Taylor Jenkins Reid's debut is a different flavor from the other works I've read from her, but it certainly isn't a bad one. Forever, Interrupted is a quick read that will hurt you from the beginning, but weave a little hope in at a time.

The writing isn't the same caliber that you will receive from Reid's newer works, but you can absolutely see the talent in this narrative. It's clear that she simply learned a little bit of finesse over the years. I enjoyed the prose quite a bit, with the exception of some very small pieces. There are some bits of the plot that are unrealistic and some that didn't hit me quite right, but overall the storyline had me swooning and then crushed and then devastated before it slowly pulled me out of the dark hole it threw me into. The emotional journey of Elsie was raw and well done. It left me pondering too much about life and how lucky each moment is.

There are extremely poignant moments and Susan is an amazing character who I think is just about perfect on the crafting scale. She was quite possibly the most realistic person in the story and I was amazed at how well I could understand her movement through her emotional recovery. Elsie was a good character too, but I think the perspective of Susan (having had a bit more experience and time to reflect on her situation) gave a really good long-term picture of grief. Her understanding of love and loss hit me hard and resonated so well that it nearly had me in tears. (I never cry at books.) "You define that. What you feel defines that. You loved him. He loved you. You believed in each other. That is what you lost. It doesn’t matter whether it’s labeled a husband or a boyfriend. You lost the person you love. You lost the future you thought you had."

Not my favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid book, but still a solid read. My gut still hurts from this one's punch...and I don't mind.