After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr
Published by Houghton Mifflin on May 18, 2009
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 328
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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A new novel by the Printz Honor author Garret Freymann-Weyr, about a boy who discovers what happens when love fails us—or we fail love.

Maia Morland is pretty, only not pretty-pretty. She’s smart. She’s brave. She’s also a self-proclaimed train wreck. Leigh Hunter is smart, popular, and extremely polite. He’s also completely and forever in love with Maia Morland. Their young love starts off like a romance novel—full of hope, strength, and passion. But life is not a romance novel and theirs will never become a true romance. For when Maia needs him the most, Leigh betrays both her trust and her love.

Told with compassion and true understanding, After the Moment is about what happens when a young man discovers that sometimes love fails us, and that, quite often, we fail love.

After The Moment is a story of love–love that is true but cannot hold strong through tough times. This book was a little more serious than I expected touching on subjects such as self-mutilation, death of a loved one, bullying, and many others. Even though it was a bit more serious it was truly an amazing story.

Leigh Hunter is the golden boy: soccer star, straight-A student, and boyfriend to Astra Grein. At least, he is until his stepsister’s father dies and he is asked to move to Washington to be there for her. Leigh and Astra decide that they would rather have a long distance relationship than break up but Leigh never expected to fall for Maia Morland, the train wreck.

Maia has many different problems. Her stepfather that actually cares about her is in jail, her mother doesn’t notice her, and she has her own issues such as self-mutilation, anorexia, and she had a tendency to act out sexually until her psychiatrist made her sign a contract.

When Leigh meets Maia he never once thinks that he could love her. She is the exact opposite of Astra and yet he can’t get her off his mind. Leigh begins to drive Maia to her prison visits and in the process, gets to know her. He doesn’t realize that he loves her until being away from her to visit his mom in Maine. When he returns home he goes straight to Maia’s and is surprised to find out that she feels the same way. They begin dating, even though Leigh still hasn’t broken up with Astra.

Finally, Leigh decides that he needs to end things once and for all with Astra and decides to go to New York and tell her in person. He never knew that his decision to stay in New York for one extra night would have such drastic consequences. When he returns to Washington nothing is the same and when he finds out why, he wishes he could change things but he can’t.

Unknowingly Leigh breaks Maia’s trust and loses their relationship. He will always love her but they can never be together.

And if you want to know why, you will just have to read the book. I wouldn’t just give away the ending.