ARC Review: The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani & Mindi Scott

The Way Back to You by Michelle Andreani & Mindi Scott

Genre: YA Contemporary, Road Trip, Romance

Publication: May 3rd 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books

Series: n/a

Length: 384 pages

Format: eARC

Goodreads

In this witty, heart-tugging novel, two teens take a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to meet three strangers who received the life-saving organs of their late best friend—charting a journey of loss, hope, and love along the way.

Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident.

Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.

Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.

As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they’re barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake.

With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her…and to each other.

Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book because of a few reasons: because a) it contained a road trip and I honestly haven’t read any books with road trips in them and because b) it had to do with an organ donor and that sort of adventure feeling throughout the whole novel. Overall, this novel did not impress me though I did think it was simply okay. I do have to note that I did spend a week reading this novel, a longer period of time than I usually read a book this length so my perception of this book may be a little off.

The concept of this novel was truly unique to me because I had never really read a book like this before, but it wasn’t executed well. Maybe it was because I felt disconnected to the plot because I spent time away from this novel or maybe it was because I truly didn’t follow, but I felt as if the plot just went and didn’t offer any further emotional connection.

The characters were alright, and although there were some secondary characters, I didn’t feel as if they added anything to the overall story. We have our main characters, Kyle, the ex-boyfriend of the recently passed Ashlyn, and Cloudy, Ashlyn’s best friend. Although someone incredibly close to both characters had passed, I felt as if the emotion and the grief wasn’t there. Instead of focusing more on the characters’ personalities and connections with others, the plot more so focused on the budding romance between Cloudy and Kyle. As you know, I am a hopeless romantic, so I can’t complain, but I feel as if the characters weren’t much but two people who just happened to develop a relationship once Ashlyn was gone.

Overall, this novel was simply okay. The idea was there but the execution was not. I had been quite pumped for this novel, but I really didn’t feel anything for the plot or any of the characters. Even though I didn’t really enjoy this novel, I’m definitely open to see what else these authors come up with in the future. If anything, buy this novel for the gorgeous cover, and maybe you’ll like this book more than I did.

Have you read this book yet? If not, are you planning to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

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