Books With Bite

I have to admit that after starting this book and getting a good feel for it in the first few chapters, I was stunned. I didn’t want to read this because I wasn’t ready for this kind of story. Nevertheless, its a very good story. It had me caught from the first chapter. The lessons of life and love are both tragic and enduring.

Plot: This is about a girl who comes upon a relationship that takes her up and down.  Each part of her relationship is nicely detailed so that the reader can understand each part without it being rushed. As the story continues to unfold, Bettina comes upon another relationship that is much more consuming than the first. Out of all the stories I read this year, I really like this relationship. It not only felt realistic but it was overwhelming. It was one of those relationships that catches the reader from the start and you can’t look away.

Friendships/Love: After reading the story, I thought about Bettina for days. She stayed in my mind because I wondered what I would have done in her shoes. Her life is chaotic yet she experienced something wonderful in such a short period of time. I wanted more for her. I think she deserved more. Like life, its short and something she nor I will ever forget. Despite the bad things that Bettina battled, I think it changed her.

Ending: Because I was so caught up with Bettina’s ongoing relationship I did not foresee the ending. It was one of those endings that completely took me by surprise and left me in shock. I thought about this part for days. It sucks. Life sucks. And boy do I wish there was a different ending. I get the title now. At first I thought it was just some regular teen romance but no, this is more. So much more. Its real life in a compact, well written, beautiful story that once you start there is no turning back.

The Things You Kiss Goodbye is a fabulous book that is both grounded yet breathtaking. The calibration of drama with sentiments of life, makes it a satisfying story that you should read.