A Thousand Lives Lived: There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos // Written in the Same Style as Before

There Will Come a Time, by Carrie Arcos
Publication: April 15, 2014, by Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 315
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating:

Mark knows grief. Ever since the accident that killed his twin sister, Grace, the only time he feels at peace is when he visits the bridge on which she died. Comfort is fleeting, but it’s almost within reach when he’s standing on the wrong side of the suicide bars. Almost.
Grace’s best friend, Hanna, says she understands what he’s going through. But she doesn’t. She can’t. It’s not just the enormity of his loss. As her twin, Mark should have known Grace as well as he knows himself. Yet when he reads her journal, it’s as if he didn’t know her at all.
As a way to remember Grace, Hanna convinces Mark to complete Grace’s bucket list from her journal. Mark’s sadness, anger, and his growing feelings for Hannah threaten to overwhelm him. But Mark can’t back out. He made a promise to honor Grace—and it’s his one chance to set things right.

My Thoughts:

There Will Come a Time is rich, special and a story that develops itself on grief, loss and mental illness. It was pretty enjoyable compared to other stories of its kind, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Carrie Arcos throws readers a story that may be found in some sections of the bookstore, though it, at the same time, has its own nice flair to it that makes it extra special. For once, we have a male protagonist by our side here who is easy going, but also who is very emotional, which I like and would prefer in characters. Even though they're guys, they're not supposed to all be macho and too cool for the book game—emotions are good.

"Their kindness kills me. It's not the sugary-sweet kind. It's genuine and motivated by love and there's no lighting it. Sometimes love can be more overwhelming than hate. So I don't go."

The story seems pretty simplistic, but it is in depth and utterly lovely. Mark, the main character, is overcoming the loss of his twin sister, Grace, who has committed suicide. The signs weren't really there, and everything is falling apart in his life at the moment. On the urge to discover what really happened to her, Mark teams up with her best friend, Hanna, and they honour their friend and sister by completing her bucket list and going on an exhibition that is different from most books.

This wasn't your average bucket list story. Instead of the achy-breaky boyfriend or girlfriend picking up the pieces left behind by the character who committed suicide and leaving readers unable to figure out what that person was really like other than learning about the things they wanted to achieve in life, we had a brother and best friend team up, just trying to figure out who Grace really was and what is Mark and Hanna's real relationship, because it always has been mixed. Grace's death may have been horrible and tragic, but at the same time, it threw in a new perspective for the characters who needed that boost of energy to boost their own relationships and find gratitude and happiness somehow, somewhere. It had a deep subject and bunch of concepts that leaves readers thinking. Arcos always adds that in her writing, and tweaks it at the end of chapters to leave suspense and readers wanting more.

There Will Come a Time is an easy story to get by with. You don't have to have MUCH concentration onto the story to really find a good understanding. If you read the plot with an easy going attitude, the story would seem enjoyable and easy to you, depending on how much emotion you would really like to feel. Arcos' writing is better than Out of Reach, and there weren't too many flaws I actually saw in the plot. This is the right read for you if you certainly enjoy contemporary romance mixed with grief.

"This moment is not forever. This moment is me and you and us in time. This moment I want to tell you everything, but I can't because I am not everything and you are not everything. Not everything needs to be spoken. Because when you or I speak things, they come to be. Our words become worlds where people dwell and live and hurt and laugh, and there's no destroying what our words create."

Mark's character could be a best friend or shoulder to cry on for someone. If you have suffered grief or loss, Mark could be totally relatable. He shows aspects of what it's like to be a teenager, ordinary or not. And with the help (and romance) of Hanna, he (not to be cheesy) shows his true colours. You could be strong after loss, there is a light, even though it doesn't seem very promising from the first look at it.

There Will Come a Time is a light, fresh dash of wonderfulness to your bookshelf. I'm sure that everyone could find something in it to devour and adore. Go for it because there's not too many out there that are similar.