Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.
They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.
Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....
When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.
Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

Publishes in US: Jan 29th 2013
Source: HarperTeen via Edelweiss
Standalone

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    Nobody But Us is one of those gripping, darkly beautiful gritty books that I could not look away from, and as the story continued, I knew it was going to break my heart but I still couldn't look away.
    I sympathized with Zoe, and could totally see the appeal of Will. It was finally someone who wanted to protect her after a lifetime of her abusive father. It broke my heart to hear what she went through in silence with him as well as her memories of her mom. It was quite a journey to watch Zoe learn more about herself and life in this book, and I hated that she had to continue down the road of hard knocks. I think that she grew so much though, and however hard the decisions she had to make, I still was rooting for her to do the right thing no matter how much it hurt, and ultimately make the choice of following her heart no matter the cost.
    The dual narrative was well done. Will had a lot to contribute to this book, and it was nice to be in his head and see how much he cared about Zoe, and his mindframe when he was doing the things he did. Not having to guess his motives, but really seeing where his heart was. His past was also gritty and broke my heart to see the road he'd traveled, and know that there are kids in real life as well that deal with the things he had to...
     This is in no way a light and fluffy read, and the ending really reflected that. It shocked me, and like I said earlier, it broke my heart. Kristin Halbrook wrote a story with an end in mind, and I applaud her in writing it and sharing this story.
    I also tip my hat because even though I somehow wanted Will and Zoe to succeed because I cared about them and wished that they could have their happy ending, I also knew that bad decisions meant consequences, and you can't run from those forever. It is hard to have me torn like that, and Nobody But Us succeeded.
    Bottom Line: Fast paced contemporary that will break your heart.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever been on the run from your past?