Trigger Warning – references to suicide.
Publication day review!
They say that life can change in the blink of an eye. One mistake is all it takes. A distraction. A moment of lapsed concentration.
The final year of high school is over and a summer of fun lies ahead for Nathan. He’s carefree, weighing up his options for what to do next. However, a day that starts well ends in tragedy when he kills a young boy in a road accident. He was searching for a song on his phone whilst driving to meet a friend and didn’t see the the red light. Simon Paterson died that day and Nathan’s life will never be the same again.
Cara’s little brother is dead. Killed whilst crossing the road when the green man was supposed to indicate it was safe. His bedroom lies empty, his possessions scattered just as he left them, never to return.
A chance meeting in a cafe a few months later, Nathan and Cara are unaware of the link that connects them as their relationship develops into something it shouldn’t.
Eventually the truth comes out and they reel at the effect it has on them both, creating a distance neither of them anticipated. As he spirals out, he contemplates his worth and takes himself to the brink of his own existence, determined to ease the pain and suffering of Cara’s family and those around him.
With their undeniable love for each other at odds with the path their lives have taken, Nathan’s trial brings a defining moment as the law decides his fate.
Miranda Moore’s debut Young Adult novel A Beautiful, Terrible Thing packs an emotional punch.
From the accident at the start, to the jury’s final decision and beyond, the story weaves its grief-ridden premise through both families as they come to terms with loss and the legacy that a fatal accident leaves behind. Love is a huge theme in this incredible story too, all its pitfalls, joy and perhaps a chance to dream.
The remorse felt on every page may leave the reader a little bereft but I like to think perhaps this story makes the reader consider how precious life is.
With a beautiful cover by Michelle Brackenborough, it’s published on 9th October.
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