I enjoyed this book. I had read a similar book called The Dive from Clausen's pier - similar in that they both deal with the paralysis of a loved one. Though this book was more touching b/c there was more of a connection with the characters. Very well-written book. ( )

A very low-key, gently-moving story that works because you care about the characters. Could have easily slipped into melodrama, but instead feels true-to-life. ( )

I found this book slow-going - I think maybe because I never really developed any sympathy for the characters. The story is about a newlywed couple that is involved in a horrible car accident - he's driving and she is critically injured. She survives but is paralyzed from the waist down. As they try to put their lives back together, he struggles with the guilt and she struggles with the lack of communication with her husband. It's clear she doesn't struggle with her disability for long - after her recovery and initial period of adjustment, she seems to take it in stride. The point of view in the storytelling shifts quite often - obviously two different people will see something differently, but I found the conflicting information confusing at times. Perhaps this was intentional, or perhaps I just wasn't reading carefully enough. I did think it was an interesting insight, though, when Iliana recognized that "she was exempt from societal scrutiny" (with the possible exception of her sister-in-law). But in the end the story was wrapped up too quickly, neatly, and with much less remorse than seemed plausible. ( )

I enjoyed this book; always a bonus when you read the description and you are unsure. A couple involved in a car accident learns to cope with the wife's paralysis. Both have to change. I found the arc of story realistic, even the wife's attraction to a young man who finds her condition nonthreatening enough to try to have his first sexual experience with her. The author infuses a great deal of humor making this a great beach read or vacation read. ( )

For me, the experience of reading this book was an odd one. I didn't particularly like it, but I couldn't put it down. From reading the synopsis on the back cover, this book doesn't go where you expect it to go, but it never really wraps up the loose ends, either. The flashback scenes to the wedding were so bizarre to me, I couldn't tell if they should be taken literally or if there was some big symbolism that I was missing. All in all, I really didn't care enough about the characters to feel for them.