The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
Amulet Books, Expected Publication Date: 8/20/13
Hardcover, 366 Pages

From Goodreads.com:

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.

My thoughts…

When I pick up a Lauren Myracle book, I know two things. Lauren Myracle knows teenagers and Lauren Myracle can write teenagers. I will never forget when I finished Shine and just sat in stunned silence for ten minutes thinking, “WOW. WOW. WOW.” I had a fangirl moment the next day, tweeted Lauren, thanked her for writing Shine and told her how important Shine is for teenagers, and well everyone, really. She is a very gracious person, and whenever someone asks what three authors would I like to have dinner with, she is on that list. (What? You haven’t thought about this?) I was very excited when I got approved to read The Infinite Moment of Us last month and although it is a very different book from Shine, I appreciated its themes of first love and growing up.

I thought the teenage voices in this book were dead on and readers will easily identify with Wren, Charlie and their friends. Wren’s parents want the best for their daughter. The very best. An example? They go a bit overboard with a car deal for graduation that comes with strings attached. Not surprisingly, their perfect dreams for their perfect daughter are blown away when Wren reveals a change of plans. But is it really what she wants? Does she even know what she wants? Aren’t these questions we’ve all asked ourselves time and time again? It’s an understatement that Wren is constantly battling between pleasing those around her and finding her wings to fly from home.

Lauren Myracle includes a letter to readers in the front of her book that tells readers it is not about sex, but definitely has sex in it. Here’s more from the letter: “So, yeah, sex is part of the mix, and I trust you that you, and teen readers can handle it… I hope it will remind you of love, and captures something genuine of love”. Several readers on Goodreads tagged this title as New Adult instead of Young Adult. While I’m still trying to figure out what New Adult is exactly, I would recommend you read this book before you put it in your classroom library, and as always, know your readers.

Bottom Line – this is a well written coming of age story from an author that gets it.

Happy Reading!

Lesley ♥