fateful night on Valentine’s Day, Charlotte finds herself on the rooftop of her fancy school she attends via scholarship contemplating jumping. It’s her birthday, her sister forgot it, and she’s carrying the guilt of an accident that killed her parents and scarred her sister. Kellan Marchetti, the school’s designated weirdo, is there with the same intent. Both come from unimaginable tragedies in their lives and they form a bond: they’ll meet again, same time, same roof, every year. They did this for three years and on the fourth Charlotte is late… and Kellan doesn’t wait for her. He takes a decision that will change her life forever. He was her first love and she couldn’t save him.
Now, at 22, she finds herself meeting another Marchetti, Tate – the evil brother Kellan hated and she’s incredibly attracted to him. Secrets will come out, old wounds will reopen. Will Charlie and Tate be able to find love under Kellan’s ever-present shadow?
This was equal parts hit and miss for me. The topic of suicide, which seemed to be central point of the story, is not. It’s a story of grief, acceptance, forgiveness and love. I confess I was expecting more attention to the topic, considering that, although Kellan’s is the spark that ignites all the other plots, nowhere is it addressed that Charlie also had suicidal thoughts.
I liked how we piece together who Kellan was from the few chapters told through his POV, but I rolled my eyes a little when he managed to pen a “great American novel” in his teens (and there is a big reveal at the end that just left me “Really?!”)
There’s the overly hyped sex scene at the brother’s office (he’s an OBGYN and he’s giving Charlie a pelvic exam… Oy…) but there’s very little spice in this book. The doc who’s painted as a player (to the point where he’s having sex with a woman in his office and the secretary finds it “normal”) and all of a sudden he’s a monk. Yeah, no. Makes no sense.
The book was just OK for me. Didn’t live up to the hype.
Narration: Jacob is amazing as teenager Kellan. With the little parts he has in this, he makes you want to root for Kellan, even though you know what’s going to happen. SebYo and Ava are great as usual. Thanks to the narration I managed to finish this 15-hour marathon.
Possible Triggers: suicidal ideation, suicide, feelings of guilt, living with a permanent scar, grief, mentions of alcohol and drug abuse, detailed description of a gynecological exam
