I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
Pub: 2/3/2015
Pgs: 400
ARC received by NetGalley

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios isn't your typical love story, it also deals with a topic near and dear to my heart: War Veterans.  Skylar is your typical girl, who lives in a small town and is counting down the days before she leaves for good and for college.  All she has ever thought about is leaving her dead in town, where there is no where to go but down.  Just as she graduates high school, her mother lands in some bad luck and Skylar's dreams seem to be disappearing in a cloud of dust. 

Josh left his small town of Creek View not so long ago.  His ticket out was the Marines, unfortunately it was his one way ticket back as well.  Back from a tour of duty, with a missing limb was not the life Josh thought he would be living.  Adjusting has been rather difficult.  Everyone expects him to be "Josh Mitchell" the old rebel and jock... that is everyone but Skylar.

Skylar and Josh worked together for a short time before he left for the military.  Skylar isn't sure what Josh had, but he definitely made her head spin.  After seeing him back home at a party and clearly seeing his injury, Skylar knows that Josh is different, but she's leaving soon and she doesn't know what is going on between them.  Josh can't seem to accept the deaths, injuries, and life changes that he has had to endure in the past few months but he knows that Skylar makes him feel normal and gives him the motivation to try and live instead of just exist.  The problem is that they both want each other, and they both want different things.  The problem is that PTSD can be a tidal wave that drowns not just the person who has it, but everyone in their wake.  The problem is that sometimes PTSD and loving someone can bee too much, whether you are the affected person or the person who loves and affected person.  The problem is that PTSD isn't something many young adults have experience in, only after the fact.  So the questions are, can Skylar be the person that Josh needs at this moment and can Josh eventually learn to forgive himself and see past the pain?

I really enjoyed this book because I know someone with PTSD and I think it is an important subject matter to address with any age group.  It is a likely event to have someone in their late teens and early twenties experience some form of PTSD, especially military related, and it's just as likely to know someone who is going through it.  It's one of those taboo subjects that society tends to lean away from because it's not awesome and nice and full of rainbows.  This book really demonstrated the nuances of the disorder.

4.5 Stars, Thanks NetGalley.