Leaving Paradise (A Leaving Paradise Novel)

Plot Summary: One horrible night changed so many lives. Caleb Becker has spent over a year at a juvenile detention facility for hitting his next-door neighborhood, Maggie Armstrong, while driving drunk and fleeing the scene of the accident. Maggie has changed from a confident athlete to a solitary, friendless girl with a permanent limp. Caleb gets out of jail just when Maggie is finally ready to return to high school, and she's not ready to forgive Caleb for changing her life for the worse. Caleb and Maggie just want their old lives back, but everyone has changed, and in the end, they discover a powerful connection within each other.This is, without a doubt, one of the most authentic young adult books I've read in a long while. This is how teens think, feel, and speak, and I'm not sure how an adult like Simone Elkeles manages to channel her younger years, but it's impressive. There's a scene halfway through the story, where Maggie's mother gets up and dances with someone at a festival, and Maggie is ready to die of embarrassment. She's convinced that everyone is laughing at her mother, and by extension, her too, and it's such a quintessential teen moment, because the adult me knows differently. Nobody cared but Maggie, but in a teen's mind the world revolves around her public perception. Thank goodness most of us grow out of that, because it's an uncomfortable way to live.This is one of those stories that is deceptively simple, short, and sweet on the surface. It makes for a fast read, but there are complicated emotions roiling underneath the narrative that alternates between Caleb and Maggie's point of view. I think the power in this book is that Ms. Elkeles took a realistic scenario that could happen to any teen, but twisted it so that the guilty and the victim end up finding their salvation in each other. If only there was a kind of cosmic justice that really did work this way.The silver lining is that they both turn into better people because of what happened. Caleb went from being a thoughtless, carefree `popular,' into someone who learned that a person's core is more important than the outside fluff. He comes back from prison with new eyes, and sadly for him, he sees his former friends, girlfriend, and family in a new light. Maggie was messed up before the accident due to her broken family, but she comes out much, much stronger than she was before.While I admire Leaving Paradise, it had one big flaw from my perspective, and that was its predictability. There weren't too many surprises along the way, and even though I savored how it all played out, the few twists were kind of obvious. I could see them coming from a mile away, and I wish I had been surprised.The good news for everyone who read this book with me is that the sequel, Return to Paradise, will be released very soon - September 1, 2010. Leaving Paradise came out in 2007, and I can't begin to imagine what the wait has been like for people who read this three years ago, because Ms. Elkeles did not provide a tidy conclusion. Here's another bit of news; on the author's website it said that she's not writing a third book in the Leaving Paradise series, so book two will provide the conclusion to this story.

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!!

Taken from [...]My Thoughts: Wow! Wow! Wow! As you may have noticed I'm a huge Elkeles fan! I adored The How To Series and this was just as great! We meet Maggie who was hit by a car driven by Caleb. Maggie has always had a thing for Caleb and of course Caleb was too blind to really notice her. She was his twin sister's best friend and the girl next door. Caleb was popular, hot, and had the girlfriend everybody wanted. One night during a party Maggie was at the wrong place at the wrong time and all bets were off. Ever since that night, Maggie has suffered. She has a limp now and had to spend months in recovery trying to get past the accident and still has the scars to remind her. Caleb had spent the last year in juvie trying to make up for his sins.Caleb and Maggie get back out in the real world, school, work, and just basic life. They are bound to run into each other. Maybe even more than they realize. Nobody really understands what either of them has gone through and because of this, their relationships with other people are hurt.I really loved this book. Love is an understatement here. I can't wait to read Return To Paradise. I instantly fell in love with Caleb, maybe it was his tough outer-shell but I knew deep down he had to be a sweetheart. Caleb, his having spent time in jail appealed to me even more because he had that bad boy aroma that I always tend to like. I also really liked Maggie, there was something soft about her that made her a wonderful character. Throw in all the side characters and Leaving Paradise is a real winner and a treat to read.Overall: Loved it. From the first page I was instantly hooked, and stayed up way past my bedtime to keep reading. The attic scene was sweet! If you haven't picked this book up, run out and buy it now!What I'd Give It:5 cupcakes all the way!Cover: Really like it a lot. I like the hand holding and the tattoo on his arm. Totally fits the book.

I have to say, after reading  Perfect Chemistry  and hearing that Leaving Paradise is a better book (from some people at least) I was excited to start reading. However, I was left disappointed.Maybe I had set my standards too high, or maybe this book is just not for me.The overall plot was, like in Perfect Chemistry, rather cliché, but I can live with that. There's nothing wrong with clichés! However, if you nitpick (as I do) then I think you'll find a few things that you dislike about this book. I won't go into too much detail in case of spoilers, but the ending was a major throwback for me. As was the fact that this book seemed to go in circles.I did not like the ending. Perhaps that's because I know that there is a sequel, but I think this book could have benefited from being a standalone novel, and leaving the ending as it is. I just felt that the last couple of chapters seemed pretty pointless, and had too much lined up for the sequel, rather than focussing on the current story.As with Perfect Chemistry, the story is told from the alternating points of view of Caleb - an `ex-con' - and Maggie, the girl that Caleb ran over in his car. As characters go, I felt that these two were fairly average in their personalities.Although the two had amazing back-stories, and there was so much to tell about their lives, I felt that their personalities fell a little flat.I found that Caleb was annoying and, at times, incredibly selfish. This trait didn't seem to be developed or go away during the novel, and that's one of the main things that put me off this character.To be completely honest, the writing style is one of the few things that drew me into this book and kept me reading. If Simone Elkeles didn't have such an amazing skill of keeping me interested, I don't think I would have made it to the end of the book.Overall, I rate Leaving Paradise a mediocre 3 out of 5 stars. It was horrific, but it wasn't brilliant. I'd recommend giving it a go, because I know lots of other people have loved it! Perfect Chemistry

Caleb Becker and Maggie Armstrong grew up together. They're next door neighbors and Maggie was his twin sister Leah's, best friend, they hung out a lot of the time. But then one night changed everything. Caleb got behind the wheel drunk when leaving a party. He lost control and hit Maggie. Worse, he drove away from the scene without stopping.Caleb's spent most of the last year in juvie for the hit and run. Now he's out and he wants to prove their hometown, Paradise, still can be home.Maggie has spent most of the year in hospital and physical therapy, relearning how to walk and planning her escape from Paradise before Caleb's release.But then Caleb's released early and suddenly they have to face each other again. To deal with the aftermath of the hit and run, the effect it's had on their families and friends as well as themselves.I completely love this book. I picked it up and didn't put it down until 3 and a half hours later, when I finished it. I thought Simone's book 'Perfect Chemistry' was great, but this was better. It blew me away. It's fairly predictable, you can figure out what's going to happen pretty easily, but it just doesn't matter. This is a heartfelt story where the characters are very real. It's told in first person switching smoothly every chapter between Caleb and Maggie, so you know and feel the full confusion of all the emotions they're going through. They're both very easy characters to relate to and empathise with as they work through their problems and issues. The side characters are well drawn as well, and I couldn't help loving Mrs. Reynolds (Maggie's employer), she is fantastic.This book is angst heavy, and pulls no punches, but there are some really sweet lighter moments as well. But more than that, it's a story of hope, self belief and the power of forgiveness and acceptance. The ending was painful, but brilliant leaving me close to tears. I am very glad that I knew there was going to be a second book before I read this one, I just wish it wasn't so long to wait for it. I can not wait for 'Return to Paradise', the continuation of Caleb and Maggie's story. This book is a must read in my view. Amazing.

Caleb has spent the last year in juvenile detention after being convicted of having an accident while drink driving. He hit Maggie with his car and then drove off leaving her seriously injured. Having spent a year away from home he is looking forward to picking up his life where he left off. Maggie however, has spent the last year in hospital suffering through multiple operations and physical therapy while trying to learn to walk again. All she can focus on is trying to get out of Paradise before Caleb returns.When Caleb is released early for good behaviour it is Maggie's worst nightmare come true. As they are neighbours who grew up together living in a small town it is going to be impossible to avoid each other no matter how hard they both try. They are going to have to face up to their fears though.I loved Perfect Chemistry so was looking forward to reading Leaving Paradise but was a little worried about reading it as I didn't think I'd be able to relate to Caleb - drink driving is something I feel very strongly about and I wasn't sure I'd be able to put that issue to one side to enjoy the book. I needn't have worried though - Simone Elkeles tackeled a very sensitive subject but handled it very well and I did end up feeling sorry for Caleb despite the mistakes he had made.I really liked both Maggie and Caleb, they were both very real characters and the developing romance between them was very well written and believable. I love the was Simone Elkeles switches the point of view between them so we really get both sides of the story. I also felt that the relationships between Maggie & Caleb and their respective families were very well written - the accident and it's aftermath had a major impact on family life for everyone involved.I think the only thing I found slightly disappointing was the ending but I've got high hopes for the sequel Return to Paradise. If you are a fan of Perfect Chemistry I'm sure you'll enjoy Leaving Paradise and I would definitely recommend it.

Considering how much I loved Perfect Chemistry I had to read this! I was not disappointed! Everything I loved about Simone's writing in Perfect Chemistry is here too: a great plot, fantastic characters and brilliant romance.In similar fashion to Perfect Chemistry we have a dual narrative so we get the story from both Caleb and Maggie's point of view. This works wonders and I just love it! Both characters were brilliantly crafted and I completely believed in them. I loved how the two characters kept getting thrown together and I found myself completely invested in their relationship.As for the story it's just fantastic. I didn't find it predictable at all and had no idea what direction the story would take. I loved that it completely surprised me. If I was in awe of Simone Elkeles writing after Perfect chemistry I am even more so now. I just loved it!The only thing I found slightly disappointing is the `cliff-hanger' ending. I loved the ending - it is just that there are so many things left unanswered at the end of the book it cries out for a sequel. Luckily there is one due at the end of this year - but as a book on its own it feels more like part one of a larger story. I think if I had read this when it was first published in 2007 I would be pulling my hair out by now. I really need the rest of the story and can't wait for Return to Paradise to hit the shelves later this year.

I love reading books which take a different slant on the whole YA romance genre, and this is definately a book which has done that. At first it seems impossible for Caleb and Maggie to even consider talking to each other, never mind being with each other, but as the plot unfolds you find out that the story is a lot more complicated than it looked at first. Caleb is difficult to understand sometimes, but he's one of those boys you love to hate - he has is hard, 'juvie' edge but he also is very sweet and cares for those who care about him. Maggie is shy to begin with but develops into being strong willed and bold, I loved how she changed in the book as it was the best for her. Mrs Reynolds was a great character - at first she seemed insignificant but she made both Maggie and Caleb see that they could be who they wanted to be. Definately a book for those who like real life romance :)