The day before

Some mornings,
it's hard to get
out of bed.

Sleep lures you
like a stranger
with a piece of candy.
Follow me.
It will be okay.
I promise.
You know better,
but still you follow,
because you really do
love candy.



I grab my backpack
containing
the essentials—
extra clothes,
just in case;
my drumsticks,
just because;
my camera,
just for fun;
and a box of jelly beans,
just like always.



Sometimes, love is loud.
Sometimes, love is quiet.



I lean back
into the cool leather seat,
close my eyes,
and let the music fill
all the empty spaces



Many times
when I read a book,
I want to savor
each word,
each phrase,
each page,
loving the prose
so much,
I don't want it
to end.



In the dark of the night,
hold on to the light,
and you'll get
back home safely.



It's like a dream.
The kind of dream
you wish for again and again,
night after night,
because it was so good
the first time.



I see you.
The real you.
The you who flips a coin,
hoping to understand
how fate works:
this choice or that choice,
ultimately leaving you
no choice at all.



He will survive.
Get better.
Thrive.
Or so they hope.



And suddenly I get it.
There isn't magic out there.
There is magic here.
Right here, in this place
that brought us together
the day before
we face our fears
and our lives change forever.
Magic in the jellies.
Magic in the lighthouse.
Magic in the music.
Magic in the kisses.
Magic in the glitter.
Magic in us.
What we need
will appear
right when we need it.
Just like it did
today

Kind of on the fence with this one.

They both have secrets/promises, one of them more publicized than the other, but both equally painful to keep. For this book, the title really says it all. The Day Before explores the moments in the day before their life changes irrevocably. She's called Jelly because of her Jelly Bean addiction, was it really a surprise that they met as she watched him stare at jellyfish?

Only two things kind of slowed me down while reading this book–and had me a little confused–and I don't think these are spoilers: her best friend, and her little stalking expedition. Those two could have been easily been taken out of the book and made no difference in the end. However, I would have to say it did add to their whole relationship-in-a-day scheme. And overall, it was sweet and made me cry–because I'm sappy like that. I do believe that The Day Before will touch its readers on a more personal level because right from the beginning, I felt like I was right beside Amber the whole way through. Plus, it did have a somewhat more hopeful type of ending, and that really tied into both “impossible” situations the main characters were going through.

I'd like to read The Day Before again on a rainy day or by the beach, when I know I'll be able to appreciate the scenery, metaphors, and depictions the author gives an endless supply of. I do recommend this book, because its quick but heartfelt.

Grade: B