Punk 57

I have been getting so many ARC's lately, that I'm always so excited that I can read a book that's been on my Kindle for a while. Someone on Instagram recommended this book to me, and I couldn't wait to read it. I'm late to the game, it's been out for a bit, but it was every bit worth the read. 

"We're all ugly, Ryen. The only difference is, some hide it and some wear it."

"We were perfect together. Until we met." 

Misha 

I can't help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me. In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. It didn't take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza, Android vs iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever...And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us. Her letters always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there's one a week or there in a day, but I need them. She's the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am. We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it? Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name's Ryen, loves Gallo's pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances? Fuck it. I need to meet her. I just don't expect to hate what I find. 

Ryen 

He hasn't written in three months. Something's wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch. Without him around, I'm going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It's my own fault. I should've gotten his number or picture or something. He could be gone forever. Or right under my nose, and I wouldn't even know it. 

I have never read anything like this story. I've read a lot of books,and this was something unlike anything I've found before. I loved the idea that these two had been pen pals for all these years and never once talked, aside from writing letters, hadn't ever seen each other, and had never had the desire to find the other one on social media. In the day in age where social media rules all, it was so cool to read about these two who became friends, and loved each other so fiercely all through letters. 

Anything to not need you, Anything to not fall for you, Anything to look at a girl who's not you, But baby, there's nothing but you.

Ryen was an interesting character. She was flawed, and she was definitely hard to love. I actually enjoy reading a book where the main character is maybe not such a fantastic person at first. It makes the character feel more real to me. I don't live in a fantasy world where I think all these perfect, cookie cutter, girls exist. I know that everyone has their issues, everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes the prettiest girl can have a pretty ugly heart. I also know that there is usually some underlining issue there that makes a person behave the way they do. Ryen did not feel like she fit in anywhere. She acted the way she did because she was trying to survive. Sure, she did some pretty awful things, but she never felt good about it, and that's how you know a person might not be who they appear to be. I absolutely loved her character. I loved her when I hated her, and I loved her even more when she started to stand up for herself and others. 

And I knew right then and there I want to be the only girl he ever looks at like that. 

Oh Misha, He had been through so much. Some absolutely heart breaking things. He was a lost soul. He struggled with loving Ryen, and hating her at the same time. It was like she was two different people to him. The girl from the letters that he fell in love with, and the girl she was on the outside. It truly bothered him that he cared for this person that was so ugly to herself and others. He acted on his gut, and didn't care what anyone thought of him. He was this tough guy on the outside, but so sensitive on the inside. I think he sometimes struggled, like Ryen, with which person he wanted to be. 

I loved this story, because the characters were hard to love. But they were real. They were going through some serious stuff, and they were struggling to find out who they really were, who they really wanted to be. They were also surrounded by some pretty toxic people, and once you are wrapped up in people like that it's hard to find yourself again. I liked how this wasn't your typical love story, and you weren't really sure what the outcome was going to be, and. 

There were several characters in this book that I just hoped would get some nasty karma thrown at them. These were some really foul people, and while our main characters weren't innocent in any way, they also didn't deserve some of the things these people put them through. What's sad is that people like them exist everywhere. 

"Life is fifty wrong turns down a bumpy road. All you can hope is that you end up somewhere else."

I also have to mention that this sexual chemistry and steaminess in this book was off the charts. If you like books like that, then just wait until you get to the drive-in movie scene. Holy moly that was intense. These two had years and years of pent up sexual frustration towards each other.

Overall, I'm giving this book 5 STARS. This was probably one of my favorite reads of the year. I enjoyed the story line, that was so different than anything I've read. The steaminess was hot, but not too much. The characters were real and relateable. The book made me laugh, and it definitely made me cry. This was a fantastic read.