Who would have thought that the popular hit Titanium would sound so amazing in music box version? I surely didn’t. But now I am completely in love with the tune. And I have to agree that the Spotify list for All the Little Lights that I found on Jamie McGuire’s website is spot on! Listening to it as I am writing this review, brings back all the feelings.
Make sure to turn this playlist on and get to know Elliott Youngblood and Catherine Calhoun.
 GoodReads Blurb:
The first time Elliott Youngblood spots Catherine Calhoun, he’s just a boy with a camera, and he’s never seen a sadder and more beautiful sight. Both Elliott and Catherine feel like outcasts, yet they find an easy friendship with each other. But when Catherine needs him most, Elliott is forced to leave town. |
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Disclaimer: *Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Romance for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the company or its affiliates in any way.*
When Elliott and Catherine first met, barely 15 years old, both awkward and gawky in their relationship towards each other, and both in the need of a friend. Their families had their own set of problems that Elliott and Catherine had to deal with, first as kids and then as teenagers.
Elliott’s mother moved from this little town when she was young, running away from bullying, from unpleasantries and from her high school experience. Now, in an on & off relationship with Elliott’s father, suffering both mental and physical abuse, her mother often tried to send Elliott away for the summer to her sister’s family. That is how Elliott got to spend every summer in the small town taking photographs of his favorite things.
«I didn’t get what I asked for very often, so the camera in my hands was more than a gift. It meant someone was listening.» – Elliott
Catherine, however, came from the famous, or should I say infamous, Calhoun family, but the only thing left from her disreputable ancestors is this big old house, where Catherine lives with her parents. Catherine’s father lost his job and her mother used to suffer from depression. There is a constant tension in the family, that molds her into the person she eventually becomes – insecure, secretive and emotionally cautious.
«I didn’t think Elliott was that cute or that funny, but he was sweet. His eyes seemed to see everything, and yet he still wanted to spend time with me.» – Catherine
Families and life experiences made Catherine scared of opening up, and Elliott – protective of someone he loves. Their relationship couldn’t be any more complicated, or that is what you might be thinking right now. However, Jamie McGuire wasn’t satisfied with emotional tension of young love, adding even darker twists, shuddersome moments and emotional interactions.
«She giggled for the first time since the summer I’d met her, and it sounded like wind chimes and a symphony and triumph all at once.» – Elliott
Good twist makes any book so much more entertaining. And even though I “guessed” the twist from the middle of the story, I needed to see it confirmed! This was my first book by Jamie McGuire, and it surely won’t be the last.
My Rating:
★★★★☆
What other books by Jamie McGuire would you recommend? Do you love a good “twist book”?
Let me know in the comments down below!
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