bookshores

I have a soft spot for books featuring sisters.

It's true. I typically don't have many soft spots for anything at all besides dragons, but who doesn't, these days?

There's something solid and comforting about a good sister book. It reminds. It resonates.

There are so, so many YA books treating the experiences of romance and love, and that is all good and well. But the teenage years have their own challenges when it comes to familial relationships, too. Familiar things, things that have always been that way just because suddenly just aren't.

And that's why, I think, I felt so affected by this book.

Sisters Nell and Layla have grown up together with a bond so strong it is nearly physical, but freshman year for Nell is more different than she could have imagined. Layla has changed. And she's hiding something.

Nell's inner struggle and love for her sister really rang true. It was palpable. It was heartfelt. If you have ever loved somebody desperately enough that worry for them becomes part of yourself, then you will appreciate this book.

I would recommend this book especially to teen readers who are interested in heavier subjects and the contemporary sphere.

*note--I received an e-copy of this book through Netgalley from Random House Children's in exchange for honest feedback.