| GIVEAWAY |
IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE
Val-e-dic-tion
1. the act of saying goodbye
2. something to agonize over when signing off an email to your estranged best friend, twenty-countries-away father, and/or potential crush
Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she's stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF's gone radio silent. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night, which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client. If Tatum is reading his emails right, her virtual Prince Charming is funny, smart, and talented -- and he seems to think the same about her. Too bad he's spending his summer across the ocean in Ireland...not that Tatum would be allowed to gon a date anyway.
But over the course of the summer, Tatum discovers she's not the only one in the house keeping secrets, and she might just get the chance to make amends with her family and friends. With the help of her step-abuela slash fairy godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even find her happily ever after along the way.
A modern play on the Cinderella story. It Started With Goodbye shows us that sometimes going after what you want means breaking all the rules.
My Review:
Cinderella with a 21st century high tech twist. I read this YA contemporary in one sitting -- it's that good. Told entirely from Tatum's 1st person point of view and I love her sarcasm. That's what made it such a hard-to-put-down read. Snappy and winsome and full of emotion. This is a story about looking past the facades people use as barriers and the powerful role forgiveness plays in breaking down those barriers. An exceptional debut novel.
And worthy of note -- this book is published by Blink -- a YA division of Zondervan (Harper Collins Publishers) dedicated to bringing quality and clean literature to the teen market. Ever since I discovered this imprint I've been hunting down their novels and haven't been disappointed yet. And I love how there are so many debut authors in their line up. This publisher is all about taking chances for the greater good and I definitely appreciate their efforts. If you have teens or just love YA fiction yourself definitely check Blink out. I'm pretty sure every public library will carry their books.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
If you would like a chance to win a copy of It Started with Goodbye, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add your email to a comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title in the subject line so it's easier for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday October 1 2017. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!