Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
HOW IT ENDS is the intertwining story of Hanna and Helen. Next-door neighbors and a generation apart, the two women have a tenuous bond. Helen misses the days when Hanna would come over and stay until she had to go home at night. Hanna is growing up and is more concerned about boys and being popular than spending time with elderly Helen.
When Hanna was little, her parents relied on Helen to keep an eye on her. Hanna's parents were having problems, and Helen and Lon became surrogate grandparents to her. She learned many things from Helen, such as canning, sewing, and an appreciation for the wildlife that lived in their backyards. Hanna kept Helen young, or at least young at heart.
But Helen has kept a secret from Hanna. She's told Hanna the romantic story of how she met and fell in love with Lon. But they're only stories. And as Helen ages, she knows that she has to reveal the truth to Hanna. But how?
Helen is slowly dying. Hanna's school has a community service requirement. To meet the commitment, Hanna gets her school to agree to allow Hanna be an after school assistant to Helen. Helen's illness has become too much for Lon to handle alone. His health is not the best either and everything requires care.
So in the afternoons, when Hanna visits, she and Helen sit and listen to audio books. Helen's illness progresses to the point where she can only blink for yes or no. She encourages Hanna to keep listening to the current book, How It Ends.
The audio book frustrates Hanna with the ups and downs that the main character, Louise, struggles through. It isn't until after the story is over and Hanna is called next door that the true meaning of the audio book is revealed.
HOW IT ENDS was a beautiful story. I took it on vacation with me and one evening, after everyone else had turned in, I sat curled up on the couch and read most of the book in one sitting as a thunderstorm raged outside. By the time I got to the last page, my eyes had welled with tears, and I just sat pondering the book for a while before I could even consider trying to sleep. I love when a book can touch your heart so strongly.
For anyone who enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK, HOW IT ENDS should not be missed.
HOW IT ENDS is the intertwining story of Hanna and Helen. Next-door neighbors and a generation apart, the two women have a tenuous bond. Helen misses the days when Hanna would come over and stay until she had to go home at night. Hanna is growing up and is more concerned about boys and being popular than spending time with elderly Helen.
When Hanna was little, her parents relied on Helen to keep an eye on her. Hanna's parents were having problems, and Helen and Lon became surrogate grandparents to her. She learned many things from Helen, such as canning, sewing, and an appreciation for the wildlife that lived in their backyards. Hanna kept Helen young, or at least young at heart.
But Helen has kept a secret from Hanna. She's told Hanna the romantic story of how she met and fell in love with Lon. But they're only stories. And as Helen ages, she knows that she has to reveal the truth to Hanna. But how?
Helen is slowly dying. Hanna's school has a community service requirement. To meet the commitment, Hanna gets her school to agree to allow Hanna be an after school assistant to Helen. Helen's illness has become too much for Lon to handle alone. His health is not the best either and everything requires care.
So in the afternoons, when Hanna visits, she and Helen sit and listen to audio books. Helen's illness progresses to the point where she can only blink for yes or no. She encourages Hanna to keep listening to the current book, How It Ends.
The audio book frustrates Hanna with the ups and downs that the main character, Louise, struggles through. It isn't until after the story is over and Hanna is called next door that the true meaning of the audio book is revealed.
HOW IT ENDS was a beautiful story. I took it on vacation with me and one evening, after everyone else had turned in, I sat curled up on the couch and read most of the book in one sitting as a thunderstorm raged outside. By the time I got to the last page, my eyes had welled with tears, and I just sat pondering the book for a while before I could even consider trying to sleep. I love when a book can touch your heart so strongly.
For anyone who enjoyed Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK, HOW IT ENDS should not be missed.
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