This story is about a college freshman named Marin. She is a California native who is attending a university somewhere in upstate New York. The first semester has ended; students are packing up and leaving to be reunited with their families for the winter break and holidays, except for Marin. Marin is staying on campus for the remainder of the break—she seems at peace with her own solitude and is accepting the fact that she has nowhere to really go to anymore, and no family to go home to—ever since the passing of her grandfather aka “Gramps” who raised her. But Marin is expecting a visitor, her best friend Mabel is staying with Marin for three days at her dorm. Marin and Mabel haven’t spoken in months since Gramps died—and as a result, Marin purposely drifted away from the people who loved her, especially Mabel. In Mabel’s three-day stay, the girl’s form new bonds, discover new revelations, and piece together the broken past of Marin’s life, while reconnecting and rekindling their love and friendship.
Nina LaCour did a great job in writing this book. In a sense, I related to Marin—I knew what it felt like to lose someone you love, finding ways of forgetting coping with the loss, and abandoning the past in the hopes of healing. Therefore, I identified with Marin—but I didn’t necessarily agree with Marin’s choices in coping with her grief and dealing with her new discoveries of her past that her Gramps kept hidden from her, because she push aside the people that were there for her and who cared for her.
Also, there were some parts that I felt were exaggerated, such as Marin's reactions to her best friend, Mabel, and her hesitance to open up to her as well. There was just too much angst, it made me frustrated and annoyed at times.
I like how the story is short and not drawn out—it’s a good book, but I can't say it's the best book ever written or the best book I've ever read. This is my first book from LaCour and it was a read that I truly enjoyed because of its simplicity.
x, Kayla
No comments