Leaving Paradise By: Simone Elkeles

Title: Leaving Paradise
Author: Simone Elkeles
PAPERBACK
Amount of Pages: 303
Release Date: April 8, 2007
Publisher: Flux
Geared Towards: Teens
From: Bought

"What scares me to fucking death is that some part of my brain has decided this insignificant act of Maggie sitting next to me is the first step in fixing all that's gone wrong in my life" (159).

Summary (From B.O.B): The night Caleb Becker was arrested was the night he hit Maggie Armstrong and ran away from the scene. That night was the night that Maggie revealed something she never wanted to tell him. That night was the night that Caleb tried to escape from it. That was the night that changed everything.

Now, a year later, Caleb is finally out of juvenile detention and can start his life again in Paradise. Maggie is trying to overcome the disability that the accident had caused to her leg and is looking forward to the only thing that can make her happy, an exchange program to Spain. The last thing both of them wants to happen is to see the other, but when it does happen, they begin to realize how the only ones that will truly be there for them are each other.

Wdebo's Review: Yes! Another winner from Simone Elkeles! I loved the book from the beginning, it hooks you right in and doesn't let go until the end.

The story seemed like all of Simone Elkele's books cliche and was following a path that you can see the end to. And though yes there was that cliche element to the novel, I did not see the ending come. The ending was a total cliffhanger that left me breathlessly wanting to read Return to Paradise.

I enjoyed the writing immensely, there were very few slow spots which increased the good reads factor of the book. The characters were very well defined and they had their differences that really let them feel so different yet so compatible, a perfect romance.

I loved Caleb he has the badass yet sweet inside thing going for him, and I won't lie, when they started warming towards each other, I was totally swooning even though it was totally obvious and cliche but oh wow so sweet, that is what I love at Simone Elkeles books, they follow this predictable path yet they are just oh so sweet! I didn't like Maggie as much as Caleb like how I usually am, but she wasn't bad, a little whinny though which did get annoying at times.

Cafe Cover Chat: I like this cover, it looks cool and it shows the contrast between Caleb and Maggie. (B+)

All in all, a great read for romance lovers and non romance lovers that will leave you wanting more. Seriously can't wait to read Return to Paradise!!

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)