First, let’s get a brief overview of Claire. She was a person you want in your corner. She is reliable. She is there when people need her and even when they don’t. She attempted to do the right thing and her parents trust her.
The story began with Clair grieving the recent death of her grandfather, Opa. It left raw and left a vast rip in her heart. She doubted she’d recover. After she placed some mail in her Opa’s study, she found a flyer and registration form filled out by her grandfather for a sand sculpting competition--hosted by her dream school. He believed she was a talented artist. Initially, she is not enthused about the competition because she doesn’t know the first thing about sand sculpting. But one evening, she went to the beach to begin her sand sculpting journey she met a encounters a cute guy with a gorgeous smile. Maybe there were perks to her being out in the sand after all.
She found out something fascinating about him. As a reader, I was impressed with his efforts as well. Did I mention he also had a gorgeous smile.
Claire continued to reminisce about her Opa and their relationship. He was a central part of her life. He made things better for everyone. He even made things better between her and her bratty sister who was putting their parents through the ringer.
When Claire sees Foster again learns that he surfs. He asked her about surfing, but she shares a terrifying experience with him. In the end, Foster set out to help Claire with the competition and she made an unlikely friend while in the contest.
With her parents permission, she went on a road trip with Foster. The details are sentimental. As she continued to learn about Foster, she discovered that there are some disturbing things that he encountered. However, their relationship grows, but the choices that Foster made were mind boggling. He continued to make those decisions even though Claire offered him something better. It was upsetting. Though, he gave reasons to Claire. We learn that his brother mistreated him and his mother died when he was young. He tried to hide from his brother, but to no avail. The encounter often left Foster bruised, but he was a firm believer in family. That’s what he was taught. In this case, maybe he should have reconsidered.
Even though Claire’s family is willing to help Fister. He continued to choose his brother--leaving Claire to feel defeated. She felt her world was crumbling even more. What could she do to convince Foster to stay? She needed him not only for the competition but for so much more.
This was a cute YA read. I loved the way the angst just zipped off the page between these characters. It stayed true to the genre. I loved Claire's parents and their willingness to help. Claire’s sister was a piece of work, but Claire’s new friend was a wonderful surprise. The story was descriptive and emotional can’t get over how close she was to Opa. That touched my heart and I felt for her loss as she continued to disclose their relationship. The moving story gave a view of sad endings and new beginnings.
4.0 Stars
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