Laura Wiess is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Such a Pretty Girl, chosen as one of the ALA’s 2008 Best Books for Young Adults and 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, and Leftovers. Originally from Milltown, New Jersey, she traded bumper-to-bumper traffic, excellent pizza, and summer days down the shore for scenic roads, bears, no pizza delivery, and the irresistible allure of an old stone house surrounded by forests in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains Region.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Me Since You by Laura Weiss is one of those books that I went into knowing I was going to shed some tears and sure enough, it happened. When I finished this book I sat thinking about what I would write without and I know that my review will most likely not do this story justice. At its simplest, this book is about realizing life isn’t always fair and then dealing with all the things that are thrown at you.
Rowan is sixteen and doing whatever she can to feel a sense of freedom. Her father is a local police officer and just like most sixteen year olds, Rowan wants to do what she wants, wear what she wants and get out from under her parents’ thumbs. When Rowan and her best friend Nadia are invited to hang out with some senior boys on senior skip day, they jump at the chance. Unfortunately for Rowan, plans change a bit and because she knows she will never make it back with enough time to make it to work on time, she can’t go.
This is the event that becomes the catalyst to a whole bunch of “what ifs.” Because she is left at the McDonalds, Rowan’s father, Nick, happens to see her and while home with her trying to figure out what she thought she was doing, gets a call that there is someone threatening to jump off the overpass with his 3 month old son. When Nick responds to the call and is unable to influence the jumper, Corey, to get down not only does his life change but so do Rowan’s, her mom’s, and another bystander, Eli. There is a massive ripple effect as it is called in the book.
The list of what ifs are lengthy – what if Rowan had never skipped, what if Eli had just kept walking on the overpass, what if Nick hadn’t been so close to the call…all of these things lead into the bigger question of would things have been different? Unfortunately there is no real answer here.
I thought Wiess did a wonderful job of developing these characters and making me care about (or really dislike) them. Rowan is sixteen and acts like a normal sixteen year old. Nick is used to being the protector and hero and when he feels like he is no longer seen that way, he doesn’t know what to do.
Eli has been going through a lot over the last year and this tragedy is just another thing that shakes him to the core. The fact that he and Rowan begin to develop a friendship and then more is not only good for him but he can help Rowan because although he doesn’t know exactly what she is going through, he understands enough to know that he will be there for her when she needs him and will back off when she doesn’t.
It is rare that I have such anger toward a character but Nadia, who was supposed to be Rowan’s best friend, just seemed to do everything wrong. Not only when Rowan was dealing with the things with her father but from the very beginning of the book. The second she completely bailed on Rowan at McDonalds, I knew in my heart that she wasn’t someone I would like and sure enough, she lived up to my expectations.
Another thing I thought Wiess did well was setting up the chapters. The story flowed and each section was introduced with a quote that perfectly fit that part of the story. The addition of the grief journal was perfect and gave me insight into just what Rowan was feeling toward her father. This is a moving story that contains so many emotions – sadness, anger, happiness, loss, grief, and love just to name a few. If you enjoy a beautifully written story with wonderful characters definitely check this one out.
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