ARC Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Publisher: Amulet Books
316 Pages

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...

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

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This is a very difficult review for me to write because I still haven't completely wrapped my head around The Infinite Moment of Us. My friend Jenn, with whom I read this, put her feelings towards the book in a way that accurately depicted my own thoughts. She said, "Like I liked parts and I loved parts but then other parts were wrong and dramatic and WTF." She has a way with words, my dear Jenn. But really… This book was a scrambled mess that left me just a teensy bit unhinged.

My interest was first piqued by the cover. I mean really… If that isn't the most beautiful cover, I don't know what is. Though I'm very conflicted about this novel, I'm still going to buy that just so I can lust over that absolutely gorgeous cover. It draws attention, and works with the title, and fits pretty well into the content--if a little romanticized.

The Infinite Moment of Us is first and foremost a coming-of-age story. In this novel, we watch our two main characters, and their friends, grow into themselves, learn what they like, learn what they dislike and come into the adult world. This book is also a love story. It's the love story of Charlie, the precious boy with a shady background, and Wren, the girl who has it all and maybe a bit too much. When the two are swept up in a relationship, they must figure out what they want to do with their lives and if the other ties into their future.

I have no problem with sex in YA, but the graphic nature of the sex in this story did not work for me. It's realistic for teens to be having sex, and I'm glad that The Infinite Moment of Us portrayed that side of adolescence. But the way that Myracle went about describing it made me cringe. I was not expecting so much detail and I have now learned not to read Myracle's work in public. Insert major blushing here.

The characters were melodramatic. I started out in love with both of these characters, but as the story progressed, Wren ticked me off more and more. A lot of Wren and Charlie's actions were understandable. They both have been through a lot in their lives--though completely different from each other. But there were several times where I wanted to smack them. Honesty, trust and communication are necessary in a successful, healthy relationship and these two often lacked that. They were sweethearts, and I was definitely rooting for them, but they were very flawed.

The story also wrapped up too quickly for me. It felt rushed and didn't seem to have been given as much thought as the rest of the story. This could have been phenomenal, and it was close to being one of my favorite books, but the ending absolutely killed it for me. The last chapter left me agitated and ranty--just ask Jenn. At the end of the book, I kept swiping my finger across my Kindle, frustrated that there wasn't any more. I am the kind of person who needs a solid, happy ending. This novel probably ended happily based on the way things left off, but we'll never really know because it is an open ending. (Have I ever mentioned how much I loathe those?)

While I found a lot of faults in this book, there was a lot of it that I enjoyed. I love Myracle's writing style. Always have, always will. She's a phenomenal storyteller with a unique style that really sets her apart. I love Charlie and his adorableness. I love most of the romance and how realistic it is to the age group. I wish I could've loved the book as a whole, but sadly, it didn't work out that way. Though I will definitely remain a loyal fan of Myracle's and read whatever she comes up with next!

I received an e-copy of this novel for my honest opinion and review from the publisher via Netgalley.