Genre: Publication Date: January 31, 2012 Pages: 304 Published By: Harlequin Teen Series Standalone Review copy: E-galley
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When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker’s mom walks out—with a sticky note as a goodbye—only Jill knows the real reason she’s gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.
Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.
With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .
Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.
With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .
The walk to Sean's Jetta felt like my own green mile. The idea of being alone with him in a car with barely two feet between us brought my nausea trickling back.
Hate was such an ugly, infectious thing. It burrowed deep inside and consumed. My hate hadn't begun that way, not even after Sean. It had started out as an ice cube lodged in my throat, an obstruction I couldn't move no matter how many times I swallowed. Then it melted, and the cold had trickled through my insides, numbing me.
It wasn't fair what he was doing to me. Making me realize things that I really didn't want to. Making me realize things that I really didn't want to. He was so messed up. His parents had done that to him and neither one cared that they'd damaged something so fragile.
OMG!! Turning the last page page of this read I knew that I was going to have a book hang over. Two days later and I am still struggling with what I will be picking up next, because I worry that it will suffer in the wake of this read. This book leaves no real place for me to start and end, but there is undoubtedly words twisting and pushing to come out. If You Fix Me is a heart ripping, stunningly beautiful read bound to call to many different readers.
The plot and pacing flowed together in perfect harmony. It was like Mozart and Picasso had a baby and it was Johnson's writing. I know, I know that was a little weird...okay a lot weird, but honestly my love for everything within these pages knows no bounds, weird or not. Reading this was quite possibly as easy as breathing, yet somehow felt like I was watching a heart wrenching movie. Everything just flowed so flawlessly that there was no need to come up for air, it just never called for it. Even as everything began to fall apart, it was pulling itself back together. Each character had their own story, their own voice and yet twisting them together worked perfectly, making everything imperfectly perfect.
The plot and pacing flowed together in perfect harmony. It was like Mozart and Picasso had a baby and it was Johnson's writing. I know, I know that was a little weird...okay a lot weird, but honestly my love for everything within these pages knows no bounds, weird or not. Reading this was quite possibly as easy as breathing, yet somehow felt like I was watching a heart wrenching movie. Everything just flowed so flawlessly that there was no need to come up for air, it just never called for it. Even as everything began to fall apart, it was pulling itself back together. Each character had their own story, their own voice and yet twisting them together worked perfectly, making everything imperfectly perfect.
Jill is everything I want in a character. There was absolutely nothing perfect about her, but at the same time everything about her character was flawless. It's hard with contemporary novels for me because I'm either going to find I connect with the character and really love them, or just like them because they are written well. As the synopsis says Jill likes to fix things but what made me love her was the reality that sometimes you can't fix others until you fix yourself. She was not lost, but she wasn't good at voicing things...awkward to say the least. Jill is someone that people can relate to. Her emotions, thoughts and feelings are very easy to understand. I have no doubt that even when I was a teen these are some things I would have experienced in her shoes. Basically what I am trying to say is that Jill was as close to perfect as a character can get.
Daniel and Sean are nothing alike and yet they seem to have something that is the same. For me I didn't really want one more than the other, there was a pull from both. I think for Jill it was the same way, but only more complicated. Sean was who her heart had wanted for years, only to be betrayed. Daniel had something in common with her, a past and a broken home. There were also many boundaries with Daniel, and it's so hard to explain without ruining it all, just the same as I can't explain Sean without taking something away. However, the entire thing with Sean always felt like it was a little sideways, like there was a missing puzzle piece that no one was willing to see even though it was just sitting in the box still. Both boys were expertly written and brought a unique element to Jill's life.
This book is nothing short of a must read. It's heart breaking, heart mending beauty, rolled into one beautiful book. I cannot even tell you all of the ways that this book was amazing. I will make sure that everything that this author writes finds a home on my shelves. With its lyrical writing, developed characters and beautiful story, If I Fix You is by far one of my favorite reads this year. If you are a fan of contemporary or are looking for the perfect hangover read, this book is undoubtedly the one for you.
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