A review by bellatora
The Day Before, by Lisa Schroeder
4.0
First off, this takes place on the Oregon coast, which: AWESOMESAUCE.
This is a verse novel and one of the best ones I've read, mostly because I think I was actually interested in the plot. Really, what I was interested in was the sub-plot/background, but I was super intrigued and wish there was a whole book focusing on THAT, instead of just Amber running away from it.
The thing is, what I'm really interested in is a major spoiler. Amber is running away from...something...but the reader isn't sure what at first. And the whole mystery is part of the fun. So, quick meander into spoiler-tag territory:
I think the romance in this one was dull; Cade and Amber knew each other for less than 24 hours. Hell, Amber fell head over feet for him in less than an hour. Also, I think verse gives authors an excuse to do a lot of pointless meandering instead of things like plot and characters and dialogue. Instead, have the narrator ponder jellyfish and make random metaphors out of them!
This is a verse novel and one of the best ones I've read, mostly because I think I was actually interested in the plot. Really, what I was interested in was the sub-plot/background, but I was super intrigued and wish there was a whole book focusing on THAT, instead of just Amber running away from it.
The thing is, what I'm really interested in is a major spoiler. Amber is running away from...something...but the reader isn't sure what at first. And the whole mystery is part of the fun. So, quick meander into spoiler-tag territory:
Spoiler
The whole separated-from-birth-family-by-court-order-to-spend-6-months-with-her-biological-family-because-everyone-just-found-out-she-was-switched-at-birth-and-the-baby-she-was-switched-with-got-sick-and-died story is just a brilliant idea for a book. That Amber is the replacement for their dead daughter. That Amber really loves her (nonbiological) family, which is the only one she’s ever known, and deeply resents being torn from them. THAT is what I want to read about, in verse of otherwise.I think the romance in this one was dull; Cade and Amber knew each other for less than 24 hours. Hell, Amber fell head over feet for him in less than an hour. Also, I think verse gives authors an excuse to do a lot of pointless meandering instead of things like plot and characters and dialogue. Instead, have the narrator ponder jellyfish and make random metaphors out of them!