Proof Of Forever by Lexa Hillyer

Proof Of Forever by Lexa Hillyer
Release Date - June 2, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 352 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

From debut author and poet Lexa Hillyer comes the lyrical story of four seventeen-year-old friends who receive an unlikely chance to relive the perfect summer . . . and the devastating secret that could unravel it all. Elegant and evocative, Proof of Forever is one of those first novels that hooks you from the beginning and builds toward a stunning--and unexpected--end, calling to mind Gayle Forman and Ann Brashares.

Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe were once best friends. Now they barely speak. That is, until the fateful flash of a photo-booth camera transports them back in time, to the summer they were fifteen--the summer everything changed. Photos fade. Friendships dissolve. Summers end. But this one will change the girls forever . . . again.

Wendy Wunder calls Proof of Forever "The Sisterhood of the (Time) Traveling Pants for a new generation!"

Novels that have friendships at their core are some of my favourite to read. I am still in love with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series and hoped Proof of Forever would deliver similar feelings of sisterhood. While I was enchanted by the premise, and Lexa's writing, I couldn't connect to the characters enough to make the story resonate.

Lexa Hillyer's writing has a poetic, lyrical quality to it. The fact that she's published poetry before is not in the least surprising. Her writing style is indicative of this. Her descriptions, in particular, are lush and evocative. It's the writing that made this story capture my interest in any manner, and I look forward to seeing what she might write next.

I wanted a deep, complex look at a close knit group of female friends. I wanted the friendship to be the brightest element of the story, something that shone from the pages effortlessly. While there are certainly aspects of the friendship and how it impacts the each of the girls, especially in terms of their reconnection, it's the romances that overtakes the story. It changes the tone and feel of the story immensely. It's all hormones, and intense feelings, and heightened experiences. The aspect of the romance that feels true is the intensity of it all. Every single emotion, particularly in relationships, as a teen is felt just a little more deeply. Each crush feels immense. Each heartbreak is the most excruciating.  This felt like what Lexa Hillyer was going for with the romances in this novel. While romances can be a vital part of any novel, I was disappointed that it seemed to feel like it was at the cost of the friendship element in this case.

Each of the girls learns something from their trip back in time. Mostly that what we think we want most may not be what we need, and that the things we think are important now may not matter later. There is a message about being yourself, and doing things because you want to instead of doing them because you think you should. The notion that our choices make us who we are is also touched upon because these girls would not have seen things with fresh eyes if they hadn't had the experiences they had. The novel adeptly showcases that we'll all make mistakes, it's learning from them and growing as a result that is important.

This novel favours plot over the characters. Sadly, the characters themselves are not overly memorable. It felt like a cohesion of stories I had read before, and nothing stood out to make it linger after I finished the book. It's filled with pretty writing, and an interesting storyline, but the deeper connection just wasn't there for me. It reminded me of the candy the girls devoured - delicious, but immediately forgotten afterwards.

The ending, for me, did not have the impact it was supposed to. The rushed pacing felt like the characters didn't get a chance to breathe and process what happens, and therefore the reader doesn't get a chance to either. The lack of connection to the characters, coupled with this, left me feeling a lack of urgency or investment in the outcome.

A fluffy, sweet read that will bring to mind long summer days, cotton candy and the feeling you had as a teen of being invincible. While it didn't hold quite the impact I was hoping, Lexa  Hillyer's poetic writing, kept me pulled in. 

2015 Most Anticipated ......... Proof Of Forever

My next selection is filled with summer, friendships, and secrets. It's a perfect book to kick off your summer reading and certainly has the potential to be bittersweet.

Just check out this Goodreads synopsis and you'll immediately wish it was June so you could read this by the pool.

BEFORE: It was the perfect summer of first kisses, skinny-dipping, and bonfires by the lake. Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe knew their final summer at Camp Okahatchee would come to an end, but they swore they’d stay friends.

AFTER: Now, two years later, their bond has faded along with those memories.

THEN: That is, until the fateful flash of a photo booth camera transports the four of them back in time, to the summer they were fifteen—the summer everything changed.

NOW: The girls must recreate the past in order to return to the present. As they live through their second-chance summer, the mystery behind their lost friendship unravels, and a dark secret threatens to tear the girls apart all over again.

ALWAYS: Summers end. But this one will change them forever.

I love novels about friendships. Add in this secret that could tear them apart and I am sold. I hope the friendship aspect is really strong and that romance is minimal because it's been far too long since I've read one of those.

I got Lexa to share some details about Proof Of Forever, as well as what ingredient would be in an ice cream based off her novel.

1 Describe Proof Of Forever in Twitter format (140 characters or less)

Four estranged friends are given a second chance to make things right, by reliving the summer they were 15... the summer everything changed.

2 If someone were to make an ice cream flavor for your book, what might be included?

Swirls of cotton candy that taste like memories.

3 Can you share a secret about your book (either it's world, it's characters, or something that helped inspire the story)?

Beyond being a friendship story, the book is really about growing up and learning that sometimes the only thing you can actually change is yourself and how you see things.

4 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want to travel? 

Perhaps I’d have tea with Chekhov in late 1800s Moscow and talk about his early ideas for The Seagull or some such. I’m not sure we’d really get along. The tea would probably be too smoky and he would pontificate a lot about how the world is going to crap, but then we would drink vodka and chase it with pickles and that would be fun.

5 What three things do you need while revising?

Caffeine, confidence, and a friend to help me see the big picture.

6 If possible, please share the first line of Proof Of Forever.

Just do it.

I want to think Lexa for taking the time to answer these questions for me. If possible, I am looking forward to reading it even more now.

Proof Of Forever is released June 2nd, 2015 but you can pre-order it now

Amazon USA/Canada // Chapters // Barnes and Noble // 

Be sure to check back later on during the event for a chance to win a copy of Finding Paris (or any of my featured titles).

You can follow Lexa Hillyer on Twitter, visit the Paper Lantern Lit website, and learn more about the book from the publisher website.

Where is your favourite place to read in the summer? Let me know in the comments.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover for Kissing In America by Margo Rabb (goodreads)

This is such a fun cover. It brings to mind a road trip across the USA. It's also a trend with at least two other novels have a similar theme. This one has a great synopsis to go along with this cover, and I am excited to read it.

Cover for Proof Of Forever by Lexa Hillyer (goodreads)

I was immediately drawn to the infinity symbol on the cover. The use of photos to create it is also a fun touch. It's very summer-y which seems to fit the synopsis perfectly. Another book I am very excited about reading next year.

Cover for Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhoinelle Clayton (goodreads)

This cover captures the ballerina elements of the story as well as the dark elements as well. Based on what is currently known it sounds like it could be another Pretty Little Liars and that makes me very excited. I am  hoping for lots of twists and turns.

TV/MOVIE

The Affair 

This ended up being my favourite TV debut of this season. It has a really unique way of unraveling the story by showing the (sometimes glaring) differences in two sides of the same story. We're told two different versions of the same events through the eyes of people who remember them quite different. Is anyone lying, or is this just how they remember it? The show will hopefully answer that as it spins it's mystery. The cast is superb and I urge everyone to check it out.

How To Get Away With Murder

This weeks episode was the best episode of the entire season. This is a splashy, buzz worthy show filled with some incredible twists and reveals. However, the quiet moment this episode featured was just as stunning. Viola Davis is doing incredible work, and Jack Falahee is quickly becoming my favourite on the show. His performance this week was a stand out.

What are you obsessed with this week?