No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?
Then the summer before senior year, Mo’s father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he’ll be forced to move to Jordan. The prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.
Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie—that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?
Martinez is a good writer, I'll start by saying that no matter what I'm about to say in terms of the plot and characters Martinez can write well, and she writes for her audience. The way that she can write in both boy and girl narratives and build a well paced and engaging plot is exactly why her books are as successful as they are, and adding onto the fact that she's obviously done her research on immigration laws. The Vow is my first Martinez book and I can assure that it will not be my last.
To start with, I disliked both Annie and Mo. Annie seemed really needy and selfish, like she only cared about Mo moving away because she needed him, leading to her making rash decisions. Mo also seemed selfish at times and he seemed very stupid, putting his best friend ahead of his family. I can understand why the pair decided to actually get married but they were both very stupid and dived head first with no research into it and no thought of the what-ifs. That being said, they both grew on me as we realised why they were so close and what they meant to each other, and as they begin to realise that they were very rash and naive.
In fact, my favorite thing about this book was watching Annie fall for Reed and struggle with the fact that she was married and at some point would have to tell him. It was really good to watch her come to terms with the gravity of what she had done. In the end it comes down to romantic love versus friendship love, and I think that whilst the choice Annie makes won't be popular with some reasons, it was the perfect conclusion to her development.
Overall, The Vow was a well informed and engaging read that had some fantastic character development. I wasn't hooked immediately since the characters were frustrating, but as the story went on I became so emotionally invested in Annie and Mo's happy ending. This book saved itself, and Jessica Martinez has definitely peaked my interest.
Book released 5th October 2013 by Simon Pulse
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Edelweiss)
