Review: Winter Longing by Tricia Mills

Title: Winter Longing
Author: Tricia Mills
Publisher: Razorbill
Pub. Date: 8.19.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Loss, First Love, Grief, Death, Moving On
Pages: 256
Description (from GoodReads):
A plane crash in Alaska takes Winter’s first love away forever . . .
When Winter's boyfriend is killed in a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, she's robbed of the future she'd only just allowed herself to believe might be hers. Winter and Spencer had been destined for one another. And after his death, Spencer's presence continues to haunt her.
But when her next-door neighbor becomes an unlikely friend, Winter begins to accept all that she can't change. Can she open herself to a new future . . . and a possible new love?

I had high expectations as I cracked open WINTER LONGING. Based on the description, I expected an intense, emotional novel in which a girl finds the strength to move on and, in the process, finds love... again.

I suppose that is what happens in WINTER LONGING, but... it just didn't wow me. I was most disappointed by Winter. For me, she was one-dimensional and vaguely annoying. I felt bad that she'd lost Spencer - he was not only her first love, but also her best friend. She must have felt like she was losing him twice... and it couldn't have been easy to deal with that grief alone.

I thought my opinion of the novel would change as Winter grew closer to her neighbor, Jesse, but this, unfortunately, didn't prove true. Instead, I found Jesse to be rather cliche and too perfect. It was sweet that he is so patient with Winter, but I just didn't buy the devotion. I couldn't figure out why he liked Winter so much.

I think WINTER LONGING will find fans, but it simply wasn't for me. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. Those who can find a connection with Winter, or even Jesse, will be more apt to experience the emotional aspects of the novel, which, I think, will result in a more favorable opinion.

Grade: C