Review: The Mason List

The Mason List by S.D. Hendrickson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can I give it more stars? Because let's be honest, this book deserves so many more than I'm allowed to give.

There aren't words to describe this story. I know I can string together a bunch of words, those 26 letters can be transformed into something magical and beautiful, but there is no way I can do this book justice. SD Hendrickson took those 26 little letters and created a masterpiece of words.

I cried, I laughed, I cried. I smiled, I sobbed, I loved. Oh, how I loved Jess Mason.

This is the type of story that takes you from friends to so much more. Jess and Alex met when they were eight years old. They met under less than desirable circumstances, but they met and they became best friends.

This is the journey of two children, two teenagers, two college students, and two adults trying to find their way in this world.

Jess and Alex are inseparable, but what we see from the beginning is that these two are inevitable. They just have to happen. What Jess sees is his love for Alex never waning. He will wait for her. He will wait forever if he has to.

Alex loves Jess Mason. We know it, but we also understand all of her concerns. We feel for her. We hurt for her. Or was that just me? It can't have just been me. She loves him, but she hates everything he represents. She loves him, but fights it. She loves him.

The Mason List is told from Alex's POV and it spans 18 years. We begin in the present, but it alternates with the past. The past is where we fall in love with Jess. It's where we hurt for Alex. It's where we watch these two fall in friendship and in love.

I'll admit I was nervous while listening to this. I was afraid I wouldn't get the ending I wanted. I was afraid something horrible happened and they never got their chance (the present POVs indicate something is VERY wrong).

But SD Hendrickson doesn't completely gut me. I mean, she does, but she also makes me happy cry. I can't think of a single time I've ever cried happy tears. I didn't know it was a thing.

Until now.

This book goes down as a favorite for me. I want it in all available formats. I want a signed copy. I want this book to live on my physical shelf and never leave. I also want to start this over and listen again even though I just finished it.

It's that good.



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