It Wasn't Always Like This

<b>Praise for <i>It Wasn't Always Like This</i></b> Epic and addictive--a story with the soul of a romance and the pacing of a thriller. <b>--Kami Garcia, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling coauthor of <i>Beautiful Creatures</i></b> Not since Veronica Mars has there been such a wry and captivating teen detective. This wonderful novel is fun, romantic, and impossible to put down. Joy Preble has crafted a mesmerizing story that will thrill you while it melts your heart. <b>--Margo Rabb, bestselling author of <i>Kissing in America </i>and <i>Cures for Heartbreak</i></b> A high-speed love story with an electric mystery at its center. Immortality hasn't been this haunting, romantic, and thrilling in a long time. <b>--Adam Silvera, <i>New York Times </i>bestselling author of <i>More Happy Than Not </b> Immortality, first love, murder, and mystery come together in <i>It Wasn't Always Like This</i>, an electrifying young adult novel. <b>--Bustle</b> A thrilling tale of a fountain of youth, a murderous Church of Light and Emma O'Neill and Charlie Ryan, in love and eternally 17, forced to separate and stay on the run . . . [A] great summer read. <b>--</b><i><b>Buffalo News</b></i> Preble adeptly weaves together snippets of Emma's past and present, gradually outlining her transformation from an optimistic, winsome teen to a hardened, lone-wolf type, albeit one whose heart still flutters for a certain eternal boy . . . [Readers] will be equally charmed by Emma's noir-inflected narrative and her decades-long romance. <b>--</b><i><b>Booklist</b></i> A captivating plot with some twists, an aura of time travel, and an array of vivid settings . . . [Readers] who relished the classic <i>Tuck Everlasting</i> by Natalie Babbitt will revel in this tale. <b>--<i>School Library Journal</i></b> [Captures] the loneliness, isolation, and even regret that accompanies the secrecy required by eternal youth . . . A modern <i>Tuck Everlasting</i> with a thriller twist. <b><i><i>--Kirkus Reviews</i></b> Part paranormal mystery and romance with a strong female character searching for her long lost love. <b>--<i>School Library Connection</i></b> While the murder mystery keeps readers hooked, the longing and heartache of Emma's circumstances makes the fantasy feel very realistic, and together, these elements weave a strikingly gripping and enjoyable tale. <b>--<i>VOYA</i> With its exciting plot and well-wrought characters, this novel emerges as a suspenseful treat with a gooey romantic center. The narrative alternates between scenes of Emma's distant past with Charlie and her murder-mystery present, building to a final showdown that is both surprising and satisfying. <b>--</b><i><b>The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books</b></i><b>Praise for Joy Preble</b> <i>The Sweet Dead Life</i> is mischief and mayhem, zippy one-liners, mystery and a tiny bit of tragedy. A-word: Awesome. <b>--E. Lockhart, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>We Were Liars</i></b> Preble artfully combines contemporary characters with classic figures from Russian mythology. <b>--<i>Romantic Times</i></b> Hallelujah! . . . A novel that breaks the mold. <b>--<i>Kirkus Reviews</i></b> Light, snarky, and heartfelt. <i><b>--School Library Journal</b> </i> Bizarre? Yes, very. Fun to read? Yes, very. <b>--The Examiner</b>