I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios Published by Henry Holt and Co., MacMillian on February 3rd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, YA, Young Adult
Goodreads
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.
Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.
I received an electronic copy of this book for my review. This does not influence my opinion on the book or the contents of my review.
I was nervous to read I’ll Meet You There, it’s been on my radar since the synopsis and cover first came out but I’m glad to say it did not disappoint. If anything, I’ll Meet You There reminds me so much why I love contemporary YA, the scope of possibility and view is never-ending- and I’ll Meet You There definitely had those elements.
In the summer after her high-school graduation, Sky can’t wait to get out of Creek View. It’s a small town dead-end town and with a full scholarship to a school in San Francisco, Skylar can’t wait for the summer to be over so she can leave. Enter, Josh. Just returned from his tour in Afghanistan with the Marines and without a leg, he’s back in Creek View. Told in somewhat alternating perspectives, I’ll Meet You There is the story of Skylar and Josh- and how they find their home, even when the thought they didn’t have one.
I don’t know how to even describe the magic that is I’ll Meet You There. Yes, it’s a love story, but it’s also about overcoming the past, learning to move on and dealing with whatever life throws at you. It’s both magical and beautiful.
The plot was fantastic. The characters make classic Teenager Mistakes which just brings a better air of reality to it. I also loved reading Josh’s point of view. All of this thoughts were heartbreaking and beautiful in a way that made me just want to hug him. His depth was so clear and despite having limited looks inside his mind, I felt like I really understood him. Skylar was also a great protagonist. I really connected to her and I could definitely sympathize with her need to leave Creek View. She was such a phenomenal character, I’d totally want to give her a hug too.
The romance in I’ll Meet You There was brilliantly done. Full of miscommunications, tender moments, and swoony kissing, it was just wonderful. The depth of it went much farther than just ‘cute girl meets cute boy’ and I loved that it took the characters a while to open up to each other.
Overall, I’ll Meet You There is a beautiful book I recommend to contemporary romance lovers or really anyone who’s looking for a book with amazing romance and great character development. I loved it, and it definitely made the not-so-rare list of ‘books that made me cry’.
