Review: "Where the Road Takes Me" by Jay McLean


Note: This ARC was provided by Amazon Children's Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The boy with the messy dark hair and the piercing blue eyes was watching me--a hint of a smile on his beautiful face that was enough to kick my heart back into gear. But then he turned around and walked away--not for him--but for me. Because he knew that was what I wanted, and I knew that he only wanted me to be happy.

"Blake Hunter--he was my change."


Chloe Thompson knows what her future is going to be and there's nothing that she can do to change it. So, she becomes and remains invisible, not wanting anyone to get too close to her, believing that becoming attached will make it more difficult for everyone concerned. After graduation, she's simply going to live and hit The Road. That's her plan and nothing's going to change it, not even the boy who rescues her one dark night and gets close, making her want something she's never allowed herself to want before--more.

Blake Hunter feels as if he's being pulled in two different directions. His father has always insisted that he enlist and join the military, continuing the tradition of their family. For the longest time, Blake simply accepted this as his fate, until basketball entered the picture and became his passion. There are two different paths that he are before him, yet he can't make up his mind which to take. He isn't sure what he truly wants, but when he meets a mysterious girl one night, he finds something he wants for himself--her.

"And then it struck me--why we were both so comfortable, here, on this one night, as complete strangers. Maybe we both had something to hide. Maybe we both enjoyed the company of someone who didn't know us well enough to judge us. Maybe we were both so sick of faking it--our breathing had somehow become natural around each other, the way it should be and not a struggle like it usually was."


Chloe wants nothing more than to stay the invisible girl she's always been but Blake has already taken notice. While he gives her what she wants--pretending that she's not there when they're in school--both he and Chloe are finding it more difficult to continue pretending there isn't something more going on between them. But even as they grow even closer, Blake knows that Chloe won't let anything stand between her and The Road, leaving him already missing her even while she's still right there with him.

Even in their short time together, Chloe and Blake allow themselves to open up and simply be in the moment. When graduation rolls around and Chloe gets ready to leave, Blake is faced with a decision of whether to let the girl he's fallen for simply disappear from his life or if he's going to hold on for as long as he can. Just when they think their story may be over, circumstances and decisions prove that their journey may still have a long way to go and that The Road can lead them on more than adventure of their lifetime.

"...we did exactly what we both wanted. We didn't have sex, but we shared, we talked, we laughed. And at some point, we fell even more in love. We didn't voice it. We didn't have to. We both knew. But someday, real soon, I'd tell him.

"And for the first time in my life, I made a plan for the future.

"Blake Hunter--he was my future."


Books come and go, some staying for a day or two, others for a while. Then there are the extraordinary ones, books that have touching stories and unforgettable characters presented in a wonderfully written manner. Those are the ones that remain with you and never let go. That is exactly what Where the Road Takes Me is. This is my first Jay McLean book (I know, I know...shame on me), but trust me when I say that it certainly won't be the last. With one beautifully woven tale of love and hope, I have become a fan.

This isn't the first young adult (YA) book that's about two people and their journey, both literal and proverbial, as individuals and as a couple, but it's the way the story is told that makes this book stand out. The main characters are far from being innocent and virginal but there's an honesty about them when they're together that's so refreshing. I mean, how many books are there that have one or both characters keeping major secrets? For two eighteen-year-olds, Blake and Chloe had an openness that I appreciated.

The book is told from the dual points of view of the main characters and the story itself feels like it's in three parts: before, while on, and after The Road. Each of those parts showcase the phases of Blake and Chloe's relationship, and just like what was happening between the two, I couldn't help but fall even more in love with them. They were eighteen and reflected a lot of us at that age, some with a set plan they're just waiting to execute and others still deciding what it is they want to do in the next portion of their lives.

There was strong supporting cast of characters, with special mentions going to Josh Warden, Blake's best friend, and Celia Hunter, Blake's mom. The significance of the color red, red days and black days, the magnet messages...I could keep going, listing every single thing I loved about this book, but suffice it to say that this is a novel that is worthy to be read by any age group because at its very core is a story that resonates in any genre, at any age. Where the Road Takes Me is a 2015 favorite and gets five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 10 February 2015

Date read: 09 February 2015

Learn more about author Jay McLean here.

Pre-order a copy of Where the Road Takes Me on Amazon.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Release Blitz: Saved by Hazel James

Book Spotlight: Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane

Review: The Wrong Kind of Angel by Ruby Moone