So, as is my wont, I’ve been reading some of the more negative reviews on the book over at Goodreads and I must say that I disagree with them. All of them. Because I totally loved the book. People have called the book (amongst other things) “boring” and claimed that they have stopped reading after page two. You know, if you can’t manage to finish at least half the book, you have no right to “review” it because the word suggests that you have read the book enough to synthesize a well informed opinion on it that is justified. Sorry for the tangent, it just annoys me so much when people don’t read the entire book and presume to know everything about it. I mean, I’ve given up halfway through for some books and I have reviewed them because I figure if the book cannot reel me in by the time it’s done halfway, it never will. Anyway. Moving on.This book was awesome in so many ways. I liked how the story starts off slow but gains momentum gradually until things are happening and they are happening fast. While I liked Sydelle a lot, the main attraction for me was North. He was a real person instead of a collection of stereotypes in a nice sparkly shell. He had his flaws, oh did he ever, but he was so damned endearing that you can’t help but accept him, warts and all. And no, there never was a moment where you get a prickly conflicted sense which signals that while the romantic stupid girl in you is kinda touched, the woman in you is pissed off. Thank God for that.Very often, I have noticed in my readings that the heroes, or the love interests in the YA novels I usually read are not really people. I mean, they are perfect projections of people but not real in the sense that you may recognize them instantly as that annoying but cute boy who sits beside you in Korean. That’s why North was such a pleasure to read. Being real and all.I thought the story was well constructed. The author knew the exact amount of detail to put in so that envisioning the surroundings and the settings was easy without being overwhelming about the colour of the sky for instance (it’s blue but not a big blue, a small blue, like the little forget me nots early in the morning). The side characters were well created and the ending was satisfying. I just wish it was the first one in a series but unfortunately, it’s not. Unless, hopefully, maybe, the author changes her mind. Anyway, if you haven’t read this, don’t pay any attention to the negative reviews and read it. Make up your own mind because they’ll tell you no and I’m telling you that you’d be a fool not to.
