Meet me at the River by Nina de Gramont –OPTIONAL

Gramont, Nina de Meet me at the River 384 pgs. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2013. $16.99 Content: Language: PG13 (5 swears); Mature Content: R Violence: PG13(lots of suicide talk).

Tressa and Luke have an intense teenage relationship. When Luke dies in an accident, he never really leaves, instead he haunts Tressa as a ghost. Tressa looks forward to his visits and they relieve memories. Everyone wants her to heal and move on, but no one knows that Luke is still so much a part of her life. The reader finds out about both Luke and Tressa’s lives before and during their relationship. Will Tressa be able to move on or will she end her life to be with Luke?

Maybe teenage love is like this, but I felt this to be one of the most tedious books I have read in a long time. It was angsty and endlessly lengthy. It was Every Single Detail of everything about their lives. It just went on and on long after it could have been over. I feel tired and depressed and worn out after reading this. Maybe a teenager coping with death would totally relate to this, and revel in the shared grief.
HS –OPTIONAL Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.