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The Bridge from Me to You
Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place.
Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in.
Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible--something to truly believe in.
327 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2014
About the author
Lisa Schroeder
34 books2,079 followersLisa Schroeder is the author of more than twenty books for kids and teens. Her latest novel is WISH ON ALL THE STARS, with Scholastic. She lives in Oregon where she spends her time reading, writing, baking yummy treats, and hiking with her family.
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August 6, 2016Hi! I'm the author of this book, and I thought I'd tell you a little bit about it in addition to the official "publisher's description."
It's a book about small town life, about dreams, about what family and friendship mean, and about helping someone else be the best version of themselves. The story is told from two points of view - Colby's and Lauren's. It's similar in that respect to how Brooklyn and Nico tell the story in CHASING BROOKLYN.
A couple of my favorite authors read it and had super nice things to say:
"Full of big dreams and even bigger heart, The Bridge from Me to You is a beautifully told story of love, family and football." - Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Geography of You and Me and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
"Filled with grace, wisdom, and bittersweet wonder, The Bridge from Me to You beautifully captures the aches and joys of family, love and friendship. You'll want to hug this book." - Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and The Chapel Wars
So there you go. YA novel #6 coming your way July, 2014.
It's a book about small town life, about dreams, about what family and friendship mean, and about helping someone else be the best version of themselves. The story is told from two points of view - Colby's and Lauren's. It's similar in that respect to how Brooklyn and Nico tell the story in CHASING BROOKLYN.
A couple of my favorite authors read it and had super nice things to say:
"Full of big dreams and even bigger heart, The Bridge from Me to You is a beautifully told story of love, family and football." - Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Geography of You and Me and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
"Filled with grace, wisdom, and bittersweet wonder, The Bridge from Me to You beautifully captures the aches and joys of family, love and friendship. You'll want to hug this book." - Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and The Chapel Wars
So there you go. YA novel #6 coming your way July, 2014.
August 13, 2016
This was an okay YA contemporary romance, but it wasn’t very memorable. I did like the mystery over why Lauren was living with her uncle and his family, but the book was just missing something for me.
October 6, 2016
Lisa Schroeder is one of the very first authors as an adult I can remember reading in verse and absolutely loving. Her work hasn't changed over the years and while this is told in both verse and traditional story dialogue, it was absolutely wonderful and every bit as heartfelt and emotional that all her stories told strictly in verse are.
I loved Lauren and Colby and their stories were both realistic and well done for such a short book. I truly loved this.
I loved Lauren and Colby and their stories were both realistic and well done for such a short book. I truly loved this.
September 4, 2017
2.5 stars
This book wasn't bad, but it was not good either.
It had HUGE potential, great ideas, nice plot points, pretty good characters and an overall story that would work... if done properly... which sadly? This is not how you handle this type of story -at least in my option.
Lets start with what i DIDN'T like:
- That Lauren's chapters where written in verse.
Not only that but in a very strange verse. Its not rhyming. Its not any kind of actual verse that i know of. Its just not actually "written" but instead said in verse.
That didn't work for me. It gave me a feeling of reading about a person that is not capable of expressing themselves correctly (which would the PERFECT if Lauren would have a reason for example a disability but she didn't. So sorry, but NO!)
It just left me feeling a bit unsettled and unsure about her character and it also made her sound as if she was 12 or maybe 13 instead of the 17 or 18 she is supposed to be.
- keeping with the feeling that the age was incorrect...
Colby did NOT feel like he was 17 or 18 either. Once again a character that feels more like barely out of children's age with 12 or 13 MAYBE 14.
It just all feels very young and overly unsure about EVERYTHING and completely unrealistic views of how the world works... its just did not feel to me like a person that goes through what Colby goes through during this story alone not even mentioning that its as said at the beginning that he basically raised himself because his dad worked a lot would and should sound like.
A person that has to take care of himself most of his life is more adult. More clear with what they want -or at least i would hope so.
- the overall writing
it just felt... unfinished?
I have no idea how to describe it. It just felt very underdeveloped, very young and a bit like someone is still learning how to express themselves in a way that makes for easy and fluent reading. This book feels like the type of book you write as a 13 year old and are incredible proud of at the same -and than you read it a handful of years later and are incredibly amused about the sentence structures you remember working on so long back than that are honestly mostly laughable easy and childish sounding.
Which might sound harsh. And i don't necessary mean it as a completely bad thing.
I flew through this book because the writing was so easy to read.
But at the same time because it was that amount of "easy" it also doesn't stick with you for long in a positive way. I know i will remember that the writing in this book was not very good for me because it felt to childish -to young for me to actually enjoy reading. As if i was reading a book for the wrong age group.
And i have not felt that way reading a YA book since i was myself 11 years old and read -back than- my first and only YA book of that time before deciding that i preferred adult books and their writing style to the YA book writing style. Which once again sounds mean. But this book has that kind of writing that just feels incredibly young.
Some readers will love it.
I did not.
What i LIKED:
- there was a nice amount of health issues present in this book.
Okay now that sounds really bad.
What i mean is there is a good representation of not "normal, healthy" people in this book.
There is a parental figure that is MS, a kid that gets in an accident and has a huge head trauma, we have a dead parent, a person with mental and/or alcoholic problems, another person has heart issues...
Its just nice to see in this type of contemporary that it does not just include people that have no actual problems and create drama simply because they don't have anything real to focus on. In this book there are actual issues that the characters have to deal with while still having to continue on with their normal lives of school and work and everything else.
That was very refreshing and nice to see.
- The friendships
They felt young and quiet childish BUT we had real friendships here. There are friends that care about the other, friends that want the best for the other even if that means that they don't get their own dream moment in the end.
And that was wonderful.
How often do we really get great friendships in books?
There was no jealously, no drama. It was great!
- different family dynamics
One character lives with uncle and aunt and their children instead of their parent, the other lives with dad and grandparents. That was nice to see. Especially since its not something that gets made into more than it is. For most of the book that is just how those kids live. Its their normal. Not everyone has a mom and a dad waiting for them at home. Sometimes someone has an aunt and an uncle. Or a grandma and a grandpa. Thats just as good, if not better in some situations.
And once again nicely done in this book.
- all the football
I love american football. I enjoy books that feature it. I more so enjoy an interesting spin on the "football star player" story. And this book has that, so that was really nice.
I loved how in this book the entire town loves the game, how they all rut for their high school team and love the players. It was this nice little element to the story that just worked.
So all in all??
There are some GREAT aspects to this book. I can see the potential, i see the hints of greatness and wonderful story telling and fantastic plot....
but sadly the author didn't manage to push through and actually tell the fantastic story this book could have been.
Its a good book.
But because i can see the hints of what this could have been with a bit more work, with a bit more changes, with just... a bit more? I have to say i am more than a bit disappointed with it.
It always makes me feel let down if i clearly see what could have been, but it just doesn't manage to get there.
a bit like loosing that big football game by one point...
This book wasn't bad, but it was not good either.
It had HUGE potential, great ideas, nice plot points, pretty good characters and an overall story that would work... if done properly... which sadly? This is not how you handle this type of story -at least in my option.
Lets start with what i DIDN'T like:
- That Lauren's chapters where written in verse.
Not only that but in a very strange verse. Its not rhyming. Its not any kind of actual verse that i know of. Its just not actually "written" but instead said in verse.
That didn't work for me. It gave me a feeling of reading about a person that is not capable of expressing themselves correctly (which would the PERFECT if Lauren would have a reason for example a disability but she didn't. So sorry, but NO!)
It just left me feeling a bit unsettled and unsure about her character and it also made her sound as if she was 12 or maybe 13 instead of the 17 or 18 she is supposed to be.
- keeping with the feeling that the age was incorrect...
Colby did NOT feel like he was 17 or 18 either. Once again a character that feels more like barely out of children's age with 12 or 13 MAYBE 14.
It just all feels very young and overly unsure about EVERYTHING and completely unrealistic views of how the world works... its just did not feel to me like a person that goes through what Colby goes through during this story alone not even mentioning that its as said at the beginning that he basically raised himself because his dad worked a lot would and should sound like.
A person that has to take care of himself most of his life is more adult. More clear with what they want -or at least i would hope so.
- the overall writing
it just felt... unfinished?
I have no idea how to describe it. It just felt very underdeveloped, very young and a bit like someone is still learning how to express themselves in a way that makes for easy and fluent reading. This book feels like the type of book you write as a 13 year old and are incredible proud of at the same -and than you read it a handful of years later and are incredibly amused about the sentence structures you remember working on so long back than that are honestly mostly laughable easy and childish sounding.
Which might sound harsh. And i don't necessary mean it as a completely bad thing.
I flew through this book because the writing was so easy to read.
But at the same time because it was that amount of "easy" it also doesn't stick with you for long in a positive way. I know i will remember that the writing in this book was not very good for me because it felt to childish -to young for me to actually enjoy reading. As if i was reading a book for the wrong age group.
And i have not felt that way reading a YA book since i was myself 11 years old and read -back than- my first and only YA book of that time before deciding that i preferred adult books and their writing style to the YA book writing style. Which once again sounds mean. But this book has that kind of writing that just feels incredibly young.
Some readers will love it.
I did not.
What i LIKED:
- there was a nice amount of health issues present in this book.
Okay now that sounds really bad.
What i mean is there is a good representation of not "normal, healthy" people in this book.
There is a parental figure that is MS, a kid that gets in an accident and has a huge head trauma, we have a dead parent, a person with mental and/or alcoholic problems, another person has heart issues...
Its just nice to see in this type of contemporary that it does not just include people that have no actual problems and create drama simply because they don't have anything real to focus on. In this book there are actual issues that the characters have to deal with while still having to continue on with their normal lives of school and work and everything else.
That was very refreshing and nice to see.
- The friendships
They felt young and quiet childish BUT we had real friendships here. There are friends that care about the other, friends that want the best for the other even if that means that they don't get their own dream moment in the end.
And that was wonderful.
How often do we really get great friendships in books?
There was no jealously, no drama. It was great!
- different family dynamics
One character lives with uncle and aunt and their children instead of their parent, the other lives with dad and grandparents. That was nice to see. Especially since its not something that gets made into more than it is. For most of the book that is just how those kids live. Its their normal. Not everyone has a mom and a dad waiting for them at home. Sometimes someone has an aunt and an uncle. Or a grandma and a grandpa. Thats just as good, if not better in some situations.
And once again nicely done in this book.
- all the football
I love american football. I enjoy books that feature it. I more so enjoy an interesting spin on the "football star player" story. And this book has that, so that was really nice.
I loved how in this book the entire town loves the game, how they all rut for their high school team and love the players. It was this nice little element to the story that just worked.
So all in all??
There are some GREAT aspects to this book. I can see the potential, i see the hints of greatness and wonderful story telling and fantastic plot....
but sadly the author didn't manage to push through and actually tell the fantastic story this book could have been.
Its a good book.
But because i can see the hints of what this could have been with a bit more work, with a bit more changes, with just... a bit more? I have to say i am more than a bit disappointed with it.
It always makes me feel let down if i clearly see what could have been, but it just doesn't manage to get there.
a bit like loosing that big football game by one point...
January 17, 2015
I read this in one sitting and it was a major nostalgia trip for me. So much reminded me of my own high school years in small town Oregon, football, driving around, going for Slurpees because that's the only thing to do, all of that. This is a quiet story, but it also packs a lot of feeling and heart into the story (which I could say for all of Lisa's books), which is just the way I like it.
-------------------
I am so excited there's going to be a new Lisa Schroeder YA novel next year. And it's half-verse!
-------------------
I am so excited there's going to be a new Lisa Schroeder YA novel next year. And it's half-verse!
August 8, 2014
I completely blame Lisa Schroeder for my verse novel cravings. Just one visit a couple of years ago with her magical way with words had me hooked! So needless to say I was really looking forward to this book.
The Bridge From Me to You combines verse and prose. Brilliant! The chapters alternate voices and styles. We meet and hear Lauren in verse and Colby in short prose chapters. I wish I could say this story, characters and style worked for me, but I cannot.
At times, the magic was there...Pages 320 and 321 in verse were my favorites! The flow of the words and timing were perfect!
BUT for most of the book, the words felt hollow. Flat. Colby and Lauren never came to life on the page for me. All the characters came across as cliché –the football player under pressure, the new girl in town with secrets, the Dad all about football and focus, and the cheerleader trotting after her man. It all seemed stiff and unrealistic. Why was cheerleader Meghan in this story? None of the characters or struggles meshed on the page or in my heart. Nothing hit me with emotion. Even at the end, Colby and Lauren didn't feel connected. They felt like they were still on separate paths. The spark I needed to root for them just wasn’t in here. I need more than Bugle snacks and polite conversations to feel the love.
That said….I can see this story’s heart was in the right place. Messages of community, believing in yourself, and standing up for what you want rather than what you’re “supposed” to do all stand out here. Strong, wonderful messages.
“When everything else is over and done with, I still have myself. I still have to believe in me. And believe that what I want for my life matters.”
A quick read with a very interesting writing format. A style that I look forward to exploring in the future, but it didn’t win me over with this book.
July 25, 2014
2.5 stars
The Bridge From Me to You isn't a bad book, it's just not a book for me and I honestly don't think it's a book that will appeal to many of my YA-reader friends or the people who read this blog (who I also like to think of as my friends). It's not poorly written or silly, but it felt very outdated and, this is really evil of me to say, but kind of like what people must be referring to when they talk about how YA books aren't "as good" as adult books.
I was pretty much immediately set up not to like The Bridge From Me to You when I started reading and realized that the chapters from Lauren's perspective are written in verse. Not like rhyming verse, but just in verses. They're also pretty short. As I read more I realized that Lauren's chapters are actually excerpts from her journal (at least I'm pretty sure that's what they were, it was never explicitly made clear) and while I actually was pleasantly surprised to find myself not loving the chapters in verse, but also not hating them, there was this dichotomy between Lauren's chapters and the chapters from Colby's perspective, which are written in traditional prose.
In both perspectives Lauren is no doubt suffering. Right before the start of her senior year of high school she's been kicked out by her mother and forced to move in with her uncle, aunt, and three young cousins. While Lauren has always had a difficult relationship with her irresponsible mother she blames herself for her mother kicking her out and just wants to go back to her mom and her baby half-brother. Lauren's verse chapters were sad and bittersweet and pretty tragic, but she was also never threw herself a pity party and that made me really respect her as a character. The Lauren we see in Colby's chapters is funny, pretty confident, and a little flirty. The fact that she was interested in Colby came through in her chapters, but I didn't see the self confidence or the humor in her chapters. While it does make sense that the confidence and humor were a front, the writing and the story in The Bridge From Me to You lacked the nuance for me to really accept those differences.
All that said I had a much bigger issue with Colby's chapters than I did with Lauren's. In no way, shape, or form do I believe a 17-year-old guy would think, talk, or act like Colby thinks, talks, or acts. It's almost like Lisa Schroeder knew she couldn't write in two distinct voices (bravo for self-awareness) so she made Lauren's chapters into verse and Colby's into prose to differentiate them. That might have worked if she could convincingly do a guy's voice, but Colby's way of thinking and interactions with his best friend Benny just didn't ring true, or read as very young guy, like 12-or-13-years-old, rather than an almost-adult.
Going into the book I knew I was interested in the actual idea of the story and even after reading it I don't think it was a terrible idea, I just didn't enjoy the execution. Basically Colby is new to town and she's not only trying to come to terms with what happened with her mom and find a way to get back to her family, she is also trying to make friends and fit into a new (small) town where people regard her with a level of suspicion. The idea of Lauren being an outsider really appealed to me and I was sorry that Schroeder didn't choose to explore it further. It's kind of mentioned and then goes away and mentioned again at the end. Colby on the other hand is the down football darling, everyone is always stopping him to talk about football even though he actually doesn't see football as his future. His father pushes him, another aspect of the story I liked and wanted to see more of, but it's never really explored. Colby is obsessed with bridges and wants to go to college to study civil engineering, not play football, but he feels guilty squandering his talent and wonders how he will afford college without a football scholarship.
Writing this review has made me realize that the problem with the book is the fact that Schroeder starts to go places, but then never really finishes things. There were so many different aspects of the characters and their situations that could have been explored, but everything in the story pretty much just goes along on the surface. Even Lauren and Colby's love story never really goes very deep. I wouldn't call their feelings for each other "instalove" because I think they're both more pragmatic than that, but they really don't know each other that well, don't really spend much time together, and even though they're obviously interested in each other neither of them is getting carried away by their feelings which leads me to ask, what's really the point? As a big reader and an intelligent person I think I realize what Schroeder was trying to do and as I was reading I kept trying to fill in the blanks and forgive her mistakes because I did enjoy some of the ideas so much, but assumptions and telling my own version of a story aren't elements that make up a great book.
Bottom Line: The Bridge From Me to You is a great example of a nice idea for a story, but a not so nice execution of the story. I wanted to fall in love with the small town and the characters, but the story never gave me enough information or went deep enough for that to happen. Because much of the story is told in verse it's a very quick read, I read it in about two hours, but, even getting through it that quickly, I just don't think it's worth spending the time with it.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All options are (obviously) my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
The Bridge From Me to You isn't a bad book, it's just not a book for me and I honestly don't think it's a book that will appeal to many of my YA-reader friends or the people who read this blog (who I also like to think of as my friends). It's not poorly written or silly, but it felt very outdated and, this is really evil of me to say, but kind of like what people must be referring to when they talk about how YA books aren't "as good" as adult books.
I was pretty much immediately set up not to like The Bridge From Me to You when I started reading and realized that the chapters from Lauren's perspective are written in verse. Not like rhyming verse, but just in verses. They're also pretty short. As I read more I realized that Lauren's chapters are actually excerpts from her journal (at least I'm pretty sure that's what they were, it was never explicitly made clear) and while I actually was pleasantly surprised to find myself not loving the chapters in verse, but also not hating them, there was this dichotomy between Lauren's chapters and the chapters from Colby's perspective, which are written in traditional prose.
In both perspectives Lauren is no doubt suffering. Right before the start of her senior year of high school she's been kicked out by her mother and forced to move in with her uncle, aunt, and three young cousins. While Lauren has always had a difficult relationship with her irresponsible mother she blames herself for her mother kicking her out and just wants to go back to her mom and her baby half-brother. Lauren's verse chapters were sad and bittersweet and pretty tragic, but she was also never threw herself a pity party and that made me really respect her as a character. The Lauren we see in Colby's chapters is funny, pretty confident, and a little flirty. The fact that she was interested in Colby came through in her chapters, but I didn't see the self confidence or the humor in her chapters. While it does make sense that the confidence and humor were a front, the writing and the story in The Bridge From Me to You lacked the nuance for me to really accept those differences.
All that said I had a much bigger issue with Colby's chapters than I did with Lauren's. In no way, shape, or form do I believe a 17-year-old guy would think, talk, or act like Colby thinks, talks, or acts. It's almost like Lisa Schroeder knew she couldn't write in two distinct voices (bravo for self-awareness) so she made Lauren's chapters into verse and Colby's into prose to differentiate them. That might have worked if she could convincingly do a guy's voice, but Colby's way of thinking and interactions with his best friend Benny just didn't ring true, or read as very young guy, like 12-or-13-years-old, rather than an almost-adult.
Going into the book I knew I was interested in the actual idea of the story and even after reading it I don't think it was a terrible idea, I just didn't enjoy the execution. Basically Colby is new to town and she's not only trying to come to terms with what happened with her mom and find a way to get back to her family, she is also trying to make friends and fit into a new (small) town where people regard her with a level of suspicion. The idea of Lauren being an outsider really appealed to me and I was sorry that Schroeder didn't choose to explore it further. It's kind of mentioned and then goes away and mentioned again at the end. Colby on the other hand is the down football darling, everyone is always stopping him to talk about football even though he actually doesn't see football as his future. His father pushes him, another aspect of the story I liked and wanted to see more of, but it's never really explored. Colby is obsessed with bridges and wants to go to college to study civil engineering, not play football, but he feels guilty squandering his talent and wonders how he will afford college without a football scholarship.
Writing this review has made me realize that the problem with the book is the fact that Schroeder starts to go places, but then never really finishes things. There were so many different aspects of the characters and their situations that could have been explored, but everything in the story pretty much just goes along on the surface. Even Lauren and Colby's love story never really goes very deep. I wouldn't call their feelings for each other "instalove" because I think they're both more pragmatic than that, but they really don't know each other that well, don't really spend much time together, and even though they're obviously interested in each other neither of them is getting carried away by their feelings which leads me to ask, what's really the point? As a big reader and an intelligent person I think I realize what Schroeder was trying to do and as I was reading I kept trying to fill in the blanks and forgive her mistakes because I did enjoy some of the ideas so much, but assumptions and telling my own version of a story aren't elements that make up a great book.
Bottom Line: The Bridge From Me to You is a great example of a nice idea for a story, but a not so nice execution of the story. I wanted to fall in love with the small town and the characters, but the story never gave me enough information or went deep enough for that to happen. Because much of the story is told in verse it's a very quick read, I read it in about two hours, but, even getting through it that quickly, I just don't think it's worth spending the time with it.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All options are (obviously) my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
August 14, 2014
For a Full and Edited review go to : Blame it on the Book
I’m not a huge poetry fan, in fact the only real YA poet I’ve read is Ellen Hopkins. Even though I loved her books, after reading one of them, I’d need a lot of ice cream and tissues to get over it. So when I started the Bridge from Me to You I was prepared with tissues and some Breyers. Thankfully though, I didn’t need them as much as I thought. Even though it wasn’t a happy book, it did leave me feeling inspired and It left me feeling like I could do anything right about now.
Lauren just moved in with her Aunt and Uncle, after her mom kicked her out. She was ready to be the awkward new girl, since she was starting her senior year, what she wasn’t expecting was to meet Colby. Colby is the star football player who resents being one. He wants more out of life, which is the same thing that Lauren wants. Yet both of them don’t have choice with what to do in their life, because their parents control everything.
Everyone expects Colby to choose football, and they expect him to get a scholarship to play college ball, what Colby really wants is to leave his small town life behind and study bridges. A secret nerd is one of the cutest things out there, I immediately loved Colby. Lauren is another secret nerd, under her good girl-next-door-vibe she wants to study birds and have adventures looking for them. Lauren and Colby are just the cutest things ever and I was rooting for them to get together the whole time.
Sadly life is never easy and even though this is fiction, their lives are not easy. Right at the beginning Lauren is having awful nightmares about what happened with her brother. We don’t find out what happened or why she had to move with her family until the end. But when we finally find out its very emotional. For Colby, life is not simple either, His best friend has a close call with death and it’ll be years until his best friend will be fully healed. He has to continue life without his best friend and teammate and still deal with the pressure of being the town star.
Lauren and Colby go so well together. They decide to stay together as friends at least until there’s less stress, which only makes it sweeter when they finally get together.
Overall this was such a romantic, emotional, and beautiful read. It will make you think and you’ll fall in love with Colby and Lauren as they fall in love with each other
I’m not a huge poetry fan, in fact the only real YA poet I’ve read is Ellen Hopkins. Even though I loved her books, after reading one of them, I’d need a lot of ice cream and tissues to get over it. So when I started the Bridge from Me to You I was prepared with tissues and some Breyers. Thankfully though, I didn’t need them as much as I thought. Even though it wasn’t a happy book, it did leave me feeling inspired and It left me feeling like I could do anything right about now.
Lauren just moved in with her Aunt and Uncle, after her mom kicked her out. She was ready to be the awkward new girl, since she was starting her senior year, what she wasn’t expecting was to meet Colby. Colby is the star football player who resents being one. He wants more out of life, which is the same thing that Lauren wants. Yet both of them don’t have choice with what to do in their life, because their parents control everything.
Everyone expects Colby to choose football, and they expect him to get a scholarship to play college ball, what Colby really wants is to leave his small town life behind and study bridges. A secret nerd is one of the cutest things out there, I immediately loved Colby. Lauren is another secret nerd, under her good girl-next-door-vibe she wants to study birds and have adventures looking for them. Lauren and Colby are just the cutest things ever and I was rooting for them to get together the whole time.
Sadly life is never easy and even though this is fiction, their lives are not easy. Right at the beginning Lauren is having awful nightmares about what happened with her brother. We don’t find out what happened or why she had to move with her family until the end. But when we finally find out its very emotional. For Colby, life is not simple either, His best friend has a close call with death and it’ll be years until his best friend will be fully healed. He has to continue life without his best friend and teammate and still deal with the pressure of being the town star.
Lauren and Colby go so well together. They decide to stay together as friends at least until there’s less stress, which only makes it sweeter when they finally get together.
Overall this was such a romantic, emotional, and beautiful read. It will make you think and you’ll fall in love with Colby and Lauren as they fall in love with each other
January 12, 2014
I've never seen Friday Night Lights but this book is what I imagine it to be like. If I'm correct, I need to start watching that show as soon as possible.
Because this book is about football, at least in part, and it made me wish that I actually understood and watched the sport (at least a little). This is the highest praise that I can give anything, ever, because I am someone who absolutely hates sports.
This book is for people who love football and people who don't. It's basically for anyone who likes a great story. :) I went into this book with super high expectations because I have loved everything Lisa Schroeder has ever written (YA or middlegrade; verse or prose) and this book is no exception.
It's told from alternating perspectives. Colby and Lauren are perfect for each other, but they don't know it yet. This isn't a case of insta-love, although they are instantly drawn to each other. It's more that they each make the other person better and (possibly because they're complete strangers) they don't really have preconceived notions of the other person and they also don't really have a persona that they have to protect either. Does that make sense? For example, with Lauren, Colby doesn't have to pretend that his entire life is football.
I love Colby and Lauren, but I also love their families...and their friends! Lauren's new friend Stasia is fantastic but I especially love Colby's best friend Benny. (Benny may or may not have made me cry.)
This book is magic. To get me to care about (and even LIKE) football, it would have to be.
Highly, highly recommended.
Because this book is about football, at least in part, and it made me wish that I actually understood and watched the sport (at least a little). This is the highest praise that I can give anything, ever, because I am someone who absolutely hates sports.
This book is for people who love football and people who don't. It's basically for anyone who likes a great story. :) I went into this book with super high expectations because I have loved everything Lisa Schroeder has ever written (YA or middlegrade; verse or prose) and this book is no exception.
It's told from alternating perspectives. Colby and Lauren are perfect for each other, but they don't know it yet. This isn't a case of insta-love, although they are instantly drawn to each other. It's more that they each make the other person better and (possibly because they're complete strangers) they don't really have preconceived notions of the other person and they also don't really have a persona that they have to protect either. Does that make sense? For example, with Lauren, Colby doesn't have to pretend that his entire life is football.
I love Colby and Lauren, but I also love their families...and their friends! Lauren's new friend Stasia is fantastic but I especially love Colby's best friend Benny. (Benny may or may not have made me cry.)
This book is magic. To get me to care about (and even LIKE) football, it would have to be.
Highly, highly recommended.
August 13, 2014
This book is written in verse.
I didn’t know that before I went into it.
But it turned out being okay anyway.
One of the things I really disliked about Lauren was how stereotypically I’m a girl with a problem and I don’t want you to get anywhere close to me because I’ll probably hurt you but I really want to be close to people she is. It’s incredibly annoying in YA, and it comes up on different scales of intensity. THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU was irritating in that sense and hard to read, not only because I don’t usually read verse.
Then there was Colby, the football star. It wasn’t so much that Colby wasn’t the person that I wanted him to be, he was just a boring character. There was so much I wanted him to be, so much that I thought he could be and lead Lauren to be as their relationship grew and the story progressed, but it just didn’t happen. The lack of growth in this story was what contributed to my general dislike of it.
There were moments I did love, the fact that Colby and Lauren helped each other escape their own demons, and their was some beautiful prose in Lauren’s words, but overall I wished there had been more. The dark secret from Lauren’s past isn’t really a dark secret, and even their romance is drowned down.
This was a huge disappointment for me, because I loved a few of Schroeder’s middle-grade books, and I had expected a lot more, but I just didn’t get it in this story. 2 stars.
I didn’t know that before I went into it.
But it turned out being okay anyway.
One of the things I really disliked about Lauren was how stereotypically I’m a girl with a problem and I don’t want you to get anywhere close to me because I’ll probably hurt you but I really want to be close to people she is. It’s incredibly annoying in YA, and it comes up on different scales of intensity. THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU was irritating in that sense and hard to read, not only because I don’t usually read verse.
Then there was Colby, the football star. It wasn’t so much that Colby wasn’t the person that I wanted him to be, he was just a boring character. There was so much I wanted him to be, so much that I thought he could be and lead Lauren to be as their relationship grew and the story progressed, but it just didn’t happen. The lack of growth in this story was what contributed to my general dislike of it.
There were moments I did love, the fact that Colby and Lauren helped each other escape their own demons, and their was some beautiful prose in Lauren’s words, but overall I wished there had been more. The dark secret from Lauren’s past isn’t really a dark secret, and even their romance is drowned down.
This was a huge disappointment for me, because I loved a few of Schroeder’s middle-grade books, and I had expected a lot more, but I just didn’t get it in this story. 2 stars.
August 3, 2014
This was not what I was expecting, but in a good way. From the synopsis, I thought there was going to be a lot of angsty time and I'm just not a fan of that. Somehow I requested it anyways.
Lauren and Colby are both great MCs. Their situations a similar in an odd way and they mesh together really well. Lisa's prose is quite lyrical and I loved the alternating POVs. I enjoyed the little slice of time we got to see in their lives, and for once, was completely satisfied in the open ending.
**Huge thanks to Point and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
Lauren and Colby are both great MCs. Their situations a similar in an odd way and they mesh together really well. Lisa's prose is quite lyrical and I loved the alternating POVs. I enjoyed the little slice of time we got to see in their lives, and for once, was completely satisfied in the open ending.
**Huge thanks to Point and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
June 12, 2016
A-freaking-dorable.
I got sucked into the mindless sappy love story of this one. It's full of subtle twists and turns, great lessons about friendship and family, and some perfect one-liners.
Colby is so darn likeable from the beginning. He should be an arrogant tool, but he's not. He deals with the pressure so well and falls in love so sweetly, I really loved him.
This book is cheesy and too good to be true. But it felt so good going down, I didn't care.
I got sucked into the mindless sappy love story of this one. It's full of subtle twists and turns, great lessons about friendship and family, and some perfect one-liners.
Colby is so darn likeable from the beginning. He should be an arrogant tool, but he's not. He deals with the pressure so well and falls in love so sweetly, I really loved him.
This book is cheesy and too good to be true. But it felt so good going down, I didn't care.
January 31, 2017
Lauren moved to a small town. She was trying to adjust to this new town while dealing with a broken heart. Then here comes the star football player. He is trying to find out what else he wants. Then him and Lauren get closer. As they get closer they try to help each other find what the other is looking for. Will they be able to find it? This is what I'm going to find out as I continue to read. I will be sure to update you all.
June 19, 2017
I quite liked this young adult romance. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl and both have their problems in life to solve. But no unnecessary drama/love triangle or whatsoever. The town setting and spirit reminded me a lot of Dillon from Friday Night Lights. The style of the book was also nice with the prose and the verse. Yet I have to say that often the verse part feeled more like prose simple divided into verse than lyrical poetry.
July 30, 2014
The Bridge from Me to You is a quiet and beautiful story. It was a fast read that was told in half-verse (maybe a bit less than half) and had me enraptured immediately.
Characters~ Lauren is a wonderful character with this beautiful gentleness to her. She has a quiet but strong personality. Because we get alternating perspectives I felt like we get to know her even better. We see her in her head, but we also see her from Colby’s POV which gives us a different view. We see her strengths- believing and caring in people, in the way she interacts with her family and steps in when it comes to helping someone who she doesn’t know who’s been injured severely. She has had to deal with a lot with her mother and some stuff that happened in the past. When she connects with others she gives her all. Lauren’s POV is told in verse except for the few chapters where she’s talking to the counselor. You would think that in such few words we would feel like we didn’t know Lauren at all, but that’s not the case. We get the dept of her emotions and the things going through her head and there’s not all these fillers of her doing this and that, etc. It’s the meat of the story and it works perfectly.
Colby is the town football hero. Everyone knows him and he has a lot of pressure from his dad and the town to do good in football and to get a scholarship. But Colby wants more than football, he has other interests. He’s struggling to find a way to tell his dad and just let everyone know because he doesn’t want to disappoint them. Colby’s POV is not in verse and it works well, fleshing out his sweet and kind personality and showing us more of the interactions between him and Lauren. I felt like with this technique we really get the best of both worlds. We still get the emotion, but we get more of a few of the things happening in less sparse of text. Colby is struggling not only with his want of not wanting to play football, but with the accident his best friend was in and is recovering from. His ability to balance so much and efforts to make everyone happy were astounding, but it was sad to see how much pain he was going through.
Romance~ Initially it seemed that it would be a fast romance but the way it went, that wasn’t really the case. They have a strong immediate attraction but because of some certain predicaments they decide to be friends first. They struggle to keep the line there and not cross into more-than-friends territory, but the attraction between them was strong. I enjoyed watching it play out and kept my fingers crossed that they would both find their way.
Plot~ The book felt clear that it was sort of a love letter to Friday Night Lights. I don’t know if it’s because I know the author adores the show, or if it was that obvious. But it worked. It’s a small town that really loves football. I’m not a sports person, but it didn’t matter for this book. There wasn’t any deep discussions about football or even very many football scenes. We know it’s important and we see that, but there’s nothing lengthy or boring concerning that aspect.
The relationship between Colby and Lauren is a big part of the story, but we also see Lauren’s struggle concerning her family and Colby’s with his family and his situation of wanting to do something other than football. The book felt the perfect mix of issues and never came heavy, at the same time it wasn’t a happy-go-lucky book either. Lisa Schroeder always weaves a lot of strong emotions into her books and it’s very present in this one as well. There were times I teared up (though didn’t outright cry) and times I laughed out loud. It’s not an extremely emotional ride, but it definitely brings your heart into the equation.
Negatives~ Honestly, I’m not sure if I have any. I guess I would say that I wish that there’d maybe been a bit more conclusion regarding Lauren’s mother and her brother. I felt like she has some things to tell her aunt and uncle as well. However, these are minor issues.
This is a beautiful story that only takes a short while to get through. It’s definitely worth the time to pick it up and you’ll quickly get immersed in this small Oregon town full of amazing people!
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
Characters~ Lauren is a wonderful character with this beautiful gentleness to her. She has a quiet but strong personality. Because we get alternating perspectives I felt like we get to know her even better. We see her in her head, but we also see her from Colby’s POV which gives us a different view. We see her strengths- believing and caring in people, in the way she interacts with her family and steps in when it comes to helping someone who she doesn’t know who’s been injured severely. She has had to deal with a lot with her mother and some stuff that happened in the past. When she connects with others she gives her all. Lauren’s POV is told in verse except for the few chapters where she’s talking to the counselor. You would think that in such few words we would feel like we didn’t know Lauren at all, but that’s not the case. We get the dept of her emotions and the things going through her head and there’s not all these fillers of her doing this and that, etc. It’s the meat of the story and it works perfectly.
Colby is the town football hero. Everyone knows him and he has a lot of pressure from his dad and the town to do good in football and to get a scholarship. But Colby wants more than football, he has other interests. He’s struggling to find a way to tell his dad and just let everyone know because he doesn’t want to disappoint them. Colby’s POV is not in verse and it works well, fleshing out his sweet and kind personality and showing us more of the interactions between him and Lauren. I felt like with this technique we really get the best of both worlds. We still get the emotion, but we get more of a few of the things happening in less sparse of text. Colby is struggling not only with his want of not wanting to play football, but with the accident his best friend was in and is recovering from. His ability to balance so much and efforts to make everyone happy were astounding, but it was sad to see how much pain he was going through.
Romance~ Initially it seemed that it would be a fast romance but the way it went, that wasn’t really the case. They have a strong immediate attraction but because of some certain predicaments they decide to be friends first. They struggle to keep the line there and not cross into more-than-friends territory, but the attraction between them was strong. I enjoyed watching it play out and kept my fingers crossed that they would both find their way.
Plot~ The book felt clear that it was sort of a love letter to Friday Night Lights. I don’t know if it’s because I know the author adores the show, or if it was that obvious. But it worked. It’s a small town that really loves football. I’m not a sports person, but it didn’t matter for this book. There wasn’t any deep discussions about football or even very many football scenes. We know it’s important and we see that, but there’s nothing lengthy or boring concerning that aspect.
The relationship between Colby and Lauren is a big part of the story, but we also see Lauren’s struggle concerning her family and Colby’s with his family and his situation of wanting to do something other than football. The book felt the perfect mix of issues and never came heavy, at the same time it wasn’t a happy-go-lucky book either. Lisa Schroeder always weaves a lot of strong emotions into her books and it’s very present in this one as well. There were times I teared up (though didn’t outright cry) and times I laughed out loud. It’s not an extremely emotional ride, but it definitely brings your heart into the equation.
Negatives~ Honestly, I’m not sure if I have any. I guess I would say that I wish that there’d maybe been a bit more conclusion regarding Lauren’s mother and her brother. I felt like she has some things to tell her aunt and uncle as well. However, these are minor issues.
This is a beautiful story that only takes a short while to get through. It’s definitely worth the time to pick it up and you’ll quickly get immersed in this small Oregon town full of amazing people!
You can find this review, and others like it, on my blog at http://www.candacesbookblog.com
August 30, 2016
**Find this and other reviews, plus fun stuff, on my blogs! Booklikes or Blogspot**
Basic Info
Format: Kindle
Pages/Length: n/a
Genre: Young Adult; Contemporary; Romance
Reason For Reading: Group Buddy Read
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: INSTA
Cliff Hanger: no
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 2 stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 7
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
World Building: 5
Flow: 5
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 6
Ending: 3
Total: 4
In Dept
Best Part: The MC isn't a typical "girl"
Worst Part: Dumb love
Thoughts Had: Oh boy.
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: n/a
Recommending: Sure
Short Review: Spoilers ahead! You all know that i'm not the biggest fan of Contemporary. I had the BIGGEST issues with this book. 1st: Colby's dad, HARDCORE into the football thing, making him cancel plans to do extra workouts and stuff. Then Colby tells him "hey i don't want to football anymore" and his dad says.... "ok". WHAT. NO. 2nd: Stupid insta love. The second Colby sees Lauren, he's in love. No. 3rd: Lauren was all set to go home, ALL SET, threw a fit about wanting to leave, then in a matter of 3seconds, just changes her mind FOR NO REASON at all. NO!
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: no.
Best Friend Material: The MC.
April 5, 2021
Between the autumn-in-Oregon setting and the fact that the main characters quickly decide to be friends first, acknowledging their mutual attraction but doing very little about it until the end, this was not the fluffy summer romance I expected from the cover (which is gorgeous; it wraps from back to front so if you turn it over, you'll find a shaggy-haired boy in a hoodie and jeans following the girl along the fence). But it was better than I expected in so many ways.
I see now that the author has given her own supplemental description of what the book is about, but I already wrote mine, so here goes: It's a love letter to small towns, despite their exasperating parts, and to family, and how you can love and be frustrated with them at the same time. It's about realizing you are not responsible for your parents' mistakes or dreams, and how to prioritize yourself. It's about friendship, and football, and how the latter doesn't have to be the most important thing in the world to be important as the thing that brings a community together, particularly in the wake of a sobering accident that takes one player out of commission with a TBI.
I can't believe I almost didn't read this -- the cover and synopsis grabbed my attention years ago, but as soon as I saw it was half in poems I dumped it back on the shelf without a second glance. But after remembering it for someone on a lost-book forum, I realized how much I craved a simple boy-meets-girl novel with zero of the buzzwords, issues or identity lessons that have been all the rage in YA for the past couple of years, and decided I was willing to suffer poems to get it.
Imagine my surprise when the very first poem, in its opening line, instantly grabbed my attention and captured the feel of the setting as vividly as a movie. I must have read the first chapter 3 or 4 times to soak it up before I finally settled into the story.
The house smells like
apple pie thanks to the
burning candle on the mantel.
Uncle Josh and
my three cousins are outside
throwing the football around.
Apparently this small town
loves football
the way ducks love water.
I quickly found myself loving every single one of Lauren's chapters, even noticing how carefully the spare sentences were formed and how nicely words and thoughts fit together, instead of just reading them to find out what happened. I've never had a verse novel be that evocative for me before, with the exception of Make Lemonade, and that was evocative in a different, stark way. This was warm. It made me feel like I was hearing the way Lauren actually thought, or maybe the way she'd write in a diary.
I also thought it was an interesting choice to present her therapy sessions in regular prose format -- I think maybe that helped flesh out her character enough to appreciate the poems.
The fact that she's living in quasi-exile with her aunt and uncle is super-heartbreaking, because she has done nothing wrong. Nothing. Her mother is an alcoholic, and when Lauren covered up something her mom did to endanger her half-brother, her mom basically threw her out because prior to taking the fall, she almost cost her mom custody. And it just killed me that all she wanted was to be loved, but not in a desperate "I'll take anyone who'll have me" way -- she craved being part of her relatives' family, but still felt like she didn't deserve it, because her own mom never made her feel like a person who was loved as opposed to mildly inconvenient.
So watching her make the best of the situation and even cautiously put down roots in this town, even knowing that the arrangement is temporary and could end at any moment, made my heart soar. (Plus: her fondness for gas station snacks was cute and made me crave Bugles, which is impressive because they are one of the grossest snack foods available.)
As much as I loved her, Colby didn't exactly fall short. I credit the cover model with a lot of this, because that is exactly the look that screamed CUTE BOY ALERT to me in high school, but I NEVER give two figs about jocks in novels, YA or otherwise. As soon as I hear they play football or baseball, it's like they've been glazed with Bland and I can't imagine a scenario where they're physically attractive or even interesting in the personality department.
However, Colby's disinterest in playing ball post high school, despite the interest of college scouts, was pretty endearing, and his specific interest in studying civil engineering -- he loves bridges and wants to design them -- proved he's a pretty smart cookie. And, he's just a super-great and wholesome character. Devoted to his best friend and kinda lost without him, warm relationship with his grandparents, a hard worker; at no point is he anything less than a dream teenager. There is way more description of football practices/games than I have ever cared to hear about in this book, but because I was reading about it through his perspective, I didn't mind as much.
Does it hurt that the romance with Lauren is totally G-rated? Or that he turns down no-strings-attached hookups with his hot ex-girlfriend even while he is technically single? It does not.
Long story short, I love this book for what it is and think it has a good arc, but if there's any YA novel I've ever wanted to have a sequel, it's THIS ONE.
I see now that the author has given her own supplemental description of what the book is about, but I already wrote mine, so here goes: It's a love letter to small towns, despite their exasperating parts, and to family, and how you can love and be frustrated with them at the same time. It's about realizing you are not responsible for your parents' mistakes or dreams, and how to prioritize yourself. It's about friendship, and football, and how the latter doesn't have to be the most important thing in the world to be important as the thing that brings a community together, particularly in the wake of a sobering accident that takes one player out of commission with a TBI.
I can't believe I almost didn't read this -- the cover and synopsis grabbed my attention years ago, but as soon as I saw it was half in poems I dumped it back on the shelf without a second glance. But after remembering it for someone on a lost-book forum, I realized how much I craved a simple boy-meets-girl novel with zero of the buzzwords, issues or identity lessons that have been all the rage in YA for the past couple of years, and decided I was willing to suffer poems to get it.
Imagine my surprise when the very first poem, in its opening line, instantly grabbed my attention and captured the feel of the setting as vividly as a movie. I must have read the first chapter 3 or 4 times to soak it up before I finally settled into the story.
The house smells like
apple pie thanks to the
burning candle on the mantel.
Uncle Josh and
my three cousins are outside
throwing the football around.
Apparently this small town
loves football
the way ducks love water.
I quickly found myself loving every single one of Lauren's chapters, even noticing how carefully the spare sentences were formed and how nicely words and thoughts fit together, instead of just reading them to find out what happened. I've never had a verse novel be that evocative for me before, with the exception of Make Lemonade, and that was evocative in a different, stark way. This was warm. It made me feel like I was hearing the way Lauren actually thought, or maybe the way she'd write in a diary.
I also thought it was an interesting choice to present her therapy sessions in regular prose format -- I think maybe that helped flesh out her character enough to appreciate the poems.
The fact that she's living in quasi-exile with her aunt and uncle is super-heartbreaking, because she has done nothing wrong. Nothing. Her mother is an alcoholic, and when Lauren covered up something her mom did to endanger her half-brother, her mom basically threw her out because prior to taking the fall, she almost cost her mom custody. And it just killed me that all she wanted was to be loved, but not in a desperate "I'll take anyone who'll have me" way -- she craved being part of her relatives' family, but still felt like she didn't deserve it, because her own mom never made her feel like a person who was loved as opposed to mildly inconvenient.
So watching her make the best of the situation and even cautiously put down roots in this town, even knowing that the arrangement is temporary and could end at any moment, made my heart soar. (Plus: her fondness for gas station snacks was cute and made me crave Bugles, which is impressive because they are one of the grossest snack foods available.)
As much as I loved her, Colby didn't exactly fall short. I credit the cover model with a lot of this, because that is exactly the look that screamed CUTE BOY ALERT to me in high school, but I NEVER give two figs about jocks in novels, YA or otherwise. As soon as I hear they play football or baseball, it's like they've been glazed with Bland and I can't imagine a scenario where they're physically attractive or even interesting in the personality department.
However, Colby's disinterest in playing ball post high school, despite the interest of college scouts, was pretty endearing, and his specific interest in studying civil engineering -- he loves bridges and wants to design them -- proved he's a pretty smart cookie. And, he's just a super-great and wholesome character. Devoted to his best friend and kinda lost without him, warm relationship with his grandparents, a hard worker; at no point is he anything less than a dream teenager. There is way more description of football practices/games than I have ever cared to hear about in this book, but because I was reading about it through his perspective, I didn't mind as much.
Does it hurt that the romance with Lauren is totally G-rated? Or that he turns down no-strings-attached hookups with his hot ex-girlfriend even while he is technically single? It does not.
Long story short, I love this book for what it is and think it has a good arc, but if there's any YA novel I've ever wanted to have a sequel, it's THIS ONE.
May 23, 2015
The Bridge from Me to You is a story that will forever be in my heart and mind. It is on equal par as The Fault In Our Stars in my opinion.
The story follows a dual perspective of Lauren, a girl who is living with her aunt and uncle after a tumultuous relationship with her mother, and Colby a star football player who is trying to decide what happens after the season is over.
I truly loved how the characters helped each other really find themselves. They didn't rush into love like some teen stories do. It was all very organic and real. Growing up in a small town myself, I could relate to a lot that happened to Colby and Lauren. From dealing with the past of Lauren's life to sorting out the future of Colby's, this story felt whole, real, and genuinely gripping. I completely indulged in this book. I could not put it down.
The inclusion of birds, bridges and Benny just helped put the whole story together. The Bridge from Me to You is one of love, family and growing up in all ways.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves small towns, football, or Bugles.
The story follows a dual perspective of Lauren, a girl who is living with her aunt and uncle after a tumultuous relationship with her mother, and Colby a star football player who is trying to decide what happens after the season is over.
I truly loved how the characters helped each other really find themselves. They didn't rush into love like some teen stories do. It was all very organic and real. Growing up in a small town myself, I could relate to a lot that happened to Colby and Lauren. From dealing with the past of Lauren's life to sorting out the future of Colby's, this story felt whole, real, and genuinely gripping. I completely indulged in this book. I could not put it down.
The inclusion of birds, bridges and Benny just helped put the whole story together. The Bridge from Me to You is one of love, family and growing up in all ways.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves small towns, football, or Bugles.
February 12, 2015
The book, The Bridge from Me to You was amazing. The two main Characters are Lauren and Colby. Lauren is a girl that that moved to a small town and feels that no one understands her. Colby is a known football player in the small town. Lauren moved to the small town that Colby is well known at. Colby and Lauren hit it off really well and in fact they get a special relationship. During this, Colby in under a lot of stress. Benny, Colby's best friend, got into a bike accident and has head trauma. Then not only that, State Championship is taking place for Colby and the rest of his team. Lauren tries not to add on any extra stress to Colby's shoulders but has to let Colby know how she feels about him. The rest is a mystery but a very good one. That is up for you to piece together. I recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about two people that just need a friend to talk to and let into their personal lives.
November 8, 2018
When I picked this book up and started to read I didn't enjoy is as much as I wished, now that it is over I am heartbroken. It was this amazing story about this girl named Lauren who came to live with her aunt and she meats Colby a star football player, then they fall in love, but since Colby is a star football player he has a lot on his mind. Another event that sadly happened is that his best friend got into a motorcycle accident and had to go to a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. I won't spoil anymore but you should pick up this book and read it. Overall this book is just amazing. i recommend this to anyone who loves romance.
Read
September 30, 2014Stayed up late to finish reading THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU. I fell in love with these characters. Two people who needed each other to find the courage to to stand up for themselves and get what they need. Themes of friendship, community, family, health, life's blessings.
"I believe," which is a theme of this novel, is a beautiful mantra that can take us almost anywhere.
Full review to come.
"I believe," which is a theme of this novel, is a beautiful mantra that can take us almost anywhere.
Full review to come.
January 14, 2019
The Bridge From Me To You
By: Lisa Schroeder
One small town of two hearts trying to heal and building something new and special while all are under pressure. Believing in yourself and others helps you be motivated so that you can end up being successful in life. We have a lot of romance novels but this story is one that some can connect with. Have you ever wanted to see someone so badly but you don’t know when the next time they will even contact you? Until something suddenly better comes along.
In the book The Bridge From Me To You one of the main characters Lauren moves to a new town trying to find a place called home, in the meantime Colby is under pressure to be the best football player, until Lauren and Colby meet and a lot changes. Colby worries about his best friend after a major incident happens will he ever play again? I can connect my book with Catching Jordan because they are both romance novels that have to deal with football, family and finding love. The overall theme in my book is about believing in yourself and in others around you. Colby and Lauren learn this lesson through overcoming their obstacles and staying strong for the people they care about the most. As Colby states in the book, “It feels good to believe and hope… I will never forget this night and how good it felt to belong… All I can think is what a great team I’m on.”
Overall The Bridge From Me To You by Lisa Schroeder is a fiction story mostly for young adults and fans of romance. My opinion of this book is that I enjoyed it and the resolution at the end of the story and how the author used different point of views in the whole story. One quote that stood out to me in the plot is how Colby states “ Benny is just up ahead. I walk faster. I don’t need a trophy to tell me I’ve won.” This was a life lesson to me because it shows how you don’t need material things, when someone you care about is right there with you and nothing else in the world matters to you.
January 27, 2020
I was a HUGE fan of this book. Throughout the book I could feel the setting. A small town at the end of summer and football season. If I had to choose a favorite character, I don't think I could pick just one. The two main characters Lauren and Colby are both caring and they both want what they can't have. As the story went on, I could see the change in the characters. This book was an emotional rollercoaster. There were two tragic accidents, a state bound football team, and a mother who didn't care for her daughter. My favorite part was the ending! It was the perfect happy ending. (I don't want to spoil it) Another thing I really liked about this book is that it switches off every chapter between Lauren and Colby so you can see both their thoughts and some of the same events from different "angles". One of the struggles Lauren had was not being able to see her little brother. In the story she is staying with her aunt and uncle, which for most of the book, it is a mystery why, but I liked that, it kept me guessing. About half way through we find out that it was because her mother was extremely angry with her for call the police when she was endangering Lauren's brother. I highly recommend this book, I hope there is a sequel because I want to know how Lauren and Colby get along in college.
June 1, 2022
Enjoyed the simplicity of the text, but the descriptive authenticity of the content. It felt like I could have known the two main characters in my youth, and also gave me quite the reminder of what it's like to think as a teen. My son, 17 and an athlete in a small school, has been asking me to read this book for over a year. Now that I have, it feels like we are reconnected and will always share this memory.
June 22, 2014
LAUREN
has moved to a new small town to live with her aunt and uncle. She just wants someone to love her for who she is instead of who they think she is. She is constantly having nightmares and seeing a therapist for something that happened in her past. All she is looking for is LOVE and to escape the FEAR she is living with everyday. Until she meet a boy who helps her see how beautiful life can be when you let all that fear go and live in the moment. He doesn't care about what happened in the past or how everyone treats her like the black sheep. They are drawn together from their first meeting at the Jiffy Mart with the life changing Buggles. (Youll get it when you read it)
"Fear is like a mountain, looming large in the background, taunting you with its magnificence. It seems so much bigger than you, and the thought of climbing it, of overcoming it, seems impossible. But it is not you against the mountain. The mountain does not simply exist tto make you feel small. It exists for purposes beyond your understanding. To climb it is simply to take one step and then another and then another step; a walk uphill. It is all in how you look at it. And when you reach the top, there is no more mountain. Only a view that takes your breath away."
And then she meets Colby, a boy struggling with his own problems. But when they meet there is no stopping them from the collision they cannot fight.
COLBY
has lived in this small town all his life where high school football is the highlight of everyones life. Everyday is the same. Football. Talk about football. Father telling his he needs to pick a football college. Girls using him because he is the football star. Football, football, football. And hes tired of it. Nobody cares about who he is outside of that one thing. Nobody wants to listen to his dreams where he would never play football again but go to college to learn how to build bridges. But he cant tell anyone that, until one girl comes to town and sees him for who he is. She doesn't see him as the football star, she doesn't laugh at his dreams and she likes him when hes a total goofball.
But when things stand in their way, will they be able to get past the hurt and life to love each other?
"And that's when I think of the girl whois so different from everyone else. The girl who'd never seen a covered bridge. The girl who doesn't really like football. It's so cliché, but right now I feel like this small town might smother me, and Lauren is a breath of fresh air."
This was a book you read when you need a light read. It has a couple subjects that are a little heavy but overall its just a fun book to read when you need something to make you happy.
I LOVED the differing points of views and the type of poetry Lisa Schroeder used in this book. it tells the story but you feel so much more of the characters feelings. And the characters? I loved both of them! Lauren with her haunted feelings trying to be the best she could be so maybe someone could love her and Colby with his cute personality and flirty behavior. He definitely brought her out of the shell she was hiding in.
And here are some of my favorite quotes!
"Maybe I've fallen too fast. Maybe I should just let you go. Maybe I'm stupid, sitting here, trying to find the words to tell you what you mean to me. That day, when you handed me my key, it was like fate stepped in and said, 'You two need to meet.' I think fate got it right. I don't want us to get it wrong."
"We are different and yet we are the same. Like two stars hanging out in the sky, wanting so much to be noticed, to be part of a constellation. Maybe we will become our own constellation, just the two of us. Two stars side by side- a pair of eyes in the sky. Together, we see. Together we dream. Together we shine."
****I was given this book in exchange for my honest review****
has moved to a new small town to live with her aunt and uncle. She just wants someone to love her for who she is instead of who they think she is. She is constantly having nightmares and seeing a therapist for something that happened in her past. All she is looking for is LOVE and to escape the FEAR she is living with everyday. Until she meet a boy who helps her see how beautiful life can be when you let all that fear go and live in the moment. He doesn't care about what happened in the past or how everyone treats her like the black sheep. They are drawn together from their first meeting at the Jiffy Mart with the life changing Buggles. (Youll get it when you read it)
"Fear is like a mountain, looming large in the background, taunting you with its magnificence. It seems so much bigger than you, and the thought of climbing it, of overcoming it, seems impossible. But it is not you against the mountain. The mountain does not simply exist tto make you feel small. It exists for purposes beyond your understanding. To climb it is simply to take one step and then another and then another step; a walk uphill. It is all in how you look at it. And when you reach the top, there is no more mountain. Only a view that takes your breath away."
And then she meets Colby, a boy struggling with his own problems. But when they meet there is no stopping them from the collision they cannot fight.
COLBY
has lived in this small town all his life where high school football is the highlight of everyones life. Everyday is the same. Football. Talk about football. Father telling his he needs to pick a football college. Girls using him because he is the football star. Football, football, football. And hes tired of it. Nobody cares about who he is outside of that one thing. Nobody wants to listen to his dreams where he would never play football again but go to college to learn how to build bridges. But he cant tell anyone that, until one girl comes to town and sees him for who he is. She doesn't see him as the football star, she doesn't laugh at his dreams and she likes him when hes a total goofball.
But when things stand in their way, will they be able to get past the hurt and life to love each other?
"And that's when I think of the girl whois so different from everyone else. The girl who'd never seen a covered bridge. The girl who doesn't really like football. It's so cliché, but right now I feel like this small town might smother me, and Lauren is a breath of fresh air."
This was a book you read when you need a light read. It has a couple subjects that are a little heavy but overall its just a fun book to read when you need something to make you happy.
I LOVED the differing points of views and the type of poetry Lisa Schroeder used in this book. it tells the story but you feel so much more of the characters feelings. And the characters? I loved both of them! Lauren with her haunted feelings trying to be the best she could be so maybe someone could love her and Colby with his cute personality and flirty behavior. He definitely brought her out of the shell she was hiding in.
And here are some of my favorite quotes!
"Maybe I've fallen too fast. Maybe I should just let you go. Maybe I'm stupid, sitting here, trying to find the words to tell you what you mean to me. That day, when you handed me my key, it was like fate stepped in and said, 'You two need to meet.' I think fate got it right. I don't want us to get it wrong."
"We are different and yet we are the same. Like two stars hanging out in the sky, wanting so much to be noticed, to be part of a constellation. Maybe we will become our own constellation, just the two of us. Two stars side by side- a pair of eyes in the sky. Together, we see. Together we dream. Together we shine."
****I was given this book in exchange for my honest review****
August 21, 2014
When I finished The Bridge from Me to You, by Lisa Schroeder, I was grinning from ear to ear. It was just that kind of uplifting story that my whole heart connected with. There was nothing earth shatteringly original in terms of plot or characters, but the writing and story were really well done. Normally if I give a book five stars, I loved the main characters, but in this case it was the play between characters I loved. It was the hint of romance—the absolute certainty that these two wanted to be together—that was subtly layered into the present as we gather information about their pasts and the directions of their futures. It was the portrayal of small town life and the struggle to figure out how they fit into it.
The two main characters are Lauren and Colby. Lauren is new to town, staying with her aunt and uncle after a problem with mother. She’s your normal, everyday girl, not an extraordinary athlete, student, or musician, fatherless with a marked but not tortured past, quiet but not introverted, and really, just trying to find a way to fit in. Colby is a talented football player in a town where football is like a religion. He secretly loves bridges and longs for more than the future he’s expected to claim. The two feel an instant attraction, but a local tragedy, among other things, halts their relationship. Lauren can see what’s happening to Colby so she offers her friendship, hoping she can help him find a way out of the helplessness and pressure he’s drowning in.
For once, I really enjoyed the individual stories of these two characters. So often it’s the romance that keeps me involved, and while that played a role here, it was the growth of these two individuals, together and separate that kept me riveted. It was the acceptance that some things are the way they are and no amount of fighting was going to change it. It was the respect and space both gave to one another. It was the almost absence of anger, felt but not dwelled upon, replaced by perception, persistence and compassion. These kids weren’t avoiding saying and doing things as much as biding time and waiting for the right moment. They weren’t innocent, but there was a definite innocence to them despite the things they’d lived through. I liked that about them. I liked that they were guided by right and wrong, and both had a strong sense of it. I liked the sweetness of them and their story. I even liked the supporting story and how it affected them.
One thing I will say is Lauren’s secret wasn’t really that dark. It pulled her down emotionally and psychologically but it was nothing paramount in terms of her personality.
I liked the direction of the story. I liked how Schroeder layered together the characters and plot to evoke emotion and inspiration. This was a collection of good, well-intentioned people figuring out what their loved ones needed to feel cared about and showing them how much they’re appreciated. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a feel-good story.
The two main characters are Lauren and Colby. Lauren is new to town, staying with her aunt and uncle after a problem with mother. She’s your normal, everyday girl, not an extraordinary athlete, student, or musician, fatherless with a marked but not tortured past, quiet but not introverted, and really, just trying to find a way to fit in. Colby is a talented football player in a town where football is like a religion. He secretly loves bridges and longs for more than the future he’s expected to claim. The two feel an instant attraction, but a local tragedy, among other things, halts their relationship. Lauren can see what’s happening to Colby so she offers her friendship, hoping she can help him find a way out of the helplessness and pressure he’s drowning in.
For once, I really enjoyed the individual stories of these two characters. So often it’s the romance that keeps me involved, and while that played a role here, it was the growth of these two individuals, together and separate that kept me riveted. It was the acceptance that some things are the way they are and no amount of fighting was going to change it. It was the respect and space both gave to one another. It was the almost absence of anger, felt but not dwelled upon, replaced by perception, persistence and compassion. These kids weren’t avoiding saying and doing things as much as biding time and waiting for the right moment. They weren’t innocent, but there was a definite innocence to them despite the things they’d lived through. I liked that about them. I liked that they were guided by right and wrong, and both had a strong sense of it. I liked the sweetness of them and their story. I even liked the supporting story and how it affected them.
One thing I will say is Lauren’s secret wasn’t really that dark. It pulled her down emotionally and psychologically but it was nothing paramount in terms of her personality.
I liked the direction of the story. I liked how Schroeder layered together the characters and plot to evoke emotion and inspiration. This was a collection of good, well-intentioned people figuring out what their loved ones needed to feel cared about and showing them how much they’re appreciated. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a feel-good story.
September 22, 2016
"I believe!"
This was a really cute book that had a very powerful message. I hardly ever cry when I am reading a book. The last book I cried when I read was about three years ago, so I was surprised by how much I teared up in this book. I did not cry, but I defiantly came close a couple of times.
The story was told in alternating points of view between Lauren and Colby. Lauren's mom had kicked her out of the house, so she had just moved in with her aunt, uncle, and little cousins to a small town near Portland, Oregon. There, she meets Colby, the star football players. While Colby enjoys playing football with his teammates, and wants to win State, he also doesn't want to play in college, however, his dad, along with everyone else, expects him to do so. So, when he meets Lauren, how doesn't care that much about football, he really enjoys spending time with her.
The book alters between verse and prose, which I thought was interesting. While I did enjoy the story, I think this is the reason why I decided to give it four stars instead of five. Essentially, I felt as though the story was mostly being told by Colby because his point of view was told in prose. I did not feel like I learned that much about how Lauren's character, or how she felt because her point of view was told in verse.
I have really enjoyed other books by Lisa Schroeder, however, I think I would have enjoyed this one more if it did not alternate between verse and prose. She did a beautiful job of telling the story, and it really captured my attention. But overall, I would have liked to read it in either completely prose, or completely verse.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. Especially if you have enjoyed other books by this author, or you enjoy reading books in verse. It might actually be a good book if you are looking to get into reading books written in verse. Overall, this book had a very good message about believing in others and believing in yourself.
This was a really cute book that had a very powerful message. I hardly ever cry when I am reading a book. The last book I cried when I read was about three years ago, so I was surprised by how much I teared up in this book. I did not cry, but I defiantly came close a couple of times.
The story was told in alternating points of view between Lauren and Colby. Lauren's mom had kicked her out of the house, so she had just moved in with her aunt, uncle, and little cousins to a small town near Portland, Oregon. There, she meets Colby, the star football players. While Colby enjoys playing football with his teammates, and wants to win State, he also doesn't want to play in college, however, his dad, along with everyone else, expects him to do so. So, when he meets Lauren, how doesn't care that much about football, he really enjoys spending time with her.
The book alters between verse and prose, which I thought was interesting. While I did enjoy the story, I think this is the reason why I decided to give it four stars instead of five. Essentially, I felt as though the story was mostly being told by Colby because his point of view was told in prose. I did not feel like I learned that much about how Lauren's character, or how she felt because her point of view was told in verse.
I have really enjoyed other books by Lisa Schroeder, however, I think I would have enjoyed this one more if it did not alternate between verse and prose. She did a beautiful job of telling the story, and it really captured my attention. But overall, I would have liked to read it in either completely prose, or completely verse.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. Especially if you have enjoyed other books by this author, or you enjoy reading books in verse. It might actually be a good book if you are looking to get into reading books written in verse. Overall, this book had a very good message about believing in others and believing in yourself.
August 29, 2014
This was an enjoyable story told in dual POV which I enjoyed because I was able to see both sides of the story. Colby's side was told using regular prose, while Lauren's side of the story was told in verse. I enjoyed the verse aspect, but I didn't like the use of it strictly for Lauren because it made her side of the story feel lacking, especially when compared to Colby's story which was more fleshed out.
I enjoyed Colby's character, but for most of the book he didn't feel real to me. There were times when he didn't come across as a normal 17 year old boy. I could understand his frustrations with his father, and I felt bad for him because he thought no one would support his decision to step away from football.
I had a hard time connecting with Lauren. I could feel sympathy for her because she came from a troubled family background, but there was just something about her that put me off. I don't really know what else to say about her because she really didn't leave much of an impression on me.
Colby and Lauren were dealing with different issues, but I felt that they met each other at just the right time. They both needed someone in their life to talk to who would understand and be on their side. I liked that they had to work through their problems and learn how to communicate with their respective families. I think that family was an important aspect of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed The Bridge From Me To You well enough. The writing was really good, and the story was interesting enough to hold my attention.
August 15, 2014
The two voices work well in this book. Colby's portion is told in typical fashion while most of Lauren's past is verse. This works well, although I think I enjoy Schroeder's all verse books better.
While the voices were clear, their thoughts sometimes weren't. Colby, despite being talented and enjoying the game, doesn't want to play football in college. He simply says he's over playing, but he really enjoys being part of a team. I'm not sure I completely understood his reasons, but I could go with it anyway.
It was harder for me to understand why Lauren was so anxious to go back to a parent who, from the glimpses we get, wasn't good to her if not actually abusive. But then I know even abused children want to go home because it is home.
I liked the development of the relationship, the friendship and that it was not insta-love and their connection actually makes sense. And both characters are complex and have hidden thoughts that they rarely share.
Lauren slowly becoming a part of the family was well done. Her tentative steps to allowing them into her heart made sense for the character.
Colby's interaction with his father didn't make quite as much sense to me. I didn't know why his father was so tough on him, there wasn't enough between them to actually understand why this was this way.
But, all in all, I really enjoyed this read.
While the voices were clear, their thoughts sometimes weren't. Colby, despite being talented and enjoying the game, doesn't want to play football in college. He simply says he's over playing, but he really enjoys being part of a team. I'm not sure I completely understood his reasons, but I could go with it anyway.
It was harder for me to understand why Lauren was so anxious to go back to a parent who, from the glimpses we get, wasn't good to her if not actually abusive. But then I know even abused children want to go home because it is home.
I liked the development of the relationship, the friendship and that it was not insta-love and their connection actually makes sense. And both characters are complex and have hidden thoughts that they rarely share.
Lauren slowly becoming a part of the family was well done. Her tentative steps to allowing them into her heart made sense for the character.
Colby's interaction with his father didn't make quite as much sense to me. I didn't know why his father was so tough on him, there wasn't enough between them to actually understand why this was this way.
But, all in all, I really enjoyed this read.
August 4, 2015
This book was a cute little contemporary read. I did really enjoy it, but there were some things I wasn't such a fan of. First of all, the way that the chapters were set up with Colby's as normal prose and Lauren's written in verse. I wasn't really a fan of it, because sometimes reading in verse takes me a little while to get used to and I never really had time, because the chapters were only a few pages long and then it would be Colby's turn again. Also, because Lauren's chapters were written in verse, even though they were about the same length as Colby's, her chapters were much shorter and because of that I didn't ever really feel a strong connection to Lauren. I felt more of a connection to Colby, because I got to see inside his head more, but he is a male that is dealing with the "loss" of a friend and his father pressuring him about playing football, which are three things that I cannot relate to. I did like the cute little romance that happened here, but there was so little of it that it just kind of left me wanting more and not in a good way. But like I said, I did enjoy this book and if you're looking for a contemporary novel with some romance in it, I would recommend this one. If you're looking for lots of romance, I might have to recommend something else.
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