givebooksgirl reviewed on
Helpful Score: 4
This book consumed me from the first to the last page. Every once in a while a character in a book can delve deep into a part of your memory you've tried to forget. April is that character for me. So much of April's life felt familiar (divorced parents, abuse, facing inappropriate and unwanted sexual advances from men and family members, alcoholism, living without purpose, making poor life decisions to escape certain situations, loss of a close relative). It was easy to relate to April's mind-set and see the how's and why's of her decisions. Not that I agree with all of them. April's vulnerability is something she does not reveal to anyone except Oliver. He, because of their childhood years together and because of trust, has the ability to zero in on the demons April carries around. And she does the same for him. Their past bond seemed as though a future for them was destined. Their ability to 'be in tune' with each other, even after years of separation, is like a magnetic force between the two. It drives them apart and pulls them together while they are in the midst of trying to "live life" and figure out if they ought to be together (or not). The story aggravated me in many ways. It stirred long-ago buried emotions in me but through reading April and Oliver's version of how they coped I, unexpectedly, experienced a renewed healing. In the end I felt empowered because Callahan's writing leaves me with the ability to do what I want with April and Oliver's future. Perhaps you will, too.
