The Impossible Vastness Of Us

By Samantha Young

Some secrets are big enough to change everything“I know how to watch my back. I'm the only one that ever has.”

I know how to watch my back. I'm the only one that ever has.

India Maxwell hasn't just moved across the country – she's plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It's taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she's living in one of Boston's wealthiest neighbourhoods with her mum's fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon–to–be stepsister's clique of friends, including Eloise's gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India's not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school's golden couple, aren't all they seem to be. In fact, everyone's life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what's left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever...

From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young comes a story of friendship, identity, and acceptance that will break your heart – and make it whole again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jul 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781489239242

Samantha Young

Samantha Young is a New York Times bestselling author who resides in Scotland. Her novels have been published in thirty countries. When Samantha's not writing books she's reading them. Or she's shoe shopping.

Reviews for The Impossible Vastness Of Us

[jessika.c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes I plow into a book liking it one minute then hating everything about it the next. I can't possibly do this one any justice. On one hand, I loved how much I hated India but then felt disappointed when I started to like her only to feel like we would totally be besties. It was interesting. I must admit that I was drawn by the cover, not because it's pretty or anything but because ever since How I Met Your Mother I've been drawn to artwork featuring umbrellas. Spoiler alert: I still don't get what the cover has to do with the story other than the OT3 heavily featured on there.India Maxwell has just had a bomb dropped in her lap. Her mother Hailey has been talking to and visiting some guy from Boston for months and is now informing her daughter about their engagement. On top of that, it turns out he's some rich guy with a very prestigious law firm so the twosome will be the ones relocating to his side of the country. Leaving soCal, her popularity, and all her friends behind is one of the hardest things she's had to deal with since the abuse she endured in her childhood...Something she was very glad to be rid of. India is nervous that her mother is risking it all uprooting them to live with a man that she doesn't even know and on top of that is being forced into a friendship with a future step-sister who makes it clear she feels the same way. Growth, changes, and adapting are what await both India and Eloise as they work to make their new situations work.Right away I got the sense that India was a cold and hard person because of what she had endured. I loved it. Yet she wasn't guarded within walls of ice and she had a nice little gate that let the select few through every once in a while. Through a few memories, we learn the extent of her abuse which helps build sympathy towards our protagonist and understand why and how she acts a certain way. I only had a teensy problem with her which was the know-it-all attitude she had. Not that it's a bad thing but if you don't really actually know it all then it's annoying when certain things fly right over your head that I catch onto right away. For exampleshe notices how Eloise and her boyfriend Finn aren't touchy feely by any means AT ALL but never questions it? I won't lie, I was a little duped into thinking that El was in love with Charlotte so later finding out she had a crush on Katherine was a pleasant surprise. Or how Finn, Mr. Brooding never smiled unless it was because of her yet she questioned his feelings about her. Ok not a big deal but what about knowing how much Jasper wanted to take revenge yet she never thought to keep her secret relationship out of a place where he was guaranteed to find them at some point? BlehNot a big deal though I still really liked her. I mean, yeah she said some stupid things especially to El but they were just ignorant comments that she let herself learned from. It's got a romance that'll tug at even the coldest of heartstrings. Sure those were some of the moments where I thought "WTF why am I still reading this?" but others were just really cute. No, that love doesn't change India into a better person, in fact, her acceptance of this new place stems from a completely different person to the point where even he was shocked about his part in her change of disposition. This book has such great moments of friendship, family (mother/daughter, father/daughter, step-parent/step-daughter), healthy relationships between two people that really care about each other. Even though India literally gets an entire wardrobe change into designer clothing, an upgrade to a home filled with staff to run the place, and attendance at a shiny modern school that could get her into the most sought out colleges, she never forgot where she came from. There wasn't a moment of whining where she lamented her old friends not understanding her because her mom married into money nor was there that annoying "omg lyk u changd since u moved" complaint from her best friend and just that is enough to give this book a high rating. A contemporary YA book that didn't make me want to tear my hair out with how cheesy the relationships were is an automatic recommend from me.

[booksfortheliving · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

When I first read the synopsis of The Impossible Vastness of Us I was really intrigued. I thought the premise sounded interesting, so I thought I’d give it a go! Overall I thought it was enjoyable. There are some heavier topics discussed once we learn more about India’s background, as well as Finn’s; and it’s pretty heartbreaking at times. India has a shaky relationship with her mother, Hayley, and you do eventually learn why that is. It helps the reader understand why India is so cold and aloof towards Hayley.

A few things fell flat for me though. The flow of the book was difficult to follow. There would be time jumps, but no indication that this was happening – no page break, nor line. Usually there would be a new chapter, or at least an extra paragraph space between time jumps. So that took some getting used to and at times it was confusing.

The ending was also pretty anticlimactic. The epilogue is only two pages (if that) long, and it wasn’t an epilogue at all, in my opinion. Epilogues are supposed to give the reader a glimpse of the characters’ lives further on down the line, and help wrap up the storyline. This epilogue just felt like another chapter, and I have to admit I was disappointed.

I did really like how India, Eloise, and Finn form a unique friendship and bond. They each had certain beliefs or opinions about the other when they first met; but as they got to know each other that friendship grew. It makes the reader remember that they shouldn’t judge those they don’t know; and that you can’t always trust your first impression of a person.

This story is full of twists; some you may see coming, but others I think will be a surprise.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally posted on Books For The Living.