Review - The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Problem with Forever
by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Published May 17th, 2016 by Harlequin Teen
474 pages

5 stars - A Favorite for Forever! :) 

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Summary from Goodreads:

For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Review:

I absolutely love Jennifer L. Armentrout and I have read almost everything that she has written. Her stories and her characters just have a way of intriguing me. I've enjoyed her books about aliens and I've enjoyed her New Adult contemporary books as well. The Problem with Forever is definitely different than what Jennifer has written before. Mainly because the book is a contemporary YA novel. But that is one of the only differences because The Problem with Forever was intriguing and enjoyable just like the other books by JLA. 

The Problem with Forever was one of my favorite books of August. I just really enjoyed reading this book and connecting with these characters.

Mallory is our main character and I found myself relating to her in so many ways. She is a girl that has gone through a lot and seen a ton of horrible things because of her time in foster care. And because of her past, Mallory's present is difficult for her. She's not comfortable with speaking out loud or drawing attention to herself. But Mallory wants to change and she wants to grow and become a stronger version of herself. She's in a great home with awesome parents and so many opportunities. So Mallory decides to start public school again starting with her senior year in high school. Along the way, Mallory grows stronger and accomplishes little goals that she sets for herself. She reunites with an old friend and makes some new ones along the way. And while Mallory still has a ways to go to help herself and her friends, she's learning that she's stronger that she thought. 

Like I said earlier, I just really understood these characters! I understood the fear and nervousness that Mallory felt before she made herself talk to someone new. I was excited and proud of Mallory when she accomplished something that seemed impossible to her. Mallory was just a character that I could relate to and cheer on along the way. Then there was Rider. He was such a caring and loyal friend. I loved the relationship that he and Mallory shared and the way they let each other grow. I'm such a sucker for character development. :) 

There were so many other great characters in this book that I really enjoyed and cared about. I loved that a few of the characters were Hispanic or Puerto Rican. I definitely connected with that aspect. 

It was also interesting to read about these characters in a foster care setting. I enjoyed reading about foster characters in Katie McGarry's books and I am always looking for more. It's a topic I am pretty interested in. The focus on the arts was also a plus because I'm always advocating for them. :) 

Overall, this was such a good book. I was intrigued from the very beginning and did not want to put this book down. I connected with so many of the characters and I cried and cheered them on along the way. These characters made mistakes but learned from them along the way. They had fears and they conquered a lot of them by the end. I just appreciated the growth shown in these pages. 

But enough of my rambling! Definitely pick up this book soon if you haven't yet. This is one you should really try out. :) 

Vanessa