One Small Thing - Erin Watt

 

Book: One Small Thing

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publish Date: June 26th, 2018

Feeling like she is in her own prison, seventeen-year-old Beth needs an escape. With her parents breathing down her neck, she rebels. She knows she needs something, but what? She sneaks to a party in a run down sister town and finds exactly what she needs--Chase. The tall, handsome boy with blue eyes that steal her breath. After losing something valuable to Chase, he shows up at her school. He's the new student, and it seems like he already has a reputation. The only one left out is Beth. Soon after, the bomb is dropped on her. Chase, the beautiful stranger, is not a stranger. He's Charlie Donnelly. The boy that stole a car and hit Beth's sister, ultimately killing her and destroying Beth's home life. She knows she should hate him but she can't help the growing feeling in her for Chase. Regardless of how many people want him gone, bully him, and what they say, Beth doesn't want to see him leave. Battling her feelings isn't the only issue Beth has to deal with. She has to deal with the ghost of her dead sister--Rachel, the stares of her classmates, her door-stealing parents, and her sister's oddly possessive ex-boyfriend. Beth is trying to find herself while everyone else is trying to shut her down. The only one that listens is Chase. His words stuck in her head, "I tried to find one small thing that I could be grateful for..." Beth now keeps that in mind. Chase and Beth have "one small thing" in mind--Iowa. 

(I felt a little warmth in my chest when Iowa became the one small thing. I could feel the Iowa sun on my skin--and smell the horrid smell of farms and over-polluted cities of Iowa. There's a small weakness in me for the Midwest.) 

There is nothing more exciting than the "forbidden fruit" effect. Watt's novel reflects the hardships of love, loss, control, lack of control, and so many more. Some things we take for granted, like our bedroom doors. This is a very good story line. Watt writes about a girl that is stuck living in the consequence of her older sister's death. It was an accident, but no one wants to keep that in mind. Growing up is tough. The teen years are hard. You're just learning to find yourself. Freedom is so close, you can almost taste it. Sometimes, it feels like the world is going to end. Watt reflects these thoughts in One Small Thing.

The character of Charlie (Chase) is a great character. He's quiet, mysterious, and tortured. Not only is he tortured by himself over that fateful night that Beth's sister was killed, he is tortured by his classmates, and the look in Beth's eyes when Rachel is brought up. 

I wish that Beth would have been a little more developed though. I like the idea of her trying to stick to the shadows, but I feel like she should have opened her mouth and rose a little hell for the harsh words being said about Chase. Compared to Chase, Beth seems almost like a shallow concept. Although, I really enjoyed the contrast of how Beth and her parent's dealt with the loss of Rachel.

The background characters have an imprint on the story as well. Jeff stands out the most. He comes off as such a nice guy, and then he's speaking for Beth's friend (Scarlet) and talking down to Scarlet and Beth. 

Overall, I really, really, enjoyed One Small Thing. There's a lesson on forgiveness, which isn't always an easy thing to deal with. There's a lesson on loss, as well as love. This book was like a vortex, it sucked me in, and I couldn't get out. I didn't want to get out. I wanted to keep turning the pages. 

Verdict: I would recommend One Small Thing to others.

Rate: 4.8/5