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4/21/14

I Want To Hold Your Hand, Stephanie Blackburn Review.


I Want To Hold Your Hand


Author: Stephanie Blackburn.


Synopsis: On a frigid February night in New Hampshire the car Penny is riding in loses control and crashes passenger-side first into a tree. When she wakes up the next morning she can’t understand why her mother and sister are ignoring her, until she accidentally sticks her hand through her mother and remembers the night before. 

A town away, Will is going about his senior year of high school on autopilot. He can’t work up the courage to tell his overbearing father that he doesn’t want to go to Boston College and study Business, his ex-girlfriend doesn’t understand the concept of being broken up, and he’s tired of feeling like his life is all an act.
 
Thinking she’s dead and wishing for a respite from her family’s grief, Penny is drawn to a house party where she meets Will, who miraculously can see her though no one else can. In the off-limits living room at the back of the house, with music thumping and their peers making fools of themselves nearby, Penny and Will begin a relationship that will make both of them question the decisions that have brought them to where they are and force them to jointly take a leap of faith. 


First of all, I just want to express how genuinely impressed I am with this book and the author.
Stephanie Blackburn is a class act and is a phenomenal writer. Once I started this book I had a truly hard time putting it down. It was extremely captivating. I got really wrapped up in Penny's life and emotions. My heart broke for her but her character was very strong throughout the entire thing which was something I admired.

There was always an air of mystery throughout the book that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I knew something wasn't adding up so once the plot twist came my mind was blown and my heart soared. I loved the fact that the plot twist didn't come until I was about 75% done with the book. It kept everything incredibly interesting and kept me on my toes. As far as Will goes, I loved his entire story. Will's personality is amazing and I was rooting for him and Penny from the beginning. I loved seeing their stories intertwine and grow together. 

The entire message in the book about never truly knowing what the last thing you say or do to someone could be is striking. It's also inspiring and mind blowing to think that two different people leading two different lives can be drawn together in such a manner. If you think about it, I guess it happens more often than we recognize but seeing it unfold within the pages of a book was amazing. You always have that inkling where you like to think you're destined to be with someone and that no matter what happens you'll find your way to that person. That's what I loved about Penny and Will, not even the afterlife could keep them apart.

I fell in love with Penny and Will's story, but their story isn't the only one worth mentioning. Throughout the book I also loved seeing the dynamics between Penny's loved ones. You realize every petty thing that once felt like something becomes nothing when you're faced without a way back. Penny's family is very relatable and I think everyone who reads this book will take something away from it. There are also some many little tidbits that I fell in love with, like Penny's relationship with her horse, The Beatles analogies and the Greek mythology idea. 
However, you'll have to read more to find that out. 

Contact Stephanie Blackburn on Twitter.
 




2 comments:

  1. Hey Cary! I am looking to have a young adult fiction reviewed. What is an email address for you?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm looking for your contact info for a book review/post?
    Can you email me at EdenLiterary at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

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