I have read and enjoyed books by Lisa Schroeder. The Bridge from Me to You is her latest YA contemporary romance, which I really liked. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Description: Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place.
Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in.
Review: The Bridge from Me to You is a thoroughly enjoyable, fun contemporary romance full of hope. When Lauren moves to small-town Willow, Oregon from Seattle to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, she feels grateful but out of place and a burden. Lauren and her mother have had an unspecified falling out that led her to be kicked out of her home. Only Lauren knows what happened to cause the rift between her mother, but she would not rather talk about the incident despite her reoccurring nightmares about her younger brother. Colby is a local celebrity as a star football player on his high school team, but while he loves his team, he secretly dreams of escaping the pressure of his father's plans for him-after graduating in order to pursue his passion for bridges and become a civil engineer.
I really loved both Lauren and Colby. When you first meet these characters you already have a preconceived notion about them, but I like how Schroeder surprises you with their character development. Lauren could have easily become an angry, angsty teen from a broken home, yet she is caring, compassionate, and struggling to do what is best for her as well as trying to repair her broken home. Like Lauren, Colby could have become the stereotypical jock who only cares about sports, but his passion for bridges is contagious and his loyalty to his friend who is terribly injured is admirable.
I also really enjoyed watching the romance develop between Lauren and Colby. Although they hit it off immediately, their relationship takes time to grow and I thought their pacing was done quite well. Both characters had to develop a trust between one and another, and become friends once a potential relationship proves difficult.
The book is written in alternating viewpoints, with Lauren's chapters unfolding in free verse and Colby's in prose. It seemed fitting for Lauren, who internalizes her emotions to express herself in verse whereas Colby needs more space to express himself. The Bridge from Me to You may not have a unique plot, but the characters are what makes this book shine. It is a thoughtful, straightforward, and fairly chaste romance between two kind, generous teens-one burdened by her past, one burdened by his future.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There is some mild language, scene of party with underage drinking, and suggestions to sex. Recommended for strong 7 grade readers and up.
If you like this book try: Dare to You by Katie McGarry, What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in.
Review: The Bridge from Me to You is a thoroughly enjoyable, fun contemporary romance full of hope. When Lauren moves to small-town Willow, Oregon from Seattle to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins, she feels grateful but out of place and a burden. Lauren and her mother have had an unspecified falling out that led her to be kicked out of her home. Only Lauren knows what happened to cause the rift between her mother, but she would not rather talk about the incident despite her reoccurring nightmares about her younger brother. Colby is a local celebrity as a star football player on his high school team, but while he loves his team, he secretly dreams of escaping the pressure of his father's plans for him-after graduating in order to pursue his passion for bridges and become a civil engineer.
I really loved both Lauren and Colby. When you first meet these characters you already have a preconceived notion about them, but I like how Schroeder surprises you with their character development. Lauren could have easily become an angry, angsty teen from a broken home, yet she is caring, compassionate, and struggling to do what is best for her as well as trying to repair her broken home. Like Lauren, Colby could have become the stereotypical jock who only cares about sports, but his passion for bridges is contagious and his loyalty to his friend who is terribly injured is admirable.
I also really enjoyed watching the romance develop between Lauren and Colby. Although they hit it off immediately, their relationship takes time to grow and I thought their pacing was done quite well. Both characters had to develop a trust between one and another, and become friends once a potential relationship proves difficult.
The book is written in alternating viewpoints, with Lauren's chapters unfolding in free verse and Colby's in prose. It seemed fitting for Lauren, who internalizes her emotions to express herself in verse whereas Colby needs more space to express himself. The Bridge from Me to You may not have a unique plot, but the characters are what makes this book shine. It is a thoughtful, straightforward, and fairly chaste romance between two kind, generous teens-one burdened by her past, one burdened by his future.
Rating: 4 stars
Words of Caution: There is some mild language, scene of party with underage drinking, and suggestions to sex. Recommended for strong 7 grade readers and up.
If you like this book try: Dare to You by Katie McGarry, What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
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I really enjoyed this one as well and felt the verse for Lauren's POV worked really well. Alternating between the two was brilliant and amazing (in my opinion). So glad you enjoyed too!
While I'm not a big fan of books written in poetry, I've read a few of Schroeder's books and have enjoyed them. I'll see if I can squish this one in soon because her past books were always fast reads.