Sunday, January 18, 2009

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles


Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled. After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers. Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.
Leaving Paradise is a book filled with raw emotion, great dialogue, and a high-school atmosphere that hits the spot. Told in alternating chapters, the author reveals how the characters of Caleb and Maggie struggle through the aftermath of the accident, and the consequences for each. Unfortunately, a wonderful book is cut short by a disappointing ending that leaves readers yearning for more. But I guess that’s reality—not all love stories have a happy ending.

3 comments:

Anna said...

Hm. This book looks kind of good. :) I just read Perfect Chemistry by the same author, and it was really good, so I may just have to check this one out. :)

hope.

Anna said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

I really like the cover of this book.