Author: Julie Cross
Title: Letters To
Nowhere
Pages: 360
Publication Date:
August 1st 2013
Publisher: Julie Cross
Genre: Mature Young
Adult Contemporary
SYNOPSIS
Her family may be
shattered, but her dreams aren't...
From the International
Bestselling Author of the Tempest series
A Mature YA
contemporary set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics. Grief, love and
pursuing dreams are at the forefront of this emotionally powerful coming-of-age
story.
Seventeen year old
Karen Campbell has just lost both her parents in a tragic car accident. Grief
stricken and alone, her gymnastics coach opens his home to Karen, providing her
a place to live while she continues to train, working toward a spot on the
world championship team.
Coach Bentley’s only
child, seventeen year old Jordan is good-looking and charming enough to scare
away a girl like Karen—someone who has spent ten times more hours on balance
beams and uneven bars than talking or even thinking about boys. But the two
teens share a special connection almost immediately. It turns out Jordan has a
tragic past of his own, grief buried for years.
As Karen’s gymnastics
career soars, her nightmares and visions of the horrible accident grow in
strength. She can only avoid facing her grief for so long before it begins to
surface and ultimately spin out of control in a very dangerous way. Can
discovering love and lust (simultaneously) help with the grieving process or will
it only provide a temporary distraction while waiting for reality to hit full
force.
MY REVIEW:
Karen’s world has just collapsed with her parents’ sudden
death in a car crash. Left reeling and attempting to pick up the pieces, Karen
moves into her gymnastic coach’s house since, other than an absentee
grandmother, he’s the closest thing to family Karen has left. Everything Karen
though was important—training with complete discipline, competing as an elite
gymnast, getting into the college she wants—suddenly all pales into comparison
of the realities a fickle world where some people live and other people die.
And then Karen meets Jordan, Coach Bennet’s son. Jordan
Living under the same roof creates some hilarious
situations as the two get to know each other and spend more and more time in
each other’s company. In a world that no longer makes sense, suddenly something
does—Jordan
The characters are all so perfectly drawn. Jordan
Sweepingly romantic, raw, and completely real, Letters to Nowhere is a must read
of 2013.
EXCERPT:
“So,” one of the girls said to me, “you must be a freshman, right? I thought you looked familiar.
I downed about two-thirds of my drink and placed it on a table. That would be just enough alcohol to loosen my tongue, but not enough to tip off Bentley when we got back home.
“How do you know Jordan?” the other girl asked.
“Well . . . we’re . . . uh,” I stammered.
They both nodded, looking impressed. “That’s so great you guys are together,” one girl said, holding her hand to her heart as if Jordan was a close relative or something. “I’ve been telling Jordan forever that he needed to get a girlfriend and quit messing around.”
I coughed loudly, nearly choking on the alcohol still burning my throat from thirty seconds ago.
“Right . . . well, it’s only been two dates. It’s not like we’re living together.”
“Two dates is progress for him,” the girl on my left said, rolling her eyes. “Trust me on that.”
“Thanks, guys,” I heard Jordan say. He moved right behind me, resting his hands lightly on my shoulders. “Why don’t you just tell Karen everything you know about me?”
“Whatever,” they said together.
Jordan steered me in the other direction, where Tony and a couple other guys were standing. “Sorry about that.”
“This is our second date, by the way.”
“So our first date was buying tampons? That kind
of sucks.”
AUTHOR BIO
I live in central
Illinois with my wonderful husband and three kids currently between the ages of
7 and 12 (the kids not the husband). My writing journey began in May, 2009 with
a short story in a notebook.
Within a year, I had written seven (some good
some God-awful) young adult novels. Not being a college graduate and having
spent the previous fifteen years teaching gymnastics and working as a YMCA
Program Director for Recreational Gymnastics, professional writing wasn't in my
plans. Not even close. But ever since the day I started that short story, I
haven't been able to stop. It was love at first sight.
After about a year of writing, I had a three
book deal with St. Martin's Press, and a film option with Summit Entertainment.
Crazy, right? I know. It wasn't until August of 2011 that I quit working full
time in order to be at home with my kids more and of course, write more. My
young adult time travel debut novel, Tempest, released on January 17, 2012. The
rest of my personal story remains unwritten.
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