The Ethan I Was Before: 09/22/19

The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish is set in Palm Knot, Georgia, a fictional coastal backwater. It's a town that's well past its prime but Ethan's grandfather lives there and needs help, although he doesn't want to admit it. Ethan's parents also see it as a way to restart after a recent tragedy.

The tragedy, events that are slowly revealed over the course of the novel, is what defines the Ethan before and after. So I'm going to leave out what happened to avoid spoilers.

In the present day the novel focuses on how Ethan is adjusting to his new life, his new school, and in making new friends. He ends up the target of the popular crowd and is invited into their circle if he too disses Coralee, a girl who is always telling stories, some which might be true and some which probably aren't.

Ethan, though, opts for one friend instead of the popular crowd. That leads him down a path of learning about the town and his own family history in the town. It also gives him a chance to come to terms with what happened before the move.

Four stars

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