Every Scar Tells a Story
Rayna York
Publication date: June 15th 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
They say time heals all wounds, but they never mention the scars left behind.
Serena McNeal, outgoing and ambitious, is ready to escape her small town as soon as she graduates high school. Knox prefers to live in the shadows, finding comfort in his anonymity. As their worlds collide and the ghosts of Knox’s troubled past resurface, more than their newly-created bond will be tested. Because now, every decision made could be the difference between sharing a future together or facing a reality where neither one survives.
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EXCERPT:
Summer… I can’t help but smile. This one will be like no other. High school will be over, and I’ll be heading off to college in the fall. I’m so ready to leave this small town behind.
It’s not a bad place to live, but I’m psyched to move to an actual city where the downtown is larger than a four-block radius. And I’m eager to get my career started. Working probably isn’t what gets most eighteen-year-olds jacked up, but I know the direction I want to go, and I’m motivated to get there.
Hayden walks ahead of me without a backward glance, unlocking his early graduation gift—a shiny, new black Mustang. The jackass is sulking.
Reaching for the handle, I happen to look left and catch sight of a herculean figure walking on the sidewalk toward me. His head is down, face mysteriously shadowed by a hooded sweatshirt pulled low over his eyes. Somehow, he must sense me staring because he stops and snaps his head up, then looks around like I’m blocking his path and isn’t sure what to do about it.
“Are you coming?” Hayden says over the roof of his car with a tinge of annoyance.
“Yeah, sorry.” After opening my door, I glance back. The stranger is walking at a brisk pace across the street.
After we’re both seated in the car, he says, “Do you know that guy?”
“No, but I think I startled him.” I pull the seatbelt across my chest and secure it.
“Well, it seems like you did.” He starts the car with a vroom. “Is there something I should know about?”
“No.” My heart races at the aggressive sound of the engine. “I’ve never seen him before.” I’m still plagued with nightmares and struggle with other people driving, all because of the accident I was in with my father when I was thirteen. Hayden knows this.
The drive to my house is silent, and I wonder about the sudden awareness I had back at the restaurant. Am I really going to break up with him? I doubt he’s ever been dumped before. The guy is high school royalty. And it’s going to mess up our friend group, not to mention our plans for prom in two months. Maybe I’m being too hasty this time. I mean, aside from occasional insensitivity, the escalating moodiness, and the increase in his drinking, what’s really wrong with him?
Yeah, aside from all that, my brain shouts back at me.
Serena's in her last year of school when she locks eyes with a mysterious figure who instantly intrigues her. But she's not long for this small town, has her eye on her future, a future that's not going to be here. Oh and the little fact that she has a boyfriend. An asshole boyfriend, but a boyfriend nonetheless.
Knox very deliberately does not give pieces of himself. There's too much both in his past and his present that have given him scars to trust anyone with his heart. But something about Serena draws him in and he wants to let himself be vulnerable to her. If only his life didn't get in their way.
I'm the first to admit I don't read much YA fiction, but Serena and Knox's story really isn't like the kind I've previously read. Not only are they both mature and complicated and layered, there's none of the obnoxious "it's all about me" attitudes most teens tend to display (with the exception of one of the characters, who of course we don't like). The mental health rep is top notch, and handled with extreme care, especially in Knox's POV. There's a bit of angst, but it's not ott, there's some suspense, but at its core, their story is a beautiful tale of first love.
Author Bio
Rayna York grew up with hippie parents who liked to adventure. Where change was the norm, books were her constant—a way to escape. As an adult, many careers came and went, but writing has always been her passion. Her contemporary, coming-of-age love stories are often inspired by dreams, which she captures in her notebook with barely an eye open. When she’s not hidden away in her writing shack, Rayna enjoys playing pickleball, losing herself in a good book, or watching a movie.
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