Author: Mary Elizabeth
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mental Illness
Rating: Definitely more than 5 stars
Have you ever woken up one day and just felt sad? Not the everyday emotion but the deep rotted emotion that literally weighs tons on your back? It takes everything out of you. You are left feeling fragile, tired and bare. But you know what happens? We wake up the next day and we are reminded about all the love and light in our lives. The darkness slowly shies away and light becomes a dominant force. We forget about that sadness...
What happens when that sadness never leaves? Never gives you a break? What happens then?
True Love Way is a powerful read. Not because of it has crazy action or over the top plot. It is powerful because of its words and the feelings it conjures. It is a perspective I have never read before. There were so many layers, so much darkness, so much light, so much life; it was stifling. Because of that, I will never True Love Way again. I honestly can't go through it again. I honestly think I lost a part of myself to this novel.
True Love Way revolves around a town, Castle Rain, near Washington. There is nothing too special about the town expect for the fact that it rains and the cliffs by the shore resemble a castle barrier. Dillion and his family have been living in this small town for years. They aren't used to new comers. One day, the house that has been empty for years next to theirs welcomes a new family. One summer day, a few days before 8th grade starts, Dillion watches as a family moves into the house next to his. More importantly, he focuses on a little girl with heart shaped red glasses and bubble gum all over her face. He is instantly fascinated.
We lie in the dark, in the middle of the day, making silent promises and voiceless convictions.
Penelope and Dillion become fast friends. There friendship is built on truth. When school starts, they ride bikes to school together and altogether click. However, it isn't all easy. Dillion soon finds out that there are days where Penelope can't get out of bed. She is sad. She wear sunglasses everywhere she goes to feel invisible. The problem is the darkness within her does not ignore her. It taunts her, breaks her. The sadness is all consuming.
Other times she threw up on herself or pounded on her chest until she bruised because she said it hurt on the inside.
Dillion realises something is wrong from a very early age. He makes it his life to make her smile and always support her. Their bond is powerful. There is genuine love and adoration for each other. They bring out the best in each other. But the issue remains, will their bond be able to beat the darkness? It is a long journey, with ups and down, rights and lefts, happiness and sadness. I don't want to go more into it. Just know True Love Way is a story to be read and experienced. I am warning you it is a bit tough to get through. But so worth it.
She trusts me enough to let me have her love. Penelope comes to me when she needs help.
But I can’t save her.
I don't think I have ever loved a hero as much as this novel. I challenge anyone to find a better hero than Dillion. He encompasses everything good in the world; he is kind, loving, supporting and loyal. He is also human and there were scenes where my heart broke for him. But nothing compares to how my heart felt for Penelope. It was such a shock seeing the world from her perspective. It was almost chilling. But most importantly, I loved the LOVE in this story. Not only the love of a boy and a girl. But the love of a wife and husband, father and daughter, a friend.
Sending my fist into the glass one more time, it splinters completely until my reflection is unrecognizable. I’m nothing but razor-sharp fragments, a kaleidoscope of wreckage.
What Mary Elizabeth does so well is embrace life with all its faults and all. There is nothing else an author can do but be honest with the readers. True Love Way will stay long in my heart. Whenever I feel happy and light, I will make sure to be grateful for those moments. This was a bit of a personal review but I don't think I could have delivered it any other way. So please show this author some love, and read True Love Way .
“Dillon,” Penelope whispers. “Sometimes I’m so sad.”
“That’s okay.”
“I don’t know how to fix it,” she admits. Emotion pools in her brown eyes.
“I’ll help you,” I say.
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