For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows – her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Jude does everything to keep her kids out of harm’s way. But senior year of high school tests them all. It’s a dangerous, explosive season of drinking, driving, parties, and kids who want to let loose. And then on a hot summer’s night, one bad decision is made. In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything. In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget . . . or the courage to forgive. (Published: 2011/Pages: 385)
Jude Farraday is your typical small community suburban mom, she has a big, beautiful house, a loving and devoted husband, and teen twins Mia and Zach. They have a picture-perfect life to most. Mia and Zach want for nothing, with the world at their fingertips, they have endless opportunity. Zach is the most popular guy in school, on the football team; Mia on the other hand, is shy, awkward and not at all popular. Mia struggles greatly with making friends, leaving her to spend most of her time alone. That is until Lexi Baill, a foster child with a troubled past comes to town to live with her Aunt. Lexi and Mia find each other and become best friends, sisters. To add to the mix, Zach finds himself falling for the kind and caring Lexi, leading the three to an amazing bond of friendship nothing could shake . . . That is until one tragic night, when one mistake would change all their lives in unimaginable ways.
Ugh, this book left me with such conflicting feelings, I found it hard to even rate it. I fell in love with Hannah’s writing in The Nightingale leaving me wanting to consume as many of her novels as possible. I loved her writing in this one, I even loved the story line, yet the characters were so unrealistic, and I absolutely hated Jude! I mean I really hated her . . . Not only was her character an over – the – top helicopter mom, but she came off invasive and overall, too much. Hannah really played the rich vs poor card too much here as well, portraying the Farradays as rich and perfect, with elaborate detail into their lives and luxuries. For as much praise as she gave the Farradays, she gave almost nothing to Lexi and her loving Aunt, with them living in a trailer park, her Aunt a Walmart worker and Lexi having no choice but to work at an Ice Cream shop to save for college, while Jude’s children had any pick of college due to financial security. The rich vs poor never let up, the twist in the novel only made me cringe at Jude and her poor me attitude, finally delivering a sudden fairytale ending after spending most of the book with Jude blaming Lexi for all her family’s problems, never taking any accountability. The whole book just seemed completely unrealistic in the aspect of how the characters were portrayed. The story itself had a good meaning behind it and was well developed, I just felt Hannah really did a distasteful job with classifying people. I am a parent myself and I still found this a hard pill to swallow. I finished it but was honestly happy that I did. I was a bit disappointed in this book.
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