The Problem with Forever

So, over the weekend I read this amazing book by Jennifer L Armentrout. I have loved her fantasy/scifi series so much that I decided to try one of the stand alone novels she has out and the first one I went for was The Problem with Forever. 

This book had me from the beginning. The scene set up was that of a young girl hiding from the violence outside her bedroom door and being rescued by a boy who was about her age. Being foster children, neither the boy or the girl have anyone to really turn to for help so they rely on each other. Fast forward a few years later and the boy and girl have been separated. The girl, Mallory, has been adopted by a nice couple who happen to be surgeons who worked on her after the accident that separated her from the boy Rider. She's home schooled by them and before her senior year in high school decides that it's time for her to go back to school. When she discovers that Rider goes to her school, things begin to change for her again.

The reason I absolutely loved this book is because it shows two sides of foster kids. It shows Mallory's side, which is the wish of most children in that situation, to be adopted and loved. She ends up getting not only the things she needed, but also the love of a family and friends. She gets to have the stereotypical "normal" life. She still has her problems, but with the help of her new parents she is able to work through them in an ideal environment. Her speech problems, while not completely solved, are much better. You also get to see her work on her trust issues. It was the adults in her life that had betrayed her before and while she feels comfortable with Carl and Rosa (her new parents) you can tell there are still some things she is working through with them despite how much they have helped her.

So, Mallory's side shows the good, and Rider's side shows the not so good. His situation isn't bad, per say. He's with a family who cares for him and loves him, even though he's not been adopted, but it's on the "wrong" side of town. He comes from a rougher neighborhood and his past is littered with drugs and any number of illegal activities. When Mallory comes along, he has already begun to clean up his act, but members of his foster family are not so lucky.

The relationship between Rider and Mallory is something that I thought was really special. Here are two people, two kids really, who were in the worst possible situations. Rider often took the beating that were meant for Mallory all the time when they were children. They were separated for four years and wondered everyday what had happened to the other. When they finally see each other again the connection between them is instant. Everyone who is around them can tell that the two of them have history together. Within seconds of them seeing each other again on the pages of the book, you know that somehow they are going to end up together.

This book is a little more romance-y than some other teen books that I have read, but I honestly didn't mind. And it wasn't cliche romance to me. It was a solid story and the end result made me sad and happy all at the same time. The look into some parts of society that some overlook was also a contributing factor into why I loved this book. I can't wait to read more by this author!