TRIGGER WARNING

CONTAINS DISCUSSION/FLASHBACKS SURROUNDING RAPE, PTSD, ALCOHOLISM 

Contemporary isn't my go to genre but The Leading Edge of Now caught my eye on NetGalley and I was very please to have a chance to read it - I went with my gut, just like Faith, and I am glad that I did.  This is a stunning example of how a YA contemporary novel should be written.  It was engaging, heart breaking, thought provoking and uplifting and I loved it.  

Grace Cochran is a well likeable protagonist and her inner monologue is very well written, she is humorous and complicated and quite obviously suffering from some emotional trauma.  Her relationships with the other characters in the book are well done, and the side characters were very three-dimensional, you could tell that alot of thought had gone into them - I especially liked Rusty and Owen.

Overall a very well written novel which shows the aftermath of rape and grief, and how she begins to finally heal.  The big reveal I found was quite shocking, to the characters as well as myself.

Would I Recommend It?

Yes definitely – I read it in one sitting.  I honestly couldn't put it down.  Read it, I don't think you will regret it!  I did cry a couple of times, so tissues are a must.

5/5 ✰

This was an eye opening read and it made me laugh and cry. We follow Grace through her ups and downs and watch her grow. I want to caution those of you that may be sensitive towards certain material. There is a trigger warning for rape in this book. Overall I think the book was clever and fun and sad and surprising all at once. Let me just tell you when I got to one specific part, I did not see it coming. I would recommend this definitely

DNF. While the writing was okay I found the start slow and hard to get into. I look forward to try more from this author.

When you walk into a book that seems like it's going to be just another young adult contemporary romance story, you get completely blown away by what's to come. Because, while the romance is a little heavy in the beginning and still serves as a plot device throughout the book, this is really about a girl who faces the aftermath of sexual assault. And right now, this story feels more important than ever.

Grace is a stronger YA protagonist than most. She's hardened by her past, but she never truly wallows in it or lets it own her. She isn't the stereotype of characters whose actions define them, who never move past what has happened to them. She even asks whether she'll always be "The Girl Who Was Sexually Assaulted," but she's strong enough to answer that question for herself: <i>no</i>. While she's unraveling the case, she has no problem admitting that she isn't okay, that she's not in the best place - but she's "carrying on," which is the best she can do in the moment.

The rest of the characters are good in their own ways. The love interest obviously serves a purpose to the romance subplot, but he's also a genuinely good person who tries to help Grace uncover the assault because he cares. Much like every other character, he acknowledges the situation for what it is, and I think that's important to see in this novel. Grace questions whether it's her fault, and Owen says it's his fault for leaving her alone that night, but ultimately they, and everyone around them, have no problem accepting the issue for what it is and blaming only the rapist, which isn't always what happens. But rather than seem like an impossible situation, this book is churned in a way that can give hope to girls: that they will have a community to support them, that reporting cases is the right thing to do, that they won't always be That Girl, and that they are not alone.

I recommend checking out this new YA novel, it deals with important topics that need to be talked about more in society.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW by Marci Lyn Curtis in exchange for my honest review.***

Holy unexpected awesomeness, Batman.

What if your father died and you spent two years languishing in foster care right after you were sexually assaulted by your boyfriend Owen while you were passed out on Ambien? What if you spent those last two years blaming yourself, unable to talk to your best friend, because she’s Owen’s sister? What if you’re now living with your uncle, and Owen lives right next door? What if you were wrong and Owen wasn’t yikes rapist?

Marci Lyn Curtis gave Grace a haunting, memorable voice, steeped in raw pain and gorgeous words. I can’t remember when I highlighted so many beautiful phrases.

The blurb for THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW doesn’t begin to capture the specialness of this gem. The story is so special I’m not sure I can put all the reasons why into one review.

Grace’s character is imperfect and complex and messy and completely understandable. She’s tough on people and slow to trust, but who wouldn’t be after losing her only parent and waiting for two years for her only relative to seek custody. She’s wounded, but who isn’t after sexual assault, grief and abandonment. And she’s not so hurt that she’s a trope of the victim/survivor who pushes everyone away only thinking of herself until a Hero breaks through her shell. Grace is her own hero, with support.

I want to read every book Curtis has written and want her to write more books as quickly as possible. #TheLeadingEdgeOfNow is a book I will reread and perpetually recommend.

Wow. This book was so incredibly powerful and took me complely by surprise. I was so emerged by it that, once the plot twist came, I just couldn’t stop reading..

Trigger Warnings: rape, death, and grief

I cannot remember the last time a book made me cry, but this was emotional and beautiful and fantastically written. I’m so grateful to have read this.

The beginning hooked me immediately, and I kept reading for the amazing story that unfolded. Primarily, I loved the way Curtis wrote the book. Her words, pacing, and ability to create such dynamic characters all added to the quality way in which she formed such a poignant novel. The twist was definitely unexpected as well, and I couldn’t stop reading.

Also, all of the emotions associated with PTSD and grief were described so well, which many authors seem to struggle with, but this story was as realistic as it was heartbreaking.

Beyond what little I mentioned above, I could not hope to do this book justice through a review, so I urge to please add this to your TBR.

My heart ached with and for Grace from "The Leading Edge of Now" as I read her story. Grace was raped, then her dad died, and she spent two years in foster care. When her uncle gains custody of her the world changes to black and white to an ambiguous gray. Who was responsible for the rape? Why did it take Grace's uncle two years to seek out custody?

Marci Lyn Curtis did an excellent job of portraying Grace's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the symptoms of that disorder. Interwoven with the pain and PTSD was Grace's grief over losing the one parental figure that she had known in her life. This book moved me to tears multiple times. As someone who was sexually assaulted, I understand the triggers, flashbacks, and avoidance all too well. Sexual assault is a much too common story in our society but still a fairly taboo topic of conversation. Thank you, Marci, for boldly engaging with such a difficult topic.

There are no clear-cut answers in life and Marci reminds readers of that again and again as Grace seeks out things that are maybes. Sometimes you have to take the initiative and see what happens: good, bad or ugly. I appreciate that the ending wasn't a cookie cutter happily ever after. Life doesn't work that way. But it's still okay and there are good times mixed in with the hard days.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, breakups, death, grief, alcohol abuse