Skipping Stones by J.B. McGee

Wow. Just wow. You know, when I first read the blurb to J.B. McGee’s book,Skipping Stones, I honestly had no idea what I was in for. I knew there would be a bit of romance, but there is also a dash of heartbreak and uncertainty mixed in with a heaping spoonful of hope. Hope that life gets better. That the hurt we experience throughout our journey will ultimately be worth it when all the good finally decides to come rushing in…

Alex Hart is just your normal, average fifteen-year-old girl with a family who loves her unconditionally. But when a trip to her grandparents’ house turns into a life-changing tragedy, she no longer sees the comfort and familiarity of the things around her. Everything is turned upside-down, and she does not know which way to turn.

Drew Foster seems to appear out of thin air in Alex’s eyes when she goes for a walk to try and escape her pain and sadness. At first, she just wants him to go away, but his genuine concern for her and his promise to teach her to skip stones overrides this initial feeling of hers, and she gradually allows herself to open up to him. They become almost inseparable, and their love seems so strong. However, this is not to last, because Drew seems to disappear just as quickly as he manifested.

Why did he go? Where did he go? Were all his feelings for her true, or was he just playing her? These are all questions that Alex must face in the years to come. But as she tries to answer them herself, and tries in her mind to forget Drew, her heart still longs for him, aching for his very presence once again.

This book was phenomenal. It went from the present, where we first meet Alex at about age thirty reminiscing as she heads back home, to the past, where we see a bit of her first encounter with the love she had and lost at fifteen, back to the present, where we see how she copes with trying to forget him and get on with her life, which gets very hard when at one point she believes he has come back to her and no one else seems to believe her.

I am reminded of true love with this book. The idea that two souls can be apart for so long, but yet still long for each other is beautifully brought to life throughout the pages of this work. Honestly, I don’t have a tendency to cry with books, but this one almost did it. That is a pretty big deal.

This book was from the heart. It was endearing, heartbreaking, and lovely all rolled into one. I will definitely be looking up J.B. McGee’s other works.

Recommended for anyone who loves the idea of being given a second chance with the one you thought lost forever.