A young adult novel about a pair of teens, one boy and one girl, both dealing with family members with health issues. Bash's (the boy) mother has severe cancer and Birdie's (the girl) younger sister is in a coma in a local hospital. The two meet at a party and during the novel have a an up and down relationship until the finale. These are not perfect kids in fact would not have been my friends. Bash is kind of a jerk and and his best friend Kyle is even worse. Most teenagers will like it. ( )

I always have one YA book tapped to be my companion at the beach for a day in the summer. Candace Ganger's debut novel, The Inevitable Collison of Birdie and Bash was that book.

Birdie and Sebastian (Bash) meet at a party. There's interest on both sides, but nothing happens that night. Well, nothing between the two of them. But something does happen that will change both their lives.... The reader knows what has transpired and can only be a silent witness as events unfold. The pair meet again and the sparks are still there.....but so is what happened....

Two great lead characters - I was happily in their corner, hoping that the fates would align for them. But Ganger has set a pretty high set of obstacles for the pair. Maybe tragedies is a better word to use.

The supporting cast is easy to categorize - Bash's friend Kyle is very easy to - well, to hate. Birdie's grandpa Sarge says little, but has much to say when he does speak. Ms. Camilla had me in tears. But it was only on reading the author's notes that I discovered Ganger had taken inspiration from her own life for some of the characters and heartbreak. You can feel that personal connection in the writing.

Birdie is a science nerd. Ganger cleverly uses science terms and Lessons of the Day to accompany situations, relationships and developments as the book progresses.

"Lesson of the Day: There are reasons - many reasons - some particles shouldn't combine, no matter how curious you are about the outcome. Sometimes things explode; sometimes they dissipate, evaporate, disintegrate. And sometimes they collide and become something so much more than you ever thought they could."

My only quibble is Bash's taking the blame for 'the incident' - I did have a hard time thinking that someone would actually do that. But, it's absolutely a driving point of the plot, so it's very necessary.

Loss, grief, love, friendship, coming of age and more populate this novel. It's a really wonderful debut. ( )

The cover isn't one I'd normally go for when browsing in a bookstore, but somehow it did appeal to me and I wanted to know what it's about. Reading the synopsis of the book, I got curious. Two teenagers out of different worlds colliding with each other and, in some way, getting their lives strangled? Yup, count me in!

What did I say? That they got strangled into each other's lives? Let's do that again. They collided. Just like the title of the book says. They collided with such an enormous bang that they could never tear each other from one another again. They became part of the other because of the tragedy that bound them.

"The unhappy truth is, reality is, people cheat and lie, keep secrets, and leave. Because it's human nature."

Candace Ganger has written The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash so realistically. Bash's character , his rough edges - including language - are implemented perfectly. Together with Birdie's nature of always using her brain, neglecting her heart and using sheer logic to find her way through life... Let's just say, you'll really want to pick this one up.

The lives of Birdie and Bash are twisted and turned into one another, yet you follow their lives separately. The tragedy that links them isn't one that forces them together immediately. They deal with it themselves, in their own way, unconsciously supporting one another in the process.

The story is built up nicely. You completely lose yourself in everything that's happening. It's not one of those sappy teenage romances you can find everywhere. It's unique. It's despair. It's hope. It's friendship. It's frustration. It's love. It's heartbreak. All in one story.

No need to say that I'm giving The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger a well-deserved 5/5.

"Good-bye, sweet bear."

Kathy

This book was provided to me through my accepted request on NetGalley. This is my honest review for which I'm not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own. ( )

Bash's friend Wild Kyle is nothing but trouble. He knows it, but can't seem to separate from him. The rest of Bash's life is over, anyway. He is flunking out of school and his mother is dying of cancer. When he meets Birdie at a party neither should have attended, he is drawn to her. A tragedy as drunken Kyle drives home from the party, however, links Bash and Birdie in a way he could not have forseen and would never have wanted. ( )