Review: The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young
Note: This ARC was provided by Harlequin Teen in exchange for an honest review.
For so long it had just been me. That way I wasn’t vulnerable to anyone hurting me. I’d wanted friendship with Finn knowing I’d be giving some of myself over to him.But Finn was asking me for more than friendship. He was asking for secrets. Longings. Dreams. Fears. Kisses. Touch. Maybe even sex.Everything.Was I ready for that?
The Impossible Vastness of Us isn't Samantha Young's first foray into the young adult (YA) genre, but it is her first contemporary romance even if it doesn't feel like it at all. In short, Young took this challenge on, gave it a great deal of heart, angst, and hope and came out with a book that goes beyond the usual meet-cutes, shy flirtations, and confessions of young love. This isn't India Maxwell's story alone; it's one she shares with the new family she isn't all too sure she wants to be a part of and the set of peers in her new private school that seem to have their own share of deep, dark secrets that won't merely crack but devastatingly shatter their perfectly produced façades.
For years, India Maxwell has made a point of fitting in and reaching a level of popularity that belies just how horrendous life at home really is. When her mother becomes engaged to a high-powered and very wealthy lawyer, India finds herself moving from the West Coast to the other side of the country. Not only is she about to have a stepsister named Eloise but India is now in the lowest level possible in her new social hierarchy, of which her soon-to-be stepsister stays on top of along with her clique. But there's one person who doesn't seem to be all that bad, someone India wouldn't mind spending more time with. Except...Finn Rochester belongs to someone else--Eloise.
I don't want to give the plot away because not everyone likes encountering spoilers in a review. Suffice it to say that there is more to the story than you might think and I'm hoping that you'll push through and not judge it based on the first few chapters. There are a cache of secrets that these teenagers are hiding--some more devastating than others, but sometimes it's not the actual secret that breaks your heart but their reasons behind hiding them. The ending may not be what everyone may expect or want, but it does have a hopeful and more realistic tone to it. Hopefully, we'll see India and company again as adults sometime. Five-plus stars for The Impossible Vastness of Us. ♥
For years, India Maxwell has made a point of fitting in and reaching a level of popularity that belies just how horrendous life at home really is. When her mother becomes engaged to a high-powered and very wealthy lawyer, India finds herself moving from the West Coast to the other side of the country. Not only is she about to have a stepsister named Eloise but India is now in the lowest level possible in her new social hierarchy, of which her soon-to-be stepsister stays on top of along with her clique. But there's one person who doesn't seem to be all that bad, someone India wouldn't mind spending more time with. Except...Finn Rochester belongs to someone else--Eloise.
I don't want to give the plot away because not everyone likes encountering spoilers in a review. Suffice it to say that there is more to the story than you might think and I'm hoping that you'll push through and not judge it based on the first few chapters. There are a cache of secrets that these teenagers are hiding--some more devastating than others, but sometimes it's not the actual secret that breaks your heart but their reasons behind hiding them. The ending may not be what everyone may expect or want, but it does have a hopeful and more realistic tone to it. Hopefully, we'll see India and company again as adults sometime. Five-plus stars for The Impossible Vastness of Us. ♥
Date Read: 01 July 2017
Learn more about Samantha Young.
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