Book Review: Learning to Live (Infinite Love #1), Kira Adams

Title: Learning to Live
Series: Infinite Love #1
Author: Kira Adams
Published: 11/01/2015
Pages: 214
Source: Amazon freebie
Format: Ebook
Rating: 3.5/5

Ciera Nelson wants what any other outcast wants, invisibility. If she can just make it through the rest of her year with minor incidents and a head held low she will be able to put the hell hole they call school in her rearview. Unfortunately, life has different plans for her.

Topher Carlson is one of the biggest jocks on campus. All the guys want to be him, all the girls want to claim him. When secrets are uncovered, Topher's life spins wildly out of control.

They are far from friends when the school year begins, but each will impact the other's life in ways they never dreamed possible. Can Ciera help Topher realize that popularity and status mean nothing in the real world? Can Topher help Ciera learn the true meaning of living?

Sometimes you have to let go to really live. Sometimes being alive means taking risks.

Wow! This book was not what I expected at all. It's quite a heartbreaking story that deals with so many issues, including bullying, poverty, and cancer.

The story is told from the alternating first-person perspectives of Ciera and Topher. Therefore, given the subject matter, Learning to Live is full of emotion. Ciera is the lonely, poor girl at school who always wants to live her life in the background due to quite extreme bullying. However, she also wants to make the most of her life and try new things. You can't help but feel bad for her.

Topher, on the other hand, is the rich popular boy at school and, to be honest, he is a bit of a tosser. But, he gradually learns to treat people with respect. He truly does come to care very deeply for Ciera and, by the end, I felt so sorry for him. They both done wonders for each other.

In a way, Learning to Live was both predictable and unpredictable. I didn't expect Ciera's twist at all until the clues started to appear, but I didn't figure out exactly what she was suffering. Once this was out, it was inevitable where the story would lead, but it was still an interesting (for lack of a better word) journey.

Learning to Live is also a well-paced read - not too slow but not overly quick either. And I actually sped through it in a night. I just couldn't put it down.

However, I do wish there was slightly more emotion in the writing. Although, I did feel for Ciera and Topher, I wasn't as heartbroken as I feel I should have been. Especially, considering the subject. I also wish there was a bit more background information to their stories.

Learning to Live is still a great read, full of important issues. I would definitely recommend it as a quick read to fans of contemporary YA. Another very good book by Kira Adams and I can't wait to read another.

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