ARC Review: Tick to the Tock by Matthew Turner

Tick to the Tock

Author: Matthew Turner

Publication Date: January 8, 2014

Genre: Contemporary

Source: eARC via author

~Synopsis~

What would you do if you had three months to live? That's what Dante King faces, the indecisive twenty-two-year-old who must finally learn to embrace life and love.

Tick to the Tock is a Contemporary New Adult Novel about Dante coming-of-age during turbulent times. A story inspired by love, but with the gritty realities of regret, missed opportunity, and understanding life's meaning under dire circumstance. But a single mind isn't affected on this journey, as an eclectic group comes to terms with the past, present, and what lies ahead.

Dante must confront and accept his fate, but can he let go of Danni: his lost love and kindred dreamer? With his rationally stubborn cousin, and eccentric best friend, Dante witnesses a life of dream and wonder: embarking across Europe, tackling Tibet, travelling Australia, and defeating each lifelong wish one-by-one.

Follow this coming-of-age roller coaster as four lives change forever. We're only given one, but it's never too late to understand faith, discover acceptance, and uncover the true meaning of love and happiness. Dante will die, but not before Danii, Ethan, Wilbur and he undertake an intense and heartfelt journey.

Smile… Cry… Ask yourself what you would do with three months left... Because Love & Living Begins Now.

~Review~

What would you do if you found out you were dying? How would you spend your last days? Months? These are the questions Dante faces when he finds out he has a rare and inoperable brain tumor. Suddenly life seems really short and he is left facing the tough question… how does he spend the remainder of his time on this earth?

I felt like this profoundly changed Dante and why wouldn’t it? I think anyone would look at life differently after finding out your life was being cut short. He is so young and there are so many things that’ll he never get to do or see. I liked his attitude towards the major curve ball life has thrown him. Anyone would find it easy to just give in to fate and give up on life. Dante doesn’t do this and I loved that. Instead, he sets out on and adventure with his best friends Wil and Ethan and he rekindles his romance with Danii, the girl who got away. I liked the way Dante reflected back on the things he’d done and the decisions he’d made. His journey of self discovery led him to a lot of realizations and I think that it helped him make peace with his life and the impending death he faced. I saw a lot of growth in him as a character and I felt like his acceptance of everything in the end was really heart warming.

I really liked his friends, Wil and Ethan and the love and support they showed him every step of the way. They were affected by his fate in a profound way and I think that they needed the journey and self-discovery as much as he did. These 2 are as different as night and day but they both love and care for Dante and I think he needed Wil’s fun, laid back attitude as much as he needed Ethan’s level-headed and calm personality. At first I wasn’t keen on Danii because of the past she had with Dante but I understood why he felt the need to reconnect and in the end, I think she truly understood all that she had missed out on and she was as desperate as he was to make the most of what time he had left.

I really enjoyed this book and I was very impressed with the writing. It was definitely a journey that really made me think about my own life and all I have experienced until now. I don’t think you really reflect on things until something forces you to do it. I liked the adventure that Dante and his friends embarked on and the relationships he solidified with each of them. I felt myself tear up more than a time or two and I commend Matthew for his ability to really bring these emotions out of me. I really liked the direction he took Dante and Danii’s relationship and the final scenes between these two was somewhat heart-wrenching. I definitely felt my chest clench a little. I really liked the ending and how REAL it was. Overall, I was really impressed with this book and definitely felt the message that Matthew was trying to convey.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE