Cass is positive that the people she cares about most will eventually leave her. Her father is gone, her mother doesn’t notice Cass exists, and her best friend’s battle with cancer was too close of a call. So when she begins her year at a wealthy new private school, Cass’s plan is to suffer through it in anonymity.
However, when her cute locker neighbor, Cooper, shows an undeniable attraction toward Cass, keeping him at a safe distance isn’t easy. Even though her Frogtown skater world and his do-gooder preppy one are so different, Cass and Cooper somehow mesh. And once Cass lets her guard down, Cooper is mysteriously murdered—thus proving her original theory.
When Cass’s close friend is suspected as the killer, she isn’t sure who she can trust anymore. Between investigating Cooper’s murder and trying to understand what she really meant to him, will Cass even find what she is looking for?
Monica Ropal’s tension-filled and emotionally-charged YA debut explores the issues of an outsider looking in, and her desperation to find the impossible answers. Why do people leave? And who will be next?
When I started reading about “Cass” I instantly liked her and I could feel myself in her shoes and having to deal with the situations she was dealing with and having to live her life. I would feel like everyone I loved was leaving too if I was having to deal with my parents divorcing and everyone else I know going through their own situations as well. There were times when I was reading When You Leave that I thought “Cass” was just feeling sorry for herself and that she seemed more like a spoiled brat than someone who just had trust issues. I was really happy and excited that “Cass” was able to start trusting someone again; I felt just as excited and nervous as I can imagine she felt. I felt like “Cass” was a much stronger person than I could have been despite her circumstances.
I really liked the way Ms. Ropal wrote this book, I feel like she made the story flow from one chapter to another. I didn’t have a hard time reading or following along with this great story. I think this will be a wonderful read for many teenagers regardless if you’re male/female. I think it’s wonderful that this book isn’t just a young adult genre book, but it could be filed under mystery/suspense. I give When You Leave and Ms. Ropal a “9.”
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tiffany
Love the Eeyore quote.
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