The Day Before

by:  Lisa Schroeder
published by:  SimonPulse
publish date:  June 28, 2011

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself. Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets. The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.


Books written in verse are really starting to grow on me.  I used to completely shun them, but I finally gave in and read one about a month ago and it surprised me that I liked it.  The premise of this book sounded promising and the fact that it was written in verse didn't scare me off this time.  I'm really glad, this story was very good.

I can't say too much about the story without giving away the surprises.  I will say that they were jaw-dropping surprises.  Both Amber and Cade have a big secret that they aren't telling each other at first, the reader doesn't know it either until they reveal it to each other.  I thought I had guessed Cade's, but I was completely wrong there.  I like being wrong about things like that.  Amber's was...wow.  Made for a great story.

The writer does a fantastic job of telling the present day story, but filling in the back story through letters interspersed throughout the book.  The letters help to explain Amber's backstory and where she is emotionally.  The last one ties up the story in a nice little bow so the reader isn't left wondering, thank you for that!