Kassiah

I received this book as part of an arc tour, and I have to say that the first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover. It's beautiful, right? And sensual. I was the last stop on the tour and anxiously awaited receiving it. It's short. At just under 200 pages, you'll be able to breeze through this in no time. But size doesn't mean everything. *grin* Good things come in small packages.

I seem to have a problem with many book summaries lately. And in my opinion, this one doesn't really do it justice. Yes, Gray is dark and stormy. Yes, Dylan doesn't want to settle down And it's true that they seem like an unlikely couple and looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract. That's all true. But the rest? I wouldn't characterize this book like that.

Gray is taking summer school classes at the local community college when he spots a strange girl (Dylan), taking strange pictures. She doesn't look like she fits in--she's wearing baggy, nondescript clothes and is sprawled out on the sidewalk in the desert heat. They catch each other's eyes for a couple of days before she approaches him and basically forces him to hang out with her.

He doesn't understand why she keeps hanging around him, but he's glad she does. Gray (and his family) have been through a tragedy and are still suffering, while Dylan is all about being happy with what you've got and embracing life. She's not like anyone he's ever met and they spend the summer experiencing new things and falling in love.

But like so many of life's good things, summer has to end. And Dylan has to go. They each deal with the aftermath of that but find that letting go isn't as easy as either of them thought it would be.

Though I felt that the ending was abrupt and left too much open, I liked this book. I liked both of their characters and except perhaps Dylan's total focus on leaving at the end of summer, I thought that the story was all very realistic. I enjoyed Kacvinsky's descriptions of the desert and the way that their society works. This story is told from both Dylan's and Gray's points of view, and I really enjoyed that.

What else did I like? Dude. Gray is so swoony. And he's sweet. And he's hot. I just really love him. A lot.

What didn't I love? Well, as much as I love the cover in all its eye-catching-must-pick-up glory, I don't think it matches the characters, mainly Dylan. She's blond and effervescent and just...not like the girl on the cover. They are pretty young, and this couple looks slightly older than them to me. I also didn't really understand Dylan's motivations, but maybe that's just me. I thought her hippie-esque tendencies were a little over the top, and I didn't really feel like she grew much as a character.

I also have to say that this book does have sex in it (*squee*), so you might not want your young teens to read it, but they're in college, and they're responsible.

If you're looking for a quick read with powerful characters and a good storyline, I think this is the book for you.