What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

      

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
320 pages
Publisher: Poppy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Release Date: October 9th 2012

Goodreads: What Happens Next

Buy:  Amazon

My rating: 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.


     I was given an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review.  
She may be a cheerleader but Cassidy “Sid” Murphy isn't the most popular girl in school, nor has she received any positive attention from any guy. Well, that was until she went on a school ski trip where she meets Dax Windsor, a local college boy. Sid sneaks out to meet up with him. Next thing she knows Sid wakes up alone in his bed not remembering what exactly happened, but it's clear to her that Dax Windsor took two things from from Sid, her virginity and a lock of her red curls.  Sid keeps the rape to herself but she "earns" the reputation of being a slut,  when her classmates learns that she went out that night. Among getting this reputation she loses her two best friends.  

  Side drops a few of her classes that her now ex-friends were in with her, and takes a up a class in the A/V room where her only company is Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston. Months go by and Sid gets to know more about Corey, slacker, baker, total dreamboat, and at the same time she starts to fall for him, he is the only person who truly makes her happy. 

When I first read the summary to this book I was a little hesitant on reading it. Rape is big and intense subject to write about especially in young adult novels. But I decided to give it a chance and ended up loving the book. I felt that the book was a bit rushed in the end and how there was no complete conclusion to the story of Sid and her attacker. I will say that I liked how the love story part of the book wasn't rushed and it was secondary to everything and not so much in your face, as much as I love a good love story sometimes it gets annoying when it's the main part of the book and the "main story" gets pushed towards the back and isn't talked about as much. 

Overall, I loved What Happens Next, it was an excellent debut novel for this author. Can't wait what else she comes up with.