This is the story of a teenager who meets a girl and falls in love in 1994 when he's 17. I don't want to give too much away about the plot but it's about what happens and how his life unfolds in response to the events from that year.

The cover says that this is a true story and it's clear that the story is written as an homage to his past and his love for the girl. This wasn't the best writing or dialogue I ever read but it's clearly a work of love and it made me think about the choices I've made in my life, the people who mean the world to me and it made me cheer for the main character.

I enjoyed the time I spent with this book and wish the author the best of luck.

with gratitude to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

It's 1994; it's the summer holidays, yes! But, Jason Parker has to spend it in his curtain-twitching small town, filling seemingly endless empty days with long drives, movies and arguments with his father. Desperate for something, anything really, to happen, he strikes 'lucky' and meets Jessica, thus launching a passionate but brief relationship.

Finding himself alone again, the boundaries of his community appear to tighten, exaggerating his suffocating loneliness as he tries to recover himself and move forwards.

Unfortunately, the first person narrative and clunky dialogue (regularly harnessed to hamfistedly 'infer' the back story) rendered it impossible for me to immerse myself in Jason's plight. For example;

'Aunt Heidi laughed. "That's you, my friend. I know you had a rocky childhood with your mom and dad splitting up. Not to mention all the drama your mom caused."
Jason dropped his head and said, "From age 5 my life has been a real cluster."

Enough said.

Nevertheless, my thanks to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced copy in return for my honest opinion.

If You Were There followed the life of 16 year old Jason Parker in the summer of `94. There was nothing to do that summer but hang with his best friend, David, watch movies, and play video games. Until one day he meets Jessica Adams. Like all teenage romances it was a world wind of emotions. They fell quickly for each other. It gave Jason a new outlook on life, for the first time. He could see a positive future. When the romance ended suddenly, it began to shape his life and all the negative choices he made.

This story started out really sweet. When Jason met Jessica everything happened so fast. They were inseparable in such a short amount of time. Exchanging “I love you” very early on in the relationship. It took me back to my teenage years when that love seemed all encompassing. When the story took a turn for the worst, I was completely heartbroken. As an adult, I can’t imagine dealing with what Jason had to face. This wasn’t your typical, feel good romance. It was real life. There were ups and a crap load of downs. This story was ultimately about how you deal with the cards you are dealt and how those decisions affect your life. It was beautifully written.

I loved this book it was a little slow but I loved the small town Jason lived in I also liked that he thought about the future while he was in his relationship and when it ended he let what he learned in the relationship with the rest of his life and sometimes he didn’t but I still really liked this book and I think a lot of others will too

Description
It’s the summer of 1994, and Jason Parker can’t figure out why he’s not excited about a break in high school classes. He fills his days with movies, video games, and family visits. Or clashes, depending on his dad’s attitude. But he primarily drives his car around the small town looking for something - anything, really. From birth, he’s learned his small town and family are a mix of integrity and dignity with cruelty and fear. It’s a place where everyone knows everything about their neighbors, but the most prevalent emotion is loneliness. When he meets an intriguing young woman, he glimpses a different life and future. That relationship fills him with hope for something different, something he’s always wanted but the thought was out of reach. For the first time in his life, he embraces a potential future of love, happiness, and security. After the romance abruptly ends, the rest of his life is guided by that relationship. Sometimes Jason ignores that guidance, and sometimes he welcomes it. If You Were There is not only about Jason’s life but is also about how people deal with unexpected choices.

This was a very touching book, where hope can win. I would recommend it.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy for review.