Sixteen-year-old Rowan is still reeling from her father’s suicide four months ago, after he failed to stop a man from leaping off an overpass to his death. The only witness is Eli, a teenaged boy wrapped deep in mourning for his own father, killed in action in Afghanistan. When Rowan and Eli meet, they recognize kindred spirits, and begin to navigate grief and its aftermath together. Rowan can’t understand how her father could choose to leave her, and acts out, pushing away friends and taking risks with her safety. Rowan’s mother, wracked with her own guilt and sorrow over failing to save her husband, stops going to work and collects stray cats for comfort. Grief, fractured and unpredictable, rules their lives now. Rowan is lost—and sinking. But Eli represents a lifeline for Rowan, and as they struggle to make sense of what’s gone and what is left behind, they begin to fall in love. Me Since You is Laura Wiess at her finest—a beautiful, gripping and painfully honest examination of adolescence.
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- YA Fiction & Indies
- Young Adult Fiction
- Me Since You
Me Since You
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
10+
Release Date
February 18, 2014
ISBN
978-1439193976
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User reviews
1 review
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0(1)
Characters
4.0(1)
Writing Style
4.0(1)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A(0)
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DNF at 50 percent
This book was probably the hardest to put down because I started really liking it, since the start the relationship between Rowan and her father was touching and I really liked the friendship-possible-romance between her and Eli but this book hit a point where it was so depressing that it became painful to read it and I could only read in small doses - until I couldn't take anymore.
I think readers who like books about grief and depression will love this one since is extremely touching but be aware that is very realistic and doesn't take short cuts when showing the pain of Rowan situation.
I think readers who like books about grief and depression will love this one since is extremely touching but be aware that is very realistic and doesn't take short cuts when showing the pain of Rowan situation.
Emotionally wrecked
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Sixteen year old Rowan Areno makes the decision to cut school one Friday and that one choice is the beginning of a downward spiral for her family. One choice after another, made by different people, all lead to devastating consequences and Rowan’s life is shattered.
This book was one of those where it’s so hard to put down because it’s good but it’s also hard to read because it’s so raw. There was no sugar-coating the events that happened or how the characters dealt with them. There’s no easy fix, people you think will be understanding aren’t, everyday things slip from the mind. It’s all too real but it was handled with sensitivity.
Rowan broke my heart. She was a pretty typical sixteen year old who made a typical teenager decision and it completely tore her life apart. Her helplessness and her desperation to understand all the whys to what happened was devastating and I found it impossible not to connect with her.
Eli was really sweet and heartbreaking in his own way. He understood Rowan and what she was going through better than anyone and I really liked how he was woven into the story right from the start. Also, the bond he had with his dog Daisy was very touching.
I really love that this book shows the lead up instead of just starting at Rowan’s father’s suicide. We see Nick’s(Rowan’s father) pain and struggle through Rowan’s eyes, how her friends react, how people judge the family’s choices, how comments from strangers can have a huge effect on someone.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and so is the cover.
I also liked that there were discussion questions included at the back because this is the kind of book that is great for a book club or anyone looking for a good book that can spark a serious discussion.
This book was one of those where it’s so hard to put down because it’s good but it’s also hard to read because it’s so raw. There was no sugar-coating the events that happened or how the characters dealt with them. There’s no easy fix, people you think will be understanding aren’t, everyday things slip from the mind. It’s all too real but it was handled with sensitivity.
Rowan broke my heart. She was a pretty typical sixteen year old who made a typical teenager decision and it completely tore her life apart. Her helplessness and her desperation to understand all the whys to what happened was devastating and I found it impossible not to connect with her.
Eli was really sweet and heartbreaking in his own way. He understood Rowan and what she was going through better than anyone and I really liked how he was woven into the story right from the start. Also, the bond he had with his dog Daisy was very touching.
I really love that this book shows the lead up instead of just starting at Rowan’s father’s suicide. We see Nick’s(Rowan’s father) pain and struggle through Rowan’s eyes, how her friends react, how people judge the family’s choices, how comments from strangers can have a huge effect on someone.
The writing is absolutely beautiful and so is the cover.
I also liked that there were discussion questions included at the back because this is the kind of book that is great for a book club or anyone looking for a good book that can spark a serious discussion.
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