Reviewer (text)
Vaishnavi S., Teen Board member
I’m a fan of sappy, cheesy, happy endings. I’m a fan of when things come together against all odds. I’m a fan of innovative solutions to difficult problems. I’m a fan of DQ Bakes.
That being said, I wasn’t particularly a fan of UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN by Renee Collins, a book that features two teens who meet on the beach in small-town Massachusetts. Cassandra lives in modern times, and Lawrence lives in 1925. The beginning of the book was subpar, the middle was alright but the ending was just…disappointing.
In the beginning, we get to know Cassandra (Cass) as a careless, reckless, rash, impulsive teenager who longs to be back home with her best friend and tries everything to get under her parents’ skin. It’s difficult for readers to justify her actions because she doesn’t seem to know why she acts the way she does; she fits into the overused reckless teenager trope. As the book develops, Cassandra turns into a bit of a manic pixie dream girl. The reader learns a few tidbits about Cassandra: she likes to paint, act and get her own way. She is headstrong and she is rebellious. However, Cassandra’s personality seems a bit shallow and dull to me. Cassandra’s character tries to be different by being spontaneous, but that can only get someone so far.
The encounters between Cassandra and Lawrence are strikingly exquisite --- it felt as if I was transported to the beach with them.
Then, we get to know Lawrence, who I thought was more developed than Cassandra. We learn that he loves to write poetry, has a controlling father and lives with his uncle (as well as other information, that I’ll refrain from mentioning to avoid spoilers). Soon, Cassandra and Lawrence only have eyes for each other and push others away who love and are concerned for them.
The encounters between Cassandra and Lawrence are strikingly exquisite --- it felt as if I was transported to the beach with them. The amount of romance in this book is also intriguing, and reading it was a real heartthrob. I also enjoyed Collins’ extensive imagery and style of writing.
However, I thought that the pacing was too slow, overall. While there are a few conflicts that keep UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN mildly interesting, there wasn’t anything to keep the reader on his or her toes, anticipating the next page or paragraph. And, as mentioned earlier, I was not a fan of the ending; it was predictable and full of clichés, right down to the last paragraph. It was bland and sad at the same time.
To conclude, many of my personal preferences prevented me from fully enjoying this book, but I would recommend it to fans of romance and inevitably sad endings who are 12 and older. While there is no profanity in the book, readers need to have emotional maturity to fully understand it.
Teaser
The last thing Cassandra wants is to spend the summer before her senior year marooned in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. Cass craves drama and adventure, which is hard when she just feels stuck. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on her family's private beach, claiming that it is his property-and that the year is 1925 --- Cass is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cass discovers a truth that thrusts Lawrence's life into jeopardy. Desperate to save the boy who's come to mean everything to her, Cassandra must find a way to change history...or risk losing Lawrence forever.
Promo
The last thing Cassandra wants is to spend the summer before her senior year marooned in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. Cass craves drama and adventure, which is hard when she just feels stuck. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on her family's private beach, claiming that it is his property-and that the year is 1925 --- Cass is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cass discovers a truth that thrusts Lawrence's life into jeopardy. Desperate to save the boy who's come to mean everything to her, Cassandra must find a way to change history...or risk losing Lawrence forever.
About the Book
Country clubs and garden parties. The last thing Cassandra wants is to spend the summer before her senior year marooned in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. Cass craves drama and adventure, which is hard when she just feels stuck.
But when a dreamy stranger shows up on her family's private beach, claiming that it is his property-and that the year is 1925-Cass is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cass discovers a truth that thrusts Lawrence's life into jeopardy. It won't matter which century he is from if he won't live to see tomorrow.
Desperate to save the boy who's come to mean everything to her, Cassandra must find a way to change history...or risk losing Lawrence forever.
