It Happens All the Time

March 20, 2017
Hatvany (Somewhere Out There) takes a risk with this disturbing study of the sexual and power dynamics of friendship and love. Set in Bellingham, Wash., the novel opens with aspiring sports trainer Amber holding a gun on paramedic Tyler, declaring that she hates him, and his calm admission that “I hate me, too.” Then, in alternating chapters, each of them unveils the missed cues, denials, and doubts that led once the former best friends to an act of violence that changed everything. Hatvany keeps the pace fast, slickly layering her two complicated characters: Amber is recovering from an eating disorder as she juggles a new career and a first romance with medical student Daniel; Tyler is emotionally devastated by a domineering father who belittles him, and he struggles to find love while he secretly longs for Amber. Tyler and Amber’s violent clash after a night of drinking is inevitable—as is Amber’s revenge. Thanks to Hatvany’s powerful storytelling, there is a richness in these conflicted characters that makes changes of head and heart seem both unpredictable and possible.

January 15, 2017
A friendship is torn apart after the heartbreaking decisions of one tragic night.From the first moment that Tyler Hicks saw Amber Bryant, he knew that she was special. After moving to a new town as a high school sophomore and dealing with his parents' subsequent divorce, Tyler leaned on Amber--as well as her family--to help him through the difficult times. After struggling with an eating disorder that led to a heart attack, Amber needed Tyler's friendship, too. While Amber preferred their relationship to remain platonic, Tyler dreamed of no one else but her. After moving back home from college, newly engaged to the seemingly perfect Daniel and ready to embark on her career, Amber feels confused and overwhelmed. Her relationship with Daniel has moved quickly but also transitioned into a long-distance one. While she certainly loves him, there are still elements of her life that only Tyler knows. Most confusing, Tyler is still fixated on her, and she knows it. After a night of drinking and partying, their relationship is forever changed, and Amber spirals back into a dark hole of depression and harmful behavior. The novel begins with Amber pointing a gun at Tyler and demanding that he drive, and from that moment it travels at a quick pace. From Amber's and Tyler's alternating perspectives, Hatvany (Somewhere Out There, 2016, etc.) delves into the issues of friendship, power dynamics, and consent. While for the most part both Amber and Tyler are complex and well-developed, sometimes the heavy-handedness of the plot dominates the characters. Hatvany does well in elevating the stakes for the protagonists, both of whom have so much to lose. Similarly, the characters on the periphery are also well-done and interesting--from Tyler's womanizing and crass father, Jason, to his EMT partner and frequent voice of reason, Mason. With nuance and compassion for her characters, Hatvany reveals the fallout of the ultimate betrayal of trust.

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February 1, 2017

Hatvany tackles an important, and timely, subject in her latest "what would you do" novel (after Somewhere Out There). Her tale is told in alternating points of view and follows two time lines: one in the recent past, in which Amber and Tyler reconnect as friends; and one in the present, where the fallout of that reunion continues. Amber and Tyler were childhood best friends, so when Amber comes home from college, even though she's newly engaged, she thinks nothing of rekindling a friendship with Tyler. The problem is that Tyler has long wished for more then a platonic relationship, and when their mild flirting leads to a drunken kiss, he takes action with devastating consequences for both of them. VERDICT All the ingredients are here: good pacing, strong story line, subject matter handled with respect and skill, and believable actions/reactions by our two protagonists. Yet, there is still a distance from the emotional impact, which may make it hard for readers to sympathize with either Tyler or Amber. Still, this title will be appreciated by fans of Jodi Picoult or Diane Chamberlain.--Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

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