Heather Demetrios--I'LL MEET YOU THERE--Book Review

Title: I'll Meet You There

Author: Heather Demetrios

My Goodreads Rating: 3/5 Stars

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.

***

Here's a book that I decided to read just because of the cover. Was it worth it? Here's what I think.

So, it's actually hard to review this book because...you can see that the plot is good, and it has a lot of promise. I am in awe of soldiers who give their lives for the country--and for a cause. There is no doubt about that. But then again, this is a work of fiction and while I believe that the author did a lot of research and she wrote this pretty well, I guess it just wasn't IT for me. But, there are also some things that I loved about this book---we'll get to that later.

I'll start with what I didn't like about it first:

• First, I thought that Josh was a little too whiny. I get it. He's going through a really hard thing in life and it's something that I wouldn't wish for anyone, but it was just too much for me. I feel like the essence of his relationship with Skylar didn't reach its peak because of how he was, and I wanted more, but then again, maybe that's how things go.
• It was also a bit Twilight-esque for me in the sense that it's too...how do I say this? Risky? There were times when I felt like Josh was trying to let Skylar die LOL or something like that, and I didn't feel like it was right. Don't get me wrong--I enjoy tragic stories a lot but I felt like it wasn't meant for this one.
• And, well, I felt like it was pretty slow-paced--but maybe that's just me.

So, what did I like about it then?

• I like how it makes you believe in love all over again; that somehow, some people can see past the imperfections and love you for you, and for who you aren't--I think this captured that well.
• Lines were pretty good--especially in like, the last 25% of the book. 
• It will tug on your heartstrings--yeah, it did for me.

I guess I just wanted more from this one, but still, it was worth the read and I'd still check Miss Demetrios' work sooner or later. Happy Friday, Darlings! xo