Laura Nowlin holds a B.A. in English with an emphasis in
Creative Writing from Missouri University. When she isn't at home agonizing
over her novels, Laura works at the public library, where the patrons give her
plenty of inspiration for her writing. She lives in St. Louis with her musician
husband, a neurotic dog, and a psychotic cat.
An achingly authentic and raw portrait of love, regret, and the life-altering impact of the relationships we hold closest to us, this YA bestseller is perfect for fans of Kasie West, All the Bright Places, and Dear Evan Hansen. If he had been with me, everything would have been different. Autumn and Finn used to be inseparable. But then something changed. Or they changed. Now, they do their best to ignore each other.
Autumn has her boyfriend Jamie, and her close-knit group of friends. And Finn has become that boy at school, the one everyone wants to be around. That still doesn't stop the way Autumn feels every time she and Finn cross paths and the growing, nagging thought that maybe things could have been different. Maybe they should be together. But come August, things will change forever. And as time passes, Autumn will be forced to confront how else life might have been different if they had never parted ways
Book Review
The story of Autumn and Phineas (aka Finny) from the very beginning. Their mothers (aka “The Mothers”) have been best friends for a very long time. They were pregnant at the same time and had their children within a week of each other. Naturally, Autumn and Finny grew up together. The two were inseparable. Autumn was always the oddball at school, but she always had Finny to watch over her and defend her honour.
Until middle school. The two best friends grow apart after a misunderstanding that neither of them sees (at the time) as a misunderstanding. While still in each other’s lives via family get-togethers with The Mothers, the two are merely cordial and polite—if anything, it's now an awkward not-quite-friendship. This continues through high school. Both teens are happily dating and have their separate social groups, etc.
But Autumn has never stopped thinking of the “what ifs”... After battling with herself over it for some time, the question that remains is this: Is it too late?
Autumn and Finny. These two touched my heart so much!
From the very start, their connection was tangible. Even when the two of them
weren't friends and didn't speak much, save perfunctory formalities. Through
Autumn's first-person POV, we can see and feel their connection; their bond—a
bond that transcends time.
Autumn is one of the best protagonists I've ever met. I adored her personality and adored reading through her. She is quirky and artistic. She thinks things that you'd never quite expect of a high school girl. She doesn't care that she's different; she embraces it. She takes it and makes it her own.
Finny is someone we sort of see from afar. Through Autumn, we learn that he is slightly bashful, but has a definite bold streak that rears its head when needed. He's blonde, gorgeous, and a complete gentleman. He's also passionate, patient, and completely loveable.
Their family was fully developed as were their friends. This book had no disposable or pointless characters. Each one was distinctly part of the story, and I'm finding this to be a rarity these days. It almost seems too easy to whip up a Young Adult novel and get it published. Throw in a vampire or a werewolf, a stupid girl who doesn't care about her safety
Don't go into this book expecting your run-of-the-mill happy ending, because you won't get it. This book is real and it's raw. This isn't a paranormal tale where someone's beloved comes back from the dead, or even from the brink of death.
The whole book is meant to make you grow to love these characters, to become a part of their life. The author soundly explores the relationship dynamics between childhood friends going through the transition of dealing with hormones and feelings they've never experienced, to the delicate beginnings of love.
She gives us an ending that surprises us even though it was foretold. Clever plot twists were woven into the story from the very beginning, making the ending one that packs a whole lot of punch. It's beautiful. It's sad. It's heart-wrenching. If you're looking for an emotionally-charged teen read, this is your book. I will highly recommend you to check out this book. I am damn sure you will love it.
My rating is 4.9/5.
.jpg)
Social