Sadly this book was archived before I could download to read it. It has been added to my TBR and I’ll keep an eye out for it again in the future or at my local library.

An amazing book with loveable characters, I've reread it a few times and can't believe it has taken me so long to do my review.

This book was equal parts cringe-worthy cheesy but cute and sweet and also really good at showcasing anxiety and depression. I'm a sucker for men with lip rings so I was all about that, even though he's only 17. lol. I enjoyed a lot of the ooey gooey high school flirting scenes, too cute. Lots of cheesy lines though but hey, high school. I thought Royer did a great job with Levi's anxiety, panic attacks, depression, self-doubt, it felt very real and it's important to see and read about. I will be reading the sequel on Wattpad

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this title. It just wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this title. I will not be posting a review online, in order not to skew the ratings. Thanks for the opportunity to read it.

thought I would like a YA book as much as this one. Royer has done an excellent job in her portrayal of Levi, a teen so devastated by the loss of his girlfriend that he quits talking. Levi is from Australia but is sent to live in Maine with his dad in an effort to bring him out of his depression.

I thought that the character of Levi was very well rounded. We see him initially as an angry young man but slowly, we see the more vulnerable side to him as he heals from the loss of Delia.

I loved the character of Delilah, the girl he meets when he moves to main…someone who in some sense reminds him of Delia. Watching their relationship evolve was fun…and sometimes sad and frustrating. But Delilah was such a good friend to Levi and was very helpful in his healing process.

And there was some comic relief from Aiden and Caleb, both great friends to Levi but insanely funny, especially the interactions between Caleb and Levi. And there is Mitchell, who stutters and how the group takes him in.

I would recommend this multidimensional story to anyone. I’m not a teen or young adult, but I loved the story with it making me laugh or pushing me to the point of tears.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was a good surprise. You realize the author really researched about mental illnesses, and took her time to make it believeble, though it was kind of rushed form the second half on.

But, if you consider that it was written by a teenager, it was really great. I think she was really brave to write about a subject so hard, and where many has failed before her.

If you want read this book waiting for a romance, you´ll be severely disappointed. It focus on Levi his mental illness and how he cope, or not cope, with it.

It´s really worthy of your time.

This wasn't a bad book, but the beginning didn't grab me, so I skipped to chapter 29. It was good from that point to the end and I don't feel like I missed anything by skipping over 20 chapters.

That can be a good thing, the author so fleshed out the characters that no matter where you jump in on the story, they are real to you and you don't need back story on them, or bad if the characters are just tropes the reader can follow along with at any stage of the book.

I would say this is a combo. The characters are kind of trope-y, but they have their own distinct personality, so they aren't just "emo crying depressed boy who wears all black and won't talk", "girl who reminds emo boy of the dead girlfriend", "best friend who stands by emo boy no matter what", "concerned mom and dad". It was close, but they weren't JUST the trope.

Honestly, I think Lucy was the saving grace in the book. She was a typical cute little kid and that worked as a balance. She was a character who was herself despite the adults around her and she is realistic to just about anybody who knows little kids. I don't know anyone like Levi who is going through such a difficult time, so while I could sympathize, I couldn't empathize.

And to be honest, in the beginning, he was a REAL piece of work. He was the reason I skipped ahead. Him and the fact that what happened to his girlfriend didn't come out until much later in the book, at least from what I read. I didn't want a mystery of why he was acting the way he was, I wanted to know the cause of it. Might have mitigated his really nasty behavior in the beginning somewhat.

Not a bad book and it does discuss very serious topics, such as depression and the loss of a loved one on a teen level. Three solid stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Zonderkidz-Books Blink for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

Opening line:

"When I was younger, I loved when it rained."

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Sometimes angsty teen books are over the top but this one was just right.
After Levi's girlfriend dies in a car accident, he can't seem to get himself out his depression. As a final and last resort, his mom sends him his home in Australia to his dad in Maine, in the hope that a change of scenery will help.
When Levi gets to America he is angry and hurt and determined to hate everything. He pushes away everyone, including his dad. But people don't give up on him. And gradually, slowly, Levi warms up to his neighbors Aiden and Delilah and Lucy.
The story is realistic in how Levi handles his pain. He cries, really cries and is embarrassed when someone catches him. He screams and yells and pushes. He stays in bed for days. His friends come back again and again. At first they write him off as rude and not worth their time. But they keep trying. It's a great story of friendship and hope and love and forgiveness.

Language: a few words
Sex: Kissing, holding hands
Violence: no

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the early read!