Review: The Clearing by Heather Davis

The Clearing by Heather Davis
Published: April 12th, 2010 (my birthday!)
Details: Paperback, 228 pages
Disclosure: Bought on amazon.com
Summery (Goodreads):
Amy, a sixteen-year-old recovering from an abusive relationship, moves to the country to start a new life with her aunt–all she wants is for everything to be different. In the clearing at the back of Aunt Mae’s property, she makes an amazing discovery—Henry, a boy stuck in the endless summer of 1944. Henry and his world become Amy’s refuge and she begins to learn that some moments are worth savoring. But when the past and present come crashing together, both of them must find the courage to face what is meant to be, even if it means losing each other forever.

This was a fantastic read. 

Amy moves in with her aunt to escape her life back in the city. Henry lives in a never ending summer that only he's aware of. His grandfather and mother that he lives with have no idea of what's going on. Until they meet Amy. Amy isn't suppose to be there. She shifts the balance in Henry's life. In Henry's family's life. Both Henry and Amy have a choice to make, a choice that will change both of their lives forever. 

I found Amy to be a very strong character. I found her to be easy to relate to and at the same time, she's one of those characters where you're screaming at the page "DO IT!" I found Henry to be swoon worthy. He was also easy to relate to, you can see the intention of his actions but you can also see how he could had been easily clouded by those intentions. I found myself liking her Aunt Mae too, you can tell she really cares about Amy. I really liked the shift between the two worlds. The description of Henry's world was so clear you could see it like it was right in front of you.

The ending wasn't what I expected. It wasn't what I expected at all and the things that it changed definitely wasn't what I expected but in the end, when you think back on the story, it was what was suppose to happen. It was both a happy and tragic ending, which gives you mixed feelings but good mixed feelings. This is one of the few books that had me thinking about it long after I turned the last page. I highly recommend this book!