Tuesday 9 July 2013

Review & Giveaway: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication date: August 20th 2013
My rating: 3.5 stars



For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .
Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

The Infinite Moment of Us was a dreamy sort of romance, and yet, one that felt a little bittersweet to me. 

Wren Gray has been living a life mostly carved out by her parent’s dreams.  She has been a model daughter with excellent grades and a focus mostly on school.  Yet, Wren is done with that, she doesn’t want to live a future molded and decided on by her parents.  Instead of going onto the parent approved college, Wren’s applied to and been accepted into a Peace Core type of group, volunteering to help those less fortunate in Guatemala.  When she breaks this to her parents they do nothing but demean and insult her.  I really couldn’t stand these parents for most of the story!  In the middle of all of this is Charlie Parker, a fellow honor student that has often caught her eye.  In one afternoon a shared glance, a moment, she feels as if “their souls touched.”

Charlie has watched Wren from afar for a long time, admiring everything about her; her answers and expressions in class that captivate him so.  Wren is just beautiful in every sense of the word, to him.  He’s longed for her for quite some time and finally at the end of school he knows it’s now or never.  

These two fall hard for each other.  Wren has no experience with boyfriends or love and Charlie hasn’t had anything real either, so when they click it’s intense.  This isn’t really insta-love, because Charlie and Wren have admired each other from afar for a while, but it did feel fast, and like I said, intense.  Both had issues.  Charlie had a sad past and feels less than worthy of love in general.  Wren’s upbringing on the outside seems perfect but if you look just a little closer you see it’s anything but.  She’s been sheltered and told what to think most of her life, so even though she’s eighteen and out of high school, she’s innocent and a bit closed off. 

There were times I was on a high from their romance, swoony, dreamy kisses, and touches, and then there were times I was very frustrated with both Wren and Charlie.  Mostly Charlie.  I don’t like problems that stem from non-communication or from purposefully withholding information.  Charlie disappointed me in both respects.  I know this is due to insecurity, he was afraid of Wren’s reactions and didn’t want to lose someone who had become so important to him, but he hurt my heart a few times.  I had more patience for Wren because she was so inexperienced, and she did show some of that a couple of times, but for the most part I was in her corner.  If anything, I thought she forgave a little too easy with both Charlie and her parents.  I do have to admit that Charlie was a bruised soul, so busting his balls may not have been the nicest thing to do.  Lord knows he deserved a break.  On the other hand, shame on Wren’s parents!  I would’ve loved to give them a piece of my mind!

One thing I’m not a fan of is rushed or open endings.  I guess this doesn’t really fall strictly under either definition, but maybe a combination of the two?  At any rate, I would’ve like a little more.  I will say that Lauren Myracle has a beautiful way with words and manages to capture feelings and emotion in a way that really spoke to me. 

Also, I wouldn’t classify this as a purely YA or New Adult read, but somewhere in between.  There are definitely more mature/steamy scenes that I wouldn’t normally see in YA but felt right for the characters.    




I’m giving away my ARC copy of The Infinite Moment of Us to one lucky reader.  Just fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win.  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Good luck and thank  you for visiting The Readers Den!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

44 comments:

Melanie said...

The idea sounds a little cliche but the cover and characters sell it for me. Good to know has beautiful writing.

Fantastic review, Rachel! <33

Unknown said...

I really like the sound of this one. Even though the characters could be frustrating at times, I'd love to try it. However, if it's an open AND rushed ending, then it makes me a bit nervous. So glad you enjoyed the book as a whole especially with all of the swoonage :D

Sara @ Forever 17 Books said...

I've been touch and go on whether to give this one a shot and though I think I might have some of the same issues with the characters, I might be able to enjoy it overall. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

brandileigh2003 said...

Wren and Charlie's romance sounds amazing, I can't wait to read this one.

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

I've been really interested in reading this one, so I'm glad to see that, for the most part, it worked pretty well. I'm not sure if the confused genre or the ending will get to me, but I definitely want to still give it a go. Great review, Rachel, and thanks so much for the giveaway! :)

maya said...

I'm not a fan of the whole good girl and bad boy fall in love scenario just because it's done so often, but this still sounds like an enjoyable read and I'm glad it's well written. Lovely review, and thanks for the giveaway!

Pooja. S said...

Sounds like a little cliched but nevertheless amazingly written romance! I cannot take miscommunication/withholding information plots either. They are just so... avoidable? I guess. And it makes me a little frustrated with the characters. Still sounds like a worthwhile read! I haven't read this author before! Great review, Rachel :)

Anonymous said...

I requested this off NetGalley, but I still haven't heard back. I like the sound of the romance, but I have to admit that I'm not a fan of misunderstandings due to miscommunications either. It adds unnecessary drama in my opinion. You also mentioned an open ending. Yeah, I can't deal with open endings. I think they are frustrating and annoying. I'm not sure if I want to read this now after reading your review, but maybe I'll request a copy from the library when it becomes available.
Lovely review, Rachel.

Jenny said...

"I don’t like problems that stem from non-communication or from purposefully withholding information."

ME EITHER RACHEL! Nothing irritates me faster than a lack of communication, especially between couples, but it does seem like you can at least understand why Charlie was hesitant to fully open up at times. Still, I want to shake him just a little ;-) And the parents! My brother joined the Peace Corps out of college and while they weren't thrilled about it (from a safety standpoint), they fully supported him. I can't understand why a parent would demean and insult someone for such a decision, especially when the entire point of the Peace Corps is to help people! Grrr. Beautiful review as always!

Jenni said...

Hmm I am really excited for this one but I think I will be lowering my expectations a bit. It sounds like I may come out of it being really frustrated with the characters and that always has a really big effect on my overall enjoyment of the novel. Thanks for the great review!

Rachel said...

Fantastic review Rachel. There are so many stories where I wish characters could just communicate with honesty. So I understand why you were annoyed with Charlie, I would too. Sounds like a sweet love story.

Sam (Realm of Fiction) said...

I'm really not a fan of miscommunication and withholding information either! Most of the time, things like that lead to unnecessary drama that I'd rather not have to read about. Other than that, and the slightly open ending, I'm glad you enjoyed this overall! I liked Lauren Myracle's Shine, so I've been curious about this one, but I think I might lower my expectations now. Lovely review Rachel and thanks for the giveaway! :)

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings said...

I hate lack of communication it drives me nuts! And a combination of rushed and open ending, well can't say I like that either. I have this for review so I will be reading it soon. I hope I least enjoy the swoony dreamy parts!

Tammy said...

Lately I just want to read more and more of dreamy romance.

Unknown said...

I have heard such great things about Myracle. And this sounds like my kind of book. I'm glad you liked it, despite your frustration with Charlie, and Wren's parents. The problems that come from non-communication in books really gets to me.
Gorgeous review, Rachel!

Henrietta @ Leisure Reads said...

The parents sound horrible!! Glad that Wren learns to take a stand. I'm not sure if I'll like Charlie, guess I'll have to read the book to find out. Thanks for sharing!

Disquietus said...

I've been looking forward to this for a while. I'm a little sad that non-communication/witholding of information is an issue in their relationship because that is one of my least favorite things ever, but I look forward to swoonyness.

Keertana said...

I like the concept and idea of this, but it seems as if the author didn't do nearly as much as I'd have liked. Also, I trust your judgement on romances implicitly, so if you don't give a novel over 4 Stars, I generally don't pick it up. This seems promising, but I know I'd wind up annoyed with it. Great review, Rachel!

Jen (Books and Other Happy Ever Afters) said...

Oh this one sounds so good! Wren seems like a character I would really like, one that follows her dreams and breaks away from her parents' mold. Charlie I'm not so sure about, since you didn't like him too much. I'm glad the romance isn't insta-love, but I'm curious how close it is to it. Those rushed/open-ended endings! I'm definitely scared for that. But overall, this story still sounds enjoyable! Lovely review, Rachel.

Giselle said...

Couples who don't communicate well also drives me bonkers in books especially when you know that if they would simply freaking talk the problem would go away, you know, but regardless this sounds like a very sweet read! Great review, doll!

Unknown said...

I really love this review. I felt I could relate to a lot of the feelings you had while reading this book, especially those that deal with the lack of communication or withholding of thoughts, emotions, or information. I've had it on my TBR, but your review has made me want to start reading it that much more!

Unknown said...

This will definitely go on my TBR list. It does irritate me when couples have poor communication skills because it usually ends up in a whirlpool. The problems build up and eventually they break up (I hope that doesn't happen here).

Anyways, great review! I'm aching to read this.

Maji Bookshelf said...

oh wow I HATE problems that arise from miscommunication or just "never having the chance to tell you the truth". It frustrates me to no end. Like, go UP TO THE PERSON AND TELL THEM. Lots of conflict, whether in books or shows/movies arise from that and all I think is "that never happens in real life! sheesh". Anyways, I am glad this isn't insta-love but hate the withholding of information.

great review,
- Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf

Julia @ That Hapa Chick said...

Ohhhh definitely adding this one to my TBR list! I'm a big fan of Lauren Myracle's other books so hopefully I'll enjoy this one too. Romance is a hit or miss with me, but this one sounds really sweet and intense, a combination that I think will work for me. Maybe? Hopefully? It also sounds really character driven which is totally up my alley. Thanks for such an awesome review and the giveaway! :D

Julia @ That Hapa Chick

Christina Fiorelli said...

Christina K. in the rafflecopter

I know Lauren Myracle writes beautifully and it will be cool to see her tackle older teens. This sounds like a wonderful story, even if like you said there were things that annoyed you.

Thank you so much:)

Anonymous said...

The cover is gorgeous! I've yet to read Lauren Myracle! Hope I win this one!

sshah605 said...

I haven't read anything by this author but the story sounds wonderful ! I am sure that I would be reading this book in one sitting ! Lovely Cover !

May said...

Great review. It makes me want to read it! :) Terrific cover too!

erin said...

thanks for the review! Definitely caught my interest :)

Lisa @ Lost in Literature said...

I was lucky enough to get this off of Netgalley and I'm SO excited to read it!! Glad to see you enjoyed it. :)

Carina Olsen said...

Oh, sigh. <3 The romance sounds really sweet and amazing :D But yeah. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the rushed ending that much :\ Might have to check this book out, because the cover is really gorgeous :D Thank you for sharing your amazing review. <3 :)

Anonymous said...

I like the way you write your review. It just gives me your feels about the story! Really awesome review!!

Mary Preston said...

This is the first I've heard of this book. Very helpful thank you.

hbjgvhuogyihpo said...

The romance in this one sounds really sweet, but I'm not into couples who don't communicate as much as they should - or as well as they should. However, I am still pretty excited for this book. It sounds like something I'll really enjoy, but I need to prepare myself for what sounds like emotional distress at times? And then the ending! I've been trying to get out of my habit of absolutely adoring HEA's but it's a hard habit to break.

Great review!
- Tabitha @ Tabitha's Book Blog

Nuzaifa @ Word Contessa said...

This one's one my wish list solely because of that gorgeous cover!
I'm a huge fan of dreamy romances so I think this might me up my alley although the whole communication issue does put a damper on my excitement. Lovely review, Rachel! :)

CD said...

Not a fan of withholding information either and I can already see myself getting pissed for not being able to push this character and make him tell everything. And due to their innocence, the intensity of their relationship might be understandable but I hope it's not suffocating.

Shirley said...

The romance in this does sound really sweet but the fact that you were frustrated with the characters at times makes me wonder whether I should read this....I feel like this will be a 'meh' read for me :( I guess I'll hold off on requesting this on NG.

Fab review, Rach!<3

Unknown said...

This sounds great! But I know I'll be with you on the parents (why are YA parents so annoying?) and Charlie. No communication and withholding information are pet peeves of mine. I hate it when couples do it! But love the review, Rachel!

Christine said...

I absolutely love the cover of this book. I've been loving the handwriting font on books lately. This seems like a great summer read to me, and I can't wait to read it.

Jess said...

I've been meaning to read a Lauren Myracle book for a long time and this sounds like a beautiful book and a good place to start! Lovely review, Rachel! And thank you for the giveaway! :)

Flannery Anderson said...

The insta-love aspect of this makes it probably not for me, but geez, I was angry at those parents just like you after reading this review. Even though I know they exist, it is hard to read about parents not supporting their kids or forcing them to do things they don't want to do.

Unknown said...

again, a great review! :)

Kristia said...

Love your review.. I don't like intsa-love nor rush endings but I'll give this one a shot since I like contemporary romance books. Plus the cover is gorgeous! Thank you for the international giveaway :)

Unknown said...

Lovely review! I can't wait to read this. I really liked some of Lauren Myracle's previous books, and I think I'd like this one too. The ending doesn't sound too promising. :(

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...