Reviewed by Giselle Carlos, age 18
Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
Kristin Dwyer’s Some Mistakes Were Made is a heartfelt, memorable coming-of-age novel about young love and found homes. The novel revolves around best friends Ellis and Easton, who first grew close when Easton’s family opened up their arms to Ellis as a second home to her dysfunctional family life. Now a recent graduate, Ellis hasn’t spoken to Easton for a year after falling out, but when she’s invited back home for the summer, Ellis has no choice but to face everything she lost between them. As it switches between past and present perspectives, Some Mistakes Were Made is a compelling and fast-paced read.
The young and beating heart in the center of the novel is where Dwyer shines. Ellis’s grueling accounts of her difficult life and her yearning for Easton cut right through the reader. While the novel revolves mostly around a week, it is well-paced and not too overstuffed. Past accounts of Ellis’s life and the development of her relationship with Easton add a layer of mystery and excitement to the novel. Dwyer’s especially strong point is in the development of her characters. The central group of characters the novel revolves around each feel fully fledged out, creating a completely three-dimensional experience. Each of the characters easily becomes familiar to the reader, with prominent personalities and flaws. Ellis, the protagonist, becomes a point of view that the reader can inhabit, and we are transported to a state of youthful vulnerability taken through Ellis’s story of young love, feeling alone, and finding her way into her future. Ultimately, Some Mistakes Were Made is a remarkable debut from Kristin Dwyer that will leave you feeling the sting of love and the magic of finding yourself. Recommended for 15 and up.
5 stars of 5 stars
Find this book in our catalog: Some Mistakes Were Made
Catalog Number: YA FIC DWYER,K
372 pages