This is one of those YA books that swings for the fences with Big Ideas—immortality! grief! love as salvation!—and whether it lands depends entirely on your tolerance for philosophical romance and fantasy conceits.
The good: Wallach writes well, the premise is genuinely original, and there's real emotional depth in Parker's selective mutism and journey back to engagement with life. It's not your standard YA romance fluff.
The reality check: The ageless-girl twist requires a LOT of suspension of disbelief (reviews are split on whether it works), the pacing drags in places, and the 'love saves broken boy' narrative is a bit played out even when dressed up in pretty prose. Common Sense Media's party-with-alcohol flag and the Dating & Sex categorization mean this isn't for younger teens.
It's a solid pick for older teens (14+) who like their romance thoughtful and melancholy, but it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. The 4.4 Amazon rating suggests readers who connected with it really loved it, while others found it pretentious or slow.






