Review by Booklist Review
A predictable yet compelling romance blossoms between Mallory and Rider, the former foster brother Mallory never expected to see again. As children, Rider took the abuse their foster parents meant for Mallory for years, until they were permanently separated one horrific night when Mallory was nearly 13. Now 17, Mallory, who has always used silence as a defense mechanism, has just begun attending public school after being homeschooled by her overprotective adoptive parents, and she is shocked to see Rider there on her first day. Their bond quickly reestablishes itself as memories from the past reawaken, and Rider's girlfriend instantly feels threatened. Both Rider and Mallory realize that neither has fully dealt with their demons a problem that becomes increasingly evident as tragedy occurs in their present-day lives. Mallory's struggle to assert herself and overcome her trauma is realistic but very drawn out, and her well-off adoptive parents are almost too good to be true. Still, Mallory's struggle to change is inspiring, many characters are ethnically diverse, and Mallory and Rider's romance is satisfying. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Armentrout has an established fan base already, and this true-to-form romance boasts an extensive promotional campaign.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Seventeen-year-old Mallory Dodge is as meek as her old nickname, "Mouse," and Armentrout (the Dark Elements series) layers her backstory with significant challenges: Mallory lived in foster homes, was abused, and is nearly mute and trying to learn to speak again without fear. Mallory's present is filled with equally remarkable fortune: she has been adopted by kind doctors; sparks fly when she runs into Rider, her one-time foster home protector, at her new school; and people are generally patient, welcoming, and kind to her. Though Armentrout creates a diverse cast of characters (Rider, Mallory's parents, and several other characters share Latino backgrounds), they tend to be short on dimension. Rider is an ever-understanding hero, his girlfriend is cartoonishly mean, and Mallory's adoptive parents are nearly perfect. Mallory spends the bulk of the novel shrinking in the face of everything, and at times her innocent demeanor feels contrived. But Armentrout's effort to gradually coax her protagonist from her shell via a supportive, loving community succeeds, and readers looking for an inspirational comeback story will find Mallory's to be satisfying and hopeful. Ages 14-up. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Having survived too many violently nightmarish years in foster care, Mallory knows how lucky she is to finally have two unconditionally loving parents. After years of intensive therapy, she's ready to try something most teens expect to experience: her senior year of high school. Mallory's first day goes well enough until her last class, when she recognizes a face she hasn't seen in four years-the boy who saved her life again and again as they were growing up. "Mouse?" Rider asks, using the childhood name he gave her to remind her to stay quiet as he endured the beatings that kept Mallory as safe as possible. This older Rider is more bad boy than little boy lost, yet despite the years they spent apart, their reconnection is immediate-and threatens the peace Mallory has finally achieved. Prodigious, best-selling Armentrout's ("Dark Elements" series, "Lux" series) latest stand-alone novel is achingly narrated by Amy Landon, who infuses a somewhat predictable love story with empathy and charm. VERDICT Even the most reluctant teen readers will find this aural Problem an effective lure.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
After surviving a horrific foster home together, a girl is reunited with the boy who always sought to protect her. Mallorydubbed Mouse due to her selective mutismgrew up in a foster home with two abusive addicts. The white girl relied on biracial Latino/white Rider, another ward in the home, to keep her safe and serve as her protector. When the violence in the foster home came to a head, 13-year-old Mouse and Rider were removed from it and ultimately separated. When the novel opens, four years have passed, and Mouse has been adopted by Carlos and Rosa Rivas, wealthy physicians, who have dedicated themselves to helping her heal from past trauma and have home-schooled her. Rider, however, is still in foster care and lives a more dangerous life on the wrong side of the tracks. When Mouse enrolls in high school for her senior year, she is reunited with Rider, and though they've gone in opposite directions, their mutual pastand their blazing chemistrypulls them together. Although the intensity between Mouse and Rider is palpably sizzling, the all-too-conventional trope of the quiet girl and the bad boy is played out in classic formula fashion, sinking in its own clichs. However, die-hard romance aficionados may be able to overlook the boilerplate plotting and simply lose themselves in Mouse and Rider's smoldering glances and steamy kisses. A mainstream romance that covers well-trod territory. (Romance. 13 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
