Amazing, amazing, amazing. Truly. I wasn't sure if I was going to like I'll Be There but now, I'm really, really glad I read it in the first place. The premise of the plot is simple but completely believable. Sam and Riddle have been raised by an unstable father who constantly moves the family. It doesn't take a genius to realize that their father, Clarence, is a schizophrenic. This makes him really, really dangerous. But thus far, Sam and Riddle have survived. Then, Sam meets Emily Bell, and everything changes. They share an immediate and intense attraction and the boys are soon welomed into the Bell home. But when Clarence finds out, he is convinced he has been betrayed and he sets all of them down a course that will change their lives forever. 
 I will admit, when I first read that I'll Be There drew some inspiration from the Jackson 5 tune, I was afraid that it was going to turn out to be one of those ridiculous songfics you see online. But rest assure, I'll Be There is anything but that. 
 Instead, it tells the earnest and endearing story of Sam and Riddle, two boys who have survived living with a schizophrenic father. Their lives are not a simple one. They scouraged dump sites for food and daily necessities. They don't take showers very often and they don't have that many clean clothes either. I'll Be There is very much their story, so much so that I feel sort of cheated when it comes to the other characters. They're mentioned, yes, and we know a little about them but not enough. There isn't much on Sam and Emily's relationship even though, apparently, they share an intense connection and it was this relationship that brought the boys into the Bell home. The romance really takes a back seat and apart from certain scenes, you'd never remember that they were in a relationship in the first place. 
 But what I did love about I'll Be There is the myraid of characters it hosts. Like I said before, we don't get an in-depth look into their lives, not like Sam and Riddle, but I love how, when reading from their perspective, we see how seemingly random strangers can play a part in our lives. There are certain scenes in the book where I'm sure, while reading it, you'll go, "This is not possible! This is unreal!" But I think, as you read on, and the more you think about it, those situations really can happen and it's amazing to see how it all works out. 
 The blurb for I'll Be There says that it's "beautifully written and emotionally profound, it's a story about connections both big and small, and deftly explores the many ways that our lives are woven together" and I couldn't agree more. Definitely recommended!!