Wishful Thinking
Summary:
Seventeen year old James Castle Jr. has rugby to deal with the pressures of high school. Fights with his girlfriend, his dad’s constant blame game and graduation anxieties all work out on the field. Every pass, tackle and scrum works out a kink.
That is until rugby gets suspended.
Without rugby as an outlet he has no idea how to deal with stress or the feelings of fear plaguing him since the break-in at home. James walked in on a burglar who knocked him out and left him with a concussion. Now, James keeps seeing a little girl with pigtails everywhere. Great, he can add delusional to the list of shit he can’t deal with.
What makes the situation weirder, if that’s possible, is this little girl looks a lot like the new girl at his school, Claudia. He can’t explain the connection he feels to Claudia, it’s not lust or friendship even, but it’s there. Everything ties to one event; a hit and run accident he was the victim of fourteen years ago. An accident he doesn’t remember. An accident his father never told him about. An accident that wasn't in fact an accident. It seems someone from his father’s past is hellbent on revenge and this time they plan to make sure James is dead. James will have to remember the past or else be caught in a killer's crosshairs. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was a very fun and quick read for me. I really liked reading this story from James’ perspective and immediately felt a connection with him despite not having a lot in common. James is just trying to get through his last year of high school and it seems like the world is dead set on making it as difficult as possible. He feels like he’s consistently screwing up and snaps at his friends like any normal person under stress.
The general senior year angst quickly escalates to legitimate concerns as James’ dad starts acting oddly and then a robber breaks into the house. I’ll skip saying more to avoid spoilers, but things get more confusing and there are some great twists at the end with the resolution. I had a hunch where things were going before the end of the book, but I still enjoyed it. There were one or two things that I was slightly confused on at the end, but I’m not sure if that is leaving the book open for a sequel or just a few red herrings.
Warning: Contains underage drinking, minor sexual content and minor drug use.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of Xpresso Book Tours.
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Readers looking for a quick fun read with a bit of a twist at the end.