by Isobella Jade
Book: The Careful, Quiet, Invisible #1
Publisher: Gamin Press
Pub Date: July 26 2012
Genre: Young Adult
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Book Links: Goodreads Amazon
If you lived in Willow Ridge, a town based on Jade’s hometown called Liverpool in Central New York, you’d know of Estella Montclair. Estella is one of the top high school sprinters around and she’s in the newspaper all the time.
After Estella Montclair is killed in a texting and driving crash, what remains of her face and body is devastating.
But not all of her has died.
During the first month after her death, Estella’s spirit travels among her living friends and family. Her best friends Zara, Eva and Jett show her how pain and sorrow can break apart or strengthen a bond. She also sees for the first time that loss can spark revenge, catastrophe can come without warning, and we all have secrets. She wonders if her chance for love with Phoenix has passed her by, and if out of sight truly means out of mind.
And maybe one day the girl who caused her death will admit her mistake.
While adjusting to a new state of being, Estella struggles to face the limitations that come with death, but blossoms by recognizing she can still touch the lives of the people she once knew so well.
My Review: Estella is all gushy about Phoenix and how he asked her out to the prom. She gushes how much she likes him, how cute he is, and just how perfect they can be together. So she and her friends are out prom dress shopping, with each one of them looking just amazing. They all just enjoyed looking at themselves and having a good time. Now all sold on dresses Estella stands there thinking about how fast their time has flown by, and how she wished to relive it over and over again. So they buy the dresses and head out to their cars and rive home. With all of them having their own plans for the weekend. Estella is driving home, with the memory of them dress shopping is the last she will have of them all together. She is driving down the road when she spots Heidi driving ahead. Heidi had trouble in her life being in foster care and all, but now she isn't so bad after being adopted and turning a new leaf. She is also a star in track like Estella. What she didn't expect was how their world would collide. Heidi's phone buzzed and she went to look at it, only looking down a second to make sure her text was okay. Heidi then looked up only to hit the breaks hard and run a red light and into the side of Estella's car. Heidi was bruised and damaged, her shopping bags thrown from the back, other than that he was fine. As for Estella, her car had been completely damaged, her dress and belongings thrown together, and if only she didnt forget her phone or bought the bra, she would have been past the intersection, before Heidi even went by. Even though she told Phoenix yes, she wouldn't get the chance, for Estella couldn't be saved. Estella now just a chill in the air looks around the wreck and then heads to find her mother. The police had call her parents and explained what happened, and after one of them came to identify, they went home and sat around looking lost. Some time goes by before her mother goes to bed, then the autopsy results came back and was told Estella died instantly. Heidi's parents were in shock and couldn't believe their daughter had caused this, and believed that the intersection caused it, even though everyone knew it wasn't dangerous in their city. Heidi's mental state afterward just went downhill. So from Estella's perspective, she saw Heidi get her wish ans go sent to the town over to get treated in seclusion for a bit. Estella thinks about things. About how she started running and that she lived in the lower part of the city until her dad's business flew up and they moved into a bigger house. How all the coaches she had helped her over the years, and training with her dad in the mornings. She spots Evan her older brother sitting on the couch. They never really talked much and lately they were even further apart. Evan now called people and did errands for his mother, while helping her dad with the arrangements. Realizing things now her mother breaks down. She showers a number of times a day, cries, paces, and just lost. Her parents struggle and soon her name won't appear on TV anymore, lately it's all about texting and teen driving. It was hard for them to turn on the TV. Phoenix saw the news and paper clippings and Estella wondered what he thought. The rest of Estella's friends all stayed home on the weekend. Her friends went to start the first week of school without her. Everything seemed so different. With Heidi gone it was like two people died. Heidi's friends all said it wasn't her fault, but Estella's friends all back her up and say it was Heidi's fault. Another thing was Jackson started some rumors with his friends, that Heidi went after Estella in a rage because she was flirting with him. Phoenix had just about enough of Jackson's lies and finally attacks Jackson, fighting to defend Estella. Saturday came and her funeral started and went along just how it should. After it was over and they had seen her casket go into the ground they all went home. Days went by and Estella continued to watch and follow her friends. As the book gets to the end, time has gone by and it's now a month since her death. All her friends got tattoos in memory or her and even Phoenix still cared so much. Estella has to most amazing friends and lives each day with them. This book is just another reminder of how life is something to love and not waste. This was a really good and heartfelt story even if it is a sad story.
My Rating:
✪✪✪✪
