I seem to be on a "whoa, that wasn't what I expected!" kick lately. Not intentionally, of course, that's just how it has worked out, and Katherine Owen's THIS MUCH IS TRUE definitely falls into that category. The blurb led me to believe I was reading one thing, and what I got was something else altogether. For starters, this isn't your everyday YA contemporary romance. It's more of a YA/NA crossover, and it deals with a lot of mature themes that give it a very adult feel. That's not a bad thing, by any means, but it was definitely a surprise.

When Tally and Lincoln first meet, it's under the worst possible circumstances. He is on-scene during the worst night of her young life. While Tally survived the tragic accident that killed her twin, in many ways, she's the one who died. There's a big gaping hole inside of her, and she's just trying to fill it - with lies and meaningless hookups and a rigorous ballet schedule that, I'll admit, gave me a whole new respect for the hell dancers go through in the name of their art.

And then fate brings Linc back into her life. Tally doesn't remember him from the accident scene, but he remembers her. A connection quickly forms - an incredible, powerful connection that neither one can deny.

It's a good thing that connection was established early on, because without it, I'm not sure their relationship - or this book - would have survived. Following a blink-and-you'll-miss-it halcyon period, Tally and Linc are thrown straightaway into life's vicious wringer, and needless to say, it isn't pretty. Sometimes it seemed the whole universe was conspiring against them, and other times, they were their own worst enemies. And it went on that way for years! 

I haven't read Tolstoy's War and Peace, but for me, this book was the equivalent. It's long, and what's worse, itfelt long at times. The angst and drama-fest just went on and on and on, with no apparent end in sight. It was like a soap opera on steroids, and after a while, I just wanted it to end.

Final verdict? I liked the book, it's a good read, but it drags at times, and the characters' constant "one step forward, two steps back" just plain wore me out.