I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book really spoke to me. I suppose it might be because when I was younger I had a good friend who was a lesbian and I had a severe crush on her so i could really identify with the problem our protagonist Alexandria faced. She also had the added burden that they had been best friends since childhood adding to the pain of the unrequited love.
I thought author Reena Jacobs handled her internal conflict with tact, sensitivity, and real pathos, without ever making her pitiful and whiny. Not an easy feat.
The conflicts and situations Alexandria and her friend find themselves in were as real as your own college experience. It never felt staged or forced. The parties were like parties I attended back them. The people reacted like real people.
I thought it a really good exploration of what is love, and who are we in our deepest selves. How does one deal with conflict and disappointment? This book will work out your emotions. It is funny and sad, sometimes it will make you angry, other times it will make you feel triumphant. I give it my full recommendation. Not at all your usual YA read, yet not something you'd be afraid to let your teen read too. There are so few really good books out there that I have found so far with good, and real LGBT characters in it. This one is a good start to fixing that problem.
Go get a copy and enjoy!
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Thank you for the review!
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question: it's so hard to choose just one favorite! I've read so many awesome book this year, that I can't choose just one. Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent, Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Divergent by Veronica Roth and so so many others!
I love when there are too many favorites to choose from. :) This year I have 3. What a Boy Wants and What a Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn. Then What I didn't Say by Keary Taylor. Wonderful books. What a Boy Needs is a New Adult book while the other two are Young Adult.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely review, Michael!
My favorites were Obsidian and A Million Suns.
ReplyDeleteYou earned the review. I've read so many great books this year I cannot even begin to list them all. Slammed by Colleen Hoover and Easy by Tamarra Webber stand out. Nyrae Dawn's Saving Carter is up there too.
ReplyDeleteI'd never read any YA till I bought my 14 year old daughter a Kindle for Xmas. Now I am hooked! LOL
That is Freeing Carter by Nyrae Dawn, not Saving Carter!
ReplyDeleteThe best Young Adult book that I read this year has been Something Like Normal by Trish Doller. I also really liked What A Boy Wants and What A Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn. :)
ReplyDeleteI read a quote the other day that said 'asking a book junkie to pick a favorite book is like asking a mother to pick a favorite child' (look it up before you quote it exact because I'm sure I paraphrased.) In other words - I plead the 5th! How can I possibly choose?!?
ReplyDeleteFallen, Hush,Hush, Vamp. academy,I am number four series. I love these books.
ReplyDeleteNew adult - Easy by Tammara Webber
ReplyDeleteYoung Adult - Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Alyssa Susanna
Hush, Hush series and the golden Lily. Both are wonderful books:D
ReplyDeleteI read the rock stars daughter - very good!
ReplyDeleteJust read the synopsis for Something like Normal. That's going on my up-next list. Sounds like it's has the potential to make me laugh and cry. I should take the rest of this month off and just read.
ReplyDelete