Review: There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos

Title: There Will Come a Time
Author: Carrie Arcos
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: April 15th 2014
Pages: 256
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Edelweiss - I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!
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Mark knows grief. Ever since the accident that killed his twin sister, Grace, the only time he feels at peace is when he visits the bridge on which she died. Comfort is fleeting, but it’s almost within reach when he’s standing on the wrong side of the suicide bars. Almost.
Grace’s best friend, Hanna, says she understands what he’s going through. But she doesn’t. She can’t. It’s not just the enormity of his loss. As her twin, Mark should have known Grace as well as he knows himself. Yet when he reads her journal, it’s as if he didn’t know her at all.As a way to remember Grace, Hanna convinces Mark to complete Grace’s bucket list from her journal. Mark’s sadness, anger, and his growing feelings for Hannah threaten to overwhelm him. But Mark can’t back out. He made a promise to honor Grace—and it’s his one chance to set things right. 

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Carrie Arcos's debut Out of Reach was one of my favorite books of last year, so I was beyond excited for There Will Come a Time. And luckily, I wasn't disappointed! Carrie Arcos's writing is just as great in this one as in Out of Reach, and I loved everything about it!

I just love Carrie Arcos's writing style; it's what makes this novel work.The best word to describe her style, I think, would be addicting - I just couldn't stop reading.  Her style flows really nicely, and I was immersed in the story from beginning on. It's not the most ornate or beautiful writing, but the voice is honest and strong and just works. I really don't know how else to explain it, but I just love anything that Carrie Arcos writes.

Mark is an intriguing, dynamic character. He can be kind of an asshole sometimes, and it frustrated me so much how he kept trying to push everyone away, but he has some sweet moments too, so I couldn't help but love him. This makes him a very dynamic, realistic character, and his voice is honest and relatable. I loved all the secondary characters, too: Mark's family, Hanna, his friends at school, and the rest of the Twinless Twins. The only character that was a little underdeveloped, to me, was Grace: I wish we had gotten to know her a little better, because that would have made Mark's grief even more palpable, and There Will Come a Time could have been an even more emotional read. (Not that I didn't already cry the way it was.)

The plot is very understated; There Will Come a Time is most definitely a character-driven novel. I really enjoyed reading about Mark and Hanna's adventures to honor Grace. Oftentimes, the completing-a-dead-loved-one's-bucket-list type of storylines feel kind of forced to me, but the story in There Will Come a Time develops very naturally. Carrie Arcos balances this storyline well with the family dynamics, Mark's relationships with people at his school, and of course his relationship with Hanna. I especially loved Mark's and Hanna's relationship: I love how the novel didn't focus on the romance or make it overly dramatic. Mark and Hanna's friendship-and-possibly-more develops very naturally over the course of the novel.

I didn't love There Will Come a Time quite as much as Out of Reach just because of the more unique plot idea in Out of Reach, but I did absolutely love There Will Come a Time, too. Carrie Arcos's writing is amazing, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!