(ARC Review) The Locket by Stacey Jay

THE LOCKET
Author: Stacey Jay
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (February 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595143351
• ISBN-13: 978-1595143358

SUMMARY:

For Katie, life as Isaac Tayte's girlfriend was pretty much perfect. Until the night she messed everything up by cheating on him with their mutual best friend, Mitch. Katie is devastated over her mistake - and she'll do anything to get Isaac back.

Then, on her seventeenth birthday, she discovers a strange, beautiful locket. When she puts it on, Katie finds herself going back in time - to the night she and Mitch kissed. At first, Katie is thrilled at the chance to do it all over again. If she can only change the past, she might be able to save her perfect future with Isaac. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that second chances come with a dark price. Katie can't help but wonder: is fate meant to be tampered with - or is the most extraordinary kind of life the one that's far from perfect?  


MY THOUGHTS:


What would you do if you could travel back in time and change something you wish could be done again? Would you change it, or would you leave it as part of the past?


Katie finds out that having a way to travel back in time through a locket, might just be her chance to fix a mistake and keep her life perfect.  What Katie doesn't realize at first is that changing the past also changes the future of others.  When Katie travels back into the past she finds that not only can she change that one mistake, but she also changes the outcome for the lives of her friends, family and even strangers. 


Katie was your typical teenager in high school that wants to fix her perfect relationship with Isaac after a misunderstanding of sorts with their best friend Mitch.  At the thought of being dumped by Isaac, Katie wishes for a do over.  When the locket grants her wish, Katie realizes that things are different now, but not always in a good way.  She finds herself becoming someone entirely different and with new friends as well.  She never felt good enough to be Isaac's girlfriend, yet she was always trying to be what everyone expected her to be.  When things backfire in the do over though, she finds herself drawn to Mitch more than she should be. 


I enjoyed this book from beginning to end.  While I loved Katie and adored Mitch, Isaac was not one of my favorites.  I didn't like the way he treated Katie in any of the time frames.  He never really acted like a boyfriend to her.  Mitch on the other hand was always there for her and Katie failed to see what she could have with Mitch.


With suspense and drama, this book is sure to be a hit for teens and adults who always think about do overs in life.  A great new story from a wonderful author who knows how to right teen angst.  


MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!