Hit by Lorie Ann Grover is a powerful book about tragedy and recovery which shows you both sides of the story, for better or worse.
Hit by Lorie Ann Grover follows the story of two characters, Sarah and her teacher Mr. Haddings. Sarah is undeniably attracted to Mr. Haddings, but he’s a graduate student filling in for her poetry class. You could say any relationship they would have would be a little taboo.
But none of that will matter if Sarah doesn’t survive the day. On her way to school, ready to hand Mr. Haddings a poem that will tell him exactly how she feels, she’s hit by a car. And the driver? None other than Mr. Haddings!
What happens next is nothing short of a life or death situation. Things are certainly dire for Sarah, but Mr. Haddings is also in hot water. Will their flirtations — whether real or contrived — come to light? Will that even matter if Sarah is dead?
‘Hit’ book review:
Hit is a lot more than it seems at first glance. It may sound like a story about forbidden love, but it only takes about three chapters — when Sarah is hit by the car — to make you realize it’s about so much more than that.
Sarah has a fairly typical crush on her young and handsome poetry teacher, who in return is unsure about his own feelings toward the brilliant and pretty high school senior. It’s quickly stated that Sarah is indeed 18 and that Mr. Haddings is indeed a graduate student acting as a student teacher at the school. So while the idea of a student-teacher relationship may make you uncomfortable, just know that this is not the focus of the book.
What makes this book unique and interesting is everything that happens following the car accident. It’s a realistic take on a situation such as this, and it certainly hits home for those that have been in this position before. We see the events unfold through both Sarah and Haddings’ eyes, getting the whole story when these characters only have part of the tale.
Sarah’s thoughts as she’s being flown to the hospital, getting prepped for surgery, and coming-to post-operation are crushingly real, often funny, and often tragic. Her whole world has been turned upside down, and she doesn’t know where to look.
But on the other side of the window you have Mr. Haddings. It would be easy to hate him, to blame him for the accident, but you feel for him at the same time. It truly was an accident, and he wants to do everything he can to rectify the situation. But can he? And we must always question his motivations — is he doing this for himself, the sake of his career, or for Sarah?
The characters in this book are hyper-realistic, and as such, they are not always likable. But considering Hit was, in fact, inspired by a true story, we would expect nothing less.
Hit by Lorie Ann Grover is on shelves October 8, 2014. You can add it to your Goodreads list, or purchase it through Amazon or IndieBound.
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