Title : Pictures of Lily
Author : Paige Toon
Publication date : 8th July 2010
Publisher : Pocket Books
Source : Purchased
Rating : 5/5
'Will you marry me?'
I think of you, then. I think of you every day. But
usually in the quietest part of the morning, or the darkest part of the
night. Not when my boyfriend of two years has just proposed. I look up
at Richard with his hopeful eyes. 'Lily?' he prompts.
It's been ten
years, but it feels like only yesterday that you left. How can I say yes
to Richard with all my heart when most of it has always belonged to
you? I take a deep breath and will myself to speak...
Ten years ago when
Lily was just sixteen, she fell in love with someone she really
shouldn't have fallen in love with. Now, living in Sydney and engaged to
another man, she can't forget the one that got away. Then her past
comes back to haunt her, and she has to make a decision that will break
her heart - and the heart of at least one of the men who love her.
First of all, I love Paige Toon. Her books are like the perfect escapism for me, whenever I feel sad, low or even bored, I just think of her books, as slivers of memory from reading them will brighten my mood. Her books are amazing, all of her books are 5/5 for me, I loved them. Really enjoyed the plot and lovely characters. Well, be ready, because Pictures of Lily is joining my ranks of favourites!
Where can I start? Could I tell you how much I loved the ingenious storyline? Or the amazing characters in the book? Well, there are so many things to say about this book. Okay, first off, Lily. The book is split into two parts - ten years ago when Lily was in Adelaide, where she met Ben and the present where she's engaged to Richard - which was really lovely to read about. The breaking down of the plot was really well-written.
All right, ten years ago..
Lily was young, naive and really lovable - your average teenage girl - as she was rebellious towards her mother's constant move from country to country. It's sad to read about Lily's mum not landing the perfect man, and it was quite sad to read about how Lily had to struggle in different cities after her parents' divorce. Back then, Lily was really sweet, well, sometimes. Her new stepdad, Michael was really caring and thoughtful when Lily and her mum arrived in Adelaide and his son, Josh was really something. Well, nobody's perfect, right? He's good-looking but has a really bad attitude and tends to drink and drive. Then there was Ben, a colleague of Michael who works in the conservation park who befriends Lily and acts as an older brother/mentor when Lily signed up to be a keeper as a summer job. Ben was everything a man should be, sweet, caring, kind and believed in whatever you do. On the down side, he was about 12 years older than Lily but age is not a factor when it comes to love, right? The romance between Lily and Ben began to blossom, but on to Lily it did. Ben couldn't fall for someone so young, which was really gentleman of him. Towards the end of the "ten years ago" part, Lily did try to tell him how she felt and it ended with her being heartbroken.
The present!
In the present, Lily is engaged to Richard, but how could you love someone when you're heart is with someone else? Throughout the other half of the book, Lily carried on with her life, engaged and working as a temp. Which is quite sad for her as Ben told her to pursue what she loved. Then, out of the blue, you can call it fate or coincidence, she came face-to-face with Ben again. Slowly, they became closer and soon, things got complicated. I was really pleased with the cameo appearances by ALL Paige's characters. From Lucy in the Sky right until Chasing Daisy. Lucy, Nathan, Sam and Molly were a part of the second half of the book as they are friends with Richard. Remember Nathan's colleague in Lucy in the Sky? Yup, that's him! Johnny Jefferson and Luis Castro were briefly mentioned in the book. Personally, I love these little cameo appearances. Paige is really creative, as it helps to build up her readership.
All in all, this was a beautifully-written book of unrequited love. I loved it. The settings were perfect! Adelaide was described wonderfully with its gorgeous view on Mount Lofty. Sydney, well I loved Sydney very much, back when I was 10, I went and fell in love with it. Summer all year long, well.. I loved that it was always sunny! The plot of the book was perfect and well-written, dividing the book into two parts was in face a genius idea. Brava, Paige! The characters were wonderful to read about, especially the lovely cast from Lucy in the Sky and I really loved how the book ended. To summarise all the crap I've written - Pictures of Lily was a beautifully-written and addictive love story.
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