Title: Before You Go
Author: James Preller
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 199
Source: Publisher

The summer before his senior year, Jude (yes, he’s named after the Beatles song) gets his first job, falls in love for the first time, and starts to break away from his parents. Jude’s house is kept dark, and no one talks much—it’s been that way since his little sister drowned in a swimming pool seven years ago when Jude was supposed to be watching her.

Now, Jude is finally, finally starting to live. Really live. And then, life spins out of control. Again.

Jude hasn't had the easiest life. Having lived his entire teenage existence with an overwhelming shadow of grief looming over him due to his sister's death, he needs this summer. He needs a change, and he's ready to finally break free of the darkness that's held him in its clutches since that tragic day. Jude is ready to live, and when he meets Becka, he thinks his life is just about ready to get back to normal. But life has other plans for him, and things are just about to get messy and complicated. Again.

Can you imagine the enormous weight of guilt you might feel if someone died on your watch? That, in a nutshell, is the heart and soul of Before You Go, an angst-filled novel by James Preller. With an entirely original writing style meant to engage the intended young adult crowd, the is quick, fast-paced and is easily read in a single night. Sweeping you into the saga of a teenager whose real-life drama is a thousand times more weighted than that of normal teenage life, we're given a story in which we can only hope for redemption and ultimate peace.

You know, I waited a really long time to actually sit down and write the review for Before You Go because, to be entirely honest, I'm not sure what I actually got out of this novel. The book starts with a crash - literally - sending us spiralling into the story in an extremely dramatic manner. I was excited because in a book this slim, a fast-paced plot is key. I have to say that, at the very least, the pacing was a strength for Before You Go because it never lagged, and it definitely moved at a steady, believable pace. Jude was a pretty true-to-life teen boy, as well. His overwhelming guilt made him a bit hard to access because he was, more often than not, closed off emotionally, and this distanced me as a reader. There were some extremely expressive instances, however, where I caught a glimpse of who he truly was, but they were fleeting, and I found that frustrating. Furthermore, I have to be honest and say that I had most of my issues with the actual plot. We're given a series of relationships and events, but they're mere shadows. I can't say that any singular plot point stands out as the climax, and there was a lack of resolution in the conclusion that made me wonder what happened to the rest of Before You Go. Furthermore, if I might be petty for a brief moment, the over-abundance of odd slang throughout really through me off and really left me feeling very unattached. 

Overall, I hate to say it, but I really expected (and hoped for) more. It wasn't a bad read, and I think that with more detail and emotion, Before You Go could have been solid gold. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction with a male MC.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are your go-to summer books and/or what are you most excited to read this summer?

It's almost that time of year again, kids! You know, that time for flip-flops, otter pops and sunbathing. Living in snowy New England the past two winters (which I love, mind you) has made me come to really appreciate summer, and we finally had a taste of warmth today. So, naturally, it had me thinking what summer reads I'm going to have to plop in my beach bag this year. I have my go-to books that I can't live without in my summer collection. I find that summer is a great time for contemporary, to be honest, and it's when I discovered my first love of all things contemporary - Raw Blue.

Raw Blue is arguably the best contemporary book I've ever read in the YA genre. There's something so tangible in the prose, and there's just a certain something the characters have that keeps me coming back for more. No matter how many times I read Carly's story, I can't get enough. With the surf, sun and sand as the backdrop, also known as Aussie land, it's got enough depth to keep you hooked on a hot summer's day, but just a touch of the summer lovin' to ensure you don't lose your love of the season. Of course, I have other favourites - namely Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler...oddly enough, another issue book. I think there's something wrong with me! (Kidding, of course.)

This summer, however, I am super excited to add some new potential favourites to my list! I have a whole bucket list of books for summer '12, but I've narrowed it to my top four, and I'm getting excited just thinking about them:

a) The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin, b) Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha van Leer, c) Lost Girls by Ann Kelley, d) Before You Go by James Preller

So, if you're looking for me this summer, I'll be at the beach...with all my go-to books and new favourites in tow!

FIRST OF ALL...I am so so so so SO sorry for the sudden hiatus this past week. Some of you may have known, but I recently to the greater Boston area for my new job, and I was renting from a lady whom we all trusted. Well, this lady decided not to pay her mortgage on the place I was renting from her, so the place is under foreclosure. Needless to say, it threw a wrench in my plans. Things are falling into place now, and my lease is being upheld by the bank (thank God), but I needed this hiatus to figure it all out. SO, my point is, I'm back! :)

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In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (ARC) - Thank you, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie (ARC) - Thank you, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (ARC) - Thank you, Feiwel & Friends

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (ARC) - Thank you, Feiwel & Friends

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (ARC) - Thank you, Farrar, Strauss & Giroux

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne (ARC) - Thank you, Feiwel & Friends

Before You Go by James Preller (ARC) - Thank you, Feiwel & Friends

Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell (ARC) - Thank you, PYR