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Love and Other Four-Letter Words
With her parents splitting up, 16-year-old Sammie Davis may not want to feel a thing, but feelings happen. For starters, she's plenty angry. Her dad's leaving their upstate New York home and moving clear across the country. Her mother—well, she's packing up and relocating to New York City with Sammie, who has no say about any of it. Overnight Sammie is forced to deal with change. And one change spawns another: Roles get reversed, old and new friendships tested, and sexual feelings awakened. It's a scary time. But as Sammie realizes that things can't stay the same forever, that even the people she loves and trusts the most can disappoint her, she begins to accept that change isn't always bad. It's how you cope, jumbled feelings and all, that counts. And as she copes, Sammie's sense of self emerges proud and strong.
247 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
24 people are currently reading
1859 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Mackler
24 books981 followersCarolyn Mackler is the author of the popular teen novels, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (A Michael L. Printz Honor Book), Infinite in Between, Tangled, Guyaholic, Vegan Virgin Valentine, and Love and Other Four-Letter Words. Carolyn's novel, The Future of Us, co-written with bestselling author Jay Asher, received starred reviews and appeared on several bestseller lists. Carolyn has also written Best Friend Next Door, a novel for younger readers. Carolyn's novels have been published in more than twenty countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, and Indonesia.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
Carolyn lives in New York City with her husband and two sons. Her new novel for teens, The Universe is Expanding and So Am I, will be published in May 2018. This is the long-awaited sequel to the Printz-honor winning novel, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
April 27, 2013
I'm sorry, but I just couldn't get into this book. It was too much and too little at the same time. The book had too many elements - her parents' separation, her selfish ex best friend, her new friend, the cute JD, the Rosenthals, and might as well throw in some dog philosophies and music. But Mackler just glossed over the concepts, so I didn't sympathize with Sammie nor did I see her grow as a character. I mean, I guess she's learned to discover what love means, but um, no, I didn't feel it. I don't know, this book just didn't do it for me.
November 14, 2013
From when we first started reading books to now we are told to never judge a book by its' cover. Well I can admit that I don't really follow those rules, and this book is just piece of evidence that I don't.
When I picked up this book I thought it would maybe be about a girl that loved but in the end her feelings were crushed and now she thinks of love not being that great. She could describe love in a different four letter word. What did you think of right away when you first read the title?
Well "Love and Other Four Letter Words" by Carolyn Mackler is set in the summer in New York City. Sammie Davis is forced to leave her hometown of Ithaca, New York, leave her best friend Kitty and her dad, who moved to California. Sammie and her mom were never all that close and the next thing she knows she's sharing a one-bedroom apartment in the smelly city with her mom and her dog Moxie. Her mom has totally gone to pieces over the separation from Sammie's dad.
This novel would be well liked by people with the same issues that Sammie is facing, such as dealing with divorce, friendship and romance. Sammie's problems with her best friend, Kitty and her new friendship with Phoebe are things anyone can relate to. Same with her stress over a rekindled, old friendship with her mom's friend's son, Eli. Did I mention Eli has turned into a nice piece of eye-candy since the last time she saw him?
I would consider Sammie's life a knot. She has so many jumbled thoughts, so many different experiences and most of all it is a struggle to get through. In my eyes her life is very difficult. Without giving away too much of the book, I will leave it at that.
The perspective is given through the eyes of Sammie. I think Carolyn wanted us to read through Sammie's eyes because she wanted us to see what a difficult life is really like. Not everyone experience divorce in their family, or not everyone has to deal with a bad relationship with a parent. I think Carolyn did a very good job showing some people how a "difficult" life really is. Everyone can argue that their life is difficult but until you've been in Sammie's shoes, don't be too fast to judge.
My thoughts/opinions of Carolyn's writing are very strong and I back her form up completely. Carolyn Mackler was a self-proclaimed misfit in junior high. She never completely fit in, and this has been a determining factor in her deciding to write young adult novels. Throughout junior high and high school, Mackler read many young adult novels in order to escape the belief that no one understood her. So as her writing career began she wanted to write novels that could have an impact on girls that are going through the same things she was.
The only thing that I would recommend for Carolyn would be to make her writing more intense. Since this book is under the genre YA the content can sometime be explicit. For instance, when Sammie has arguments with her mother or friends make the argument more "juicy" by having it sound like an actual teenager argument.
This may sound so silly to some people or it may make complete sense to some, but I really enjoyed how the printing company printed this novel. Visually it looks like a fast read when the pages are shorter and the text is larger than average. Something small like this made me even more interested in this novel right off first glance.
Now that I am through with this novel I can see how other four letter words can be related to what Sammie is going through. Fill in the spaces in your own mind. This novel was an easy read for me, which means I think everyone will like it since I am such a fussy reader.
Go check this book out from your library and learn what a difficult life is like before you think how miserable yours is.
When I picked up this book I thought it would maybe be about a girl that loved but in the end her feelings were crushed and now she thinks of love not being that great. She could describe love in a different four letter word. What did you think of right away when you first read the title?
Well "Love and Other Four Letter Words" by Carolyn Mackler is set in the summer in New York City. Sammie Davis is forced to leave her hometown of Ithaca, New York, leave her best friend Kitty and her dad, who moved to California. Sammie and her mom were never all that close and the next thing she knows she's sharing a one-bedroom apartment in the smelly city with her mom and her dog Moxie. Her mom has totally gone to pieces over the separation from Sammie's dad.
This novel would be well liked by people with the same issues that Sammie is facing, such as dealing with divorce, friendship and romance. Sammie's problems with her best friend, Kitty and her new friendship with Phoebe are things anyone can relate to. Same with her stress over a rekindled, old friendship with her mom's friend's son, Eli. Did I mention Eli has turned into a nice piece of eye-candy since the last time she saw him?
I would consider Sammie's life a knot. She has so many jumbled thoughts, so many different experiences and most of all it is a struggle to get through. In my eyes her life is very difficult. Without giving away too much of the book, I will leave it at that.
The perspective is given through the eyes of Sammie. I think Carolyn wanted us to read through Sammie's eyes because she wanted us to see what a difficult life is really like. Not everyone experience divorce in their family, or not everyone has to deal with a bad relationship with a parent. I think Carolyn did a very good job showing some people how a "difficult" life really is. Everyone can argue that their life is difficult but until you've been in Sammie's shoes, don't be too fast to judge.
My thoughts/opinions of Carolyn's writing are very strong and I back her form up completely. Carolyn Mackler was a self-proclaimed misfit in junior high. She never completely fit in, and this has been a determining factor in her deciding to write young adult novels. Throughout junior high and high school, Mackler read many young adult novels in order to escape the belief that no one understood her. So as her writing career began she wanted to write novels that could have an impact on girls that are going through the same things she was.
The only thing that I would recommend for Carolyn would be to make her writing more intense. Since this book is under the genre YA the content can sometime be explicit. For instance, when Sammie has arguments with her mother or friends make the argument more "juicy" by having it sound like an actual teenager argument.
This may sound so silly to some people or it may make complete sense to some, but I really enjoyed how the printing company printed this novel. Visually it looks like a fast read when the pages are shorter and the text is larger than average. Something small like this made me even more interested in this novel right off first glance.
Now that I am through with this novel I can see how other four letter words can be related to what Sammie is going through. Fill in the spaces in your own mind. This novel was an easy read for me, which means I think everyone will like it since I am such a fussy reader.
Go check this book out from your library and learn what a difficult life is like before you think how miserable yours is.
May 12, 2014
I'm gonna be honest, I only picked up this book because I have the same name as the main character. The more of her story I read, the more I realized that our similarities start and stop with our name.
Sammie's an average teenage girl, and that's fine, I just wish she was a little more active and a lot less passive. Most of the book is her biting her tongue and not telling people what she really thinks of the situations the put her in, which only leads to her own stress and breakdown. I suppose she got her way in the end, but the build up to it probably wasn't worth all the effort she did (or didn't) put in.
Plus, not even telling us that hot guys name that she fawned over half the time? Come on. I need some closure.
Sammie's an average teenage girl, and that's fine, I just wish she was a little more active and a lot less passive. Most of the book is her biting her tongue and not telling people what she really thinks of the situations the put her in, which only leads to her own stress and breakdown. I suppose she got her way in the end, but the build up to it probably wasn't worth all the effort she did (or didn't) put in.
Plus, not even telling us that hot guys name that she fawned over half the time? Come on. I need some closure.
March 10, 2017
Rating: 5/5
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+
Favorite Quote: "That along with love comes other four-letter words. Like hate, obviously. And loss. And gain. And most importantly, grow."
Sammie Davis, not the entertainer, used to have a good life. She considers herself an average girl, but she lived in a middle-class home with her mother, father, and her dog Moxie. Then, her life hit a rough patch. Her parents decide to go through a trial separation. Sammie soon finds herself whisked away to New York City in a cramped Manhattan apartment while her father is enjoying freedom in California. Not only has her whole life been shaken and she has started getting anxiety from the whole ordeal, she doesn't like how she physically looks, she's never had a boyfriend, and her gorgeous best friend uses her as a therapist. As Sammie's summer drags on, she struggles to deal with the separation and dealing with her mother who is, for lack of a better word, irresponsible. This is the story about how Sammie learns to deal with this rocky patch in her life and how she comes to understand that along with love come other four-letter words: hate, loss, gain... and grow.
When I first stumbled across this book I was about 15. I found it at a local used bookstore and I bought it because I thought the title was pretty cool. Since I have the strangest system for choosing books, this book sat on my shelf for... well until yesterday. I was sure I was going to DNF this book before I even started it because I looked at it and thought the book was too young for me now. I pushed myself to start it though and I'm so glad I did. This book is a little like Judy Blume's controversial book "Forever". It's a coming of age book that is honest about sex and growing up. While the main character does not have sex, it is discussed in passing between her and her friend Kitty, who is not a virgin anymore. The book also offers a very realistic take on how a teenage girl deals with the events like Sammie has to go through. A lot of times the response is to bottle up the emotions and explode later on. The author crafted beautiful characters and a beautiful story. You come to care for every character in the story, even the characters you will hate.
My only complaint about the book is that it was a fast read and the story leaves many unanswered questions... but the story is about life and in life we will always have unanswered questions. The book also may not be suitable for many younger audiences based on the content and based on parent's differing opinions about what should be and shouldn't be available to teenagers. I find the book to be a must-read for any teen and any adult (as the lessons taught in this book are ones we need to be reminded of time and time again throughout our life). However, if you're a minor, then have your parents review this book before getting in trouble please. My recommended age was based off of my own personal experience of being gifted Forever at 16 years old.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+
Favorite Quote: "That along with love comes other four-letter words. Like hate, obviously. And loss. And gain. And most importantly, grow."
Sammie Davis, not the entertainer, used to have a good life. She considers herself an average girl, but she lived in a middle-class home with her mother, father, and her dog Moxie. Then, her life hit a rough patch. Her parents decide to go through a trial separation. Sammie soon finds herself whisked away to New York City in a cramped Manhattan apartment while her father is enjoying freedom in California. Not only has her whole life been shaken and she has started getting anxiety from the whole ordeal, she doesn't like how she physically looks, she's never had a boyfriend, and her gorgeous best friend uses her as a therapist. As Sammie's summer drags on, she struggles to deal with the separation and dealing with her mother who is, for lack of a better word, irresponsible. This is the story about how Sammie learns to deal with this rocky patch in her life and how she comes to understand that along with love come other four-letter words: hate, loss, gain... and grow.
When I first stumbled across this book I was about 15. I found it at a local used bookstore and I bought it because I thought the title was pretty cool. Since I have the strangest system for choosing books, this book sat on my shelf for... well until yesterday. I was sure I was going to DNF this book before I even started it because I looked at it and thought the book was too young for me now. I pushed myself to start it though and I'm so glad I did. This book is a little like Judy Blume's controversial book "Forever". It's a coming of age book that is honest about sex and growing up. While the main character does not have sex, it is discussed in passing between her and her friend Kitty, who is not a virgin anymore. The book also offers a very realistic take on how a teenage girl deals with the events like Sammie has to go through. A lot of times the response is to bottle up the emotions and explode later on. The author crafted beautiful characters and a beautiful story. You come to care for every character in the story, even the characters you will hate.
My only complaint about the book is that it was a fast read and the story leaves many unanswered questions... but the story is about life and in life we will always have unanswered questions. The book also may not be suitable for many younger audiences based on the content and based on parent's differing opinions about what should be and shouldn't be available to teenagers. I find the book to be a must-read for any teen and any adult (as the lessons taught in this book are ones we need to be reminded of time and time again throughout our life). However, if you're a minor, then have your parents review this book before getting in trouble please. My recommended age was based off of my own personal experience of being gifted Forever at 16 years old.
December 17, 2024
Love and other four-letter words is a story about a girl, Sammie Davis, who faces many changes, including the separation of her parents. She is very angry. His father is leaving their upstate New York home and is moving across the country. His mom is packing her bags to move to New York. Friendships, old and new, are put to the test and sexual feelings awaken. But as she realizes that things can’t stay the same forever, she accepts that change is not always negative and this will bring out Sammie's pride and strength.
I loved the amount of details that the author has reported in the book so that we can make the adventure live true from closer. I really liked Sammie's change she made after moving. The reader can see that even though Sammie was angry with her mother for the transfer, in the end she will be very grateful and will come out stronger than ever.
I would recommend this book to those who are afraid of change and to those who feel inferior to others so that they can see things from another perspective.
I loved the amount of details that the author has reported in the book so that we can make the adventure live true from closer. I really liked Sammie's change she made after moving. The reader can see that even though Sammie was angry with her mother for the transfer, in the end she will be very grateful and will come out stronger than ever.
I would recommend this book to those who are afraid of change and to those who feel inferior to others so that they can see things from another perspective.
July 28, 2023
The author’s first book but my fourth read from her. For only a few pages is there vibrant description, kids trying to grow up too fast by racking up beers and bases, and wealthy parental drama. Divorce is a pretty petty problem when it’s couched with an older kid in a cushy setting. Very pop punk whining but that stuff sells. Yeah, it’s gross for the dad to not take her on the trip he promised yet will still go himself—but calling it “apocalyptic” isn’t even funny. It’s silly. Beyond that, this book becomes as boring as an actual day of school. The most humdrum protagonist ever. Oh wow, a plain girl w/ exaggerated body issues, who’s awkward at parties and a thorn in her mother’s side for no reason. Who would have seen it coming? It’s not just unlikable, it’s cardboard and pandering.
May 1, 2025
easter egg gefunden: die protagonistin sammie und ihre freundin phoebe sind ziemlich safe die beiden, die virginia in "the earth, my butt and other big round things" am ende beim kickboxen kennenlernt!
June 25, 2009
Love and Other Four-Letter Words
by Carolyn Mackler
247 pg USA
Random house children's books
ISBN 9780440228318
*mrs shah you said if i read this and the eight spells a week book that it would be counted as three books.*
there is 16 yearold sammie and she lives in plain Ithaca and her parents are trying for a trial seperation and she is suppose to go and live with her mother in new york city because her mother always had allthese dread]ms and she had planed to adress them when in ithaca but many things happend with the dad and her dreams got pushed aside now she plans on going after them angain. and it seems troubles brewing becasue her mother has not had a job since she got married and is in no way use to the life style in new york.And sammie is leaving her best friend in ithaca and shes not even sure she misses her that much.
this story is about her life after she lives with dad. i think that this story doesnt really pull me except for i think if the story doesnt have too much of a climax is a bad bok dont read this. i personally thought this book was okay and probally better for people wo have has the experiece of parents spliting up.
From this book you'll feel the drama of having to be a child in a separation I guess this is actually better if an adult reads it too one that is planning to separate see how a child would feel after separating. Most people would probably decide that they'll get new friends and Sammie dose and she finally decides what she really thinks about her best friend in Ithaca and she becomes more confident but that’s because her personality and what she has to deal with.
by Carolyn Mackler
247 pg USA
Random house children's books
ISBN 9780440228318
*mrs shah you said if i read this and the eight spells a week book that it would be counted as three books.*
there is 16 yearold sammie and she lives in plain Ithaca and her parents are trying for a trial seperation and she is suppose to go and live with her mother in new york city because her mother always had allthese dread]ms and she had planed to adress them when in ithaca but many things happend with the dad and her dreams got pushed aside now she plans on going after them angain. and it seems troubles brewing becasue her mother has not had a job since she got married and is in no way use to the life style in new york.And sammie is leaving her best friend in ithaca and shes not even sure she misses her that much.
this story is about her life after she lives with dad. i think that this story doesnt really pull me except for i think if the story doesnt have too much of a climax is a bad bok dont read this. i personally thought this book was okay and probally better for people wo have has the experiece of parents spliting up.
From this book you'll feel the drama of having to be a child in a separation I guess this is actually better if an adult reads it too one that is planning to separate see how a child would feel after separating. Most people would probably decide that they'll get new friends and Sammie dose and she finally decides what she really thinks about her best friend in Ithaca and she becomes more confident but that’s because her personality and what she has to deal with.
February 9, 2010
This book was really ineteresting. It was about this girl named
Sammie whose parents got divorced. She was really upset about it because her dad left her. She was really close to him and he disappointed her by just leaving her. Sammie and her mom moved to another city in New York. She didnt know anyone there until her mom took her wit some old friends of theirs. Sammie would go every morning to a park to walk her dog. There she met this girl named Pheobe. They became really good friends. Sammie would tell her everything about her old bestfriend but never about her own personal life. So one day when Sammie's old bestfriend came to visit her she introduced her to Pheobe but they didnt really get a long. Then Pheobe got mad and left. Sammie's friend Eli, which was the son of Sammie's mom friend, invited Sammie to go camping with him and his uncle and his girlfriend. When they were there they had some little romance and they became girlfriend and boyfriend. When Sammie went back to the city she found her dad inside her house. She was really surprised but she talked to her dad and they worked things out. He wanted her to move back with him but now that Sammie had found a really good friend(Phoebe) and a boyfriend(Eli) she didnt want to move back. But she was happy.
Sammie whose parents got divorced. She was really upset about it because her dad left her. She was really close to him and he disappointed her by just leaving her. Sammie and her mom moved to another city in New York. She didnt know anyone there until her mom took her wit some old friends of theirs. Sammie would go every morning to a park to walk her dog. There she met this girl named Pheobe. They became really good friends. Sammie would tell her everything about her old bestfriend but never about her own personal life. So one day when Sammie's old bestfriend came to visit her she introduced her to Pheobe but they didnt really get a long. Then Pheobe got mad and left. Sammie's friend Eli, which was the son of Sammie's mom friend, invited Sammie to go camping with him and his uncle and his girlfriend. When they were there they had some little romance and they became girlfriend and boyfriend. When Sammie went back to the city she found her dad inside her house. She was really surprised but she talked to her dad and they worked things out. He wanted her to move back with him but now that Sammie had found a really good friend(Phoebe) and a boyfriend(Eli) she didnt want to move back. But she was happy.
September 7, 2019
I needed a distraction from the heartache that was this past week. This book was the perfect escape. Nothing beats teenage love and how simple things seem when you have been through them and seen worse. This was a refreshing read...
July 23, 2012
I have actually read this book probably 4 or 5 times. There is just something about it that resonates with me.
Read Sept 08
Read July 12
Read Sept 08
Read July 12
December 20, 2019
I literally couldn't bring myself to read on. I found the main character so utterly boring. Wasn't for me, didn't like it.
February 27, 2017
it was alright I guess.. I found it kind of boring and very surface level with character development... I also found I didn't really care for many of the characters; they all just irritated me.
May 6, 2011
One of the characters names was Phoebe! :D
August 26, 2017
4.5 stars; I really liked this book! When I first read the synopsis, I wasn't thrilled to read it, but I really enjoyed it. It didn't seem like Sammie was 16, and I really liked the ending of the book. Summary: Sammie's parents have decided they are going to have a temporary separation. Her dad is moving to CA and she and her mom are moving to NYC. She's 16 and not excited about the move partly b/c she's leaving her best friend, Kitty. Here's what happens while she is there: her mom becomes depressed, and lays in bed all day. Sammie takes her dog to the dog park and meets Phoebe. They are alike, and begin a nice friendship. Sammie's mom's college roommate lives in NYC, so they visit them. It's awkward for Sammie, especially the teenage boy Eli. Their mom is a great person to talk to and Sammie ends up picking up the younger daughter for practice. Eli is awkward, and it seems like he has a girlfriend. He did date a girl, but she wasn't his type. He asks Sammie if she wants to go somewhere; she declines, but when he asks her to go camping with 2 of his friends, she says yes. They have a great time, and even kiss, which is something neither she or Phoebe has done. This is one thing they boons over. When Sammie talks to Kitty, all she talks about is her sexual relationship with her boyfriend. Sammie feels like hey are drifting apart, and when Kitty comes to visit, they have a fight. Phoebe meets Kitty, but leaves early on in the conversation. Now Sammie doesn't have either. So her life is a mess (this is before the date with Eli) so she leaves a voicemail about how her life is terrible, he shouldn't have left, and her mom doesn't do anything (including bailing on an interview for an art teacher position, and forgetting to take the dog to the vet). So he surprises his daughter and comes to visit. They have a talk, including about the parent situation. He isn't sure if he and his wife are going to separation, the they are going to live apart for now. They also agreed that he would give her mom some money to take some classes, and I don't think she's going to work for the next year. Her dad asks her if she wants her to live with him for the summer, and go back to NYC for school, or stay there. At the end her mom says that she will be happy with whatever place she chooses. Her mom has also decided to go go therapy, and treat her depression. Things are great again. Then Sammie patches up her friendship with Phoebe. Phoebe explains that she felt awkward with Kitty and didn't think she was helping the situation. She isn't wearing the brace on her knee b/c she explained to her mom that she never wanted to touch a tennis racket again (she had hurt her knee at tennis camp, but once she was better, she faked having her injury so she wouldn't have to go back). She and her mom also meet a guy who looks like Johnny Depp in the elevator. He calls her Sara a bunch of times, but nothing really happens between them. Everything is good, and Sammie realises that she is in control of her future, whatever decision she makes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2017
I found the book in the hotel library and read it on the beach. Divorce, friendship, teenage problems - after having read a few pages I knew that it was written for the much younger readers , but I read it because I teach teenagers. It reminded me again how teenage brain works, and how hard it is for children when their parents separate. It is brilliantly translated from English to German, witty and has interesting characters, especially the main character Sammie. What did I learn from this book? It is good to change the genre occasionally, and also read books that address problems that one does not face at the moment. Also, friendship is very important, regardless of age.
May 7, 2025
As an adult who was a teen at the time of this writing, now reading it for the first time and experiencing it from both the inner child and adult perspective, it touched upon personal and universal challenges, and it flowed so easily. I sat down in one sitting and read it in about four hours. I even took notes and reflected on my own teenage hood and Life. I feel like it was meant to be. I “randomly“ picked it off of a free books pile and I feel so blessed. It gave me a hopeful perspective on love and a different lense for my own childhood. A pleasurable escape from the moment, and also a deep dive as deep as you let it…
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November 19, 2025Sảnh Thể thao tại Megacasino thực sự là điểm đến lý tưởng cho những ai đam mê cá cược và giải trí trực tuyến. Từ giao diện thân thiện, tỷ lệ cược chính xác, cược trực tiếp kịch tính, đến hỗ trợ người chơi và bảo mật tối ưu, tất cả đều mang đến trải nghiệm toàn diện. Không chỉ là nơi đặt cược, sảnh Thể thao còn là nơi người chơi có thể học hỏi, giao lưu và tận hưởng niềm vui từ từng trận đấu. Megacasino đã xây dựng một môi trường giải trí hiện đại, đáng tin cậy và đầy hấp dẫn, giúp mỗi người chơi cảm nhận được sự phấn khích đỉnh cao của Thể thao trực tuyến.
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https://megacasino.ltd/the-thao/
https://megacasino.ltd/
March 18, 2018
This was one of my favorite books in high school and I'm glad I got the chance to re-read it. It is almost TWENTY years old and it holds up pretty well. I also loved and had forgotten that Ithaca, NY plays a fairly significant setting in this novel (go upstate New York!). I love that the novel equally focuses on Sammie's friendships, family issues and budding romance than just solely being about her interest in a guy.
July 6, 2018
When I was in grad school our professor mentioned this book as one that was constantly being challenged by parents in her middle school library. I had to read it!
It’s pretty average for a growing up story; family issues, friend ups & downs, and boy problems, too. A bit of dog fun thrown in, too. :-)
And I do see why it was challenged in a middle school library... a few shockers in there!
It’s pretty average for a growing up story; family issues, friend ups & downs, and boy problems, too. A bit of dog fun thrown in, too. :-)
And I do see why it was challenged in a middle school library... a few shockers in there!
March 10, 2019
I never realized the difference of reading the same book back when I was a teenager and now as an adult. Rereading this book made me realize how it brings forth the issues of family separation, panic attacks, teen insecurities, mental health, and a hint of feminism in its pages. To think this book was published in 2000!
February 25, 2018
This was a really quick and easy read. I felt like there were a lot of elements to the story (family issues, new home, new friends, old friends, etc), but the author didn't really dive too deep into any of them. It was just an okay book.
June 29, 2021
It was good to be transported back to the pre-cell-phone world that I grew up in. Things were a lot simpler back then.
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the cute plot. (It's nice that the YAs were acting like YAs, and not like sex-crazed orgying NAs.)
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for the cute plot. (It's nice that the YAs were acting like YAs, and not like sex-crazed orgying NAs.)
January 25, 2022
eh. i don’t like giving bad reviews but i didn’t really enjoy this book, it was romance but there was only an ounce of it and it was a pretty predictable. it was fine but probably wouldn’t re-read or recommend! IM SORRY
October 25, 2022
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!! This book is literally so amazing and I am just so in love! I know I literally put this in all my reviews but I hate writing reviews because I never know what to put in them!
July 4, 2017
This book was a little more depressing than I thought it would be. And I also didn't feel like all that much happened until the end of the book. It was kind of flat.
December 31, 2019
This book was good liked the storyline and the characters.
July 29, 2022
I love it!
August 15, 2023
I enjoyed the book. I thought the author really caught the feeling of a young person at that age and the confusion and troubled feelings she might have.
October 9, 2025
This was an okay book. It was a little boring. I did like getting into the mindset of a teenage girl dealing with life.
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