Book Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

"A somewhat unbelievable tale but heartwarming nonetheless."

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publication Date: June 2011
Pages: 307
Series: standalone
Format: paperback
Acquisition: bought

Synopsis:

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

Told in verse and brimming with raw emotion and pure romance, this is a gracefully woven tale of life-changing secrets and unexpected friendship.

(from Goodreads)

Overall Feelings:
Heartbreak full of hope.

My Thoughts:
A somewhat unbelievable tale but heartwarming nonetheless. Told in verse, Amber shares the story of her day alone. Her life is about to change in a huge way and she needs to be alone for one last day. Her story was moving, as was the story of the mysterious boy she meets at the beach, but overall, a little too far fetched.

That's not to say I didn't really enjoy this book, because I did. Verse books are usually quick reads and a story that only encompasses 1 day in the life of 2 people, in my opinion, should not take all that long to read. For this reason, the verse prose was perfect.

Amber is facing a situation that really, very few (if any) people have faced before. She feels alone and betrayed and even though her family is expecting her to be in her bed that morning, she can't help but escape away. As a reader, we get small glimpses into her life - leading up to the 'big reveal' and the real reason she feels the need to run away.

On this solely remarkable day, Amber meets Cade who in fact is having a terrible day of his own. The two become friends in an instant, spend the day together and eventually share their stories.

In the end, the fact that Amber and Cade's stories were a little too much to believe was overshadowed by the raw emotion behind what was happening to them. Their struggles and the connection they manage to make in one day really made The Day Before a powerful read for me.

I'm really draw to book in verse and Lisa's are always fantastic. I would love to add all of hers to my collection.

Rating:

4 / 5 Stars