Review Detail

The story:

Casey Morgan has a unique gift, though many (including her) would view it as more of a curse: all she has to do is touch someone’s skin, and she automatically knows how many days that person has left to live. Out of fear and dread, she has withdrawn from all but her family and her best friend Em, wearing gloves whenever on the rare occasions she ventures out in public. Only Em knows her secret, which is too distressing for her to even relate to her family.

A chance encounter with dreamy hunk PJ throws her whole life into chaos. Despite her every instinct to stay away, to not get involved, her attraction is just too strong. And when she touches him, she makes the most horrifying discovery imaginable: her new love interest has only weeks to live.

The age-old question: can one cheat death? Can Casey find a way to save the man who has stolen her heart, or are the steps she takes to prevent the tragedy exactly what causes it in the first place?


What I loved:

Pretty much everything. Ms. Sloan’s writing style, peppered with snarky humor, was wonderful to read and had me turning page after page. I connected with Casey and PJ, as well as the cast of supporting characters, which is necessary when you’re telling an emotional story like this. The way the author built the tension up as the “countdown” ticked down to zero was palpable, and it was all I could do to stop myself from skipping to the final chapter to see how it ended?


What I didn’t love:

I get that Casey led a very sheltered life, but she falls for PJ very hard, very fast. She cites PJ’s “maple” eyes and “chocolate” hair enough times to make me hungry for pancakes. I also noticed a fair share of typos, but not enough to detract from the overall rating.


My Final Verdict:

Make it Count is a wonderful book that lovers of YA will want to snap up. The romance is sweet, the characters feel genuine, and the climax is spectacular and fulfilling. I highly recommend this book, which is one of the best I’ve read this year.