Synopsis:
If 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 separating Skylar from art school is three months of summer…until Skylar’s mother loses her job, and Skylar realizes her dreams may be slipping out of reach.
Josh had a different escape route: the Marines. But after losing his leg 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 Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and, soon, something deeper.
Compelling and ultimately hopeful, this is a powerful examination of love, loss, and resilience.
What I liked:
- The writing style and the descriptions really drew me into the scenes and gave Creek View a certain charm to it
- Sky was a relatable character, and I enjoyed being inside her mind and seeing her work through her struggles
- It’s written in the point of view of Sky and Josh and I loved how different each character’s voices were. Especially with Josh, we were allowed to see how chaotic his mind is after everything that has happened to him.
- The depictions of what it’s like living in poverty and the hardships someone in poverty faces felt realistic. It was also nice to read about a character that wasn’t middle class for once.
- It showed how the war can affect someone, and it was portrayed very well.
- I loved watching the relationship develop between Sky and Josh. It was so cute, and I loved how he would always ask her how the sky was instead of just saying how are you.
- I loved how things didn’t work out perfectly in the end, it felt very realistic.
- I really liked her friend group and the issues that they went through. It was clear that they all loved and supported he heck out of each other, but at the same time their friend group wasn’t perfect.
What I disliked:
- There were a couple of homophobic comments made by Josh. They were called out within the text, but it didn’t seem like Josh really changed his behavior in the end.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Overall, despite that drawback I still enjoyed the stories and the characters a lot!
Would I recommend? Yes!
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