Review: What Happens Next

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

Since seeing a lot of bus about his book, I bought it wanting something emotional yet deep. This story gave me exactly what I was looking for.

Plot: Just to get this out there, this story is about rape. So if this is a sensitive subject for you, I suggest your take care when you read it. Alright, so this plot follows a young girl name Sid who is your pretty average girl. She is well liked, has friends and is a cheerleader. But she is not stuck up. She is just well…Sid. Heading on a ski-trip, on whim she meets this guy and well, everything is turn upside down. I really like that this plot doesn’t move fast but slowly draws the reader in. You get a chance to really know Sid and her thoughts. I can see her wanting to be different to, to be seen. And you think that this guy that she meets is well nice. It totally caught me off guard cause I thought I would know who the guy would be.

Rape: I think this scene is done well. Its enough to let the reader know what happens but not too much to make you look away. Instead, you feel Sid and you want to help. Seeing her struggle with her memory, her every day life it catches up with reader. There were points in the story where my heart was aching for this girl. I just wanted to scream,”HELP HER!!” Yet, I couldn’t. Sid needed to find her voice and me as the reader, was right there with her.

Ending: In the end, Sid finds her voice. It all comes crashing down, and I’m feeling exhilarated yet exhausted. So many emotions where flowing through me that it takes me a while to catch my breathe. I love that the story took time to find Sid. It was not rushed yet slowly piece together so that the reader can see, feel and know what Sid is going through. She always find a true friend who is helpful enough to be there when no one else wasn’t.

This is an awesome book! I totally loved reading every single part of it and really enjoyed being in Sid shoes. Her voice is clear yet strong at the end. What Happens Next is an great story that everyone should read.

I give it 4 BITES!

Happy Reading!