Review Detail

I was hesitant about this book at first because the MC is only 14 but once I began reading, I quickly got over that detail. This was a quick read that sucked me right in and I didn't want to put it down. Rose isn't your average 14 year old and when we meet her, she's just started high school after suffering the loss of her father the previous summer. Rose hasn't really had a chance to grieve her Dad properly and as such it has manifested itself into anger and rage that comes out in her words. The filter between her brain and her mouth appears to be broken but one can hardly blame her. Her biggest support, her brother, has gone off to college which leaves Rose with a sense of abandonment. Grief makes us do and say things we wouldn't normally do and ironically, her Mom is trained to help others handle life's issues but is unable to help her own daughter or herself.

Rose has always been close with her two childhood friends, Tracy and Robert but trying to navigate the social spectrum of high school can put a strain on even the strongest of relationships. Tracy wants to climb the ladder of popularity by becoming a cheerleader and losing her virginity to her boyfriend, two things Rose thinks are ridiculous and Robert hopes THIS will be the year Rose agrees to go out with him. (He's been in love with Rose since middle school.) Meanwhile, Rose is just trying to make sense of all the expectations that come with being a Freshman and Jamie Forta - a junior with a questionable reputation, isn't helping things. Neither is his "supposed" girlfriend, Regina whose dead set on making Rose's life a living hell.

Jamie is different from the people Rose usually hangs out with and despite what "everyone" says about him, she finds herself defending him and falling for him. He's not only kind to her but he's cute, and a really good kisser which is a problem. Jamie acts like he's into Rose but then he'll disappear and she's left feeling confused and hurt. Then there's the girlfriend issue and no one seems to really know what's up with that.

When Rose chooses to go against the social norm, the backlash is swift and brutal, leaving her to wonder who her real friends are? High school can often feel like a battle field with many causalities and Rose's experience is no different. But sometimes, the hardest things in life are the things we need to help us discover exactly what we're made of and more importantly, what or who, matters most.

I really enjoyed this book. Rose's journey through grief and trying to acclimate to high school was both humorous and heart breaking. She is the kind of character you want to champion because she's strong, makes good choices and she isn't afraid to stand up for what's right.

It appears that this is not a stand alone and if that's the case, I'm looking forward to seeing where Rose's journey takes her next.