Review: Come Back To Me by Coleen Patrick

Title: Come Back To Me
Author: Coleen Patrick
Publication: April 10th 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Provided by the kind publisher
Goodreads

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

-- My Rating --

3/5 Oscars: Liked it

-- My Thoughts --

     The blurb of this book, and I admit, the cover, intrigued me to read this one. I had no idea what to expect and I wasn't familiar with the author. So, I didn't put a lot of expectations into this one. I am glad I didn't.
     Whitney is still recovering from the death of her best friend. She has to get her life back on track, but she has no idea why. And it isn't easy when she doesn't remember some parts of her past. Then there's her best friend's boyfriend, Kyle, who might be the key to unlocking her memory, or the sweet, careful Evan, who might be the key to unlocking her heart. But before Whitney can find out anything, she has to find herself. 
      Okay, so the aspect is not really original. I didn't expect it to be original, so I was not disappointed. It's a bit too predictable for my liking. Like, I figured out the little twist at the end way before the main character did. Come on, it was right in front of her eyes! The second thing is that Whitney didn't really connect with me. I wanted to feel something for her, even sympathy, but nothing. So, I didn't really care about what happened to her. But I did love Evan, he's the reason that kept me going through this book to finish it.
     I can't find anything more to say about this novel. Yes, it dragged at parts. And yes, it was a bit boring. But the main focus of this novel is moving on from the past. Which is a subject I LOVE. Since there are so many ways to approach the aspect, and Coleen Patrick nailed it. The ending was satisfying. You get all you wanted and more. While this book didn't make it on my list of favorites, i will definitely be on the lookout for the author's new books. No two people think the same about a book, so try this out for yourself!