Book Review: All We Left Behind

All We Left Behind

By: Ingrid Sundberg

Published By: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: December 1, 2015

Page Count: 432

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

All That We Left Behind is one of those novels that kept me up late at night reading because I had to know what was going to happen next. Marion and Kurt are two high school seniors who come from totally dysfunctional families. They meet at a party and something sparks between the two of them. But the secrets in their past cause some major problems in their ability to have an effective relationship. 

 Marion is the quiet nerdy type who has been comfortable hiding behind her friend Lillith. Lillith is everything Marion could never be - outgoing, wild, crazy, and comfortable with her body. Lillith makes it her mission to help Marion have sex their senior year so she can finally loosen up a bit. But Marion has never told Lillith her secret so she doesn't understand why Marion holds back. 

Kurt is the captain of the Varsity Soccer team. He is gorgeous, athletic, and very drawn to Marion in ways he can't explain. It could be the loss of his mother, or the distress he feels over his sister, but he feels a connection with Marion that goes beyond physical attraction. 

 Abe is Marion's first love. He's also a quiet nerdy type and her partner in chemistry. Marion dumped him the summer after their Freshman year of high school. They haven't really spoken again until now. Despite what you may be thinking, this story really isn't a love triangle. However, Abe does play a pivotal role in the story. 

 Ingrid Sundberg's writing is beautiful and the story steadily builds throughout the book. I kept thinking I'd reached the turning point of the book when something else would happen. I loved all the twists and turns and I was continually surprised up until the ending. 

 I have seen some mixed reviews of this book. However, I really loved it and it just might make my Top 15 books of 2015! 

 Content: Language, underage drinking, drug use, sexual situations.

Summary:

For fans of Simone Elkeles and Courtney Summers, this haunting debut novel is about two teenagers battling their inner demons as they fall in love for the first time.

When Marion Taylor, the shy bookworm, meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing quickly turns into a total mess. One moment they’re alone in the middle of a lake, igniting sparks of electricity. The next, they’re on dry land, pretending they’ve never met. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something real, terrifying, and completely unforgettable for them both.

As Marion and Kurt struggle to build a relationship from the fractured pieces of their pasts, every kiss they share uncovers memories both would rather keep buried. Marion desperately wants to trust Kurt and share the one secret she’s never told anyone—but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. Kurt is also still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back.

Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt seem totally wrong for each other—but could they turn out to be more right than they ever thought possible?