Neurotic Thoughts onThe Day Before

The Day Before
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Released: June 28, 2011
Published by: Simon Pulse
Pages: 307
Target Age: Young Adult
Source: from NetGalley and Simon Pulse
Summary from Goodreads:
Sometimes there's no turning back.

Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.

I found The Day Before to be a beautiful, heartbreaking and captivating story. I loved and was amazed that Lisa Schroeder was able to convey such imagery and emotion using so few words. Amber's desire to have a quiet day at the beach where she can escape everything instantly drew me in, as that is my first place to go when I'm in emotional turmoil as well. In the beginning of the story I was confused as to why both characters were so full of anxiety and why they were both so  secretive. The more Amber and Cade get to know each other the more the readers get to know them and their situations as well.  I usually am not a huge fan of instant attraction or love at first sight, however in this story the emotions of both characters are so huge, new and raw that I can see how their feelings were able to develop so quickly. For a story using so few words it's crazy how connected I felt to both Amber and Cade. My heart broke for both characters for completely different reasons. If you have a few hours to invest in a story of love, tragedy and hope you won't go wrong reading The Day Before.