Damn. I'm not really sure what to say. I think it's safe to say that I've never been more confused about whether I hated or loved a book...
One moment I can't stand to read another word about Jared, and the next thing I know I feel so much pain and sympathy for him. Talk about bipolarity.
Jared and Tate were the best of buddies until one summer when Jared went away with his dad and came back a changed person. Something within Jared changed during his time away from Tate, and now he no longer adored her. Forget adoration, he couldn't stand the sight of her, and soon he became the bane of her existence.
For Tate, Jared was her anchor, the one who held her in the midst of a storm, the one she could always look up to. Now years have passed since the frame in time when their friendship was still in existence and Tate still can't figure out what she's done to make Jared hate her and make her life miserable. He inserts himself into every scenario that pertains to her and tears her apart; his actions bordering on down right cruelty.
Sick and tired of being a coward and a social leper, Tate decides to take her best friend's advice and she fights back. She refuses to put up with Jared's nonsense and she gives back as good as she gets. Jared, though surprised, isn't one to bow down easily, especially not to Tate.
From here on we see constant head-butting between the two. We see Tate learn to stand up for herself yet at the same time she still aches for the little boy she once knew and the person she is turning into. She likes being able to hold her ground with Jared but it disgusts her to see herself transform into the very thing she despises; a bully.
As for Jared, he runs hot and cold. He'll push her away and then reel her back in. He can stand Tate hating him but he can't tolerate her feeling nothing for him. He makes her life miserable yet he feels so lost when she's not there. He wants to hurt her, and yet he doesn't.
Feeling like she's fighting a lost battle, Tate matures up and lets loose of her grip on anger. She lets go of the pain, sadness, and disappointment and tries to ignore the butterflies she knows she shouldn't feel whenever she's around Jared.
We see Tate go through a beautiful transformation throughout the course of the story. She goes from a shy, cowardly girl, to a kick-ass protagonist, and finally to a forgiving human. She may not approve of Jared's would corrupt and wear away at her soul until there would be nothing left. I was really proud of the fact that Tate took a lot of chances throughout the book. She was doubtful and wary, and rightly so, but she was also reasonable and courageous; I admired that- it's not easy to leave yourself vulnerable as a way of extending an olive branch when you know the person in front of you would like nothing more than to snap said branch and take advantage of your vulnerability.
And Jared. Jared, Jared, Jared. Boy you have A LOT of issues. I understand why you acted the way you did, and I wish you never had to go through that, but that doesn't mean that I condone the way you let your anger and pain deliberately hurt the one person who truly loved you, over and over again.
I feel as if there should have been more of a character development when it came to Jared, and I would have liked to see the two of them rebuilding on their friendship before they entered a relationship. I also wasn't comfortable with the way Tate accepted him so soon after she decided he meant nothing. Maybe she should have spent some more time thinking about what direction their relationship would take with all the bad blood between them, but then again, that's just my opinion.
Overall, it was a very gripping read. There was never a dull moment. Even though I'm still confused about my feelings towards the book, I have to admit the story was very powerful and engaging and I couldn't put the book down even when the waterworks started.
Four confused-as-hell stars for this one.
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