Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Website, Twitter, Goodreads)Published by Simon and Schuster on July 9th 2013
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Women, Family Life, Fiction, General, Romance
Pages: 324
Format: eBook
Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.
Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.
Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.
Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.
I’ve wanted to read this book for quite some time now, and I finally just grabbed it and dived in. First I just have to say – what a heartbreaking, soul-crushing, yet uplifting and amazing story. I know I kind of contradict myself there, but if you have read the summary of this then you know you’re in for a rollercoaster of a ride.
I love that this was basically two stories told side by side with this one unimaginable thing that happens smack dab in the middle.
One storyline takes us on the whirlwind romance that Elsie Porter finds herself swept up in with the charming and amazing Ben Ross. And you guys my heart swooned and I found myself smiling and laughing at how adorable they were… But the other storyline is the after of a tragic accident that takes Ben’s life and how she learns to cope and move on knowing she won’t have this future that they had planned.
Reid weaves the two stories together with common threads… things that happen in the after that trigger a memory of the past… a smell, a sound… and I thought the story-telling was seamless.
One of the major themes of this story is the grief and anger and sadness that Elsie finds herself overwhelmed with, but what Reid did to temper that for us readers was add moments of joy and watching this couple falling in love.
Was it hard knowing the outcome? You betcha… but it also is a stark reminder that life is hard and painful and filled with sadness, but it can also be filled with love and friendship and family… even if that family isn’t the one you were born with.
While there were moments that my heart hurt and I had that knot in the back of my throat, I didn’t shed tears reading this, though some of you with a bit more tender of a heart will probably shed a few. The ending is hopeful and lovely and though I knew based on the timeline that we were nearing the last few pages, I wasn’t ready. Reid tells a beautiful, poignant story that is definitely worth a read. I’ll definitely be checking out her other titles soon!
About Taylor Jenkins Reid
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the "11 Debuts We Love" by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and their dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @tjenkinsreid.
Recent Comments