This was a sweet YA contemporary. The kind of book that ends on a positive note and makes you smile at the end. It was cute, and I enjoyed it.

Mitchell and Josie have known each other sense they were young. They both grew up in a hippie community called Paintbrush. They were close friends when they were younger, but as they grew and entered public school they sort of drifted apart. As they complete their last year of high school, unexpected life situations bring them closer and they become more than friends.

One of my favorite things about this story was the community. The entire concept of Paintbrush was interesting. A woman created a place where people who don’t have a home or anyone who wants an escape could come and live. It is a welcoming and closed knit community with interesting people.

One major thing that bothered me was the format of the ebook. It was a little hard to read. The problems with the format could have been caused by my Kindle so it didn’t impact my perspective of the book.

Characters:

One thing that I found that was interesting about Mitchell and Josie were their desired life paths after high school. Mitchell wanted to leave Paintbrush, and Josie wanted to stay to help her mother with her sisters. That brought an interesting dynamic to their relationship. It didn’t add unnecessary drama, but instead it made it seem more real. As a whole, their relationship was great. And I enjoyed seeing them slowly become more than friends.

Although, I enjoyed Mitchell and Josie, I wish there would have been a little bit more to their characters. There were so many things that could have been explored with both of them. I don’t want to say they were flat or two dimensional characters, because they were not. They just are characters that will not leave an everlasting impression.

Final Analysis

Paintbrush is a sweet read that isn’t over dramatic. The romance is adorable. And the ending is hopeful.