Recent Reads - You Are My Only

You Are My Only, by Beth Kephart

 4 of 5 Stars

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Genre:   Young Adult, Contemporary

Pages: 256

Publication:   10/25/2011, EgmontUSA

Why I Chose It:  I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

Synopsis (from Good Reads):   Emmy Rane is married at nineteen, a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock.

Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the "No Good." One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that gives Sophie the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . . .

The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

My Review:  This one gets a solid 4 out of 5 stars for the writing style alone. I was so envious of Kephart's skill the entire time I was reading that I almost wanted to put it away and spare my ego, but I couldn't. It's too darn good.

It wasn't the emotional tear-jerker I was expecting, but it is a beautifully written story told from the alternating point of view of two characters that were incredibly unique even if the premise wasn't.  Don't discount this story just because you think it's predictable or something you've read before. It's not.

Emmy is a barely-educated teenager when she marries and has a child. Her husband is an abusive jerk who treats her like garbage. The only bright spot in her life is her baby. So when her child is taken from her she loses it and ends up institutionalized.

Then there's Sophie. Poor, sheltered Sophie who has spent her entire life moving from place to place, avoiding what her mother calls the No Good. She's not allowed to attend school. She's not even allowed outside. But when she sees a boy her age, Joey, playing in the yard next door she finally ventures out and gets a taste of what life should be like. And through friendship and love she learns to stand up to her mother, and to not just accept her fate.

This was one I couldn't put down. It's fast paced, intense, and filled with hope. I kept reading because I had to know if Sophie would escape her sheltered life and find happiness with Joey and if Emmy would ever be reunited with Baby. And because Kephart has a way with words that'll make your heart swell.

I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a Young Adult contemporary novel or not. When I requested it from NetGalley it was listed under the Teen section, however I didn't really get a YA feel from it. Amazon recommends it for ages 12+ and there's nothing in it that would keep me from recommending to a younger audience, but I definitely feel this is suited to lovers of mainstream fiction like that of Jodi Picoult.

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