Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Publisher: Amulet Books

Publication Date: August 27, 2013

Rating: 1 star

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

What I Liked:

Nothing. The end. Don't give me that look...

What I Did Not Like:

First, let me be clear: I finished this book. I have never NOT finished a book I started. I'm not in the habit of not finishing books, but if I were, I probably would have stopped reading this one after, like, 3%. But I DID read this entire book. So, in that way, this review is completely fair in terms of what I read. Because I read everything.

HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TO REVIEW THIS BOOK?! I don't know where to start. This book sort of reminded me of The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace, except the couple in this book are the same age, unlike the couple in The Truth About You & Me. Oh, and The Truth About You & Me is written in the form of letters from the girl to the guy. This book is not. 

But trust me - you're going to want to avoid both books (this one and The Truth About You & Me). 

But anyway. We have Wren, and we have Charlie. Wren is resident good girl, and Charlie is the quiet loner. No, he isn't a "bad boy". No, he isn't doing drugs, or has a million girls after him, or whatever. Wren, on the other hand, is pretty and intelligent and an all-around good person. Virtuous. Sweet. Perfect. 

I can totally see myself in Wren in THAT aspect. All throughout high school, I was in the top three students of my graduating class. I was smart, sweet, quiet... pretty is in the eyes of the beholder, but whatever. I can relate to Wren in those characteristics. When I first started reading this book, I thought to myself, HEY! Another smart girl! Let's see her make some smart-girl decisions, and do smart-girl things!

Um, no. That never happened. JUST LIKE in The Truth About You & Me, with Madelyn, Wren seems to be one of the stupidest, shallowest heroines I've encountered in YA fiction. I keep thinking to myself, book smart in YA lit, usually means common sense dumb. Which is SO not true in real life! I know I'm academically intelligent, and I'd like to think that I also have not-so-common common sense. Why can't YA heroines have both?

I'm getting ahead of myself. Wren feels bad because she turned down her Early Decision acceptance to Emory. Wait. No. She deferred acceptance for a year, or something. Apparently, she also won a huge scholarship to go with the acceptance - and she doesn't want either of those two things.

Um. Okay. First of all, Emory is a top twenty school. Not as highly ranked as Johns Hopkins (go Blue Jays!), but it's up there in the top universities of the nation. Getting into any school is easier to do so via Early Decision than Regular Decision. But getting a full merit scholarship? To a top twenty school? 

That's... near impossible. Johns Hopkins gives TWO merit scholarships every year to an incoming freshman. There are 1200 incoming freshman each year. I did not get one of those. Wren had to have internships and research or a ton of outside credentials to have gotten that. 

Basically, I don't find that plausible at all. I just went through all of that college stuff. I am actually where Wren is right now - in my last summer before attending college as a freshman. Well actually, Wren won't be a freshman, because she deferred for a year.

Are you seeing what I mean by STUPID?! Who does that?! Who throws away an entire year of college, at a prestigious college, with an impossible scholarship? To go to Guatemala - something that she could have done DURING her academic career. Like, over winter break, or summer break.

And she strings along Charlie. Wren indirectly makes Charlie feel like he has to go to Guatemala with her, because they are soul mates and they can't be with each other, and one of them has to uproot their life for the other. Of course, it can't be Wren, because Wren is totally selfish and wants Charlie to drop everything for her.

I. HATE. THAT. I hate when the guyalways has to drop everything to please the girl. Charlie considered giving up his college career at Georgia Tech (WTF?! This is ridiculous! HOW are they getting into such amazing schools?!) to be with her. I can't tell you the end... but UGH.

And the whole romance thing was THE ENTIRE BOOK, besides Wren and her parents being mad at each other because Wren gave up Emory. It's all mushy gushy, touchy feely, Wren and Charlie and their weird and nasty romance. I was disgusted by how Charlie idolized and babied Wren. He kept telling her how perfect she is, and she could do no wrong, and everybody loves her... BARF.

I hate girls like that. They need their man to make all their insecurities go away. Get over yourself, girl You're weak and stupid and indecisive and selfish. Oh my gosh, Wren is so selfish. I really hate Wren.

Charlie's relationship with Starrla... how could he not just let it go?! He's so stupid too! He kept running back to Starrla, thinking he was being nice. And then he lied to Wren. I'm sorry, but when you're in a relationship, you put your girlfriend/boyfriend first, and you DON'T LIE.

To sum up all of that: I hated Wren. I hated her poor decisions. I hated how she didn't THINK - that she doesn't see the importance of getting an education. I hate how she doesn't stand up for herself with her parents, and when she does, it's for stupid stuff. I hate how Charlie babies Wren. I hate how their relationship is all hunky-dory lovely. I absolutely hate how selfish Wren is, by making Charlie believe that he has to give up Georgia Tech for her. I hate the ending.

I HATE HOW STUPID THESE TWO TEENAGERS ARE! I promise you, not all teenagers are THAT DUMB.

Humph.

Would I Recommend It:

No. As a teenager, I will tell you that this is a poor representation of Young Adult romance and I absolutely hate it and I'm so mad that I read it you have no idea!

Rating:

1 star - really, it should be 0 stars. However, the world wants me to be nice, and give it at least one star.

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