3.5 stars ( )

2.5-3 stars

This book was very very depressing. It's been on my ereader for ages and I thought it was time to give it a try. It's not necessarily a bad book.. But extremely depressing and nothing really happens. Jared is a real Debbie Downer and Aly is the usual punching bag/push over.
I'm not a fan of tortured souls who keep whining about the same thing that doesn't make much sense to begin with. I thought I'd finish it for the happy ending and it was a 3.5 stars at first.. But the last 50 pages or something all of a sudden went in super speed and skipped over a ton of things. It was just weird after so moving so slow for over 200 pages. And I really didn't like a new development that was added so ridiculously fast and not mentioned again.
But hey.. I finished it.. So that's something.

I had every intention of reading book 2 as I bought them both years ago.. But I don't think I want the read about the self torture ánd the stupid new development. Maybe some other day.

If you are looking for a sad and depressing story with not a whole lot of story and a lot of self torture.. This may be the book for you.
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I am a sucker for YA romances this is one of my favorite all top favorite book
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Si pudiera viajar al pasado y cambiar sólo una cosa de mi vida, cambiaría el haber leído este libro. ( )

"I always knew she'd be another mark. Another scar. Another sin to add to the insurmountable others" (303).

I really tried not to cry during this book, but it's almost impossible not to cry. A.L. Jackson does a beautiful job of releasing Jared's true character, though the love that develops between he and Aly. They grew up together, Jared being the best friend of Aly's brother Christopher, but they always had a strong bond. I will say that I thought the character of the boss at the restaurant where Aly works was kind of a useless filler character, but I absolutely ADORED Aly and Christopher's mother, Karen. I wish I had a mother who was as compassionate and adoring as she is in this book. I loved the strong character development with Jared's character in this book and the alternating perspectives was completely gripping. Jared and Aly are opposites in demeanor, "pure and impure" as often stated in the book, but it complements their relationship perfectly. Jared experienced a tragedy when he was 16 and has carried a lot of guilt from that, which causes his severely low self-esteem. Aly plays a crucial role in showing him that not only he can be loved, but that he has always been loved. The reader can really feel the angst and pure frustration that Jared battles with constantly. A wonderful read and it is very easy to get emotionally invested in this book.

Please note: I received this Advanced Reader Copy for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )