Sometimes all it takes to make the ordinary into something tragic and story-worthy are a few little facts that aren’t visible to the naked eye. In Kara A. Kennedy’s debut YA novel, we’re ushered into the middle of a relationship teetering on the edge of what could be an explosive breakup. Introducing the main character who is obviously on the brink of something life-changing makes for a strong beginning, giving readers something that grabs their attention from the first few pages.
You might not be aware of it, but chances are, you know a couple like Maya and Alana. Friends for a lifetime who started dating once they realized they were fated for each other. A pair whose lives are so meshed together, they can’t see the situation they’re in because it’s not even on their radar. Though they’re just seniors in high school, Maya is realizing that the one person who she thought she’d love forever is toxic. Her family and friends that know her and see her day to day life have told her how they feel, and though Maya’s heart is pounding, she can’t turn back now.
Their breakup was going to be legendary in their small town anyway, but when Maya doesn’t hear from Alana several hours after she abandoned her in a very public area by walking away from yet another verbal lashing, she knew would be coming, she gets worried something happened to her. Despite knowing it’s the best choice for the future and trying to let her go, Maya begins frantically trying to track her girlfriend down. Soon everyone will know that she was the last person to see Alana alive and Maya is terrified someone overheard their slightly emotionally escalated conversation on the hiking trail she confronted her on.
Maya definitely doesn’t seem like the type of person to do something rash and permanent like making Alana disappear forever, but then we all know how thrilling it can be to have an unreliable narrator, and just because Maya is portrayed as a good girl who is still in love with the person she just tried to break up with doesn’t mean it’s the whole truth. Soon, everyone in her small town will be gossiping and spreading misinformation, so Maya decides it’s a good time to reconnect with the sister she cut ties with when Alana accused her of relying on her too much after the death of their mother. Little does she know that what she considers a small decision that might take her mind off things for a while will be seen as suspect when Alana’s body is found not far from where Maya left her the day of the breakup…
I’m always on the lookout for exciting new YA reads and I Will Never Leave You is a book that grabbed my attention right away and held it until the very last page. I hope you, too, will find this to be an entertaining read that is a bit eye-opening to what a toxic relationship can look like from both an insider and outsider perspective.
Review of Digital Advance Reading Copy from Random House Children’s Books
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 20 religious exclamations; 19 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity; 6 derogatory names; 48 scatological words; 5 anatomical terms; 37 F-Word derivatives.
Violence/Gore: A brief mention is made of a girl of eight years missing her mother after she has passed away; a brief scene occurs where a TV show is referred to about a killer who stalks his victims; a girl thinks about the verbal threats abuse she receives from her girlfriend and if it is abuse or not; a creepy scene is briefly shared where a minor has flashbacks about a girl she saw in a dress drenched in blood; a minor girl who has gone missing visits her friend as a ghost and talks about how she supposedly died after going missing; a fire is reported that was possibly arson; several brief scenes occur where a minor is informed about the status of her missing girlfriend and that the case is being considered a homicide after her body was found in a body of water; a brief scene occurs where a minor accidentally cuts her hand on a piece of broken glass; a minor girl is reported to have punched a peer; a brief scene occurs where a minor loses control of her vehicle while driving and crashes her vehicle, no injuries occur; a minor is being pursued by someone in a brief scene and trips and hits her head and blacks out; a minor that is visiting her girlfriend as a ghost reports how she was on a slippery dock by a body of water and was pushed by someone from behind and fell into the water and drowned; verbal abuse is referred to by an adult speaking with a minor about a relationship.
Sex/Nudity: A teen girl is mentioned to kiss another teen girl she likes in a brief scene; a young adult makes a subtle joke about being a lesbian; two minor girls under the influence of alcohol kiss in a brief scene; a teen girl discovers her girlfriend has been cheating on her with another girl; a brief scene occurs where a girl thinks about how LGBTQ+ members of her community are treated and viewed.
Mature Subject Matter:
Verbal and physical abuse; anxiety and mental health struggles; ghost and paranormal activity; loss of loved ones; divorce; missing persons; same sex relationships portrayed.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
Vaping is mentioned; a brief scene occurs where minors are mentioned to smoke and share a joint; minors are mentioned to drink wine; minors are mentioned to drink champagne.
