Did I Mention I Need You?

February 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-Two years ago, Eden Munro visited her estranged father and his new family in California. Despite tension with her father, Eden managed to make new friends and a new boyfriend, Dean. Eden's heart, however, went to Tyler, her angry, drug-addicted stepbrother. Now 18, Eden has been invited to stay with Tyler for six weeks in New York City. Sober for the past two years, Tyler now has an apartment and a good job counseling teens. Eden loves Dean, but she misses Tyler and wants to visit. She thinks she can manage to be around Tyler without becoming romantically involved, but upon her arrival, Eden quickly realizes how much she truly loves Tyler. Highly dramatic relationships and a (somewhat) taboo stepsibling romance characterize this second volume in the trilogy. While Tyler has grown up and healed much in the last two years, Eden's irrational jealousy and reluctance to break up with Dean demonstrate her immaturity. As in the first book, teen characters drink alcohol and use drugs casually, both at home and at parties. On the upside, author Maskame pays close attention to detail and, as a teen herself, clearly understands her audience. Though the relationship drama is over the top and at times exhausting, Tyler and Eden's romance is sweet and well developed. VERDICT Many teens will relate to the emotional turmoil of blended families, child abuse, addiction, first love, jealousy, messy breakups, and generally, growing up.-Leigh Collazo, Dulwich College, Suzhou, China

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.