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sophilozophy's review against another edition
1.0
It's hard to rate this. All I know is at the end, I felt unsatisfied.
I've read somewhere that Leaving Paradise wasn't suppose to have a sequel and I think I would of preferred that. It's a good story, just doesn't really live up to the first, for me. Some books are just meant to a standalone.
I've read somewhere that Leaving Paradise wasn't suppose to have a sequel and I think I would of preferred that. It's a good story, just doesn't really live up to the first, for me. Some books are just meant to a standalone.
thecorioliseffect's review against another edition
4.0
Yay for finishing old series that I started as a youngin' and never finished!
Glad I went back and finished this one. Simone Elkeles was a favorite author when I was younger, so it only seems fitting. I liked the side characters, especially Lenny. I liked seeing where the relationship went. It was very typical. A little stereotypical. But still enjoyable.
Glad I went back and finished this one. Simone Elkeles was a favorite author when I was younger, so it only seems fitting. I liked the side characters, especially Lenny. I liked seeing where the relationship went. It was very typical. A little stereotypical. But still enjoyable.
ariel937's review against another edition
why did it even get a sequel in the first place is what i wanna know
vanybunnyy's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't really like the second book. It was a constant back and forth between Maggie and Caleb. They both left on good terms, meet again in the program, agree to just be friends, get closer, push each other away again. Then Maggie wants Caleb and her to get back together, Caleb shows himself completely cold, then they both want more again. And so on, and so on. It pretty much got on my nerves after a while. Also, Leah, Caleb's sister, behaving like an ass and everyone just accepting that Caleb took the blame for the accident, I thought was really bad at some point. At first, ok, but even when Leah found out that Maggie knew who actually hit her with the car, she didn't even think to talk to Maggie about it. Well, that changed at the end. Because Julio, a total stranger, was able to convince her to confess. Very illogical.
But I loved the story about the group and the young people who took part in it. How they all slowly became a little family and were still friends after the program was nice.
But I loved the story about the group and the young people who took part in it. How they all slowly became a little family and were still friends after the program was nice.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent! Even better than the first one. I wonder if there will be yet another sequel?
lucy_qhuay's review against another edition
1.0
I don't even know why I keep on trying. I hated the first one, but I kind of expected to see some sense, eventually.
That didn't happen.
This was one gigantic angsty mess. The ratchet kind of angsty, not the good one.
Caleb and Maggie spent the entire book bickering and the ridiculous back and forth just tired me.
'I hate you./No I don't./Love me./Stay away./I want you./Go to hell./I've finally decided./Wait, I'm going to Spain./See ya./Yo, I'm back./And HEA!/THE END!"
This is the third book I read by Elkeles and, in all likelihood, the last.
emiliebookworld's review against another edition
I missed Maggie and Caleb. They are just such great characters and I missed reading about them. Once again Simone Elkeles has written a wonderful story with amazing characters that you can’t help but love. I’ve loved absolutely everything I’ve read by Elkeles and it was the same thing with Return to Paradise. When I finished Leaving to Paradise, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending but now I am truly happy with how things turned out.
It’s been eight months since Caleb left Paradise and Maggie behind but once again he finds himself in trouble. And the only way to get out of that trouble is to go on a four week trip with a group of teenagers’ whose lives have been affected by reckless driving. And who else should be part of that group than Maggie Armstrong. Maggie thought she had managed to get over Caleb, or at least she had convinced herself she was over him. The next four weeks are going to prove to be longer than they should and Caleb and Maggie will have to come to terms with different parts of their past and maybe salvage their relationship.
I have said this about every single one of Simone Elkeles’s male characters that I have read about but I LOVE CALEB. As big a jerk and idiot he can be at times I still love him and would pretty much love him no matter what. There’s something about Caleb that you can’t help but love. It’s easy to see that he’s trying to become a better person and though he may not always be going about that the right way I couldn’t help but root for him. For Maggie’s sake I wanted Caleb to become a better person because she deserved to have someone like Caleb cared for her and Caleb deserved to have someone care about him regardless of his past.
Now that I’ve gotten to know her better, I pretty much love Maggie too. She’s changed a lot since the first book and the change is a good one. She was able to accept that she would always be stuck with a limp but that it didn’t necessarily have to define her. And even though he didn’t always bring out the best in her, I loved how Maggie got when she was with Caleb. For the most part, she always stood her ground and I just loved seeing her play with his mind. It was just great. I was happy Maggie became who she became and my love for her just grew as she became stronger.
I absolutely love how the alternating points of view that are always a part of Simone Elkeles’s books. The way the story is written makes it so you just have to keep on reading in order to get the full story. When I started the book I didn’t plan to sit and read it all in one night but that’s what ended up happening. The story was engrossing and I honestly wanted it to be longer...if I had it my way it would be never ending but I know that isn’t going to happen. Despite that, I was really satisfied with the ending this time and it made me really happy.
Return to Paradise was a great read but I’m sad it’s over because now there won’t be anymore Maggie and Caleb to read about. Regardless I look forward to reading all of Simone Elkeles’s books. And so far they’ve all become favorites of mine.
It’s been eight months since Caleb left Paradise and Maggie behind but once again he finds himself in trouble. And the only way to get out of that trouble is to go on a four week trip with a group of teenagers’ whose lives have been affected by reckless driving. And who else should be part of that group than Maggie Armstrong. Maggie thought she had managed to get over Caleb, or at least she had convinced herself she was over him. The next four weeks are going to prove to be longer than they should and Caleb and Maggie will have to come to terms with different parts of their past and maybe salvage their relationship.
I have said this about every single one of Simone Elkeles’s male characters that I have read about but I LOVE CALEB. As big a jerk and idiot he can be at times I still love him and would pretty much love him no matter what. There’s something about Caleb that you can’t help but love. It’s easy to see that he’s trying to become a better person and though he may not always be going about that the right way I couldn’t help but root for him. For Maggie’s sake I wanted Caleb to become a better person because she deserved to have someone like Caleb cared for her and Caleb deserved to have someone care about him regardless of his past.
Now that I’ve gotten to know her better, I pretty much love Maggie too. She’s changed a lot since the first book and the change is a good one. She was able to accept that she would always be stuck with a limp but that it didn’t necessarily have to define her. And even though he didn’t always bring out the best in her, I loved how Maggie got when she was with Caleb. For the most part, she always stood her ground and I just loved seeing her play with his mind. It was just great. I was happy Maggie became who she became and my love for her just grew as she became stronger.
I absolutely love how the alternating points of view that are always a part of Simone Elkeles’s books. The way the story is written makes it so you just have to keep on reading in order to get the full story. When I started the book I didn’t plan to sit and read it all in one night but that’s what ended up happening. The story was engrossing and I honestly wanted it to be longer...if I had it my way it would be never ending but I know that isn’t going to happen. Despite that, I was really satisfied with the ending this time and it made me really happy.
Return to Paradise was a great read but I’m sad it’s over because now there won’t be anymore Maggie and Caleb to read about. Regardless I look forward to reading all of Simone Elkeles’s books. And so far they’ve all become favorites of mine.
maryam162424's review against another edition
4.0
Such a cute ending and I'm completely satisfied!!!