Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara
Release Date: October 16, 2013
Publisher: Simon And Schuster Books For Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352

Summary: A resonant debut novel about retreating from the world after losing everything—and the connections that force you to rejoin it.

Since the night of the crash, Wren Wells has been running away. Though she lived through the accident that killed her boyfriend Patrick, the girl she used to be didn’t survive. Instead of heading off to college as planned, Wren retreats to her father’s studio in the far-north woods of Maine. Somewhere she can be alone.

Then she meets Cal Owen. Dealing with his own troubles, Cal’s hiding out too. When the chemistry between them threatens to pull Wren from her hard-won isolation, Wren has to choose: risk opening her broken heart to the world again, or join the ghosts who haunt her.

My Thoughts: Well, I’m not sure why I didn’t think to read this debut in 2012 but I am finally getting to it in February 2013.

We are introduced to Wren who has just finished high school. She is supposed to start college but she doesn’t want to go. She doesn’t want to do anything. Her life is over in her mind. She doesn’t deserve to do anything. She deserves what she gets.

She lost her boyfriend in a car accident. She survived and she feels hopeless. She is staying with her father out in the woods. Its peaceful, she doesn’t have to deal with anyone. It’s quiet, it's everything she wants. Until one day when she almost gets ran over while out riding her bike. Out jumps a boy only a few years older than her. His name is Cal and he isn’t perfect either. He is dealing with his own set of problems.  Of course she wants nothing to do with him either.

But she gets stuck helping him out because of her dad. She’s going to over a few days a week and do things around the house for him and give him rides. This opens up a whole new perspective for Wren.

As Wren and Cal get to know each other, we get more of their back stories. We learn what really happened to Wren and more about how she is feeling and coping.

I liked this one. And I liked Cal.. alot. This story was kind of long though. I think it could have been a little shorter and still been fine.

I liked where things went and I’m happy with the way things ended. I’m glad Wren realized things and decided to move on. She needed too. She had too.

This debut was pretty nice. It’s about loss and grief and how things intertwined with other people.

Overall: Liked it alot. The characters were believable. And I liked the setting. I really felt like I was out in the woods running with Wren. I felt the coldness and how the house and woods were portrayed.

Cover: Like it. It looks snowy and kind of dark. I think it fits.

What I’d Give It: