You Are My Only by Beth Kephart

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Emmy Rane is married at nineteen, a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock.

Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the "No Good." One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that gives Sophie the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . . .

The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

Review:

A couple of years ago a little book astounded me with its writing, characters, and plot events. Its name was Nothing but Ghosts and it was written by the magnificent Beth Kephart. So when the chance arose to read Beth’s newest release You Are My Only, I jumped at the chance, eager to get another taste of a Kephart book, and I’m so glad I did, as not only is You Are My Only beautifully written but also it contains the heart and emotions I’m coming to expect with Kephart’s books.

You Are My Only tells the story of Sophie. Homeschooled by her mother and constantly on the move from the “no good” in life, Sophie has been left with little time for establishing friendships or relationships with others. However, everything changes when she meets Joey, a young teen boy who lives next door to her, and his two aunts. Suddenly, Sophie begins to see a side to life she hadn’t before: one filled with sweets, laughter, and love. With her new friends, though, come questions, like why her mother has never told Sophie more about her father or their past. At the same time, You Are My Only divulges into another point of view as well, one of Emmy, a young girl whose life is turned inside out when her precious Baby is taken from her in daylight. Left with nothing but an accusing husband, she’s left to find her Baby. Will she be able to? Getting back to Sophie, what is her mother hiding from her exactly? More importantly, how do these two stories combine? Only time and more pages can tell in this intricate and lyrical novel of family, love, and letting go as well as secrets people hide and the ways they’ll go to keep them that way.

Just like Nothing but Ghosts, You Are My Only is more character heavy then plot heavy, and I have to say, that ended up being one of the best aspects of it. Not only because I adored the characters of Emmy and Sophie, but also because I loved the way in which Beth presented their voices and viewpoints. Best of all, their viewpoints blended seamlessly into one another throughout, allowing the reader to be able to be switched back and forth easily. With Emmy and Sophie also came some more fascinating characters such as Joey and his two aunts as well as the man who saved Emmy in many ways. I truly enjoyed seeing these characters and the ways they affected each other’s lives.

While the plot in this was basic and predictable, I was still spellbound throughout simply because of the way Beth presented everything with her writing. Moreover, given the alternating point of views, I was constantly on the edge of my seat, dying to know just how everything connected.

The only real complaint I have about this book is the fact that I felt it could have been a bit more developed. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I really would have loved to seen what happened after the big revelation came out.

Other than that, You Are My Only is a magnificent book, one that I highly suggest you pick come its release in October!

Grade: A+ 

You Are My Only (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads) will be released October 25, 2011!

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

To find out more about Beth and her books, head on over to her website.