Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook ARC Review (spoiler alert)

4/5 Stars

Details of the book

paperback ARC, 272 pages

Published by HarperTeen, 

an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

Publication Date: April 21, 2015

Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository |

Synopsis: Kayla saw something at the party that she wasn't supposed to. But she hasn't told anyone. No one knows the real story about what happened that night—about why Kayla was driving the car that ran into a ditch after the party, about what she saw in the hours leading up to the accident, and about the promise she made to her friend Bean before she left for the summer.

Now Kayla's coming home for her senior year. If Kayla keeps quiet, she might be able to get her old life back. If she tells the truth, she risks losing everything—and everyone—she ever cared about.

WARNING: If you are participating in my March Giveaway for this book and don't want it spoiled, don't read this review. 

Kristin Halbrook does not get enough credit for her writing. She is able to take every day life stories and pull you into every aspect of her characters and their individual stories. Every Last Promise is haunting in its realism. I think that it sends a very important message about family, friends, and society. It's the type of book that we need today. It's not the book to fangirl over--meaning that this book is not about girl meets boy and they fall in love--this is about something more important. Halbrook tackles our current rape culture and brings to light most of the issues involved. Every Last Promise is beautifully tragic.

Strengths/Likes:

1) I love the way that Kristin Halbrook tells a story. The way she writes is beautiful without being pretentious. She makes her characters easy to know and understand. 

2) The emotional struggle in this book is so real that I felt the all of the fear and anxiety that Kayla (our main character) felt. 

3) This is a story that needs to be told. I think it's something that anyone who has experienced anything from our current rape culture can relate to. 

4) All of the relationships in this book are so powerful. Whether it's a friendship, a family member, all of it. Even the minor relationships have this potent quality that just makes you want to be apart of it or at the very least know more about it.   

5) I love Kayla and Caleb's relationship. 

Weaknesses/Dislikes:

1) I wanted to know how everything was resolved. This is not really a weakness or a dislike. More like me just complaining. In actuality I think it was brilliant that not everything resolved because it made it even more realistic. In life, a lot of issues are dragged out to and become emotional roller coasters. Halbrook executes this amazingly. 

Favorite Quotes/Moments:

1) "You should ditch the last couple of periods and hike Point Fellows with me," Caleb said. He motioned to my sneakers. "You look ready to go." 

"There's a party in my French class next period," I said. "Madame Lechat said she was bringing cheese and pastries."

"So? I'm leaving soon. You would turn down time spent with your favorite brother for cheese? I'm hurt."

2) "Ella wants to go for a hike," Caleb announces, pushing into my room without knocking. I look up from my pillow to the window--still dark outside--and raise my eyebrows sleepily. 

"It's the middle of the night, you psycho. Why are you awake?"

"It's four forty-five. Enough time to get out on the trail and get you back here in time for school. Supposed to be a bee-utiful day!"

Who is this guy with the chipper voice? I've never known Caleb to be up before lunch when he didn't have to be. 

"Okay. Have fun. Take a picture of the beautiful day for me."

He puts his foot on Ella's rear end and nudges her into my room. She gazes up at me mournfully, like she doesn't really want to be awake, either. "She wants you to come along," he presses. 

"Is that what she said? She doesn't look like it."

"Yeah. 'Kaywa walk wif wus.' Exactly like that."

3) I roll my eyes and drag Selena toward the food booths. "I'm hungry. Corn dogs, root beer, and funnel cakes or death!"

"You mean corn dogs, root beer, funnel cakes, and death."