The Problem With Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by Harlequin Teen on May 17th, 2016
Pages: 480
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
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For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it' s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it' s been four years since her nightmare ended, she' s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she' s imagined, there' s one she never dreamed of—that she' d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn' t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn' t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she' s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider' s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Wow, I have no words for this book. Jennifer L. Armentrout is one of those authors who I don’t even bother reading the synopsis for any book she writes..I just usually dive in to the book. The Problem with Forever is a heartbreakingly beautiful book and when I started reading the prologue I knew that it was unlike anything she’s written before.

Mallory is a high school senior who has spent the last so many years being homeschooled. After having such a traumatic childhood that has left her with a severe case of PTSD, she is ready to drop her shield and face her fears by attending Public School.

Mallory is not a girl of many words, She uses silence as a shield. It’s what she knows, it’s what Rider told her to do, it’s what she did to survive her childhood.  It’s been four years since the event that lead to Mallory getting out of the foster house she lived in with Rider. It’s been FOUR YEARS since she’s even seen Rider or talked to Rider. She’s been adopted by an amazing and supportive couple. She’s learning how to overcome what she’s been through. She’s learning that it is ok to speak, or make a sound. She’s ready to take on school and get over her fears, make friends and to live her life.

Mallory’s first day as a senior at Lands High doesn’t go so well. She’s having trouble find the words to respond to a simple “hi” from the girl a few lockers down, the atmosphere in the cafeteria is too overwhelming for her, etc. When she gets to the last class of the day, the class that she probably fears the most, SPEECH, it’s there where she runs into her knight in shining armor…

Rider Stark grew up with Mallory, they were both foster kids that ended up in one of those foster homes straight out of a nightmare. He did everything he could to protect her, he even saved her from their horrific life though it ended up taking her away from him. After the events that took Mallory away from him, Rider ends up in a group home and then from there it ends up in Mrs. Luna’s house.

The second that Rider sees Mallory, it’s like the four years it had been since they’ve seen one another never happened. It’s obvious that he hasn’t forgotten her, that she has never been that far from his mind. They re-connect instantaneously and it’s a beautiful thing.

Jennifer did a really good job of putting Mallory’s discomfort when speaking aloud into this story. Every time she “spoke” in the book, you could tell that she was fighting her urge to just stop talking. With Rider’s help and the help of her new friends, Mallory slowly gets over her fear of using words, of speaking to and being around people.

Rider is just going along with everything, he thinks that he doesn’t deserve to do anything in life. He’s just existing..but Mallory shows him that he deserves to have anything and everything in life that he wants. Just because he grew up in the system doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t try to make his life better. That he shouldn’t go to college or to art school. He’s obviously extremely smart and a very talented artist. He just doesn’t think he’s good enough for all that, or good enough for Mallory. In the end, Rider being there in her life and doing what he always did for her, helped push Mallory into HELPING him. Showing him that he found a HOME WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT HIM, the same as her. Mallory makes him realize that he can do anything he wants.

I really enjoyed this story, even as I had tears running down my face through it. The characters were great, the story line will definitely have your emotions all over the place and in the end..Rider and Mallory are finally finding the happiness that everyone deserves to have in their life.

Thanks to InkslingerPR, Harlequin Teen and Jennifer L. Armentrout for the chance to read and review this book for the blog tour!

 

** I FINALLY GET TO MEET JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT on her book tour for The Problem with Forever on May 19th! I am getting a copy of the book autographed to GIVEAWAY to a lucky reader of ours!! Enter to win below!! There’s also a giveaway being hosted by Inkslinger in part with the Blog Tour, don’t forget to enter that giveaway as well! 🙂

 

*** I don’t normally don’t add songs to posts…but..I thought maybe this song would sum up Mallory and Rider’s childhood.

This song is Rider..

Hmm..I might add more later..

Giveaway

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The autographed copy of The Problem with Forever giveaway is open to those only in the USA. 

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