Review: "Me Since You" by Laura Wiess

Date Read – January 17^th, 2014

Date Publish – Feburary 18^th, 2014 – MTV Books

Source – Edelwiess

For sixteen-year-old Rowan Areno, her life is separated by Before and After. The before was of her growing up way too sheltered by her police officer father and mother. The after was of skipping school on the last Friday in March, with her friend. Then a devastating crime that her father had to witness and the video of it was leaked, going viral, and Rowan, along with her family having to deal with the fallout. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, a horrific tragedy shatters Rowan’s world all the more. During all of this, Rowan befriends Eli, a witness of the crime who also has to deal with heartache of his own. With his help, Rowan will have to navigate through the world of sorrow, wondering if she will ever feel happiness again.

 When I read “Ordinary Beauty”, I knew Laura Wiess was a writer to be reckoned with. As A.M. Jenkins says “Laura Wiess boldly goes where writers fear to tread.” If I thought “Ordinary Beauty” was a powerful novel, she takes it up to an extreme notch with “Me Since You.” In a few instances, I had to put down my kindle and cry, feeling for Rowan and her ordeal. I was also reminded of my relationship with my dad and how much I love him. I am still haunted by Rowan and her struggles that I still cry. Laura Wiess should be commended with both her stories and her heroines, like Meredith from “Such a Pretty Girl” and Sayre from “Ordinary Beauty” that are as real to me as any person I know.

 As heart wrenching it is to read “Me Since You”, it is a novel that has to be read. There aren’t enough spoken words or written letters that can ever express the rawness of Rowan’s story. This is a beautiful novel that examines regret, sorrow, forgiveness, and ultimately hope.



Coldplay's "Fix You" is a perfect song to describe Rowan and Eli's relationship and how they are both trying to fix each other.