THE END OF OUR STORY by Meg Haston is totally different than what I initially expected. Based on the cover, title, and synopsis, I honestly thought I was in for a relatively fluffy romance, but I could not have been more wrong. The novel takes a dark turn early on and with each progressive chapter, the circumstances get uglier and uglier until the ultimate climax. Haston, however, does a great job of weaving in hope and lighter experiences to keep the book from being too depressing. In fact, her writing style is nothing short of brilliant.

The way that Haston depicts characters is so uniquely wonderful. Rather than using simple physical descriptions or a few adjectives strung together, she manages to capture the true essence of the person in poetic-like prose, utilizing all five senses. As a result, her explanations tend to be lengthier. She does the same when illustrating places and objects, imbuing them with meaning and significance in the most relatable way possible. I was able to imagine myself in all the exact locations the characters go in this book and could almost feel the Florida humidity on my skin.

However, about half way through the book, it was clear to me what the final climax would ultimately be. As a result, the story dragged a bit since the ending was obvious. Had the big reveal come in the second act, then the plot twist would have been truly shocking and would have made the story all the more exciting. Then, the author could have explored the fallout of Wil’s decision in the third act, which I would have preferred, instead of it being left up to conjecture. Overall though, THE END OF OUR STORY utilizes painfully realistic and dynamic characters to explore the struggle of living within gray areas and is worth the read!