Book Review: Nobody But Us - Kristin Halbrook

Title: Nobody But Us

Author: Kristin Halbrook 
Release Date: January 29th 2013 
Publisher: HarperTeen 
Source: Edelweiss
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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.

I can't think of any other way to start this review but to say this: Nobody But Us broke my heart. Like the case in Flawed by Kate Avelynn, I kept thinking "if only they had good parents...", and having that in mind just made it more heartbreaking.

Will, who was abandoned by his mom at a young age, and Zoe, who grew up with her abusive father, found each other and decided to run away to build the life they'd always dreamed of. Being teens who had to endure hard lives, I expected them to be  realistic and they were, to a point, but unfortunately they were more naive. 

Like Zoe realized near the end, I think they mistook the want to save each other for love, but I didn't really care because it was beautiful to see that grow into real love with every smile, every touch, every kiss. Their relationship wasn't the only thing that grew, though, because along the way, they urged each other to grow, either by getting over their past or facing it. Sadly, after the initial good came the bad. Will sunk deeper into his hopelessness - which was believable - but Zoe's speedy change to a rash person totally surprised me.

Because the book was written in both Will and Zoe's POVs, I truly felt and understood their worries, uncertainties, and the thrill of finally being free for the first time in their lives, however short-lived the prospect was. Will's double negatives irked me, but it really helped in figuring out who was talking and also to give him more individuality.

Due to the characters' circumstances, I knew I shouldn't expect a happy-ever-after, but damn, that ending was worse than I'd guessed. I'll stop here before I say something spoiler-y, but believe me when I say that I really loved this book and that I'll pick it up again when I feel like getting depressed.

MY FAVORITE PART was when Will and Zoe were in the woods. 

RATING:

(cover and summary from Goodreads.com)