Book Review: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Pages: 336

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction

Pub. Date: August 27, 2013

Source: Netgalley

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are? Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be. And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them... Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers."

Wren is the resident good girl who never disappoints her parents. That is until she changes her college plans and instead enrolls in a service organization in Guatemala.  Obviously, her parents freak since this is completely out of character for Wren.  On the other hand, we've got foster child, Charlie, who is a complete foil of Wren. Due to the circumstances in his life, he brings many different kind of experiences to the table.  It's the summer before college and things begin to sizzle between this unlikely pair.  The couple encounters many ups and downs during the summer, such as learning about each other's pasts, Wren's desire to break free from her overbearing parents, and confronting Charlie's issues from childhood.  Lauren Myracle writes a realistic tale in The Infinite Moment of Us focusing on that all-cosuming first love and the summer before college, which is a life-alterning and magical time in many young adult's lives.

Wren is dying to break free from her parents and spread her wings. She truly wants to do one thing for herself and therefore, signs up with the overseas service project. This sends her parents on a tailspin, but at least Wren has finally done something that is her own decision. I can see many young adults relating to Wren's struggle to find a balance between parents' expectations versus following your own dreams.  Charlie is a complex character; my heart truly went out to him.  His life is definitely not an easy one, but I give him a lot of credit for making something of himself despite his many setbacks. Yes, there is insta-love between Wren and Charlie, but I felt that it was done realistically (if that's even possible!).  I really liked the relationship between Wren and Charlie; it was sweet, romantic, and all-consuming. Also, each chapter in The Infinite Moment of Us alternates between Wren and Charlie's perspective, which really helps the readers get to know each character equally.  

The Infinite Moment of Us has a lot of sexual situations in it, so I would advise only mature readers or even "new adults" read this book. At times I felt the novel focused a bit too much on sex, but Myracle really does a fantastic job making it realistic, which teens today need.  I can't say this enough....This novel is SO very realistic. Myracle captured everything down to the awkward moments, the crazy ex-girlfriend that comes around, the obsession with each other that comes from first love, the impulsive decisions that you make, and the I-can't-stop-thinking-about-this-person moments which are so cringe worthy and eye-roll inducing when you think about them ten years later. But my point is that Myracle captures it all---the good, the bad, and the oh-so-ugly and I think my eighteen year-old self would have really loved The Infinite Moment of Us for all of those reasons.

I would have given The Infinite Moment of Us four stars if it wasn't for the ending. It really bothered me, but other than that, I thought it was an enjoyable read that really brought me back down memory lane to that one magical summer, that one special guy, and your whole life spread out in front of you with endless possibilities. I applaud Myracle for writing such a real novel that accurately reflects first love and the crazy things we do for it.