Publication Date: May 2010
Pages: approx 288
Series: no
Book Acquisition: read ARC from Traveling ARC Tours
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
(from Goodreads)
It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.
For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?
And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.
A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.
My Review:
This book was a pretty powerful read for me. I really didn't know what to expect and I was worried that Noelle's kidnapping would either be glossed over or thrown right in our faces in too graphic a way. I really think Kristina did a great job finding a middle ground. I hesitate to say 'comfortable' middle ground because there isn't anything comfortable about kidnapping or abuse, in any form. With that said, I have to say, I was pretty comfortable with Tension of Opposites.
Told from the point of view of Tessa, Noelle's best friend, the book is more about what Noelle's kidnapping did to Tessa then the horrible details of what Noelle endured in the two years she was held captive.
Really, the only thing I didn't like about this book was Tessa's relationship with Max, the sexy new guy in town that seems to fall instantly for Tessa. I understand why he was included in the story - Tessa needed a way to get on with her life, needed a sounding board for her emotions. But at the same time, I didn't like him. I didn't think he fit with the story of Noelle and Tessa.
Even this small dislike didn't really take anything away from the story for me. I couldn't imagine going through what Noelle did. The pure raw emotion of the situation might have been too much to handle and for that reason, I really liked seeing things from Tessa's point of view.
I very much look forward to reading more from Kristina McBride in the future. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a powerful, true to life, young adult, fiction book.
Linkage Love:
Publisher's website
Author's Website
Author's Blog
Great review!
ReplyDeletesounds good!! Maybe I should pick it up!
Great review. I've been wondering about this one :)
ReplyDelete