'89 Walls by Katie Pierson

Standalone. Wise Ink (June 2015) NetGalley

College is not in the cards for Seth. He spends his minimum wage on groceries and fakes happiness to distract his mom from the MS they both know will kill her. It’s agony to carry around a frayed love note for a girl who’s both out of his league and beneath his dignity.
 
Quinn’s finishing high school on top. But that cynical, liberal guy in her social studies class makes her doubt her old assumptions. Challenging the rules now, though, would a) squander her last summer at home, b) antagonize her conservative dad, and c) make her a hypocrite.
 
Seth and Quinn’s passionate new romance takes them both by surprise. They keep it a secret: it’s too early to make plans and too late not to care. But it’s 1989. As politics suddenly get personal, they find themselves fighting bare-fisted for their beliefs—and each other—in the clear light of day.

'89 Walls was originally introduced to me as a book about abortion and the politics of 1989 that came with it. '89 Walls delves into abortion, but mostly it's the story of Quinn and Seth who are at opposing sides of political parties. They engage in intense, thought-provoking arguments about the world they live in their history class. I don't know about everybody else, but I loved history class in high school yet I don't remember reading about so much of the politics that was going on today or actively watching the news. Both Quinn and Seth have immersed themselves in politics and their own political views. They question those beliefs and where they stand in their lives. Quinn and Seth must balance the fine line of political views, economic status, and where they see their unexpected romance going in '89 Walls.

Politics is always a touchy subject. There were a lot of questioning and arguments that had to do with politics and the difference of economic status between our two main characters. Luckily, it wasn't difficult to follow along with what was going on in the world even with the history lessons I was receiving. History lessons that I've never really paid attention to in the past. '89 Walls made me think of our past and the way it's changed so much today with abortion, civil rights, and war. All very touchy subjects in everyday life, but real things that need to be discussed. There was something that Quinn mentioned and her teacher did too about how we try to be neutral, but we can never be. We can't believe in the right of equality and say we are neutral. We all have different lives and points of view. Seeing Quinn and Seth's POV really puts into perspective how involved some people are in politics and how others (like me) are laid back. It made me question whether I should do something more or at least educate myself with what is going on in the world and assessing my views on it.

The other side of the story was Quinn and Seth's sudden romance. I liked them together because they respected each other and their opinions. I think respect in a relationship is one of the best thing's you can have. I didn't enjoy reading about their sexual exploits. I didn't need the step by step coverage on that. Otherwise, I liked their relationship although, it didn't have me squealing with joy or anything. I liked their family dynamics more than anything actually. Quinn has affluent parents who are conservative and talk to her about politics. Seth has to take care of his mother who has MS. Seth and his mother hurt me inside. It's such a crappy situation to know that your body is failing you and that your son has to watch while putting his life on the backburner. 

'89 Walls made me think about the world and how little I know about what brought us to this point in the US. It was a very enjoyable and thought provoking read. If you like politics, you will especially like '89 Walls, but even if you don't you still can get something from Quinn and Seth's story like I did.