LEAVING PARADISE by Simone Elkeles

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(from Goodreads)
Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.
After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.
Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.
What can I say? Simone Elkeles has done it again! This is the second book that I have read from her and I loved this book also!

This book is about two teenagers Caleb and Maggie who go through something together, but it affects their lives differently. Caleb ends up in Juvenile Detention for a year and Maggie ends up in the hospital and therapy for a year.

After Caleb is released from Juvenile Detention, both teenagers have to figure out how to put their lives back together. What they soon realize though is that their lives have changed and can never be put back to the way it used to be.

Maggie has to learn to be the person she was before this incident and not hide the way she has been since. She also has to deal with her feelings towards/about Caleb. Before the incident they were friends, but after she isn't so sure. There are so many emotions that Maggie deals with and she doesn't really have anyone to turn to. Nobody understands how she feels. Nobody, except the one person that she shouldn't be confiding in.

And Caleb has to learn how to fit back in at school and how to deal with all of the feelings he has going on inside of him. He knows that things have changed since he has been away and he is trying not to fall back into his old ways.

This books deals with forgiveness, understanding, love, trust and friendship. There is drama, romance and a secret in this book that surprised me when I found it out. I knew something was up, but not that!

I believe that the teenagers dealt with this a lot better then the adults and I also believe that sometimes in life the adults can learn something from those younger then them.

If you haven't read this book or do not have it on your TBR list I suggest that you add it. A great book that you won't regret reading!


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