Title: The End of Our Story
Author: Meg Haston
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: April 4th
Source: ARC received from my employer, Indigo Books & Music, Inc., in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 3.5/5
Meg Haston's romantic
and thrilling new YA novel explores a star-crossed high school
relationship in a tale rife with deeply buried secrets and shocking
revelations.
Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s
lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids
daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses
between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year,
she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it.
Then
Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s
side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each
other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed
in the past year. As the fierce current of tragedy threatens to pull
them under, they must learn how to swim on their own—or risk drowning
together. (Summary from Goodreads)
The first time I heard about The End of Our Story was at the HCC Frenzy Preview. The cover
instantly caught my eye, but it was the plot that hooked me. The story of a
couple’s break-up, told through flashbacks and present trauma. It sounded right
up my alley. When I was offered an ARC through the Teen ARC program at my work,
I immediately requested a copy.
I dived head first into this book. I was emotionally
invested in the characters from page one. Watching their relationship blossom, deteriorate,
and rekindle (slowly, tentatively, and hesitantly) was engrossing. Most books I’ve
read start when a relationship is beginning, but The End of Our Story focused on how relationships can break, and
the aftermath of that devestation. I loved how thoughtfully this book was
plotted. The back and forth between Wil and Bridge, between the present and the
past kept me engaged and aching for more.
The writing itself was poignant, beautiful prose. Small
sentences would stick out, the smart and heartfelt way Meg Haston would phrase
things made it all the more captivating. It was a story where I wanted to read
every word on the page, where I wanted to take my time to let myself soak in
the prose. It wasn’t flowery or overly descriptive language, but simple direct
ways of making the most ordinary phrases into something a little more moving.
I’m going to avoid directly addressing the plot, because I
don’t want to spoil it. I still feel, months later, that I’m processing just
what happened. I think the problem for me was that I was not anticipating the
novel to take such a dark turn. I am usually able to prepare myself, so when
the big plot point happened in The End of
Our Story (near the beginning of the novel, no less) I was shocked. It took
me awhile to process just what was happening, which did pull me out of the
story sometimes. It was the characters though, the passionate Bridge and the incredible
Wil, that had me sucked back in. Their relationship truly made this novel for
me.
I also experienced some nostalgia while reading this book.
For make-ups and break-ups. For moving on and growing up. Although Bridge and
Wil, their town, their school, their lives overall did not resemble mine, there
was something there that reminded me of the past. This is a novel I will look
back on with fondness. I’ve only read one book of hers, but Meg Haston will be
an author I watch out for.
If you like emotional, character-driven, thoughtful novels,
put The End of Our Story on your TBR.
You won’t regret it.
- Ciara (at Midnight)
