2 out of 4 stars
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Libby and Rebecca are sisters, but they could not be less alike. Rebecca fought hard to gain popularity at school and is the typical spoiled rich kid who thinks fashion and dating the football team's quarterback are the only important things in life. Libby, her younger sister, insists on cleaning the house to earn her allowance and wears baggy clothes that hide her figure...and her scars. Libby is about to start high school at the same school as Rebecca, but things quickly start to go downhill when Rebecca's boyfriend, Scott, starts paying more attention to Libby rather than Rebecca. Libby is over the moon, but terrified to think of what might happen if, or when, Rebecca finds out.
The Mistakes We Made is a YA novel about friends, family, and, as the title suggests, the mistakes that people make that affect their relationships with others. Each of the characters must take a deeper look within themselves when faced with the question of what they should do next in certain situations. The relationships between the characters create a tangled spider's web full of drama and disaster.
The author, Cierra Williams, has a simple writing style that sucks the reader in. The characters are stereotypical of YA novels but Williams takes the time to flesh them out, making them relatable. I found myself getting through large chunks of the novel at a time, partially because the plot was so action-driven that I was eager to learn what would happen next, and partially because the pages just seemed to fly by.
Unfortunately, there were many things I could not overlook. Although the writing itself was fine, there were many small errors and mistakes that I found just within the first few chapters. The book's formatting lacked tabs and spaces between the paragraphs, so sometimes it was hard to tell when a new paragraph had started and made it look like two people were speaking in the same paragraph, which was simply confusing. Also, the story's pace was very fast. In fact, I think everything happened within two or three weeks. Some of the actions the characters took to further the plot were unrealistic and unbelievable.
Although I think the book could be improved in a few ways, the message it sends is very important, especially for its target audience. The book includes a variety of sensitive topics such as self-harm, depression, rape, bullying, and suicide. It may be too much for some readers, but I think the ending of the book sent a great message regarding all of them.
Overall, the rushed pace and number of errors were a major turn-off for me and overshadowed the way Williams expertly wrote the characters' relationships and drama. Because of that I can only give the book 2 out of 4 stars. As it is, I would only recommend the book to people who enjoy dark teenage drama and want the story to cut right to the point. I would not suggest it to anyone who might be triggered by the sensitive topics listed above.
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The Mistakes We Made
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