Review: You Are My Only by Beth Kephart

You Are My Only

By: Beth Kephart

Pub. Date: October 25, 2011

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Pages: 256

Source: Netgalley

Emmy Rane is married at nineteen, a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock.
  Fourteen years later, Sophie, a home schooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the "No Good." One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that gives Sophie the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever. . . .
  The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax.

I really hate to say this, but You Are My Only fell completely flat for me. While I thought the story was a real interesting one, I didn't really like the execution of it and I didn't like the characters. They just didn't seem real and I didn't care about them.

Fourteen years ago, Emmy went away for only a few moments, but when she came back to her baby, she was gone.

Sophie is a 14 year old girl who is home schooled and not allowed to see or talk to anyone. Her mother is very strict and makes the two of them move around all the time. Eventually, Sophie breaks the rules and meets her neighbor Joey and his two aunts. They are not the conventional family. Joey is an orphan who is raised by his two older aunts. His aunts are not sisters either, but this doesn't make them any less of a family. Sophie begins to see what having a family is like, which causes her to look into her past.

The story is told in alternating POV between Emmy and Sophie. The part that is interesting is Emmy's POV is set fourteen years ago, and Sophie's POV is set in the present time. At first, I really liked this about the story and thought it was perfect, but then it started to annoy because I wanted the two views to eventually meet.

Overall, I think that even though I did not enjoy You Are My Only as much as I thought I would, I think there are others out there who will love it! It wasn't a bad story, it just wasn't my cup of tea.