Release Date: September 8, 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 368
Received: ARC from Publisher
Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
This is the story of a girl, her gay best friend, and the boy in love with both of them.
Ten months after her recurring depression landed her in the hospital, Mira is starting over as a new student at Saint Francis Prep. She promised her parents she would at least try to act like a normal, functioning human this time around, not a girl who sometimes can’t get out of bed for days on end, who only feels awake when she’s with Sebby.
Jeremy is the painfully shy art nerd at Saint Francis who’s been in self-imposed isolation after an incident that ruined his last year of school. When he sees Sebby for the first time across the school lawn it’s as if he’s been expecting this blond, lanky boy with a mischievous glint in his eye.
Sebby, Mira’s gay best friend, is a boy who seems to carry sunlight around with him like a backlit halo. Even as life in his foster home starts to take its toll, Sebby and Mira together craft a world of magic rituals and secret road trips, designed to fix the broken parts of their lives.
As Jeremy finds himself drawn into Sebby and Mira’s world, he begins to understand the secrets that they hide in order to protect themselves, to keep each other safe from those who don’t understand their quest to live for the impossible.[goodreads]
My Thoughts
This novel was pitched as a "bisexual love triangle" of the sorts and whenever I hear about bi characters, I'm on board. For the most part, it's hard to find! But I wouldn't say it was a love story because even though some sex scenes occur, it also felt platonic. I felt the events hit me emotionally with these characters dealing with anxiety and romantic struggles. The three characters were supportive and respectful of the relationship between them all.
What I found very unique was the POV's because each one was told in a different person. Jeremy was told in first person, Sebby was in occasional second person, and Mira was in third person. These characters' voices spoke into their character and really fit them well.
Not every book on this subject is perfect, but I did try to rationalize with these issues. Sebby's storyline was one of the most developed and personally interested me more, but felt not finished. Sebby was a foster kid with personal issues and tried to bottle up these feelings until the end. Mira's story was somewhat on her depression and it does get dark to read. I understand depression is a serious subject and it does make me really think my life out. Jeremy was more of a shy guy, and it became repetitive from there. I was exactly satisfied with the ending because I felt a hidden build up from the beginning and I still felt just there.
If you're looking for more diversity in YA, then I recommend this book. It had a plethora of LGBTQ, race, and mental health talks, so it's as diverse as it can get. But a great book, for a great day.
3/5 STARS
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