Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Publication Date: February 3, 2015
Page Count: 400
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Source: eArc received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

This book is absolutely brilliant. I don't know if my review will do it justice, but you should know that it's really, really good! It had just the right amount of angst to give me the shivers, and a love story that made me feel all warm and gooey inside. And that's a very good thing.

The majority of the story was told from Skylar's POV. The smaller sections from Josh's POV were actually journal entries that he writes to his best friend. This combination of storytelling allowed the reader to get to know both characters pretty well.

Skylar was innocent in some ways, but she still managed to be tough and independent. I liked how she had her goals set and wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop her. I have to admit to having a little bit of a crush on Josh by the end. There were times when he would say or do something that I thought was amazing. Then he would turn around and do something so stupid that I couldn't help being disappointed with him. But he managed to bring out a lot of feelings in me, so it was hard NOT to like him overall.

I really enjoyed Skylar and Josh’s relationship because it felt so realistic. Even though they had known each other for a long time, it wasn't until now that they finally have the time to get to know each other. They both have their own set of issues to deal with as they attempt to get closer. Skylar needs to keep focus of her goals as Josh struggles to deal with his new reality. Their story wasn't always pretty. But through both the good and the bad, these two were determined to make it work.

I'll Meet You There had just the right amount of angst, turmoil, and love to bring out all sorts of feelings in me. I don't know a better way to describe it, so I'll just say that it's pretty much amazing. The story brought me a lot of joy, but a lot of heartbreak too. I can't help thinking that all books should be as well-written as this one. It's such a powerful and emotional story, and it really touched me.

My rating: 5 stars