euphoria

Synopsis:

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me.

But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back. 

I'm not going to let him bully me anymore.

NOTE:

This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

Review:

All right, I've got some mixed feelings about this one. Although I love and adore it, for the most part, I want to punch it straight in the face, too. If it had one.

Basically, Tate and Jared were really good friends when they were young, grew apart--well, Jared did--, and now Jared bullies and makes Tate's life a living hell. While the story is ironically cute, it has some "God, what the hell is wrong with you" moments.

For example: Jared's a complete dick to Tate, who is best friends with K.C... I'm sorry, but if you're my best friend, you better the hell not get all hot and bothered with my arch enemy, which is what K.C. does. That just doesn't happen, you cannot do that without repercussions of the concussion sort. What pissed me off the most was the fact that Tate was seemingly unbothered by that fact; her best friend getting it on with the boy she used to love who is now her tormentor. YOU DO NOT DO THAT TO YOUR BEST FRIEND/YOU DO NOT ACT SO NONCHALANTLY ABOUT IT, GOODBYE.

Anyhow, throughout the book, which is wholly in Tate's point of view, (Until You: Jared's POV) we see and learn how and why Jared oppresses poor, innocent Tate. (Note: she doesn't act poor or innocent at all, really, she's pretty strong-willed.) I'm talking about innocent in the sense that she did nothing to Jared, yet Jared seems to hate her. You learn later in the novel that it was all Jared and him trying to cope with having gone through a traumatic experience with his father and younger brother. Not only did Jared have a shitty summer with his dad, his mother was hardly sober when he was home with her. Tate was his muse, his "thunderstorm", if you will. They inevitably fall in love and yay everyone is happy, happy, happy. Just kidding. This horrible thing happens and it's just horrible. Horrible. And embarrassing and sad and oh, God, I feel so bad for them. But then they're happy again so it doesn't matter!

I did really enjoy this book. I've read it, like, 4 or 5 times in the last two months.

What I loved:

Tatum Brandt: she was a good heroine, I think, not too girly or whiny. She took care of herself and didn't let Jared break her down (that often).

Jared fucking Trent: Because he's Jared fucking Trent... who loves cars... and drives a motorcycle. Oh, duh, and he has tattoos. And because he's actually a good hero, as well.

Madoc Caruthers: He was the goofy best friend of Jared's and he didn't fail to make me smile.

THE REFERENCES TO BANDS I LOVE

What I hated:

Tatum Brandt and her unwillingness to punch K.C. in the boobs: as I stated before, don't fuck your best friend over but if you happen to get fucked over by your best friend, shank them.

K.C. Whatever-the-hell-her-last-name-was: Because she's K.C.