One Small Thing by Erin Watt was a book that I thought I would enjoy more than I actually did. Don't get me wrong, there was times I really enjoyed this book, but as whole I'm not much of a fan of contemporary as I am of YA fantasy.

It was an overall enjoyable read but there were little bits about the book that I didn't enjoy, such as the amount of cursing throughout the novel. I must say that although I never fully enjoy a book that is full of curse words, they at least made sense in this book (a highschool crowd, with a cast full of teenagers).

One thing that I think worked really well for this book was that it was so true to real life. It didn't take any shortcuts and portrayed the emotions of grief as well as highschool scenes accurately. At some points, I think the characters may have been portrayed as a little bit older than they were supposed to be.

I really enjoyed the whole theme of the book and how it ties to the title, One Small Thing. If you read this book, you will know what I mean, but I definitely think that it was a nice touch and it was well done.

I loved the character Chase/Charles Donnelly. He is authentic and as a character he is well formed. He is kind and yet he is filled with guilt because of what happened (don't want to spoil too much here!).

I have mixed feelings about the main character Beth/Lizzie/Elizabeth. At first, I thought she was totally annoying about disrespecting her parents and rebelling, but as the story went on, I started to side with her more and more.
Also, I just want to say that I really like the cover of this book!!

I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys reading YA contemporary, angsty teenage love, or books about life in highschool.

Trigger warning: This book contains some content that may not be suitable for all readers. There is death and grieving, mention of drugs and alcohol, and abusive relationships.

If you want to read more book reviews, check out my blog at www.sarahjuneblog.com!

This was a breath of fresh air wrapped up in a young adult world of letting go, forgiveness, and ultimately acceptance of things for which we cannot change. I've not read an Erin Watt story and was pleasantly absorbed in her words. This story hinges on what's left after tragedy strikes and how we choose to pick up the pieces of the wreckage. Watt's story crafting tells readers with utmost care and mindful compassion for all parties involved in such unfathomable circumstances.

What's comes of us after loss? It's a question everyone in this story answers for themselves in such different ways. Watt's highlighting of how each person is singularly affected really strikes a good chord with readers. We sympathize and understand on a deeper level thanks to her thoughtful writing. The two main characters are brought together and connect when they didn't need to but some inexplicable string pulls them taut. The evolution of the heroine after that connection was a remarkable change in growth for a young adult novel that I really adored. And while the love story is a slowly developing part of her bigger story it's always there holding everything together in both of their worlds.

There were a few elements of the story I wish would have been developed a little more and explored a bit deeper but overall I really enjoyed my first Erin Watt young adult story. It was a rising from the ashed type story of a broken girl who desperately seeks to put the pieces back together and I really enjoyed reading every word of it.

Beth feels trapped in a cage - her house - ever since her older sister died tragically. Fed up with not being seen or heard by either of her parents, Beth is looking for a little taste of control in her life. Sneaking out to a party in the next town and hooking up with a guy she meets is just what Beth needs. Afterwards, though, she begins to realize how monumental her decision was, and part of her feels regret. Luckily, she'll never see him again.

Now out of juvie and determined to live life under the radar, Chase attempts to assimilate with his former life. A welcome home party and a pretty girl who throws herself at him is just what he needs.

It isn't until Beth and Chase realize who the other is that they truly realize the impact of their connection. Forbidden from being together yet drawn to the other, Beth and Chase struggle with their feelings as well as with grief, guilt, and loss.

THOUGHTS: Initially drawn in by the cover and the title, One Small Thing left me feeling torn. As a parent, I can understand wanting to protect your child, but Beth's parents take protection to a suffocating level. Teens will devour this story of first love, desperate to know the outcome for Beth and Chase. Underage drinking and mature relationships make this more suitable to high school readers.

What a read. I like how Watt injected some humor in here with Beth, because this book was so deep. It really helped to soften the blow. I felt so ragey against every last one of the characters in this book except for Beth and Chase. Gah they were all such butt holes. I'm so glad my high school days were not like this. Everyone was trying to control Beth, even down to what name she wants to go by. Her parents, they were cray cray. I understand why the need was felt to do the things they did, it was all just overboard. Instead of loving and appreciating the child they still had they just kept pushing her farther and farther away. They redeemed theirselves a little bit in the end. I like how this story played out. Chase broke my heart with everything he had to go through. In all that went on he was still kind and humble. Such a good book.
Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity for an honest review.

I loved the first book in the Royal series and WHEN IT'S REAL is probably one of my top ten favorite books. But sadly, this book did not come close. To be honest, I didn't make it past 30%. The writing felt so forced from the first page and not really believable. What was happening with her mom wasn't believable. Then what happened with the random girls and the party then the guy, just not realistic and felt forced. I didn't have any connection with the main character because I was being told who she was and what was happening instead of being shown. By 10% I was bored and started skimming pages, looking for that Erin Watt spark I love. It wasn't there.

The cover is gorgeous. I really like how it kind of coordinates with the style/tone of her last book.

I do not plan to publicly post this review, only because I love the last book so much. And I'm hoping by posting these here, the editor, publisher and Watt will maybe figure out how to bring back that spark from the last book. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who will love this book and my review will be peanuts in comparison. And I look forward to whatever she writes next.

I LOVE ERIN WATT SO MUCH! EVERY book I have read written by her, I have been seriously crazy about and this one is NO different than the first 10. One Small Thing does not disappoint at all. Beth's only sister died in a car accident 3 years prior and the boy (Chase) who was driving is sent to prison for three years. Beth is being completely smothered by her parents with little freedom to have fun and be a teenager and she starts to rebel. Her parents are obviously in denial and she is in pain as well from missing Rachel. Beth meets Chase randomly and doesn't know who he really is until a few days later. Chase is super sweet and a nice guy and Beth sees beyond his actions and what others see him as and they slowly become friends. Amid many obstacles including her parents, her friends (who are super annoying and shallow), her sisters boyfriend of three years ago, completely oblivious teachers and some nasty bullying, they mange to become close. Their relationship is really special and nobody sees that but them. The story was extremely emotional and I finished it quickly only because it was such a good one. Well written, interesting story and characters, and so much going on between the two main characters who are very mature and really understand what is going in spite of so many other influences. The ending was a little rushed to me but it was all good. Definitely will read more from Erin Watt. Thanks so much NetGalley! LOVED this one!!

I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen. With so many reasons for Beth to hate Charlie she never did. Yet if she had know who Charlie was when she first met him many things would have been different. From controlling parents to psyco boyfriends this story spun an intriguing story that held my attention and had me wondering how it was all going to okay out. In the end, I couldn't be happier with how the characters grew into themselves. Although I do wish there was a tidbit more as I want to know what happens next. Overall though I would definitely recommend to all the YA lovers out there.

I loved it!!! I love the books from this duo so, I didn't even read the blurb. It didn't take long to figure out where the story was going. It did, however, keep me on the edge of my seat to find out the details. I loved both of the main characters. They had both been through so much. Well, still going through so much. I couldn't put it down. I was really rooting for both of them.

I've loved everything Erin Watt has written, until this book. I just couldn't connect with it, and it just felt too forced. The story is about Beth, who's sister Rachel is killed in an accident, and the aftermath she faces from overprotective parents, Rachel's old boyfriend, and the person who killed Rachel being at Beth's school. This sounds like the start of a really good book but the problem I had was the beginning was too rushed and the storyline jumped forward so much I had a hard time trying to understand what was happening. One line of the story something is happening, and then the next line is something completely different, making the writing at the beginning of the book really disjointed. It did get better as the story progressed, however, I still had a hard time with it.

What I loved about previous Erin Watt books was they write with a certain level of realism that they stretch just enough for a great story. This time I thought the stretches were too much. First, the person who killed Rachel was in juvie but gets out and attends the same school as Beth; okay I can buy into that, even though the easier bet was getting his GED while in juvie. Second, the parents are borderline psycho in their over protectiveness; okay, I get that one too. But the final straw for me was Jeff, the dead sister's boyfriend, taking 2 years off high school and suddenly reappearing after a hiatus in England to finish school the same year Beth becomes a senior and the 'murderer' enrolls in the school. That was a bit too much for me, and at that point the story took a predictable and kind of boring turn. I did finish the book and have read enough of Erin Watt's other books to continue reading them, but I would not recommend this one to a first-time Watt reader.

This was the first Erin Watt book I have read, and after reading it I plan to find and read all the backlist titles. The writing is phenomenal in this book. I could not put the book down. I kept saying only one more chapter, and you know how that always goes...hello 1AM. This is a teen novel, set in senior year of highschool. The 2 main characters Beth and Chase have all the odds stacked against them in every finding an HEA.
I really enjoyed Chase's character. He was tough, strong, smart, and caring. He had no problem putting Beth in her place when she was acting out and making dangerous choices. I haven't been in High School for 20 years, and don't remember anyone going to the lengths of the bullying that goes on in this book. My heart aches for Teenagers that have to experience peer persecution everyday in real life at school. If this book gets only one point across, it is the power of forgiveness and healing. If you enjoy teen drama/romance novels, "One Small Thing" won't disappoint.

**********Honest Review given in exchange for ARC**************

Erin Watt is amazing with the edgy YA they write. I had a hard time putting this one down. It's a little tamer than their other books, but a great story nonetheless.

Beth has been heavily sheltered by her parents since her older sister died three years ago. She sneaks out to a party the weekend before senior year starts to have a night just for her. To rebel just a little. That’s when she meets Chase. Chase is her little secret, but he has a not so secret, secret of his own. Once she finds out Beth knows she should hate Chase, but she doesn’t. She honestly shouldn’t want anything to do with him, but she does. How do you fall in love with someone you shouldn’t? How do you forgive someone who should be unforgivable in your eyes? Read One Small Thing to see how a pair who shouldn’t be, are.

One Small Thing is ultimately a story about forgiveness, dealing with loss, and finding the bright side when you’re trapped in the dark. Somehow Erin Watt stuffs all of that into a coming of age YA novel tortilla, and boy is it tasty. Beth and Chase are both characters that grow throughout the story, and without each other I doubt the growth would happen. I think this story does a great job showing how people react to death in different ways, and how people forgive or not in different ways. Not only that but the sweet growth of young romance between Chase and Beth is fun to follow.

This story will get under your skin at some points. It will make you a little sad, a lot happy, and will make you think. It will even have you questioning your own morality in regards to forgiveness at some points, and it will also have you cheering the characters on as well.

All in all this is a great YA read. It was really enjoyable, emotional, and entertaining!

You will want to read “One Small Thing” in one sitting.

Fans of Erin Watt, the writing duo of bestselling authors Elle Kennedy and Jen Frederick, aren’t strangers to teenage angst, violence, drama and trauma. We made it through their Royals series—or at least the first four novels. Then we got a more romantic youthful love story with “When it’s Real.” This new novel, “One Small Thing,” falls somewhere in between.

Seventeen-year-old Beth and her family are struggling with the death of sister Rachel three years earlier in a car accident. Her parents have become so overprotective she feels like she’s in jail. And then she meets Chase—just released from juvie. He knows what jail is.

He has secrets, she has secrets, Rachel’s friends have secrets and so do all the adults. However this book wasn’t so much suspenseful as it was “All right already, put together the pieces!” I figured out who the real villain was early on, yet still I couldn’t put it down.

The story is set in the main characters’ idyllic (or is it?) small town of Darling with much of the action taking place at their high school. It hasn’t been THAT long since I was in high school but “One Small Thing” makes me grateful not to be back there. Darling High is part “Animal Farm,” where many are ruled by a few; and part “Lord of the Flies,” where adults don’t matter.

There is drama aplenty and I found myself frequently hating one or another of the characters. But hang in there: nearly all are redeemed. Surprisingly the small glimpses of humor are mostly from Chase. It’s hard not to love a character who has suffered so much and can still make the reader smile. Beth may come off as immature at times (17 is not that old and after all she’s had a lot to deal with) but part of what makes for such a satisfying ending is that she gets to where she is supposed to be. And the revelation of what the title means—I had wondered as soon as I saw it—was truly beautiful.

Enthusiastically recommended.

ARC received for an honest review.

Addictive writing and a tragically beautiful story, this book is everything I expect from Erin Watt.

Unable to put it down. Highly recommended.

Beth feels trapped. Since her sister died, her lenient parents have turned into wardens and all she want to do is finish her senior year before escaping to college. One night of rebellious behavior leads to a hook-up with a stranger, and Beth's life becomes more complicated when Chase shows up in her classes on Monday morning. If that wasn't enough, it turns out that Chase isn't a stranger at all, he's the person who was sent to juvie for killing her sister.

Erin Watt delivers another emotionally wrenching teen novel about guilt, forgiveness and letting go. Beth's emotions are painfully real - the struggled between herself and her parents, the connection she feels with Chase and the alienation she gets from her peers for abstaining from bullying him - they all form a complex web that will draw the reader to Beth as she tries to figure out who she wants to be. The only thing that would have made this novel better would have been some alternating chapters from Chase's perspective. Great for fans of Katie McGarry or Simone Elkeles.

If you know me, then you know that I loved The Royals series by Erin Watt. They are an auto buy authors for me. So when I saw that they were coming out with a new release I knew I had to get my hands on it. While I expected to like it, I didn't expect to be blown away by how real it would be.

It really brought out some emotions for me and I didn't expect that. This book dealt with death, grief, family issues and bullying. So be warned of that. I feel like the authors really wrote this well. They really made me remember what it was like to be a teenager. Caring what people think about you, how friendships were everything, and also it teaches you about how to forgive.

Beth and Chase had everything against them from the beginning. I had to see how if it would work out between them. It's a hard book to rate because you want to root for them, but then you wonder is it right? Should the relationship happen at all? I felt like I was just as conflicted as the main characters about their relationship.

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because I did have some issues with the secondary characters. I felt like nobody really redeemed themselves in my opinion, especially her parents.

Overall, I recommend this one! It was raw and it made me an emotional mess at times. I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn't put it down. Even if you are not a fan of contemporary, give it a shot!

In some ways, going back to NA/YA can be frustrating no matter the author, only because it’s hard to step back into a teen’s POV when your older self wants nothing but to smack these characters…though not before wondering if your younger self were ever this way. Teenage angst galore is what ‘One Small Thing’ opens with—an act of rebellion that turns into a hookup (the start of a familiar downward spiral) that in turn reveals a whole slew of ugly emotions and self-destructive behaviour with generous helpings of hate, guilt, misery and selfishness.

We’re thrown in the deep end from the start, only because Erin Watt doesn’t shy away from wading into the aftermath of a death that happened 3 years ago…and how people the closest to this tragedy deal with it. Elizabeth Jones, who’s smack in the centre of the hurricane is a difficult one to like, for this reason. Hemmed in by her parents, her subsequent lashing out is understandable but still cringeworthy, since it’s admittedly hard to read about a protagonist who doesn’t know her own mind for a large part of the book, who wavers in doing what she clearly knows she should do and whose self-absorption and naïveté make it hard to be sympathetic to her plight.

But character growth has always been imperative in such books, and Watt certainly offers a ton of it, if you can get past the melodrama that tends to accompany the usual dose of teenage angst. In contrast to the negativity that permeates so much of the book, at some point in time, forgiveness and redemption need to come into the picture and they do, as the lessons are learned from the most unexpected source.

Objectively speaking, the characterisation is well done, even if the story ends on a note that can’t really be classified as a HEA or a HFN. The teens act exactly how I expected them to, amplified with the kind of existential angst they face along with their identity crisis and there’s always the sense of a fresh new start (though somewhat abruptly done in the conclusion) and nothing but a blank slate down the road. Watt’s storytelling is compelling nonetheless, though I wasn’t as moved by this as much as I thought I would be.

This review won't be an easy one to write. One Small Thing was emotional, raw, and it evoked quite a few volatile outbursts out of me. I was entirely engrossed in this YA novel that awoke feelings in me that I haven't experienced in a long time. I felt like my teenage self again, misunderstood, belittled, helpless, and frustrated. I have never felt this kind of emotions while reading a book. It was like I stepped into a time machine. Back to my teenage years, except I had it so much better than Beth.

As an adult, looking back on my teenage years, I must say I was lucky. The loss that Beth's parents went through is something I never ever can fathom, but the overprotectiveness that came afterwards would have definitely suffocated me. Beth was torn between the life that she had before her sisters died, and the restrictions she had to endure under the watchful eyes of her parents ever since. Just reading what Beth had to tolerate made me want to rebel myself, scream and rant about the unfairness of it all.

I had no trouble connecting with Beth. If I had to go through similar restrictions I would have pulled my hair and acted out every which way. Her struggle felt real, and it tugged on my heart strings. I wanted to go and hug her, give her parents a piece of my mind and smack a few of her classmates over the head in the process.  Every day was a new battle for Beth. And her willingness to try new ways was endearing as well as admirable. 

Her struggle increased tenfold when Beth forged a friendship with Chase that went against all general consensus. It became a major source of conflict and discontent between herself and everyone else in her life. 

This novel made me howl with outrage. I wanted to strangle a certain character. Honestly there weren't that many likable characters in this book to start with. Chase was my favorite by far. His stoic and quiet demeanor fit the circumstances, and knowing he found his one small thing in Beth, made me incredibly happy. Beth surprised me with quite a few times with a sudden show of maturity, that was truly delightful. And I could suddenly see her as a grown woman and I definitely liked what I saw!

One Small Thing was an emotional and heart-wrenching story that put me through the wringer. And I mean it!!! From beginning to end I was "OMG how can she endure this", and "OMG those idiots" and at last "YES, a HEA".  I honestly couldn't put it down. It was an intense and stirring read, that I'll remember for a long time. So with that said, what I loved the best about One Small Thing was the ending. It was UNIQUE, fitting to the storyline and perfectly executed. 

So, if you love teenage drama and angst this is the book for you. 

Review will be posted on the blog BOOK TWINS REVIEWS on July 19th