3.5 stars. This is considered a teen book. I was certainly caught up in the storyline and appreciated the careful treatment of the subject of a young man returning from war. The language that character uses is probably realistic, even it if feels too vular for a YA book. As it is a book for young adults, I really had trouble with the cavalier attitude toward underage drinking and also toward drinking and driving. Yes, a character deeply regrets driving "wasted" at one point, but through the book, others drink and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle with no regret or repercussions. I enjoyed this book myself, but I would be very careful about giving it to a teen (especially a young teen) to read. ( )

Disclaimer: I am a huge Heather Demetrios fan. Seriously, Something Real and Exquisite Captive were both 5-star books for me so there was no doubt in my mind that I would love I’ll Meet You There as well.

I’ll Meet You There tells us the story of Skylar and Josh. Skylar is counting down the days until she gets to finally leave her family trailer and attend art school. Josh had gotten out of Creek View but was forced back after he lost his leg in Afghanistan. He’s battling his PTSD while trying to get his life back on track. Their lives become more and more intertwined and Josh becomes a threat to Skylar’s leave-and-never-look-back plan.

While the relationship of Skylar and Josh are front and center it really is so much more than that. I’ve grown up in small towns/cities where almost everybody I know was so content on staying where they were working fairly dead end jobs while I was desperate to get out and Demetrios captures that feeling so well. It also shows the other side of that, the people who are content with small town life and how they might feel when people around them act like living a small town life is the worst thing in the world. It definitely made me think about how I’ve talked about my dreams to get out to those who stayed. It also deals with lasting issues soldiers face when they come back from war. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson is another favourite of mine that deals with this issue and while they are completely different books they both examples of PSTD being portrayed extremely real and well done. I’ll Meet You There is just one of those books that pull you in and you never even want it to let you go.
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I was totally exhausted by the first third of this book, stressed for the second third, weepy for the ... third third? lord, FYA book club, why must you tax me like this. this was actually a reasonably good, nuanced contemporary YA book! (well, mostly nuanced.) everyone was fucked up and dealing in ways I understood and respected! (tho the collage thing was a bit much.) I'm just finally at the point in my life where it's like, teen!keri would've loved the fuck out of this book and appreciated its existence, whilst adult!keri is like, THANK THE GOOD LORD I AM AN ADULT WHO FINALLY GOT OUT OF THERE, PLEASE GIVE ME A BEER. all the beers, thx, and all the cigarettes too, woooooooooooooo boy. ( )

I believe many of my students will totally understand that need to get OUT of town. ( )

Mature readers only! ( )