Author: Jessi Kirby
Publication Date: August 1st 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
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Blurb Description: In this gorgeously written, emotional novel that fans of Sarah Dessen will enjoy, a teenage girl must piece together the parts of her life she doesn’t remember after a severe collision leaves her with no memory of the past four years.
When Olivia awakes in a hospital bed following a near-fatal car accident, she can’t remember how she got there. She figures it’s because she was in a coma for a week, but as time goes on, she realizes she’s lost more than just the last week of her life—she’s lost all memory of events that happened years ago. Gone is any recollection of starting or graduating high school; the prom; or her steady boyfriend Matt. Trying to figure out who she is feels impossible when everyone keeps telling her who she was.
As Liv tries to sort out her family and friends’ perceptions of her, the one person she hasn’t heard enough from is Walker, the guy who saved her the night her car was knocked off that bridge into the bay below. Walker is the hardened boy who’s been keeping his distance and the one person that has made Liv feel like her old self…whoever that is. With feelings growing for Walker, tensions rising with Matt, and secrets she can’t help but feel are being kept from her, Olivia must find her place in a life she doesn’t remember living.
I read The Secret
History of Us in record time for a book this year. And by that I mean that
I DEVOURED this book in less than a day, managing to read over a 100 pages at a
time without even realizing it, because this book was JUST THAT ENGROSSING.
The Secret History of Us managed to pull me in and get me
hooked within the first few pages and it was one of the most enjoyable books I’ve
read recently!
My only problem was that I felt like the ending was too…
rushed. The book until then had been going at JUST the right pace, with some
heart breaking dialogue and a very engrossing plot but the end felt so rushed,
that when I flipped the last page, I was actually hoping I’d lost a few pages.
Let’s go more into
detail:
THINGS I REALLY
LIKED:
1.
THE PACE
AND THE PLOT: While I feel like I’ve read bits and pieces of this plot in
other book, combine that with the pace and this book just pulled me right in
and kept me engrossed. In fact, the first time I looked down at the page
number, I was already a hundred pages in! :O It was simply yet addicting
writing in a deep book and it just worked really well together.
2.
THE GREAT
FRIENDSHIPS: I’m always talking about how vital best friends are to YA books because your best friends knows
where all the skeletons are. Figuratively, of course. I loved that The Secret History of Us had friends
that were there for each other even after drifting apart or some huge event
because THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE LIKE. I do wish we got to see more Jules, but
all in all I loved the strength and the genuineness behind the friendships.
3.
SIBLING
LOVE: IT’S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I SAW A PROPER SIBLING RELATIONSHIP IN A YA
BOOK (Where a sibling hadn’t died/ was pregnant/ just an all-around screw-up)
and I absolutely LOVED Sam and Liv’s
playful, food filled and teasing relationship. It honestly reminded me of
the fun relationship I share with my brother and I loved it.
THE THING THAT
COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:
1.
THE RUSHED
ENDING: Don’t get me wrong, the actual ending was nice, if a little predictable.
The pace of the ending, however was so rushed that, like I mentioned above, I
honestly thought my copy was missing a few pages. I feel like the ending could
have been done in a manner more befitting the book, and one that truly
highlighted the change that Liv realises she’s gone through from the person
everyone was telling her she was.
I
probably would’ve rated this book five stars if the ending was written in a
little better than what I got.
An addicting, engrossing read about finding yourself when
you can’t remember who you used to me. 4 stars.
Jessi Kirby is a former English teacher and librarian. She lives in Orange County, CA with her husband and two kids, where she writes stories and runs the beach every day. Well, almost every day. Her first book, Moonglass, was named an ABA New Voices Pick. She has also written three other novels—In Honor, Golden and Things We Know By Heart. Jessi works as a middle school librarian in Orange County, California, where she lives with her husband and two kids.
You can contact Jessi at jessi@jessikirby.com
What are some of your favourite books centered around memory loss and coming of age?
Have you read any of Jessi Kirby's books? What do you think of them and which one is your favourite?
I can't wait to hear from you!
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