The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle
Published: August 20, 2013 by Amulet Books
Source: Netgalley via publisher

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers. [goodreads]

I will be honest in saying that I had ups and downs while reading this book.  I was never too certain if I could fully absorb it all as I was reading it.  Certain scenes didn't sit well with me, while others had me flipping the pages.  Once I finished it, that's when I realized that this was a brave story, written by a brave author.  She takes something as real as young love and presents it in a manner that some may criticize, while others may relate to.  As for me, I could not relate to Wren and Charlie's love story - simply because I never encountered that type of relationship when I was a teenager.  But just because I did not experience it, does not mean that I don't foresee it as being authentic.  I think it CAN happen, and most likely does happen. 

It's the summer after high school graduation, which I have always viewed as some of the best memories of my own life.  It's a time to grieve the loss of your teenage days, but welcome the future of something so freeing.  Wren has lived a very sheltered life, always following through with her parent's expectations.  She's suppose to be attending a certain college that her parents picked out for her, but Wren is tired of living their plan and wants to create her own.  So she decides to go to Guatemala in the fall and volunteer her time with people who need it.  The decision to defer college seems easy compared to breaking the news to her parents and then suffering through three months of their disappointment in her.  But those three months end up including a boy named Charlie, a boy she's always admired from a far, and has finally come to rest in front of her eyes now.

Charlie has his own story.  He's been in and out of foster homes, finally making a home with two parents and a foster-brother who teach him the true meaning of family.  He has hopes to attend college in the fall, too, wanting to escape the life that always dragged him down.  When him and Wren get to know one another it's as though a breath of life has been pushed into his lungs, so vibrant that he never knew he was missing that air before.  They represent the epitome of young, naive love.  The kind that lives in a bubble, all their own, relishing in the hot summer days, without a care in the world.

Though I could not identify with their type of love, I still grew to understand it.  Soul mates can be such a cheesy word, and you could tell both Wren and Charlie were even hesitant at times on labeling themselves as that.  Their love is the kind we all dream about, so perfect and so pure.  But underneath those dreams is a reality, one with uncertainty and fears.  As the end of summer approaches, and the truth of them being a part soon sets in, so does the doubts of what they truly mean to one another.

This is a sexual book, and something I would recommend to a mature YA audience.  However, I believe Lauren Myracle approached it in an honest way.  Not all of their choices, are the right choices.  I know this.  However, I can understand how a young couple, living in their naive world that nothing can hurt them and everything will always be perfect, can influence their actions.  It's part of growing up, getting hurt, and learning from it all.  I have a lot of respect for Lauren Myracle for portraying that in this particular story.