A Dream Within A Dream: Nobody But Us Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway

Nobody But Us
Author: Kristin Halbrook
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Buy Links: Amazon Barnes and Noble

Description:

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

Nobody But Us is a contemporary teen novel that follows the story of Zoe and Will as they escape their lives together. Zoe is running from an abusive father and Will has been turned away from the state housing since he turned eighteen. The novel chronicles their escape from their pasts, the hope they hold for their futures, and the choices they face along the way.

This was an interesting debut novel by an obviously talented author. The story was well written and flowed seamlessly together, making it a fast and easy read. The story is told from alternating points of view - those of Will and Zoe. Sometimes the alternating POV is confusing and messes up the flow of the book, but it definitely wasn't the case with this novel. The alternating POV's let the reader see inside the minds of the two main characters. We get a peek at what each character is thinking and feeling during each moment in the book - which I think only adds to the depth of the story. The characters were interesting and flawed, which made them accessible and realistic. Although at times they felt a bit stereotypical - the smart, pretty "good girl" falling for the "tough guy" with a good heart - lovers from the opposite sides of the tracks and all that. The story and the characters have been done before many times, but the author does a good job of keeping the plot original and engaging. The plot itself is one that has also been done before, as I mentioned. There were some emotional moments and situations that help to set this book apart from the others out there (in a good way). The writing was well done and had a great pace, and along with the fast story line and realistic-feeling atmosphere, this is a debut novel that fans of contemporary YA fiction won't want to miss out on.

Kristin Halbrook is a Seattleite who loves good coffee, good food, good music, good sports, good causes, and good reads. She’s both intense and a goofball, introverted and gregarious. Nobody But Us is her debut novel.

Official Site: http://www.kristinhalbrook.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5070015.Kristin_Halbrook

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kristinhalbrook