The Ethan I Was Before

Summary

Life can be transformed in one moment. But does that one moment define you for life?

Ethan used to be many things—skateboarder, Red Sox fan, sidekick to his big brother, Roddie. Always up for a laugh, always willing to accept a dare, and always ready for an adventure with his best friend, Kacey.

But that was before.

Now Ethan just wants to escape from painful memories of the accident that cost him everything. When he and his family move from Boston to the small seaside town of Palm Knot, Georgia (the Hidden Jewel of the South), he doesn’t know what he’ll find there. The last thing he expects is to make a new friend.

That is, until he meets Coralee, a girl with a big personality and even bigger stories—a girl who may just give Ethan the second chance he needs. But Ethan isn’t the only one with secrets, and Coralee’s are catching up with her. Can Ethan really trust Coralee, or could what she’s hiding be putting both their lives at risk?

Ali Standish’s captivating debut is a stirring tale of friendship, forgiveness, and, ultimately, hope.