pages: 320
read: 3/20-26/2020
book: 24 in 2020
SYNOPSIS
Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.
When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.
MY THOUGHTS
SHORT VERSION
its a no from me dawg.
also, the long version might have some spoilers so beware. especially if you want to read this. this doesn't come out until July so beware if you read past thiiiis.
LONG VERSION
I wasnt too crazy about this read.
I understood 100% why Duncan was the way he was given what'd happened to him in his past but he was so damn unlikable that I detested the first 11 chapters. I kept hesitating to go back and pick this up and I believe he's the sole reason why.
And Sam.
I get her hurt too.
100,000%.
She was dealt a very crappy hand early in life and I sympathized with her there. She just wanted love. but when it came to her feelings for Duncan, she was annoying. she has this grand love for him and it's all based on being near him. they didn't even have a speaking relationship, it's just pure infatuation from afar for her*. She feels so deeply for someone whom she's made no effort to involve in her life and instead chose to run away because she couldn't handle the fact that he was living his life. And honestly, it's not just her fault; they're both to blame but ugghhh...
By this point we all know what Center's stories are all about so its not like I'm spoiling anything.
Once I passed chapter 11, I flew through this book but ultimately it fell flat.
So many things were just too unbelievably unbelievable.
Sam really doing that thing at the pier.
This school being built by Max & Babette, whom both are loved by the entire community for it to end up with Max fucking Babette over like that?! Or whatever the fuck happened there.
The end part with Clay. I don't know man but that shit came out of left field. It was never discussed how he even knew to be there or how he even ended up there. Was he just walking around and then BAM! did he just leave on a leisurely walk because his POS dad was never going to come through?
The subject is brought up a bit earlier but it is not justified in any type of way.
actually none of this story is.
this story has a lot of points that are and could be potentially even more serious but they are glossed over to be cute.
this whole story was.
a lot of serious shit happens and its just glossed over. all for the purpose of a feel good, cutsie story and while that usually flies with me just fine, i never over think it but in this case, it just didn't end up working for me.
You know when you're reading an okay-ish book but between one good part and the next theres just a buncha shit you have to sludge through?
That's this story.
It's all filler.
nothing really goes on. and what's serious is just tied up to be cute so it's never really resolved.
anyway, this is out in July so......well, fuck it. jump over for a few spoilers.
i left a lot out anyway...mostly cus i don't remember but also cause im over. it.
thanks for reading!
kthxbyye!
*of course he likes her too but also of course he doesn't say anything either and starts dating someone else.
Duncan and Sam "know" each other from years prior. they used to work at the same school.
she has stupid huge feelings for him but never says anything.
she ends up leaving once she reads his journal entry and imagines that he's going to marry the woman he ends up dating. (i dont even think its ever said wtf she read in the entry)
its been years.
Max & Babette come back from their trip and Sam plans a party for his 60th where....he passes away.
so now they need a new principal.
(sam lives with M & B). their daughter is married to this annoying ass dude, Kent, who is now in charge of replacing Max and who does he hire? Duncan.
Duncan is about to be the new principal.
once Sam finds out, she talks him up about how he's so awesome and he's honestly the best replacement.
he comes.
he's not the same person.
he used to be the life of the party.
now he kills the party. (oof. now that i re-read this, 100% bad wording on my part)
he's here to enforce strict policies and rules to keep students safe and on the straight and narrow.
blah blah blah
turns out that he's this way because he was a part of a school shooting.
so i mean of course we can understand his change.
but he's refused therapy and all of that until of course, Babette, Sam & Alice (sam's bff) come up with a plan to make him do one challenge a day otherwise B would fire him since she was on the board and she had final say (spoiler: she was not on the board, she had no power over his hire and he knew all along).
anyway, prior to them hanging out, she was walking on the beach and of course she runs into him....he asks her for a favor; he's getting surgery and needs someone to pick him up she tells him that he doesn't drive (she has seizures and the last one was while she was driving so she stays away) but they get a driver and she picks him up.
and of course he's drugged the fuck up so he tells her that he's loved her since day one. she plays stupid, its all dumb shit and of course he doesnt remember the next day.
shit happens, they start hanging out (she did confront him about if he remembered her and i forgot what happened) and eventually they .......actually i already forgot what the fuck happens.
i think she confronts him and he acts in a way that she didnt like so she runs away, he runs after her and she ends up jumping off the pier into the ocean where the chances of her dying were very high but of course...... he rescues her, they make out, they go back to her place and she feels a seizure coming on. she makes it to the door to get him to leave and then the episode happens.
she wakes up and he's no there. and then alice walks in. sam is bummed that he left but she feels that's just her lot in life (her father walked out on her as a kid. her mother said it wasnt her fault but 2 years after her father left, her mother died and her aunt gave her her mom's journals and in there she read that her dad did in fact leave because of her. that's her thing.)
turns out that yes Duncan left but he left because Clay has gone missing.
who is Clay?
Clay is Tina & Kent's kid, Babette's & Max's grandkid.
and because Duncan is principal they called him first.
so she's all sad over Duncan and then they all get the message that Clay is missing so they go to the school to go help.
they get assigned a part of the ocean and they go and of course they find him and what is he doing?
he's rescuing a pigmy whale that was trapped in a net.
(this part of the story..) long story short, the entire gang comes together to rescue the whales.
Kent is a huge asshole, causes a big scene and tries to be the man and ends up getting arrested because he punched the fuck out of Duncan. Sam runs to him.
once everyone is getting ready to leave they talk and he tries to be there for her and tells her why he left but she still runs away.
Babette, Alice and i even think Tina try to talk some sense into her and so she runs back to him.
and they end up together.
....and i forgot what happens in the epilogue but i do think it takes place 10 years later.
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