Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Series: Leaving Paradise
Published by Flux on April 1, 2007
Genres: Love, Romance
Pages: 303 : Paperback edition
Source: Purchased a long time ago at Borders
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Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as “criminal” and “freak.” Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

This is by far my favorite Simone Elkeles book and has been in my top ten favorites for years. I adore this book so much. The writing is so perfect and the one-liners that Caleb and Maggie say to each other are just perfect. I feel like this book/series gets overlooked a lot by the more popular contemporary series’ out there but this one is amazing!

It deals with a bunch of real issues and really doesn’t sugar coat anything. Simone Elkeles’ writing style shines through in each of her novels and especially here with her distinct characters and settings. Not to mention, Caleb and Maggie are so adorable together and my heart kick starts whenever I read scenes where they are together. Que tons of awww-ing from me when I’m reading this.

Anyways, I just had to reread this before school started again because it not only takes me back to when I first read it back in middle school, but it’s just one of those feel good novels that pulls at your heartstrings and makes you fall in love with the characters over and over again.