One Small Thing by Erin Watt
Beth’s life hasn’t been the same since her sister died. Her parents try to lock her down, believing they can keep her safe by monitoring her every move. When Beth sneaks out to a party one night and meets the new guy in town, Chase, she’s thrilled to make a secret friend. It seems a small thing, just for her.
Only Beth doesn’t know how big her secret really is…
Fresh out of juvie and determined to start his life over, Chase has demons to face and much to atone for, including his part in the night Beth’s sister died. Beth, who has more reason than anyone to despise him, is willing to give him a second chance. A forbidden romance is the last thing either of them planned for senior year, but the more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings get.
Now Beth has a choice to make—follow the rules, or risk tearing everything apart…again.
Caroline's Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a fab, angsty teen read dealing with grief, forgiveness, growing up and first love.
"No cage is forever, Beth. I tried to find one small thing that I could be grateful for each day."
Beth lives in a cage not of her choosing. Protected, restricted, and cosseted, her terrified parents keep her close for fear of losing their remaining daughter. They don't realise that their fears are slowly suffocating her to the extent that she's desperate to shrug off the invisible chains behave out of character. One night of liberty ends up with her meeting a gorgeous, mysterious boy.
"He's alive. I'm alive...And I have to let my broken heart heal instead of pretending I've been fine."
Chase has just been released from a cage also not of his choosing. One moment of acting out changed the course of his life and that of Beth's family. He's a pariah at his new school. When he comes face to face with the girl from the party, both realise that whatever was between them could never be. They are off limits to each other.
"I won't let us be wrong. I rise on my tiptoes and press my lips against his."
This was such an angsty read. Beth has had to deal with the fallout of being the only surviving child of her parents. Their controlling ways has her counting down the days to when she can escape to college. She struggles to even behave like a normal teenager when her parents are constantly monitoring her. I enjoyed her moment of liberty but her approach to enjoying the freedom was unfortunately not always successful.
Chase is a massively stoic character. My heart went out to him as we witness how he's treated by the kids at his school, and how he feels that it's part of his penance.
The connection between them was amazing and wholly forbidden. Beth knows that she should hate him but the chemistry between them, as well as Chase's wisdom, help her to see that she needed a different approach to dealing with her parents, and also to realise that her own happiness is in her own hands.
A fab YA read!
Purchase Links
Amazon: http://geni.us/OSTAmz
iBooks: http://geni.us/OSTiB
Kobo: http://geni.us/OSTKobo
Nook: http://geni.us/OSTNook
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