Forever, Interrupted - Book Review
Genre: Fiction | Contemporary Romance
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Year: 2013
Pages: 352
“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that… in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”
Elsie Porter lives a quiet, modest life. She is perfectly content with working at her local public library and nothing out of the ordinary ever happens to her. Little does she know that on a rainy New Year’s Day, her life will irrevocably change. After meeting Ben in a pizza shop, the two become entangled in a passionate romance; in a matter of months, the couple have eloped. When Ben ventures out on his bike and doesn’t return, Elise discovers that he has been hit by a truck and killed on impact. Once again, Elsie’s life begins to change in ways she never anticipated. She struggles to come to terms with Ben’s death while dealing with her hostile new mother-in-law Susan, whom Elsie has never met.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is renown for writing the critically acclaimed Daisy Jones & The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I was first introduced to her writing many years ago when I stumbled upon a best summer reads list. As I’ve already made my way through her impressive collection of romantic fiction, I decided to start again and reread Forever, Interrupted.
When I first laid eyes on her debut novel, its small synopsis intrigued me. It was unlike anything I had previously read before during a time when I was trying to move away from the young adult and teen fiction of my youth. I decided to purchase the eBook with earnest. And I’m glad I did.
There’s so much more to this book than meets the eye. Throughout the novel, Ben and Elsie’s ephemeral romance is intertwined with Elsie’s grief. As chapters alternate between past and present, Forever, Interrupted chronicles the gradual process of love and loss in a deeply moving fashion. At the end of the first chapter, I’m already hooked by the raw emotion Jenkins Reid uses to set the tone of the novel. At times, I forgot I was reading a story in a book – Jenkins Reid paints such a vivid picture to create an evocative and resonating novel.
The characters are fleshed out amidst the exploration of strength in times of hardship, creating a thoroughly readable story.
While it may end a bit abruptly for my liking, Forever, Interrupted is perfect if you’re looking to read a touching romantic tale. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes beautifully, perfectly capturing blossoming love and deep despair. Her writing only continues to improve after this debut novel, and since I have quite the collection of her books on hand, I’ll be writing up more reviews of her work in the future.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★