The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

ARC Source: Around the World Tours

Summary:


It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.


For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?


And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.


A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.


My Two Cents:

Ever since Noelle disappeared Tessa pretty much disappeared as well......mentally. She couldn't live her life as normal while worrying about what happened to Noelle. So she decided not to live her life at all but to simply exist. No dating, hanging out, meeting new friends, school dances, or anything that might be considered fun.

When Noelle came back, all of my questions were answered slowly throughout the rest of the book; how he kidnapped her, how she escaped, what sick things he did to her and how she will move on from it. When she comes back, Tessa feels as though she has to protect her, thus still not making a life of her own. Tessa was definitely the wet blanket because she reminded me of someone's mom lol. She was never able to truly relax and made it so others couldn't as well. The romance aspect that was slipped in was hot one minute and the next, completely ice cold. It didn't seem like it really belonged there.

One thing I did like was that it wasn't just about Noelle being kidnapped. In books there's always a story about a girl being kidnapped but no one ever writes about what happens if she comes back and how it effects their family and friends. Unfortunately this didn't turn out to be as good as I'd imagined it would be BUT it was good enough to continue reading.

Recommended for those looking for an emotional read mixed with high school politics.

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