Paula GarnerPhantom Limbs

Otis, Meg and Dara make up this absolutely lovely cast of characters in Garner’s touching debut novel. A story of loss, grief and life, there is something magical about this book.Otis. Sigh. What an absolutely charming young man. Garner beautifully captured the voice of a sixteen year old boy. He is wry, conflicted, painfully hurt, sensitive, very in tune with his emotions, yet he possesses a quiet strength. His brother Mason died in a tragic accident three years ago and nothing has been the same since. He lost his best friend Meg, right at the time the two thirteen year olds began to fall in love. His parents are irreparably damaged and just so broken. All he has left is Dara, his swimming coach with issues of her own.Dara lost part of her arm in a horrible accident, thus ending her hopes of being an Olympic swimmer. She’s angry, sarcastic, smart, flawed, brutally honest but above all she is real. Her friendship with Otis is one of the most poignant and gorgeous relationships I’ve ever witnessed. They just get each other in a way that no one else does. It truly touched me deep within my heart.Meg was Otis’ best friend and for a short while, his first love. Her and her family moved away after Mason died and the two never spoke again. But now, she’s coming back. What does this mean for Otis and Meg? How does Dara fit into all of this?This book deals with some heavy issues; figuring out how to deal with ones sexuality, death, divorce, and mainly, how to move on after such a devastating loss without forgetting about the past. Is it possible to move on and still have hope for the future?Even though the issues are heavy, Garner has a beautiful writing style. She truly captures all the feelings teenagers have; confusion, an overwhelming surge of hormones and new feelings, frustration, emotional upheaval. Her dialogue reads true and sounds like teenagers talking to each other, there is nothing false or stilted about it.I literally cannot say enough good things about this captivating book and about Garner as an author. I cannot wait to see more from her and I predict that this book will be huge. I know that I will hold these precious characters in my own heart for a very long time. So go, pre order your copy now.

Phantom Limbs is a wonderful novel that deals with love, loss, and letting go. Each character is beautifully written, and Garner allows them room to breathe and grow. The stakes aren't life-or-death high: it's more like a slice-of-life introspection that focuses much more on the people than the plot. I read through it one sitting, staying up waaaay past my bedtime because I wouldn't be satisfied until I knew everything. Meg could grate a little at times, and I thought that the very, very end (no spoilers) was not the editorial choice I would have made, but these are ultimately minor complaints that did not detract from my enjoyment of this book at all. Highly recommend! It's a nice breather from epic fantasy or action-adventure YA that reminds you that contemporary can be just as memorable, well-crafted, and haunting.

Love of words, turn of phrase, emotion delivered in black and white... Phantom Limbs. Paula Garner has written a story that will stay with you long after you read the last word. It's a story about people you know, maybe even you - to want when you shouldn't, grieve for you never had, and desire, need - long after the longing should be done, for love and things lost. Excellent.

Such a beautiful story, and lovely writing. Definitely one of my top picks in YA for 2016. Every page had sentences that were so well crafted, I just wanted to read them again and again.

Great characters and story. Enjoyable read!

Paula Garner did such an amazing job bringing the 16-year-old narrator known as Otis to life. The dialogue is also fabulous.

Awesome book for Y. A and adults

PHANTOM LIMBS follows teenage Otis as he reunites with his childhood sweetheart, Meg, after three years of silence from her. As they get to know each other again, they must also sort through old memories, including the death of Otis' three-year-old brother Mason right before Meg moved away. As he balances his time between Meg and his friend Dara, a swimmer who lost her arm and now lives vicariously through Otis by training him to be an Olympic swimmer, Otis learns that there are still details about Mason's death that he doesn't know, and that Meg is keeping from him.I was hesitant when I started this, as YA romance usually isn't my thing (I'm a YA fantasy reader for the most part and occasionally read YA contemporary), but it turned out to be a beautifully written novel with a poignant take on grief and loss. It's hard not to root for Otis and Meg as they work to reestablish some kind of bond, whether romantic or otherwise. Otis' love for Meg is deeply explored through his old memories, alongside his current impressions of her--eventually, my heart was aching for him and how much he missed his best friend. In fact, Garner shines most in how she crafts specific memories that are meaningful to the present-day context. Otis' voice is also a standout in the novel. He's funny, genuine, and endearing. I wasn't sure how I felt about Dara when the novel opened, since she seemed like a harsh person who treated Otis unfairly. But Garner does an excellent job of showing us the complexity of Dara's character and how her and Otis' unique relationship holds a crucial place in both of their hearts. I was a little worried that there would be a Dara-Meg-Otis love triangle, but refreshingly, that didn't end up being the case.I will say that Meg's explanation at the end--the one that got me to zip through most of the book with anticipation--was a little anticlimactic. I think I expected a little more of a reveal (it didn't seem like enough to justify holding off telling Otis for so long). Beyond that, I wonder what a reader with an amputated limb would think of how Dara was represented. It seemed respectful for the most part, but there were a few moments where Otis seemed to come down on it a little harsh. I also wasn't sure how Dara telling Otis he's "all she has" would come off to a person with that condition, so I would love to hear an amputee's perspective.Overall, an enjoyable and touching read with characters that spring off the page. I would it recommend to anyone who likes contemporary YA, especially of the rekindling-old-love variety.

Phantom Limbs is an enchanting book. You know right away what the problem is with Dara, a very edgy character: she lost part of her arm. But at a certain point you wonder about the title: it is limbs, not limb. Then it dawns on you what the other phantom limbs are. Why, you wonder, are Otis and especially Meg still traumatized by the death of Otis’s young brother three years earlier? It gradually becomes clear towards the end, but how can the situation be resolved? This is the best kind of book, where you need to think back about relationships in the past and how they will turn out in the future. The book is beautifully written, heartwarming and sad at the same time. And yet funny too, especially Otis’s very mixed feelings about Meg’s boyfriend and his unwanted visit. Highly recommended!