The book is from Rachel and Henry’s points of views. They were best friends in school, until Rachel moved to Sea Ridge, a town by the ocean. She, her mother, and her brother Cal lived there happily; until one day, Cal mysteriously drowned in the ocean. Rachel couldn’t stand the ocean anymore, and her mother sent her to live with her aunt in the town that she had previously lived in. At the same time, Henry has had an on-off relationship with his girlfriend Amy, and every time they break up, he thinks it would be the last time, but he always wants her back. Also, his family is considering to sell the bookstore, which is his only happiness. Once Rachel moved back, they tried to bring each other back to the ways things used to be, but so much had happened since then.
The book was absolutely amazing. There was so much description and there were so many emotional twists and turns. The book really drew me in, and there were times that I wanted to stop reading because the book was so sad, but at the same time I wanted to keep going. There really was no main conflict; it was simply normal problems of everyday life. The book really gets you thinking about the small things in life and that we have to appreciate everything and everyone in our lives.
In the novel, Henry and his family own a bookstore, and there is a section called the Letter Library. Filled with books that cannot be bought, there are classics and favorites lining the shelves. People are allowed to write in the margins about parts of the book, and you can meet people that share similar interests. There were certain books that shared a deep connection between two characters, and entire letters and conversations were passed back and forth. The Letter Library added a whole new facet to this novel.
Reviewed by Heer, Grade 7, Twin Hickory Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 