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Natalia and Ethan have been best friends for years. They know each other so well. But after what almost happened between them the night of junior prom, they haven’t talked all summer. Now senior year is starting and it’s time for Senior Sunrise. Each student writes down how they want to be brave and deposits the letters anonymously in a jar. At sunrise, the letters are all burned.
This year, Senior Sunrise is a whole 24 hours, with a campout on the beach. And a whole lot happens in that day. Natalia and Ethan have opportunities to finally talk about what happened on prom night, and how each really feels for the other. Each is also facing stresses both at school and at home. It’s a make-or-break time.
The book description says this is a drama-filled love story, and that’s definitely true. There’s SO much drama on every single page. It felt like a lot to me, and I often thought it was more than would happen in real life. But I’m an adult, with my teen years far behind me. When I stopped to think about it, though, I could remember a few events in my adolescence that condensed a lot of feelings into a short time.
That being said, I just didn’t enjoy the book. So much drama, so much angst, so many intense feelings and experiences all crammed into a short space. I think I prefer stories that give more time and space for lightheartedness. But if you’re into YA drama, I Wish You Would is well-written and captures well how it feels to be a teenager.
Rated: High. Profanity includes 49 uses of strong language, around 50 instances of moderate profanity, about 30 uses of mild language, and about 55 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sex is referred to/talked about frequently: teens have sex, with a lot of it being “closed-door” but removal of clothes and intense kissing happening. Parents have affairs. A couple of adults treat teens inappropriately. Two teens get into a fistfight.
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*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
