Amanda's Blog

5 "heartbreaking and poignant" stars

This book is simply brilliant and suspenseful, is like watching a train wreck that is going to happen, is like watching a bomb dropping at Hiroshima. With all the reviews for this trilogy, I'm bracing myself for the wild ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are heartbreaking moments, yet there are some beauty in it and evoke a lot of my emotions.

Right from the first page, the story sucked me in and I couldn't stop reading until I reach the last page in one sitting. Of course, that's not doable. It started with Olivia bumping into her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake on the street and was surprised to find out that he had amnesia. If only he knew, he wouldn't be talking or breathing the same air with her. She grab the opportunity to befriend him and sneaked her way back into his life.

We are treated to some flashbacks to the past on how Olivia and Caleb met under a tree in college, their ensuing relationship and the ultimate heartbreaking moment that scarred them both forever. I'm torn between dying to and dreading to find out what is this big secret. I conjured up a lot of worst case scenario in my head. It actually helps because when the truth is out, is not as devastating as I thought it would be. Anyway, Olivia is such a bitch, a conniving, manipulative and a liar. I'm not sure whether am I suppose to root for her to get Caleb back. Most of the time I wanted to shake some sense into her or slap her or strangle her. I don't think she deserve Caleb.

"I was a relationship retard. I kicked, shoved, and punched people out of my life, so they never had a chance to hurt me."

"He was light and I was darkness."

Caleb Drake, from the moment he graced the page, he just make you like him instantly. When we read about their past, you can't help but fell in love with him. He fell in love with a girl who doesn't know how to love him back. Although he is not perfect, but he is the only one is this entire sob story to deserve to have any happiness.

And then there is Leah, Caleb's current girlfriend and soon to be fiancee. She is also a bitch, but I find myself doesn't hate her that much. She is driven by her need to keep Caleb by her side. You know what? Caleb doesn't need these women in his life, he deserve so much better than this.

There are so much twist and turn in this story as if I'm riding a roller coaster and unsure of where's the final destination. It is a story of Olivia self-discovery. She did bad things and made bad choice in her life. I wonder how is she gonna redeem herself. But there is a tiny part of her that struggle with her conscience. She wants to be a better person and in the end I'm rooting for her to turn a new leaf. But what's done is done, we can't undo the past and remove the scars.

If this is a standalone, I would have bawl like a baby and yell freaking injustice. But since I knew that the story doesn't end here, I'm able to think rationally. I find that the ending is brilliant! Is not what we wish for, but this is for the best. It didn't end with a cliffhanger, Tarryn Fischer actually manage to tie up the story beautifully. We have a bittersweet ending. Okay, mostly bitter, but there is some sweetness in it too. Both Olivia and Caleb had their closure and she finally learn how to true loves someone and move on.

"There is more to loving someone than just making yourself happy. You have to want him to be happier than you are."

The last line in the epilogue is so poignant that left me teary-eyed and I slept with a sad smile on my face.

"Caleb is still under the tree, he winks at me, and I smile."