When You Were Mine

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I absolutely loved the characters in this book, they almost reminded me of the friends cast. It is easy for the reader to like them and feel invested in them. I am hoping for a follow up book so we can find out more about what happened next.

But those two problems didn’t keep me from falling completely in love with this book. The best part of it was absolutely the family. Ibby and Mags weren’t perfect, but they were amazing parents. Both Ibby and Mags and also Melie were totally aware of how untraditional their family was, but they were always fine when they were asked questions about it, especially from people who didn’t understand how their family worked. And no matter what, Ibby and Mags always put Melie first. The characters were so enjoyable to get to know, they had such strong personalities and quirks and i really was a fan of getting to know them, especially Amelia. She was a strong willed kid with a brilliant moral compass but i guess that comes from being raised by two awesome parents.

Ew.” She gives me a disgruntled look and yanks the iPod out of my hand. She puts on Beyoncé and turns to me. “What is wrong with you this morning? It’s the first day of school. We need to be psyched up. Starting things on the right note is the only way to succeed.” Lisa Swift has produced an absolutely wonderful story, with twists which I honestly couldn’t predict. This is one of those books you won’t want to put down. Although, when you finish it- the decision of what to read next will be difficult; purely because this is so wonderful. Eventually, you find out how Jordan Nash fits into the lives of Mags and Ibby and that is where the book really takes off. I don’t know how many times I’ve said this about myself to friends. *blushes* Sorry, was I TMI-ing again?

Consider Rosaline’s comment: “It’s definitely true. One moment can change everything.” Can you pinpoint a single moment in the book that influences the outcome of the plot? Throughout the book, do you find that Rosaline’s observation holds true? In your own life experience, do you believe that a single moment can “change everything”? Lisa is such a talented writer. She kept feeding us information and facts throughout the whole book. I had questions and she kept answering them. What an absolute gem! This was such a delightful story full of family, love, friendship, second chances, and forgiveness. The story starts off jumping between two seemingly separate stories. Maggie and Ibby are best friends and coparents to their teenage daughter Amelia. The two have been roommates since university, but never romanticly involved. Ibby is gay and Amelia is the product of a drunken one night stand. Jordan is a super famous drug using lead singer for one of the UK’s most famous bands. At first it is not clear how these two stories are related, but as the book progresses things begin to fall into place. A non-traditional love story about love in all its many forms. This book also took on many social issues including homophobia and drug use, I think this was done well and not heavy handed. Oh, we will,” Charlie says, slinging my book bag over her shoulder. “Don’t wait up.” She blows my mom a kiss and marches me outside. The beginning of the novel effectively has two strands; one follows Mags, Ibby and their family and the other follows Jordan Nash.It’s been eight weeks, which I guess is a long time, although I refuse to see it that way. In the general scheme of things, what’s two months? Like, a millisecond. Okay, so it’s the longest we’ve ever been apart and, yeah, I’ve missed him, but I’ve known Rob my whole life. It’s really not a big deal seeing him again. It’s been a busy summer, and it’s not like Robert Monteg is my boyfriend or anything. God, even his name flashing through my mind like that makes me nauseous. I don’t get it. It shouldn’t. We’re friends. He’s just the next-door neighbor. Charlie sighs and turns onto the highway. “Come on. I’m serious. You should be psyched. Me and Jake, you and Rob, Olivia and Ben.” She swallows after she says “Ben,” like she has a bad taste in her mouth. “We’re so ruling school this year.” First, there was the pacing. At least for me, it was really slow for the first half of the book. There would be chapters for Ibby, Maggie (Mags), and Amelia (Melie) and their life and then chapters for Jordan and his. When this was still going on, I was definitely more interested in what the family was doing over Jordan and his band, but after their two worlds finally collided, the pacing really improved. I /loved/the first reactions they had to each other! This book had so many wonderful characters in it. Maggie, Ibby, and Jordan were all well-developed likable characters who I was definitely rooting for. The secondary characters Other Max, Nikki, and Nat were great. Can I just say I loved how they called there other BFF Other max! But for me the shining star of the book was Amelia, the girl had some major spirit and fierce determination, and yet she still was sweet and vulnerable. This was an engaging and sweet story with a few unexpected twists. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters and was sad when it ended. This is my first book from Lisa Swift (with any name) but it certainly will be my last.