Oh my shiny stars...told from Ben's …POV and starting before he saved Janelle's life we see just how much he was torn between fixing a wrong he was only partially responsible for and moving on. I have to admit on paper, comparing his actions to other YA male love interests, he sounds like a super-creep.

He admits to this, justifying himself by pointing out he understands he's being creepy. But I think what sets him apart is that he doesn't force his attentions on Janelle. We see various 'crucial' moments in his life (involving her) before he saves her and each time its sort of sweet how he's like "All right I got this, we will talk and she'll find me funny and--there goes my chance. If i talk to her now it would be creepy. Well there's always next time."

We also get to see how his and Eli's homecoming was NOT what they (or anyone could reasonably) expect. My heart broke for them, and their families. I think things were a bit too easy in the case of Reid's family though.
And then there's the after-after which sets up UNBREAKABLE's (dire sounding) plot and THAT is horrific to imagine. ( )

Geez, Ben pretty much breaks your heart, doesn't he? And the ending of this makes me want to immediately dive into Unbreakable, even though I need to read something else first. Dilemma!

My favorite parts were when he talked about all the things he loved about Janelle. It could have easily been written in a completely mushy gushy way, but that's not what happened here. His feelings just were, no fluff or frills, just love. I seriously love this boy. ♥ ( )