*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can’t tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn’t have interested Old Emma. But New Emma—the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia—New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge. Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death—and maybe, for love?
Emma's mother has died, but her body is kept alive for the baby growing inside her. The moment you read that, you know it's not going to be an easy fluffy novel.
It's a story about a family that got lost and now they have to find a way back, to become a new sort of family. They will have to find some sort of happiness or else it stays this dysfunctional mess.
Emma has an overload of emotions, mostly anger. She is so mad at Dan, her stepfather, for choosing to keep her mother alive pure for the baby. At least that is the way Emma sees it. The anger and the sadness are often so overwhelming to read about. I really liked the intensity of the emotions, though they were often very misplaced.
I had difficulties connecting with Emma, because I didn't understand her reasoning and thought she was often being very selfish. It's only three quarters in when you finally get to know the real reasoning why Emma has been behaving so badly on all aspects of her life and why she is so scared. Unfortunately for me it was a bit too late, certainly since it doesn't seem to resolve anything.
In this novel the love story doesn't overrule the entire book. As in, it is present, but it doesn't become the main focus. It is about Emma and her personal struggle with losing her mom and the baby inside her. Which I thought was a bit misleading when you read the summary. Caleb has a big impact on Emma, but I would liked to have seen more of his life. I mostly see the way meeting Caleb has helped Emma, not the other way around though.
Overall the story really grips your heart and it will make you think about spending some more quality time with the family and not taking them for granted.
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