Something In The Way (Something In The Way #01) - Jessica Hawkins

Title: Something In The Way (Something In The Way #01)
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Weapenry Cooperative for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.

It was a hot summer day when I met him on the construction site next to my parents' house. Under the sweat and dirt, Manning Sutter was as handsome as the sun was bright. He was older, darker, experienced. I wore a smiley-face t-shirt and had never even been kissed. Yet we saw something in each other that would link us in ways that couldn't be broken...no matter how hard we tried.

I loved Manning before I knew the meaning of the word. I was too young, he said. I would wait. Through all the carefully-chosen words hiding what we knew to be true, through his struggle to keep me innocent, and through infinitely-starry nights--I would wait. But I'd learn that life isn't always fair. That no matter how much you achieve, none of it matters if you suffer the heartbreak that comes with falling for someone you can never have. Because even though I saw Manning first, that didn't matter. My older sister saw him next.

I loved this book. How's that for a review? Four simple words. Alright, I'll go into detail, haha.

While searching for book two, I've come around a very negative review written in German. I can safely say that I don't understand the reader's motives for rating the book the way he/she did at all. "Naive characters. I wasted my money on this one." I can't agree, sorry. Sure enough, Lake isn't the most mature female character you've ever come across, but... She's only sixteen. Can you really blame the author for creating a believable heorine? And Manning's parts... There are way too few to judge him as naive. He's anything but that. I could feel his struggle while reading his point of views. He's been through so much and I can't wait to find out more about his life before he ever met Lake and her sister Tiffany.

Well, yeah... Tiffany. I'm part of Jessica Hawkins' group on Facebook and laughed so hard when somebody described Tiffany's character as a bitch. That sums it up. And oddly enough, Lake still adores her, because she's her big sister. Maybe it's because I'm an only child, but I didn't quite get that part. Tiffany has said some awful things to her, but she's still running back to her. Truth be told, Lake sometimes just said what's on her mind as well and should have thought a little harder before 'slamming her sister in the face like that.' I loved how Manning handled these situations when he was with them. Such a protector. All female readers are swooning over him, I can tell.

Also, yes, Lake might appear like the typical teenage girl you read about often - daddy's little girl who wants to make him proud and doesn't even care about her own dreams in return because it'd make her feel horrible. But for Lake's character, that background story fit so well. I can't say I liked it, because of course it gets you mad to think a parent would hold their child up, instead of encouraging it to follow his/her dreams. So I never looked forward to these scenes, but they were necessary. At least Lake's mom wasn't like that, though she didn't speak up, either. Tiffany seemed to be the only rebel, though her motives are highly doubtful. But at least she didn't let anyone tell her what to do, so that's a good thing, right?!

Usually, I've come to dislike reading about summer camps, but gah, I was so excited to read about Lake's experience for that summer, hoping something between Manning and her would happen. The author did a really good job of creating a story that you don't want to put down. Eventually, I had to when my phone's battery was dead, but the whole time, I kept thinking, "I really want to continue reading. Charge already!" It was just so damn good!

I'm a sucker for books like this one. And I mean exactly like this one. The plot was amazing, I loved the story idea (simply because I have written a very similiar story like this one, too) and though I hated that it ended with a cliffhanger (but I still loved it, secretly) and I thought Manning's story toward the end was too brutal (no blood, don't worry), I enjoyed every second reading Something In The Way. I can't wait to read the sequel Somebody Else's Sky and the third book as well. There are so many things we need to find out about - will Lake still follow her father's footsteps or will she make a decision of her own? What about Tiffany? What about Manning? What about just everything, basically? I need book number two right now. Somebody give it to me!