Review Detail

Um. Wow. I literally cannot believe how good this book turned out to be. It was completely unexpected. At 448 pages, I definitely did not think it would take me ONE DAY to finish, but I could not stop. Even though I was exhausted and sick all weekend, I took every opportunity I could to get this story in my head and find out what happens. The characters are gripping--and honestly, the main character, Becca, is probably the least exciting of all, even though she herself is quite an incredible character. Her circumstances have landed her on Whidbey Island, a remote island off the coast of Washington state. Her paranormal abilities to hear bits and pieces of the thoughts of others have given her a difficult fate. Plus, she finds herself alone and on her own on this island at the tender age of fourteen. But the wisdom that has come to her through learning to deal with her gift has made her a special, kind, and thoughtful person, well beyond her years. She's real.

So are all the people she befriends in her search for help on Whidbey. Each one of them is wrapped up together in the way only small-town folk can be. Each person has a tragic or secret or tangled history that Becca must unravel in order to continue to protect herself and her friends. This book actually reminded me of a middle-grade book I read just a few months ago--The Secret Tree--because it had so many profound things to teach about people and life through discovering the answers to people's hidden thoughts. Because of that, it ends up being a story you just cannot shake off and cannot forget. These people's stories and struggles are powerful and well-worth exploring, even if they're fictional. Learning about them will help any teenager (or adult!)learn about what it means to misjudge others and what to do when you've done so. Though my review does not do it justice, this book has been added to my list of MUST READS.