I will admit, I had no idea this book had been published before in 2016. I kind of wish I'd had that information before beginning it. Not sure why the publisher chose to publish is again, to be honest, since I had to DNF at 40%
First I want to say there was so much potential. When I read the blurb, I got all the feels. It seemed like it would be such a great story. Romance, first time love, true love, a twist, and more. But it just didn't hit the mark for me.
I usually love a dual POV. It gives the author a lot to work with as far as plot goes. It's easier to get the know the characters but also allows the author to build tension since the characters see things differently. I was hopeful this would help me understand the relationship between Rune and Poppy. It just served to show me the relationship was very codependent and actually a bit creepy on the side of Rune. The way he talks about Poppy and how he acts with her is super possessive and made me feel like he would be angry if she ever thought to be with anyone else.
I could not connect with either character and I had no empathy for them. They just didn't seem realistic.
I won't get into tons of spoilers but the 15 year old characters share something that just didn't feel right. It actually made me cringe.
When I started to get The Fault in Our Stars vibe I got excited. Maybe it would turn around, Maybe it would get better. But it wasn't that book (which I loved) or the characters of that book (who I also loved). It just felt like it was trying to be that book and it was not even close.
Then there are the chapter lengths and the fact that the chapters take you nowhere.. It's the same information presented over and over. 40 minutes for one chapter? No thank you. It threw off the pacing and didn't add to the plot in any way.
Once I go to 40% I decided to go and look at some reviews, which is when I realized this book was published prior. I also realized many people were feeling the same way I was and had the same complaints about how the book was set up and progressing.
The writing was sub par for me, as well. I don't feel like the author has a grasp of how to tell her story without dumping information that is not useful and pacing the story so it moves.
The best part of this book was Poppy's relationship with her grandmother and the adventure she sends her on. Other than that, I just didn't feel a connection or a want continue reading.
Perhaps others will love this one (I did see some 4 and 5 star reviews) but I did not.