I did not finish this book as I did not engage with this story at all.

DNF at 30%

I was really curious about this book because it is written by a male with a female POV. I am not really feeling as though the author is conveying the female perspective accurately. Also, the writing is not very interesting. Disappointing to say the least.

3 stars for me, and that was being generous. I didn't feel like the author captured the voice of a teen girl very well, and I just didn't really enjoy the book much. It wasn't so much that it was poorly written, as it was more an issue of this just not being the right genre for McCarthy.

Unfortunately, this book didn't do much for me. Considering it almost took me two months two read it, though it's a short book, is really all I need to say. It wasn't exactly bad, it was more about the story and the main character Lucy. I couldn't stand her in a lot of ways and sometimes, the writer jumped from one point to another, which confused the hell out of me.

However, it also had it sweet moments, such as when Lucy met Simon. I really wish the story between the two would have been more focused on. Instead, it was all about that brother she never knew of - the kid called Thomas. And then she did things I couldn't relate to, especially since she's described as a mature teen. Her actions didn't show that at all.

The story idea was great, I think. But that one point of the story was just too much. I felt like it was forced on the reader and then Lucy didn't think about Thomas for a few chapters and then she did again. She was this angry, spoiled teen that I wanted to smack or something. Also, the relationship with her sister wasn't something I found out about much. By the end of the book, they got closer, but that was it about it. All of a sudden, they got closer. Everyone got closer. Sure, that one certain thing that happens draws families closer, but I still didn't like it.

I liked the scenes between Lucy and her grandfather. Those were really sweet. I wish we had found out more about that Davis guy that lived with him, but I guess since this was Lucy's story, we couldn't jump to him.

I'm sorry if this review seems mean. That wasn't my intention at all. The book had its good parts or else I wouldn't have bothered finish reading it, but it's definitely none of my favourites. But the topic is a good one - as a side topic, preferably. Not a main topic.

It sounded promising, however the book seems to be more aimed towards MG than YA readers, and as such, I got about 80 pages in before getting a bit distracted and bored.

It was just the way things were. We see things the way see them. But other people might see the same things a different way.

Lucy did not know that an instant her life would change instantly. Her father and mother confess to Lucy and her youngest sister that her father has a child from an affair 9 years ago. She becomes unglued and does not understand how her parents never told her and basically is having trouble with processing what has happened. She begins to see every 8 year old as her brother and when she finds out who he is, she runs into him accidentally with the intend to know him. Her relationship with her parents becomes rocky at the point she runs away to the grandfather she never knew. It is there that she learns about life and how fragile relationships are.

A prose about hard stuff for a young girl to go through. It was real in that any decisions we make affect more than just us but all that love us and how relationships can change because of those choices. We are not alone in personal choices. Especially the selfish ones. How forgives begins with working thru the hardships and feelings that leave us undone. Great read!

A Special Thank You to Algonquin Young Readers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.