Alex, whose mother died when she was quite young, is on a mission to go to the place her mother was headed when she died: Colorado. She's been making plans to do so with her 2 BFF's Zack and Bethany since forever.... but then she meets Cole. Cole is the new guy. He sings to her, complements her on her poetry, and always seems to be around. It makes Alex feel good... like for the first time in her life someone understands her. But Cole isn't exactly what he seems. He's jealous of her friendship w/ Bethany and Zack (especially Zack). He starts showing up at all her work shifts, trying to control her every move, and eventually he starts physically and emotionally abusing her. At first she tries to justify it by telling herself he was just stressed (his home life is far from perfect, so that has to be the reason right?), but then after promising he'll never do it again, he does. And Alex starts wondering just how much she is willing to risk for love.

This book was great! I really really got into it. Jennifer Brown's writing is so easy to get lost in!!

I have to admit I connected with this book because I was in an extremely emotionally abusive relationship which was exactly like Alex & Cole's but without the bruises/broken bones/teeth. I lived through it and can honestly say I am embarrassed by how much I allowed someone to control me... I mean ME! I am the biggest b*tch some of you would ever meet, and I let some guy tell me what to wear and who to talk to and even what to look at while I was out in public! I seriously believe it can happen to anyone if you meet that person at the right time in your life and they wean you into it. People like Cole are masters at their trade... they know what to do to keep you coming back and make you think it's YOUR fault. The best advice I can give (and I'm NO expert) is that you have to know that there are other people out there for you... you will find love again. Because that's what keeps people tied to these people, it's the love thing.

But back to the book. I loved the book and the message it sent was awesome. I liked how the wedge in the 3-way friendship led Alex to feel like even if she wanted out, no one would be there to help her. It made the whole thing more real. The only thing is I wish we got to know Alex a little bit more before she met Cole. It kind of felt like the idea of the book came first and then the characters... I would've preferred just a little bit more depth there. Besides that it was a great follow up to The Hate List!! (I have to say though I kind of liked Hate List a smidge more)

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This book made me miss after school specials and Lifetime movies with Tracey Gold. Seriously though, I like Jennifer Brown. She tends to write books about teenagers and does it in a way that comes off real and not artificial like many other writers out there. In this book, she tackles abusive relationships. I think she did a great job showing how easy it can be for anyone, especially vulnerable teenage girls to get into a relationship they think is perfect and convince themselves that abuse = love. At times this book was hard to read but it had a good message. The ending was a little cheesy but fitting. ( )

This was one hell of a book, with a realistic look at an abusive relationship and how hard (and complicated) it is to leave. It's a tough book but well worth reading. ( )

This is a compelling read about a difficult issue. Alex narrates the story and is a likeable character, and being told in the first person, the reader is able to share her inner thoughts and feelings. However, there are times throughout the book when I want to shake Alex as she makes excuses for the abuse she receives from her boyfriend, and declares that she still loves him as he is the only one who understands her. At other times I feel really sorry for Alex as she struggles with guilt, pain and a desperate need to be loved. Cole, the boyfriend, is a creep - moody, cruel and vicious. Unlike Alex, I never believed his romantic overtures and I hated the way he tried to win her back after each attack. The two characters i did like were Zach and Bethany who were Alex's BFFs and tried to support her as much as they could despite the wedge that Cole was driving between them. This was certainly a worthwhile read! ( )

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