What If by Rebecca Donovan

What If by Rebecca Donovan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Frustrating Stars

What If was a very difficult read for me. I’m still reeling on how I feel. There’s plenty of ups and downs and all arounds. All I can say is that if you want a bumping ride, intense book, frustrating, pull-your-hair-out, just scream book, then THIS.ONE.IS.FOR.YOU

Introduction

You know that movie, Sweet November? Where the girl meets a guy and changes his life upside down by just being fun and free spirited? What If is kind of like that and no, she doesn’t get cancer and die.

Cal had a really loving childhood. He had a group of friends who he loved, but once they all reached high school, everything changed and Nicole, his closest friend, stopped talking to him.

Nyelle walks into his life during college and she looks exactly like Nicole, but it can’t be her because she acts NOTHING like Nicole. Cal is instantly drawn to her and needs to find out if Nyelle is Nicole.

Nyelle

Nyelle is fun, she’s loose, she’s carefree and very adorable. You would want to be her friend. She doesn’t care what people think of her and she has a heart of gold. The girl volunteers at homeless shelters, visits sick kids and eats a lot of sugar. I will admit Nyelle is a unique Heroine, I’ve never read anyone so different. It’s obvious she is compensating for something, but we just don’t know what.

Cal

I’m on the fence with Cal. I liked him, but he frustrated me at times. There are plenty of times he could have straight out asked if Nyelle was Nicole, but he never did because he didn’t want to push the issue, but to me, it felt like the author was just trying to stretch the storyline. He’s a sweet guy and kind of acts like a puppy in the way he accepts whatever bread crumbs Nyelle throws at him.

Overall

I have mixed feelings towards What If because first, I don’t like the flash backs. It’s a pet peeve and a personal choice of mine. Not only do I not like flash backs, but I don’t like it when flash backs are not in order and they are from different POV’s. It’s confusing sometimes and frustrating, but it did show me glimpses of the childhood.

Second, I don’t like a book based on a secret, well this one has two. Is Nyelle Nicole and why does Nyelle act the way she acts? I think my issue with books with secrets is that it drives me nuts while I read it, but it did get me to read it in two sittings, because I had to find out. So hence my mix feelings.

The whole book is frustrating, because you are ripped between flash backs to present tense, then Nyelle acts so mysterious and Cal doesn’t confront Nyelle. You are screaming for someone to just talk it out. However, with all that said, What If is written well and you are jumping page to page. It’s crazy I know.

Sometimes you want those crazy books, sometimes those crazy books that make you scream, rip your hair out and fuss are really good ones that leave you breathless and like me, reeling.

So take it for what it’s worth, that is my opinion.

AN ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

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