Watch Over Me

by Mila Gray

Overview

“Steamy...Doesn’t let up.” —Booklist
“Intense...Unflinching.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the author of Come Back to Me comes a striking novel about a young woman—desperately trying to protect her family from their violent father—who finds safety, and a passionate romance, with an ex-Marine.

Ever since Zoey was a kid she’s been caring for her mom and her little sister, defending them from her violent father. She’s been the strong one, the responsible one as she sacrificed her wants and dreams to keep her family together.

Now the life they’ve built for themselves in California is about to be upended. Her father, just released from prison, has discovered where they’re hiding and has come looking for them.

Enter Tristan. A former Marine and now member of the Coast Guard, Tristian promises his best friend, and Zoey’s Marine brother, that he will take care of Zoey and her family. Protect them, watch over them, and be the rock they need in their lives.

And as Tristan starts to help Zoey deal with the emotional fallout of her childhood, their relationship turns from protector and protected to something more. The two grow closer as a romance blooms into a heart-pounding and powerful relationship that Zoey hopes will be strong enough to fight off the damage her father has done to her and her family.

But not everyone can be kept safe forever, and when Zoey’s father does show up, a confrontation ensues that will change Zoey’s world forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534442825
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	152,050
Product dimensions:	0.20(w) x 1.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

About the Author

Mila Gray is the pseudonym for Sarah Alderson. Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the nonprofit sector in 2009 and took off on an around the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. They are currently located somewhere between India, London, Canada, and the US. Sarah is the author of several YA novels, including Out of Control, The Sound, Hunting Lila, and its sequel Losing Lila, plus the paranormal Fated trilogy.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: The End: Zoey The End ZOEY
I see the decision get made—the resolution crosses his face, and in the same instant I move in front of Tristan to shield him.

There’s a deafening bang, followed closely by a second bang, and I fly sideways and hit the ground. Tristan falls too.

Pain shoots through me like comets streaking across a black sky. My vision turns starry.

I look up and see the monstrous shape of my dad looming over us. He blinks, seemingly astonished. Maybe it’s shock at what he’s done. Maybe it isn’t. Light bursts around him in a dazzling halo. I can’t breathe—the pain is almost as bright as the light.

I’ve been shot, I realize. But what about Tristan? Is he okay? Thoughts dart like eels through my mind so fast and so slippery I can’t grasp on to them. The only thing I can hold on to, like a beacon in the darkness, is the thought of Tristan. Please let him be okay. I don’t care if I die. Just let him be okay.

My dad drops to his knees in front of me like a dark avenging angel. For a moment, I think he’s about to beg forgiveness for what he’s done. I stare up at him, but his expression shows no remorse, not an ounce of sorrow. He’s baring his teeth like an animal about to shred his prey.

My ears are ringing so loudly that all other sounds are dulled. Time has slowed to a near stop. My heart seems to be following suit.

Tristan is all I can think of as the light starts to fade. I led him here. This is all my fault. Where is he? I desperately want to see him. I can feel something behind me. Something heavy and unmoving. A body? His body? I want to roll over and reach for him, but I’m paralyzed.

I desperately need to know that he’s okay.

But what if he isn’t?

What if he’s dead?

What if I’m dying too?

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2019

Gr 10 Up—Zoey is almost 19, but her life is on hold because she has to help her mother care for her younger siblings. Her father, a former cop, is in jail for assaulting her mother. Zoey testified against him and lives in fear that he will get out and find where they live. When their apartment and car are set on fire, Zoey learns that he has been released, but there is no definitive proof that he set the fire. Zoey's older brother Will and his best friend Tristan come to the rescue, moving the family to California within walking distance of the beach. Will is leaving for a Marine deployment, but Tristan promises his friend to look out for the family. Tristan is older and has been a bit of a player in the past, but he and Zoey have instant chemistry that makes him want to change his ways. Readers see Tristan and Zoey grow closer and fall in love from each of their perspectives in alternating chapters. Meanwhile, however, the threat of Zoey's father grows greater. VERDICT While clichéd and predictable, the action never lets up and the romance is hot and heavy. Recommended where the author's other books are popular.—Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, MA

School Library Journal

2019-09-10
After a horrific domestic violence incident, Zoey Ward and her family finally find their footing in Las Vegas only to have their lives overturned by a house fire.

Learning that her father has been recently released from prison, Zoey suspects he had something to do with the blaze. After their lives go up in flames, literally, Zoey along with her mom and her younger siblings, Kate and Cole, flee Las Vegas with the help of her older brother, Will, and his best friend, Tristan. They take refuge in California, where Tristan and his sister welcome them into a world where things seem hopeful and more stable than anything they have ever known. Yet the fear of being hunted down by her father consumes Zoey. The story is narrated from Zoey's and Tristan's first-person perspectives, and Gray (Run Away With Me, 2017, etc.) has masterfully captured the uncertainty and terror that come from domestic violence. Tristan and Zoey share a budding romance in which Zoey slowly but surely learns to love and be loved in a nondestructive, healthy way despite her fears and reservations. With everything she has been through, Zoey is the underdog readers will find themselves rooting for. Gray spares no detail in this intense tale. All characters are assumed to be white; Tristan is dyslexic, and there are several queer characters.

An unflinching portrayal of the devastating effects of domestic violence. (Fiction. 16-adult)

Kirkus Reviews