October 1, 2021
After getting pregnant at age 16, a young woman tries to make the most of the hand that life has dealt her in this novel. Sissie Klein may have been date-raped. She's not sure because she was so drunk that she can't remember what happened after she and her best friend, Della Castro, went out on the town. When she wakes up naked the next morning in 23-year-old Caleb Deitrich's apartment, she's focused only on getting out of there. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, she has a bad virus that prompts a blood test, and she learns that she's not going to be able to put the night behind her because she's pregnant. After considering her various options, Sissie decides to keep the child, and her father effectively bullies Caleb into taking responsibility for the baby and Sissie. For reasons that aren't entirely convincing, Sissie soon agrees to marry Caleb and they begin to follow a traditional path. Caleb finds a job nearby, and Sissie takes on the role of homemaker. Their baby girl is born; years go by; and they gradually settle into a routine as a normal family. It seems Sissie may have made the right choice marrying Caleb after all, until a tragic accident occurs and she learns devastating secrets about the man she thought had become a perfect husband and father. Told in the first person throughout, Clink's narrative takes readers on a journey through multiple decades as Sissie navigates a life that developed all because of one wild night in high school. The author creates relatable, rounded characters and dives deep into their thoughts. There are certain topics that would have benefited from further exploration, like Sissie's feelings about her first sexual encounter with Caleb, or the fact that her father, in many ways, becomes the villain of the tale. Similarly, many intriguing subplots are left with unanswered or dangling storylines. Even so, the narrative's insightful examination of the relationship between maturity and self-sacrifice is expertly wrought, and Sissie is so likable that readers can't help but root for her all the way to the end. A warmhearted tale about second chances that will satisfy fans of romance and family dramas.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)