We'll Never Be ApartAuthor: Emiko Jean
Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 6, 2015
Format: eARC
Pages: 293
Source: Publisher
Murder.
Fire.
Revenge.
That’s all seventeen-year-old Alice Monroe thinks about. Committed to a mental ward at Savage Isle, Alice is haunted by memories of the fire that killed her boyfriend, Jason. A blaze her twin sister Cellie set. But when Chase, a mysterious, charismatic patient, agrees to help her seek vengeance, Alice begins to rethink everything. Writing out the story of her troubled past in a journal, she must confront hidden truths.
Is the one person she trusts only telling her half the story? Nothing is as it seems in this edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller
Okay, here’s the thing … I knew what was going on after I read the prologue, and almost quit reading because I figured why bother if I already figured it out. I thought it would be another disappointing YA mystery/thriller. Well, luckily I don’t always listen to myself and continued reading, because We’ll Never Be Apart was actually pretty good!
This is a quick read that really sucked me in and held my attention once I decided to give it a chance. It was a totally different experience reading it with certain knowledge already, and while I thought that would put a damper on it, it actually turned out that I enjoyed seeing it for what it was and how various situations were handled. So what I initially perceived to be a negative, turned out to be a positive. And I absolutely love how the author wove past and present, forming a bigger picture to unfold the truth.
Honestly, Chase is a major reason I continued reading at first. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a guy with a sense of humor and a bit of a rebel streak. And while I had major points of the story figured out, Chase kept me curious as to what his true intentions were.
Which brings us to our dear Alice. The girl is locked away in a mental ward facing the possibility of murder charges all thanks to her twin sister. Ah, siblings, right? Alice is determined to exact revenge. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed Alice, and I believe that’s partly to do with what I already knew but can’t say. Ohhh cryptic! No, but seriously, she’s a character that got increasingly interesting as the story progressed.
Overall, We’ll Never Be Apart wound up being a pleasant surprise. It may not be the most complex or intense psychological thriller, but it’s still a fun and crazy ride.
Dr. Goodman opens group therapy with a poem about acceptance. He then asks us to partner up and talk about acceptance and what that means to us. Of course Chase, my new bestie, turns his chair toward mine, leans back, and crosses his arms. Our knees brush. He assumes we’re going to be partners. He assumes wrong.
“I don’t feel like talking today.” I pull out a piece of origami paper and begin to fold.
“And I accept that,” Chase says. ”I knew we’d make a good team.”
It’s great that you decided to give this book a chance, despite you being hesitant about it. I love a good MC with a sense of humour, glad that Chase had that!
I’m very nitpicky with my YA mystery/thriller reads especially since I’ve already read one of the best (Dangerous Girls and Dangerous Boys) and it has made my standard for this genre so high. With that said, I’ll maybe consider this one… hopefully, the reveal or climax would make up for the things it lack.
I’m glad you enjoyed this even if you figured out some things very early on, Christy! I sometimes am able to enjoy a story anyway, but then, the characters have to be really strong. That definitely seems to be the case here. Pushing We’ll Never Be Apart up on my TBR list 😉
Enjoy your week and happy reading.
I am super excited for this one and have been for a long time. I am glad you still enjoyed it even though you figured it out at the prologue! Great review!
Awesome review! I wasn’t sure how good this one would be, but your review makes me want to read it.
I’ve been hearing good things about this one and I think I need to get to it because it sounds entertaining even though it was predictable.
And Chase sounds like my kind of guy too! 🙂
Great review, Christy! 🙂
Oooo love it when I think I’m not going to like something, or that it’s not worth it because I figured something out early, and then it turns out to be a damn good read! So glad that was the case here, and now I really want to read this one to see if I can figure it out as early as you did Christy!!!
Oh, that cover is slightly creepy! I haven’t heard of this one, but I love how you still took the chance on this one and really enjoyed it! Great review, Christy.
I’m so glad you stuck with this one and liked it Christy. It really was a fun read and yes, it totally went super fast too, which was nice.
Great review!!
So am I. I’d been disappointed by many YA books in this genre, but the author did a really good job.
I have been wanting to read this! I love that you enjoyed it, even though it was predictable 🙂 I love YA Thrillers, but most times they are pretty easy to figure it out. I need this book!
You should read it, Sarah, it is pretty good.
Great review! I also don’t mind knowing how it’ll pan out…I still enjoy seeing how the author unravels everything. 🙂
Sometimes it can ruin a book, but in this case, it worked because the author did a really good job.
You would love the psychotic Alice. Ha ha. I am glad that you kept with this one and that it was good, I am curious about it myself.
I never said she was psychotic, that’s something you’ll have to find out. But yeah, of course I’m attracted to crazy. lol. I think you’d like this this one.
I love a pleasant surprise! So much better than disliking a highly anticipated book! This does sound interesting and since I don’t read too much YA in general and am not sure I’ve read any that’s of the thriller variety this definitely sounds worth trying. Great review!
So very true! You should try it, I think you’d like this book.
This reminds me a little of Balzhar, but without the magic realism. I love the cover, superbly creepy and the storyline sounds pretty good. It’s not something I’d normally pick up but it sounds delicious and I love books that reveal the ending then trace back to the start again. Great review Christy, looking forward to grabbing a copy <3
I’m not familiar with Balzhar, but yeah, this definitely doesn’t have magical realism. 😀
Fun and crazy is nice, it does not always need to be complex. Mostly when my brain needs a rest 😉
lol! Agreed.
Great to hear it drew you in and kept your attention
I’m glad it did too. 😉
I enjoy these style stories. I’ve learned a few times to keep reading b/c sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. Glad Chase was such an engaging character and that Alice grew on you.
I’ve been disappointed by so many YA books in this genre, so I thought it would be the same ol’ thing after I read the prologue. But the author did a really good job with it.
Figuring something out usually doesn’t deter me from reading the book, but if I felt burnt out on the whole thing, I think I would have second guessed it as well. Glad you read it anyway and then enjoyed it. I cannot wait to read this one. Brilly review even if cryptic. 😉
Hope you like it too!
Funny rebels and mental wards? Yes please. I have this on my Kindle and have been meaning to get to it, and then I kept hearing mixed reviews. I’m glad to see that someone who guessed the ending still had fun with the ride. It gives me hope that I might enjoy it, even if I find it formulaic.
C.J.
I hope you enjoy it, CJ!
Glad Chase made it worth reading! So glad you ended up enjoying yourself
Alice definitely made it worth reading too, just in a different way. 😉
Sometimes, I like predictable mysteries…especially when I’m being lazy. Lol.
Indeed. Sometime that can be annoying with YA though. Thankfully, this turned out to be one of the better ones.
A funny rebel, bad combination. Great combination. And there’s a revenge twist too? sounds awesome
Yeah, it was really good!
I’m glad you stuck with this one and ended up enjoying it. I am hoping to read this one soon!
I’m sure you’ll like it, Lauren.
I do like the sound of Chase. And the concept is awesome, but it seems like it’s just an okay read, which scares me.
I thought it would be an okay read, but it was actually much better than okay.
That’s strange you could already figure out what was going on from the prologue, but that’s great you still gave it a try and enjoyed it. With some books seeing it all play out and how it happens is part of the fun. Case sounds like an interesting character with how you didn’t know his true intentions. Great review!
I can’t wait for this book! I really want to read it, and I’m not that much of a fan of Thriller novels, but this is really intriguing. Great review! Chase sounds like an awesome guy. Haha!
Like the sound of this actually, I think the characters would hook me in. Love the quote you shared.
I like my characters with a bit of rebel streak too. Nice review, Christy! 🙂