Book Review #138 - Leaving Paradise (Leaving Paradise #1) by Simone Elkeles

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares — has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

My Rating: 5/5

This is the fourth Simone Elkeles book that I have read and she has failed to disappoint me yet.

I really liked the premise of this book as it sounded unique and interesting which is pretty rare thesedays.

I really like how in all Simone Elkeles's books (that I've read so far anyway) she switches the POV after each chapter so the chapters alternate between the two protagonists. It helps to keep the story fresh and also incorporates a wider range of perspective.

It took me a while to like Maggie and Caleb and I didn't like any of the secondary characters at all.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel Return to Paradise as this book leaves you with a pretty big cliffhanger.

Spoiler:

I predicted from the first few of Caleb's chapters that he didn't do it, but I thought it would have been his friend not his sister.