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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Aug 2013, 336 pages
Paperback:
Aug 2014, 352 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Sarah Tomp
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Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction's greatest writers.
For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray's goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now ... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn't even know what they are?
Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart's desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie - at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie's souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...
Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction's greatest writers.
Chapter Two: When Wren Meets Charlie
Wren Gray was the most beautiful girl Charlie Parker had ever seen, and the most brilliant. She didn't seem to realize she was either, which was crazy. But Charlie had eyes. Charlie knew the truth.
When she smiled, Charlie wanted in on the joke. When she pushed her dark hair behind her ears, Charlie thought, Yes, that is how you do it. When she walked down the halls in her collared shirts and knee-length skirts, he saw with absolute clarity how much classier she was than the other girls in their tight jeans and peekaboo thongs. Charlie had had some experience with girls in tight jeans and peekaboo thongs, or with one particular girl in tight jeans and a thong. She hadn't left a great impression.
But Wren wasn't like that girl, or any girl, even though she was clearly and definitely a girl. Once, on the senior patio during lunch, she'd lifted her arm to call over her friend Tessa, and her blouse hugged her curves. He drank her...
This story sets a high standard and level of expectation as to how a first love and first sexual experience might go. Aside from considering moral or religious implications, for teens trying to gain a better understanding as to how it all works, this book sets a wonderful blueprint...continued
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(Reviewed by Sarah Tomp).
One of the early scenes in The Infinite Moment of Us, has Wren visiting a shooting range with her best friend Tessa, and P.G., Tessa's new boyfriend. Although Wren doesn't like guns; she "hated their ugliness, and she hated what they did," she has a good time and finds the experience surprisingly thrilling and exciting. This unexpected reaction is part of her developing independence and self-awareness. The understanding of guns and their potential adds to the intensity of the climactic action scene.
P.G. is experienced with firearms and takes care to ensure the girls' safety, but he doesn't insist they take a recommended basic safety class prior to shooting. Seeing the allure and intrigue wrapped up in this experiment, teens—or ...
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