Review: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.
Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”
Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Publishes in US: April 21st 2015 by Balzer + Bray aka Harper Teen
Genre: ya contemp
Source: Harperteen via Edelweiss
Series?

Buy it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Powell’s,

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   99 Days caught my eye first of all because of the cover, and then I read the synopsis. It is the definition of a girl who is trouble and feels guilt and shame about her past decisions. And of others who also can't let go, and it bullying her for it. 

   Even though I know from the get go that Molly hurt Patrick, who she'd been in a long term relationship with by sleeping with Gabe, his brother, with the set up of this book, he is the only one in town that will talk to her or make out like she was horrific. Gabe talks to her and tries to draw her out, and I can sense the chemistry between them. Don't get me wrong, I hate cheating but I know that it happens, and I can't help but feel sorry for Molly because she seems like she never intended to hurt anyone, and now Julia, who used to be her best friend is torturing her. 

   I like how the book is formatted where we are in her present, what she feels like is a prison sentence-- getting through the summer back at home before she goes off to college. But then we see pieces of how things used to be. How close she was to Julia, and what her relationship with Patrick was like. Knowing what I know, I tried not to get too attached to Patrick and their cute long term relationship before the truth came out. 

    As an added complication, Molly's adopted mother writes a story about a girl caught up in a love triangle, turning Molly's secret into a national best seller. That is how others found out about her and Gabe in the first place, and no matter the intentions of her mom, that has to put some space and distrust into the relationship. 

    I Like how realistic it was. The synopsis warns us that there is a love triangle that existed. Molly and Patrick were together before and she messed it up, but through the flashbacks were see that it wasn't all one sided. She wanted to at least consider an offer from a boarding school to attend and be a part of their track team. He was so against it and they had started to fight that he was more introverted and was constantly asking Molly to stay with him and not hang out with her other friends.
Now she is in a relationship with his brother Gabe. He is easy going, charismatic and accepts and encourages what Molly wants. 

     But she is still having thoughts about Patrick. Which is natural because of the length of their relationship and first love hits the hardest. She  scolds herself because Patrick is in a relationship with some one else, and because the more time she spends with Gabe, the more she likes him. But when situations bring her and Patrick together, more mistakes are made, and she can't seem to break out of this pattern. And while it is frustrating as a reader, it is realistic because she was with him for so long, and she know that it is awkward and he is probably hurting to see her and Gabe together. The cheating and not learning from the first time did bother me and I know it will be a big issue with some who read it, but we do know going in. 

    I like the way that she finally stands up for herself against the bullying that started, stopped and then started again. She owns that she made mistakes but she acknowledges the double standard that is often found in these sorts of situations. She was getting all the bad rap, but Gabe and Patrick are let off the hook. But both of the boys are grown up and making their own decisions and had their own part in the mistakes and hurt that was going around. 

   The ending was nice even if it wasn't the direction that I thought it would, and then at one point feared that it would go. Molly and her mom worked out some of their issues and she gave some good writer advice that actually translates into real life really well. How to end things well, and the times where you just have to let go and move on.

Bottom Line: Liked the main character who gets in a complicated triangle with two brothers.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you or known anyone in a love triangle with siblings?