Spotlight Wednesday: THE DAY BEFORE by Lisa Schroeder

I met Lisa online many years ago, and we've shared our work and lives with each other. I consider her a good friend. But the bonus here: I REALLY like her writing. She possesses the ability to pack a lot of emotional punch in very few words. And not just emotion, but three-dimensional, empathetic characters, lyrical writing, and wisdom. I have yet to close one of her books and NOT ask "How did she do that?" I respect her professionally and personally. The Contemps exists because of her hard work, and her kindness and generosity is a gem in the YA community.

Lisa's latest offering, THE DAY BEFORE, is my favorite yet. I read it on the plane (I should have known better) and the man next to me kept asking if I was alright because I went from sniffling to weeping. Both Amber and Cade go though such an incredible journey in a very brief amount of time, and the reader is able to experience each moment, each verse, as it unfolds. I've also highlighted a few poems and read them again and again since I read this novel. This is by far the most impactful book I've read this year.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT:

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Schroeder is the author of several teen books, including I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME (2009), an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers. Reluctant or not, readers will find plenty of appeal factors in this outing. The basic frame is a sort of noir Ferris Bueller's Day Off, in which two teens decide to spend a perfect day together before their respective fates claim them." (Spoilers omitted) "Cade, meanwhile, is handsome and brooding -- and his particular crisis delivers a punch at the novel's end. Schroeder has Amber narrate through free verse, the kind of jottings that might appeal to teens used to texting. This device gives Amber's revelations an immediacy and economy that add up to a surprising amount of tension. Fans of Lisa McMann's Wake series should gobble this up." -- BOOKLIST

“The Day Before is lyrical, vivid, and poignant. Like hidden gems that sparkle in the sand, each verse tells its own story; a heartfelt reminder that life's treasures -- friendship, love, and compassion -- are often discovered when we least expect them.” -- Sarah Ockler, bestselling author of Fixing Delilah and Twenty Boy Summer

"I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters, and that’s just so thematically perfect and satisfying." Caroline at Crowding the Book Truck

"THE DAY BEFORE perfectly exemplifies the beauty of words tied together through emotion - this story is poetic, lyrical...and just overall spectacular." YA Book Queen

GIVEAWAY

And because I am in a very swanky coffee shop right now, listening to a man speak french to my right, another... korean? to my left, I too am feeling swanky. Swanky and genorous. And so, I offer a copy of THE DAY BEFORE, and heck, I'll throw in my book SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD, to one lucky commenter (contemps! Feel free to play along!). Just answer this question:

What did YOU do the day before a significant day in your own life?

(My answer: The night before my wedding night, my family was putting up lights in our backyard and my soon-to-be husband disappeared. I found him at his parents' house, sitting in a corner in a dark room, alone, staring at the wall. Forget cold feet, his whole body was stiff. We talked, and I went to bed that night around, oh, four, pumping with anticipation and excitement and nerves and praying that my fiance would SHOW UP THE NEXT DAY.

He did. But eleven years later, I remember my emotions more from the day before than the day OF. And Lisa's captured all of that in this delightful jewel of a novel. I implore you to read this book.