Genre: NA Contemporary
Paperback: 336 pages
Paperback: 336 pages
Release Date: March 12th, 2013
Purchase: Amazon | The Book Depository
Rating: 2.5 stars
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Novel.
Sometimes in life it feels like everything that can go wrong does, but everything happens for a reason. A relationship crumbles so someone else can mend the pieces of your broken heart. A change of plans can lead you to something you didn’t even know you were missing. You help others and discover that it was you who needed to be helped all along.
Jenn’s life is nothing as she had imagined it would be. She is twenty-something with a failing career and her love life has officially ended with an ultimate act of betrayal. She is ready to throw away her dreams when a chance run-in with a soldier, dealing with his own misfortunes, alters her course and changes her perspective on life.
Sometimes in life it feels like everything that can go wrong does, but everything happens for a reason. A relationship crumbles so someone else can mend the pieces of your broken heart. A change of plans can lead you to something you didn’t even know you were missing. You help others and discover that it was you who needed to be helped all along.
Jenn’s life is nothing as she had imagined it would be. She is twenty-something with a failing career and her love life has officially ended with an ultimate act of betrayal. She is ready to throw away her dreams when a chance run-in with a soldier, dealing with his own misfortunes, alters her course and changes her perspective on life.
Review
When I came across this book on Goodreads, I was instantly drawn to the summary and the idea of love that comes unexpected and changes a person’s perspective on life. It was the themes and tropes that I anticipated will be explored which immediately enticed me. Call it disappointment brought about by high expectations, but this book fell short for me. It had so much potential and it was sad to see it head down the drain. However, I wouldn’t exactly call it a bad read because it had its few merits along the way and my thoughts are more situated in between bad and good, which is to say, it was okay.
Like I said, it was the idea or concept of Suicide Note that appealed to me the most. The main characters, Jenn and Shane, have just gone through long-term relationships which ended in betrayal, and the wounds from those relationships were still fresh when the two crossed paths. As they spend time and find solace in each other’s company, we witness both of them heal and be saved from their broken pasts. This is usually the kind of story that easily grips me but unfortunately, this book just failed to grab me.
I think one of the things that bothered me was Jenn’s inability to stand up for herself. I was holding on to the hope that she would finally grow a backbone and confront the people who hurt her and the parents who should have had her back. But instead, all I get was a feeling of pure dissatisfaction as her ex-boyfriend and the person he cheated with (who is also a part of her life) got off easily.
Another issue I had was the short chapters which I felt were cut off abruptly. They are written in first person narrative, with Jenn and Shane’s perspectives told in alternating manner. I thought I would have more opportunity to be taken deeper into their heads but I was disconnected to them almost the entire time. It also didn’t escape my notice that there had been more unnecessary info-dumping when the really important parts were skipped over. I felt so deprived and cheated!
So what were the few merits I was talking about? One thing I remember I liked was Jenn and Shane’s relationship that started off with them being friends. It was during those scenes when I enjoyed the light-hearted moments between them and I was actually glued to my seat. Did it redeem the book for me? Not really, but it made me see that this book wasn’t so bad after all.
Author Bio
Teresa Mummert is an army wife and mother whose passion in life is writing. She is the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels White Trash Beautiful and Suicide Note. Born in Pennsylvania, she lived a small town life before following her husband's military career to Louisiana and Georgia. Check out her website for samples and updates! TeresaMummert.com
