Customer Reviews

Leaving Paradise

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read this book a few weeks ago and I have to tell you: I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. The story itself is simple: two people, bonded together by a tragedy, shunned by the rest of the world, who turn to each other.

The execution is anything but simple. Caleb and Maggie are both complex, real people who you in-turn, love and get infuriated at. They are people, not characters. This events are something that can actually happen, not just story. The ending is satisfying, a real ending, not a contrived, happy one. I feel like I can pick up the paper and read about an incident like this today, that's how real this story is.

Maggie's good-girl and Caleb's bad-boy personalties are an immediate catalyst for a lot of great conflict, misunderstandings and of course, excellent chemistry. I can see this becoming a movie...it has that kind of lasting visual impressions.

Maggie's hopes and dreams of leaving Paradise behind and Caleb's hopes of a "normal" life with his family, girlfriend and "the guys" are dashed quickly in the story. You realize that these people don't have anyone who understands them. Their story together is haunting and devastating and you feel your heart break for these two teenagers who have looked things in the eye that most adults would have a hard time with.

I loved the alternatiing points of view...one chapter I hated Caleb and felt so sorry for Maggie, the next chapter I HATED Kendra and felt sorry for Caleb...my emotions were in a turmoil throughout this story. Like all great books, i read this in one sitting and all I have to say is: WELL DONE Ms. Elkeles. This is not your standard fluffy HS adventure. This is what happens when HS goes wrong, leaving behind repurcussions that last a lifetime.

I read this book and Jodi Picoult's NINETEEN MINUTES around the same time. The themes are similar...when ordinary people go very wrong. I loved both...and I will not call Simone, the Jodi Picoult of YA.

Thanks for the great read Simone. I hope we see Maggie and Caleb again one day :)

leaving paradise was a potentially fabulous book, with a great plot, but i found several flaws.

first of all, caleb's narration sounded forced, like elkeles was trying too hard to sound like a teenage guy.

and secondly, the ending was extremely disappointing. i'm a romance fanatic, and the end was too abrupt. it was almost as if the book had to be cut short, and the ending was written in a matter of minutes.

Two very different people are joined together by the most common yet dreadful experience. Both live in the town of Paradise, but for them it is nothing like the name.

Caleb Becker had spent time in juvenile detention for the crime of driving while intoxicated and accidentally hitting someone with his car. And now that he has done his time, Caleb is able to go home to his family and his girlfriend, if they are still together. But for Caleb, returning to Paradise isn't so easy. His mother is trying to act like nothing has happened, his sister hardly talks to anyone and has went from prep to goth, and his dad is just there.

Maggie Armstrong was that innocent person that Caleb hit, and she's been living in her own prison, the hospital. Trying to get back her life, Maggie has been trying her best to walk right again. But during those times, the people who Maggie thought were her friends began to grow apart from her. It's bad enough that her mother is trying to make ends meet and trying to make Maggie happy, but since Paradise isn't such a big town, there's a greater chance of Maggie running into Caleb.

For Caleb, it's much easier for him to gain his life back, since he was always the popular one -- but for Maggie, she's closer to the outside. But the one thing they both truly needed wasn't their old friends or their old lives, but each other. That one incident, that one thing that affected both of them, each in a different way, has caused a strong connection between them that they would never be able to ignore.

LEAVING PARADISE was honestly an amazing story, and was wonderfully written to where whoever reads it will not be able to get the story out of their head. Simone Elkeles, author of the highly acclaimed How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, has switched gears and made an issue that is so common her own and very unique. The relationship between Caleb and Maggie was so real and extremely heartwarming, and the ways that they struggled to continue their lives, both individually and together, makes you wonder if you are able to be as strong as they are.

This is another wonderful novel from Simone Elkeles, and I cannot wait to read her future publications.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

I went to the library in search of The Rules of Attraction, Simone Elkeles' sequel to my beloved Perfect Chemistry (to read my review of that book, click here) - but they didn't have it, so I checked out this one instead. Now, I adore Ms. Elekeles. Perfect Chemistry is one of my favorite reads so far this year. So it pains me to say that I was not impressed with Leaving Paradise.

Basically, the main problem was the entire premise of the book. Maggie is a formerly popular girl turned pariah after she gets run over by a drunk driver and develops a limp. That's right. She was really popular and loved by all. Then she suffers a horrible accident, and almost overnight, people turn on her and start making fun of her for her limp. Seriously? This just did not seem realistic. I know high school can be cruel, but somehow I don't think even the meanest mean girls would turn against their former friend because she had the misfortune to be run over. The whole idea was just kind of ridiculous and unbelievable.

Caleb is the formerly popular wrestler champion, boyfriend of the cheerleader captain, etc., who was charged with the hit & run that left poor Maggie in a wheelchair for 6 months, and who went to juvenile prison for a year as a result. I think it will come as a surprise to no one when Caleb, who previously never spared a second glance at his next door neighbor Maggie, suddenly finds her irresistible upon his release from juvie, despite her limp and ugly scars.

Caleb defends his beloved admirably when the high school meanies tease her about her limp and the long skirts she wears to cover her scars; he wipes her tears away when she has a bad day; he condescends to give her her first real kiss, etc., etc., etc. It's all terribly sweet...and, I'm sorry to say, terribly boring at times too, not to mention sappy. There was a disturbing Walk to Remember quality to this book which was most happily missing from Perfect Chemistry. Super sexy popular badass boy falls for nerdy, long-skirt wearing, awkward girl. Their love is so pure and trueeeeeeeee. Blah blah blah.

I wasn't buying it. The chemistry seemed forced, and, as I've said, the entire premise was unrealistic. I will not be bothering with the sequel, Return to Paradise. But I am still going to give Rules of Attraction a chance, because I know what Ms. Elkeles is capable of.

CONTAINS SPOILERS
With all the great reviews this book got, I was actually very disappointed when I finally got around to reading it. The ending bugged me, for sure - I realize it was more of a 'real life' ending, but like another reviewer mentioned, it was very abrupt. I didn't see it coming - Maggie and Caleb are the "perfect" couple after they finally get together, and suddenly (within pages!) they change their minds about whether leaving town means running away and they end up going their separate ways without a backward glance.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only abrupt part in the book. I felt like every major change (First Caleb fell in love, then Maggie fell in love, then Maggie became a stronger person in a few minutes, etc) was so sudden - the reader wasn't warned, the characters gave no hints - overnight (or in a bathroom) they just changed.
Maggie made a HUGE deal over what happened to her - speaking from experience, her behaviour was immature and over the top(although this does change). Her stubborness and refusal to move on annoyed me. Caleb was okay, for the most part.

Overall, I think I could've dealt with the other flaws if the ending had been satisfying. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

This is a good book; not a great book, but a good book. I can't lie and say I didn't see most of this plot coming from a mile away, heck ten miles away but you know, sometimes that's okay. This is a classic love story where girl loves boy, tragic circumstances intervene, girl loses boy then gets boy back after some epiphany of self awareness. The only difference here is that little tweak at the end which kind of came across as a last ditch "pull this out of my hat" effort on the part of the author to break out of the standard romance mold. Kind of left me cold. It didnt fit with the rest of the book. I mean really, Simone....

If you are looking for a good beach read that will keep you hooked long enough to get a good tan, this one is a well written tale surely worth a little sun time, but maybe not much else.

Accidents happen, everyone says...but what happens when your 16, and you make a mistake that not only alters the course you are on, but alters the course's of the lives of everyone around you?

That's what Leaving Paradise is about...life altering decisions that, once are made, can't be "un-made" no matter how much you wish, pray and desire to go back...you just can't.

Caleb, a boy, just like any other - he's outgoing, a wrestler, seemingly with his life ahead of him - he's got everything going for him...a great girl, great friends, even a great family with a twin who he loves dearly.

Maggie, a tennis star, with the whole world as her oyster, she's even won a sports scholarship to study in Spain for a semester. Her dad's been gone for a while now (divorced her mom) but, she's still got her mom, as well as great friends..Maggie is ready for her life to begin.

That is until Caleb's seemingly bad decision, leaves them, there friends and there families in term oil.

You see, after a party one night Caleb decides to get behind the wheel, and drive - drunk. But that's not the worst of it, while driving he crashes, but not into a guard rail or into a mail box, he crashes into Maggie - then with out even waiting to see if she's OK...he bolts!

Caleb is thrown into the DOC, while Maggie struggles with a leg that's been militated by the car.

Life changes for them both...Caleb's life goes from "play boy" to inmate...and Maggie, from tennis star to someone who can barely stand. Yet, one common thread holds them together - the accident. No one else "gets it" - both Caleb and Maggie feel alone, there friends deserting them (after a while of course), there family trying desperately to pretend things are still the same - but both Caleb and Maggie know life, for them, will never be the same.

Can either Maggie and Caleb reclaim some a semblance of the life they had before? Can either of them rise above what's happened, put it past them and move on? Can Maggie forgive Caleb for hurting her in a way that can never be undone?

Leaving Paradise, while fiction, is something that sadly - could very well be written about, your friend, school mate or even your brother/sister. Teen drinking, teen drinking and driving - is a VERY real subject in our world today. I have even had talks with my daughter (who's only 10) about drinking...while I hope that it's a long way away, I feel very much the need to want to talk to her, make sure she listens and HEARS what I am saying.

While, Leaving Paradise is ultimately a love story, it offers very real situations and VERY real characters!

Simone Elkeles has become a new favorite author of mine, though this is the first book I have read of hers. I know it will NOT be the last, just today I picked up Perfect Chemistry. I will be on the look out, for any further releases from her...Her work is amazing!

The reason for my immediate love for Simone? Well, the way she writes - she drew me in, from the very first sentence I was hooked, "I've been waiting a year for this moment." I actually read Leaving Paradise in about 6 hours...I just could not stop, turning and turning pages...before I knew it, the story was over, and I was having withdraws!

Simone writes in such a way that you care about the characters, I found myself YELLING at the book, at one point. Her use of dialog, as well as the way she changes the POV between Caleb and Maggie, even the supporting cast - I felt like I knew, not 100% but I knew enough - they were well written additions to the story, not "plot" devices that threaten to break up the story.

Simone has a way to "capture" her audience and not let them go...it's tough to explain.

Leaving Paradise does not end in the way one might expect, it's rip your heart out sad...defiantly not what I expected or even wanted...however now, after giving myself about 12 hours to digest it...the ending, much like the rest of the book is real, it's not a pretty or happy - it's gut wrenching, dirty - it's REAL.

I give Leaving Paradise a 5 stars, if you have yet to pick up one of Simone's books - you totally should! I know I can't wait for the 2nd in the series to be released sometime in the Fall 2010...and I am already really enjoying Perfect Chemistry.

First thing, this book was almost perfect! Strong characters you can relate to and feel for, good story, and a mystery you didn't see coming until towards the end. Simone Elkeles did a fantastic job with Leaving Paradise. So why did I feel cheated? Don't read any farther unless you're ready for the spoiler alerts.

I was all prepaired to hate Caleb. Drunk driving, he hits Maggie, his old friend and twin sister's best friend and drives off. He appears to have a chip on his shoulder when he gets out of a juvenile DOC. He feels that because he has already served his time he owes no one. Until he runs into Maggie and sees how she's been reduced to a shadow of her former self. Now, events lead up that keep throwing them together, and each going through their own personal demons, they find strength in each other. I thought that after everything they've been through, they would stay together in the end. It seems that they can be stronger together than apart. But Elkeles has Caleb running off with with a stranger at the end, leaving both Paradise and Maggie. I just don't get it. I know he's had enough of his family, but he's been barely home to decide he's had enough and leaves his parents and his sister. He said he started "feeling" when he's with Maggie, and then he just ups and leaves her? Elkeles gives hope for two families, and where's the hope for Caleb? One of the innocents in this story who turns out to have paid the most, aside from Maggie. I don't see what the purpose was of having Caleb run away in the end. What does that prove? How does that help Caleb be better off? So now things look good for Maggie and Leah, I have visions of Caleb selling drugs some where in the streets of Chicago because he ran off before he could even finish high school? The story was 99% awesome, and then literally, the last three pages just bring everything down. I still don't know what happened!!

While I am not a teenager, I found myself sucked into LEAVING PARADISE from page one---each and every character added to the dynamic of story and she didn't waste a single word. So strong is her voice that the well-drawn depth of the characters took me back to my own youth and the level of emotional impact Simone Elkeles packs into her writing had me feeling for Maggie and cheering for Caleb. Ms. Elkeles is a writer to be watched and respected. I see a tremendously long and successful career for her.

LEAVING PARADISE is a heart-felt read, from start to finish. With a captivating premise, twists and turns, and characters who leap off the page, Simone Elkeles delivers a touching and original tale about love, redemption and second chances. I loved this book, and recommend it highly!