Riley Graham

I enjoyed Accidents & Incidents, I'd been reading some heavy going books at the same time and this was perfect to pick up and just enjoy. Each of the characters was dealing with something in their life, but it wasn't too angsty or drama filled, which I liked.
Leslie had an authentic teen voice and I felt like the school/party scenes were realistic, although Cain's father always being at his parties was weird; besides the drunken skeeze factor and creepy vibes he was giving out, I don't know show more of any parties I went to where Dad was playing bar master. That being said, it did give a little insight into Cain's future, especially if he keeps on the path he was when the book finished.

I feel for Leslie, it seems like the people who are supposed to care the most keep letting her down, so I'm glad that Dennis comes along. Despite his past (and the fact that he no longer drives), he seems like he's coping well with his issues - say compared to Cain. You do get a little information into his past, but not a lot, personally I would've liked more, but it didn't detract from my understanding or liking of Dennis.

That being said, I would've like to have seen the storyline with Meredith's sister explored more, it may have ramped up the angst a little, but it would've been great to see that fully explored, to me it was mentioned in passing and it felt a little like it was wrapped up easily, tied up at the finish of the book with a bow and there's your HEA. I wanted more.

I am hoping that there will be more books with these characters to follow, I would love to find out more about Dennis and see how Leslie and him fare. I'd also like to see how her relationship with her mum develops.

I'd recommend this to those who want a contempory YA that isn't too angsty, but that still has issues and an interesting story. show less

There are no words to describe how deeply I was touched by this book. It tugged on so many different heart strings--one minute I was happy crying and 20 minutes later I was ugly girl crying. All of those awkward emotions and insecurities and new experiences from my high school years came rushing back to me in vivid color. The beauty of reading great YA fiction in my 30s as opposed to in my teens, is that I can relate to the characters from many perspectives--as a mother, a daughter, a wife, show more a girlfriend, etc.--which only increased my emotional involvement in the story. This book was just so REAL for me...I'm speechless. Highly recommended!!!! show less

This is a really cute fast read. I enjoyed getting to know Leslie, Meredith, and Dennis and seeing them overcome so much in their young lives.
Leslie was a typical teenager, with a mother that was stressed and often took it out on her. Meredith was shown at first to be your typical high school cheerleader, but in reality, she became a very good friend to Leslie. Dennis seemed to be your loner and while I was curious as to why he was that way, I was not left to wonder for long.
I was pleased show more with the ending of the story and how you could watch each character grow through the book. show less

This is a really cute fast read. I enjoyed getting to know Leslie, Meredith, and Dennis and seeing them overcome so much in their young lives.
Leslie was a typical teenager, with a mother that was stressed and often took it out on her. Meredith was shown at first to be your typical high school cheerleader, but in reality, she became a very good friend to Leslie. Dennis seemed to be your loner and while I was curious as to why he was that way, I was not left to wonder for long.
I was pleased show more with the ending of the story and how you could watch each character grow through the book. show less