Review: Every Last Promise by Kristin Halbrook

I’m just going to come out and say it: If you want to enjoy this book, do NOT read the blurb! I’m so sick of blurbs that give away things that happen in the last half of the book. I couldn’t get into the story because I already knew a huge part of it! Before I read the first page! That’s just outrageous.

I’m on the fence about this one. I think the overall message is important but I really disliked the main character. Kayla is so weak. I hated being inside her head. She gets treated like trash by her “friends” but she’s so desperate to be in their group that she keeps a huge secret. I get that she’s young and I completely understand what the author intended to do. I just don’t understand why anyone would want to protect awful people in the first place. They are all despicable. The fact that Kayla chooses not to protect the only good person in her life is beyond me.  She isn’t surrounded by awesome people, you know? So her way of handling things is way off. I hated everyone so much that I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. I made an effort but I just didn’t care. And let’s not forget that I knew exactly what Kayla saw at the party because THE BLURB TOLD ME. So nothing but my desire to torture myself kept me reading.

This book is great at showing the damage that covering a crime can do to everyone involved. Not all of us will have the guts to speak up and do the right thing but some of us will be brave when it matters. I just hate that I had to spend 288 pages with someone I wanted to sucker-punch to reach this conclusion.