Plot Summary

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .

Reviews

Kirkus (20 Aug 2013. Starred Review): “A sweet and sizzling love story from Myracle. Wren and Charlie are just about to graduate from their Atlanta high school when their eyes lock and everything changes. Single-child Wren is beginning to take her ﬁrst baby steps away from her loving but overprotective parents, eschewing freshman year at Emory for a gap year in Guatemala with a service organization. Foster-child Charlie is struggling to separate, too, but from a long-standing toxic relationship, not his supportive family; he’s got a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Alternating chapters that move between Wren’s and Charlie’s third-person perspectives describe their gorgeous summer romance, capturing each as they work to deﬁne themselves as individuals and as part of a couple. Myracle applies a light touch even with heavy issues—Charlie’s life has not been an easy one—allowing readers to discover the characters even as they get to know each other. She wisely restrains herself from a potentially melodramatic foreshadowed meltdown, turning what could have been a narrative disaster into another opportunity for the characters to grow. The scenes of sexual intimacy are described with innocently erotic frankness, ofering an ideal (if not idealized) model for readers on the cusp; this is Forever… for a new generation, ofering character depth Cath and Michael never achieved. Summer love has never been so good.
Booklist (1 Sept 2013): “In this sweet and steamy romance, Myracle captures ﬁrst love, in all its topsy-turvy, tangled, passionate, and breathless glory. Wren Gray, only child and perfect daughter, is desperate to break free of her family’s predetermined plans for her, and so she defers Emory for a chance to travel to Guatemala with an organization for a year. Charlie Parker, on the other hand, has bounced around foster homes ﬁnally ﬁnding a family to call his own and earning a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Charlie has always loved Wren, and when their eyes lock at graduation, they fall hard and deep. There are intimate conversations: “Sometimes the things we hide—aren’t they the parts that matter most?”; cute text messages; and meditations on an uncertain future. And, yes, there’s sex—sensual, erotic, and meaningful—between two responsible people in love who trust one another wholeheartedly. While there are some plot missteps towrds the end, many teens will gravitate to this sensitive and emotionally wrought update of Judy Blume’s classic Forever and will see themselves reﬂected back in the characters, who love ﬁercely, as if life were one inﬁnite moment.”
School Library Journal (1 Oct 2013): “Wren Gray has spent her ﬁrst 18 years pleasing her parents, earning perfect grades and early acceptance into the school and program her dad was hoping for, and, of course, keeping clear of boyfriends. Charlie Parker has spent his ﬁrst 18 years navigating through foster homes and maintaing his position under the radar. He has loved Wren since the ﬁrst time he saw her. When chance brings them together for their ﬁrst conversation, it's electric, and they both know that neither one of them will ever be the same. Wren just might have the courage to look for what she wants out of life-and Charlie just might ﬁnally know what true love is. This charming romance has multidimensional characters, straightforward sexuality, and a pace that lets readers fall in love with the main characters. Myracle expertly captures the intense connection of ﬁrst love, from the need to spend every moment together to trying to ﬁgure out how to communicate with one another. The abrupt ending feels out of sync with the rest of the book, but readers should be pleased with it nonetheless. Myracle does not remove the physical aspects of two teens in love, bringing to mind Judy Blume's Forever. A romantic read that doesn't shy away from steaminess.”
New York Times (3 June 2018): Mike Muñoz is a Holden Caulﬁeld for a new millennium … Evison, as in his previous four novels, has a light touch and humorously guides the reader, this time through the mineﬁeld that is working-class America … Evison's subject matter and wit are a welcome departure from self-conscious M.F.A. trust-funded prose - one of his many comic targets, along with Walmart, puppy mills and inbred, rich white folks. As he chases the American dream, Mike loses two teeth in a kitchen extraction scene (no insurance), but gains so much more - a social conscience, romance and his niche in life. Not to mention a laughing, sometimes teary, audience who stay with him until the very last page.”

Responses to Challenges

Forsyth County Schools, Georgia (Feb 2022)- Title included in a ban along with seven other

titles; the district banned the books from its libraries for their sexually explicit content. ● Carmel Clay Schools, Indiana (Feb 2022)- Title removded from libraries, stated as lack of interest and age of title.

Middlebury Community Schools, Indiana (Jan 2022)- Title removed after parent complaint, initially was listed as available for check out with parent permission.

Indian River County Schools, Florida (March 2022)- Title was under investigation but according to most current information, title is only available at high school. See full list of titles reviewed here

Updated 19 June 2022

Book Resume created by Virginia Library Association and PDSAL

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