Jess | jadecanread's Reviews > Catch the Sun

SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN, FOLKS. Jennifer Hartmann ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and then put it all back together again.

I cried SO many times reading this and could not put it down!

Ella and Max were childhood best friends, the promise to marry each other when they're older kind of best friends. But then Ella ends up moving away for a nearly a decade before moving back. The thing is, her brother's in prison and on death row and she's essentially a pariah in her town. Despite the bleak circumstances and their estrangement, Max and Ella soon rekindle their friendship before it blossoms to something more.

While I know young adults can go through some major shit, this did NOT feel like a young adult novel whatsoever outside of the main characters' ages. The book opens up to a double homicide for goodness sakes. And the rough topics don't stop there.

This deals with grief, how desperate people can get and the things they do when they're there. It's full of teenage angst and tragedy with twists and turns to make your heart clench. But there's also healing and the heartwarming story of love that prevails.

There's so many beautiful moments, lines, and sentiments in this. I genuinely cannot wait to get a physical copy of this book to mark up with the bits that stood out to me.

I think if you're familiar with the brand of writing Jennifer Hartmann subscribes to and you're looking for some pain with some tender moments, you'd love this. If you're looking for a quick, summer read, this would not be for you.