ARC Review: A Million Times Goodnight by Kristina McBride

Title: A Million Times Goodnight

Author: Kristina McBride

Release date: July 28th 2015
Pages: 320
Genres: YA, Romance, Sci-fi
Publisher: Egmont USA
My rating: 4/ 5 stars
Source: Netgalley 

Synopsis:

One Night. Two Paths. Infinite Danger.

On the night of the big Spring Break party, Hadley “borrows” her boyfriend Ben’s car without telling him. As payback, he posts a naked picture of her online for the entire senior class to see.

Now Hadley has a choice: go back to the party and force Ben to delete the picture or raise the stakes and take his beloved car on a road trip as far away from their hometown of Oak Grove, Ohio as she can get.

Chapters alternate to reveal each possible future as Hadley, her ex-boyfriend, Josh, and her best friends embark on a night of reckless adventure where old feelings are rekindled, friendships are tested, and secrets are uncovered that are so much worse than a scandalous photo.

Like a teen Sliding Doors, A Million Times Goodnight is a fast-paced contemporary thriller perfect for fans of Just Like Fateand Pivot Point.

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD 

Review:

I'm not really sure how to rate or even begin to talk about this book. I really liked it, that's for sure. I did have some minor problems with it, but nothing that I couldn't handle.  

I, personally, have never read a book quite like this one. This book is written in a very peculiar and distinctive way. It is told from the main character's point of view, but there are two different realities. Meaning that each chapter alternates between the two. It might sound a little bit confusing-or at least it did to me before reading it- but it is easier to read and get used to than you think. To be honest, I think that the writing style is a great part of what made this book such a compelling read. I don't know about you guys, but I'm the type of person that tends to over think every situation and decision. And I always wonder 'what if" too much and in what other ways things could turn out. So the idea of this book sounded extremely appealing to say the least. In a nutshell, this is like reading to different stories in one book. And it was awesome and I loved this writing technique. 

Right off the bat, you can sense a feeling of suspense in the book. There's a mix of very complicated and serious things going on and we get very little and vague explanation as to why they are happening at first. I liked that about the book because it kept me wanting to find out more. What I didn't like was the way in which the main character, Hadley, handled most of the situation. As a matter of fact, I didn't really like her at all. It's not like she was the worst main character out there, not at all. I just found her to be a tad naive at times. Her lack of judgement really radiated a vibe of immaturity. To the point where I found myself saying "DO SOMETHING, WOMAN!". She wasn't the only one, though. Which leads me to believe that these character's flaws came hand-in-hand. I'm reffering to Hadley's boyfriend, Ben. He's the a-hole of the story. And I get that, of course, he had to be unlikable, I just think that he could have been a better villain, if that makes any sense. He, like Hadley, seemed very immature. Although, a bit more obnoxious than Hadley. I mean, the guy posted a pornographic picture of Hadley and then brushed it off like it was nothing! And I think Hadley didn't stand up for herself as well as she should have. Perhaps what I'm saying is that this aspect of the book could have used a little more attention. Also, these two characters had the potential of being stronger, for different reasons of course. 

Here's the good news: there was some character development. So that kind of makes up for everything. Which brings me to say that the second half of the book was definitely better. I think the story felt more consistent throughout that second half and altogether more intriguing.

On another note, the rest of the character's where amazing. Especially Hadley's best friends. I really liked them. They brought some funny elements to the story and they were always there for her. Truly amiable characters overall. And Josh, OMG Josh. I couldn't help but love him. He was sweet and dark and swoon-worthy. 

As for the author's writing, I think it was truly great! Maybe even breath-taking at times. I really liked how the story shows how every decision, no matter how irrelevant it seems, can have such a big toll on your life. 

Overall, the problems I had with the book were minor enough that they didn't affect my enjoyment of the book in a significant way. I think that if the synopsis really catches your attention, give this book a try. 

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