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The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe
Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things.
She's my best friend. She's the center of attention. She is, without fail, the hottest girl in the room. Anytime. Anyplace.
She has freckles and dimples and bright green eyes, and with someone else's energy she'd be adorable. But there is nothing cute about Ivy. She is ice and hot metal and electricity.
She is the girl who every lesbian wants, but she has never been with the same person twice. She's one-of-a-kind but also predictable, so I will always be Andie, her best friend, never Andie, her girlfriend.
Then she meets Dot, and Ivy does something even I would have never guessed - she sees Dot another day. And another. And another.
Now my world is slowly going up in smoke, and no matter what I do, the flames grow higher. She lit that match without knowing who or what it would burn.
Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things. But falling in love wasn't supposed to be one of them...unless it was with me.
She's my best friend. She's the center of attention. She is, without fail, the hottest girl in the room. Anytime. Anyplace.
She has freckles and dimples and bright green eyes, and with someone else's energy she'd be adorable. But there is nothing cute about Ivy. She is ice and hot metal and electricity.
She is the girl who every lesbian wants, but she has never been with the same person twice. She's one-of-a-kind but also predictable, so I will always be Andie, her best friend, never Andie, her girlfriend.
Then she meets Dot, and Ivy does something even I would have never guessed - she sees Dot another day. And another. And another.
Now my world is slowly going up in smoke, and no matter what I do, the flames grow higher. She lit that match without knowing who or what it would burn.
Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things. But falling in love wasn't supposed to be one of them...unless it was with me.
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First published June 1, 2021
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About the author
Hannah Moskowitz
26 books1,866 followersHannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and in 2013, GONE, GONE, GONE received a Stonewall Honor. 2015's NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED was named the YA Bisexual Book of the Year. SICK KIDS IN LOVE was a Sydney Taylor Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and one of both Kirkus and Tablet Magazine's Best Books of the year. She lives in Maryland with several cats, none of whom are violent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
May 28, 2021
This was interesting and different, but not always in a good way. I had read some of the mixed early reviews so I went into this with my expectations lowered but still very open. It’s my own fault, but I requested this because I believed it was YA, but in fact it’s very much New Adult. I love YA, but I just don’t click with NA all that often. In some ways I actually liked this more than expected, but there were too many issues I could not get passed. In the end this is strictly in the just okay/average territory.
I could easily see why this would be a very polarizing book. There are multiple reasons why –I’ll go into more later- but it took me about half the book to figure out that the main issue –for me at least- came down to a stylistic choice. I want to be clear that Moskowitz can definitely write, her writing is quite smooth and very readable, which kept me reading the whole book, but her choices were what I had issues with. This story is written in first person, which I love, but the character who’s POV we are in the whole time, is not really a main character. Once I realized this, I figured out that is where the disconnect came in for me. I was watching this messy “love” story, but experiencing it from an outsider perspective instead of from the characters themselves. It’s funny but towards the end of the book, the character whose headspace we are in says this:
“It’s not that I’m the secondary character in my own story. It’s just that this one was never my story.”
While she is right that we are not really reading her story, she is wrong because she really did become a secondary character. I don’t know if I have ever read a contemporary “romance” like this before. While I applaud that it is something different, I don’t want to read a romance from the outside. We did see some more intimate moments and some fights and stuff since that character who’s POV we are in eavesdrops and watches a lot –more than made me comfortable- but still I was too much on the outside and could not connect with the main romance because of it.
Besides that large problem, we are dealing with a lot of unlikable characters. I don’t know if I really liked any of them. Ivy who the book is such a big part of especially… well I guess I just didn’t get why? There was just a lot of toxicity, bad choices, and unlikable people. The character who’s POV we are in is pretty bland. She is just sort of there as a vessel to help us experience other people from the book. She did have some growth, but it was pretty tiny and I hated how much of a pushover she was and that never really changed.
I did like that there was a lot of sex positivity in the book for the most part. I liked that one of the characters helps to run her family’s strip club. And I also liked that there was a poly couple, although they are not big characters in the story. I did find it off putting that one of the characters all of a sudden is biphobic. I don’t know if it was done to make us not like her, but it just came out of the blue and was never really addressed so I didn’t like how it was used.
Finally, back on the good side, is the last one third or quarter of the book. Something pretty major happens and the book seems to finally get a bit deeper and has more heart. I wish more of the book was like that and I found I even had to grab a few tissues. I had a lot of ups and downs with this book but that last part made up for some of the downs. If only I could have liked the characters and connected with the romance, things would be different. There was some good stuff here but there was a lot to get over too. I can’t really recommend this one, but I would not say stay away either. If you are a big NA fan and are looking for something different, this could be for you.
I could easily see why this would be a very polarizing book. There are multiple reasons why –I’ll go into more later- but it took me about half the book to figure out that the main issue –for me at least- came down to a stylistic choice. I want to be clear that Moskowitz can definitely write, her writing is quite smooth and very readable, which kept me reading the whole book, but her choices were what I had issues with. This story is written in first person, which I love, but the character who’s POV we are in the whole time, is not really a main character. Once I realized this, I figured out that is where the disconnect came in for me. I was watching this messy “love” story, but experiencing it from an outsider perspective instead of from the characters themselves. It’s funny but towards the end of the book, the character whose headspace we are in says this:
“It’s not that I’m the secondary character in my own story. It’s just that this one was never my story.”
While she is right that we are not really reading her story, she is wrong because she really did become a secondary character. I don’t know if I have ever read a contemporary “romance” like this before. While I applaud that it is something different, I don’t want to read a romance from the outside. We did see some more intimate moments and some fights and stuff since that character who’s POV we are in eavesdrops and watches a lot –more than made me comfortable- but still I was too much on the outside and could not connect with the main romance because of it.
Besides that large problem, we are dealing with a lot of unlikable characters. I don’t know if I really liked any of them. Ivy who the book is such a big part of especially… well I guess I just didn’t get why? There was just a lot of toxicity, bad choices, and unlikable people. The character who’s POV we are in is pretty bland. She is just sort of there as a vessel to help us experience other people from the book. She did have some growth, but it was pretty tiny and I hated how much of a pushover she was and that never really changed.
I did like that there was a lot of sex positivity in the book for the most part. I liked that one of the characters helps to run her family’s strip club. And I also liked that there was a poly couple, although they are not big characters in the story. I did find it off putting that one of the characters all of a sudden is biphobic. I don’t know if it was done to make us not like her, but it just came out of the blue and was never really addressed so I didn’t like how it was used.
Finally, back on the good side, is the last one third or quarter of the book. Something pretty major happens and the book seems to finally get a bit deeper and has more heart. I wish more of the book was like that and I found I even had to grab a few tissues. I had a lot of ups and downs with this book but that last part made up for some of the downs. If only I could have liked the characters and connected with the romance, things would be different. There was some good stuff here but there was a lot to get over too. I can’t really recommend this one, but I would not say stay away either. If you are a big NA fan and are looking for something different, this could be for you.
June 4, 2021
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe is a powerful story about finding your own path and letting go of expectations, whether your own or others’. Full of messy characters, angst and growth, this novel explores the feeling of being a side character in your own life and the power it takes to shift the narrative.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this novel or if I’d like it but wanted to give it a try and thank God I did. I flew through The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe in nearly one sitting and loved it. So many moments of Andie’s journey hit home with me and I just adored reading about these unapologetically messy characters all trying to get by as young adults. This book is also so incredibly lesbian and it made my little lesbian heart so happy!!
I really enjoyed reading about the different relationships in this book, primarily that of Andie and Ivy. I felt that Moskowitz did a really great job of conveying the intensity and even dependency that existed between them, as well as the clear love the girls had for each other. This relationship definitely became toxic at times and this was dealt with effectively and naturally in the text and overall felt like a really authentic presentation of a friendship and what unrequited romantic feelings can do. I also really enjoyed the scenes featuring their other friends and Dot, especially as the novel progressed and we got to learn more about her and watch her relationship with Andie develop. She’s such a lovely sunshiney character and perfectly balanced out some of the heavier moments and angst.
A quick glance at some other reviews showed a lot of other readers questioning the decision to have Andie narrate this novel and wanting to spend more time with Dot and Ivy’s relationship. I entirely disagree. This is not a romance novel; it is a coming of age story, a tale of finding yourself and your place and what you want out of life. Andie’s story is the one that too often goes untold but many readers will find themselves relating to. I found myself really relating to Andie, despite the vast differences in our lives because of the way she felt like a side character in her own story. She is full of self doubt and all of these expectations she has of herself and her life and where she should be and it was really comforting to read these same thoughts I’ve had and know I’m not alone.
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe is not a love story in the traditional sense, but one of learning to love yourself and give yourself time to figure things out and grow into who you're meant to be. Andie's journey felt very authentic and is one I'm sure will resonate with other young adults wondering where their happily ever after is. If you’ve been looking for a new adult coming of age novel featuring messy lesbians that will make you feel some feelings then I can’t recommend this one enough!
Want to know more of my thoughts? Check out this reading vlog!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this novel or if I’d like it but wanted to give it a try and thank God I did. I flew through The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe in nearly one sitting and loved it. So many moments of Andie’s journey hit home with me and I just adored reading about these unapologetically messy characters all trying to get by as young adults. This book is also so incredibly lesbian and it made my little lesbian heart so happy!!
I really enjoyed reading about the different relationships in this book, primarily that of Andie and Ivy. I felt that Moskowitz did a really great job of conveying the intensity and even dependency that existed between them, as well as the clear love the girls had for each other. This relationship definitely became toxic at times and this was dealt with effectively and naturally in the text and overall felt like a really authentic presentation of a friendship and what unrequited romantic feelings can do. I also really enjoyed the scenes featuring their other friends and Dot, especially as the novel progressed and we got to learn more about her and watch her relationship with Andie develop. She’s such a lovely sunshiney character and perfectly balanced out some of the heavier moments and angst.
A quick glance at some other reviews showed a lot of other readers questioning the decision to have Andie narrate this novel and wanting to spend more time with Dot and Ivy’s relationship. I entirely disagree. This is not a romance novel; it is a coming of age story, a tale of finding yourself and your place and what you want out of life. Andie’s story is the one that too often goes untold but many readers will find themselves relating to. I found myself really relating to Andie, despite the vast differences in our lives because of the way she felt like a side character in her own story. She is full of self doubt and all of these expectations she has of herself and her life and where she should be and it was really comforting to read these same thoughts I’ve had and know I’m not alone.
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe is not a love story in the traditional sense, but one of learning to love yourself and give yourself time to figure things out and grow into who you're meant to be. Andie's journey felt very authentic and is one I'm sure will resonate with other young adults wondering where their happily ever after is. If you’ve been looking for a new adult coming of age novel featuring messy lesbians that will make you feel some feelings then I can’t recommend this one enough!
Want to know more of my thoughts? Check out this reading vlog!
I also talk about books here: youtube | instagram | twitter
*eARC received in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley*
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April 8, 2020I wrote this book! It's my first book with an all-queer cast and I'm so excited for #epiclesbianlovestory to hit shelves.
The playlist!
God is a DJ--P!nk
Cry When You Get Older--Robyn
Kanye--The Chainsmokers
(There's Gotta Be) More to Life--Stacey Orrico
You Belong With Me--Taylor Swift
Fill My Little World--The Feeling
Tell Me If You Want to Go Home-Rooftop Mix--Begin Again soundtrack
Girlfriend--Avril Lavigne
400 Lux--Lorde
You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. --Bright Eyes
Could I Be You--Matchbox 20
Keep Yourself Warm--Frightened Rabbit
New Romantics--Taylor Swift
Life Less Ordinary--Carbon Leaf
You are a Tourist--Death Cab for Cutie
ME!--Taylor Swift
Fortress--Mat Kearney
Diamonds--Mat Kerekes
Mockingbird--Rob Thomas
Like a Fool--Begin Again soundtrack
Death by a Thousand Cuts--Taylor Swift
Really Might be Gone--Bowling for Soup
Harder to Breathe--Maroon 5
Drifting Further Away--Powderfinger
Get Well Soon--The Perishers
Soon You'll Get Better--Taylor Swift
The Freshman--The Verve Pipe
Easy to Love--The Jezebels
The Great Unknown--Rob Thomas
For a Dancer--Jackson Browne
Hawthorne--Mat Kerekes
Calendar Girl--Stars
White Horse--Taylor Swift
See the World--Gomez
Lover's Spit--Broken Social Scene
The playlist!
God is a DJ--P!nk
Cry When You Get Older--Robyn
Kanye--The Chainsmokers
(There's Gotta Be) More to Life--Stacey Orrico
You Belong With Me--Taylor Swift
Fill My Little World--The Feeling
Tell Me If You Want to Go Home-Rooftop Mix--Begin Again soundtrack
Girlfriend--Avril Lavigne
400 Lux--Lorde
You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. --Bright Eyes
Could I Be You--Matchbox 20
Keep Yourself Warm--Frightened Rabbit
New Romantics--Taylor Swift
Life Less Ordinary--Carbon Leaf
You are a Tourist--Death Cab for Cutie
ME!--Taylor Swift
Fortress--Mat Kearney
Diamonds--Mat Kerekes
Mockingbird--Rob Thomas
Like a Fool--Begin Again soundtrack
Death by a Thousand Cuts--Taylor Swift
Really Might be Gone--Bowling for Soup
Harder to Breathe--Maroon 5
Drifting Further Away--Powderfinger
Get Well Soon--The Perishers
Soon You'll Get Better--Taylor Swift
The Freshman--The Verve Pipe
Easy to Love--The Jezebels
The Great Unknown--Rob Thomas
For a Dancer--Jackson Browne
Hawthorne--Mat Kerekes
Calendar Girl--Stars
White Horse--Taylor Swift
See the World--Gomez
Lover's Spit--Broken Social Scene
May 29, 2021
I don’t know what to think of this book. It’s well-written. There are feelings. Teenage angst. So much teenage angst.
Andie has been in love with Ivy since forever. Ivy doesn’t do relationships and goes from girl to girl, which isn’t that surprising at nineteen. Andie is okay with it because she’s convinced that, someday, Ivy will settle down with her. Then Dot comes into the picture. Andie doesn’t take her seriously, in part because she’s only seventeen, but when Ivy keeps taking her home and Dot suddenly seems always there, Andie begins to worry.
This story made me feel very uneasy at times, which is actually a good thing. It rang true and makes me wonder whether this book wasn’t for me because I’m too old or because I really don’t want to relive these years.
I didn’t like any of the characters, which, for the character-driven reader I am, is a problem. I might have liked Elizabeth at first but she turned out to be way too closed-minded. I grew to respect Dot after a while and almost wish the story had been told from her point of view instead of Andie’s.
Telling the story from the point of view of a character who isn’t one of the mains involved in the romance is an interesting and bold choice. I can see how it might unsettle some readers but I rather liked it. At some point in the book, Andie, who is the least driven character in the whole story, wonders if she’s a secondary character in her own story, and is there anything more teenager-y than that? Some people, like Ivy or Dot, are lucky enough to know who they are and what they want from a pretty young age, but many others, especially queer kids, spend years finding themselves.
When I say I didn’t like any character, it’s not entirely true, I rather liked Andie’s parents, their strip club and the way they deal with the dad’s mental health issues. And I did like the three main characters a little more by the end.
That said, in all this rather depressing story (it’s not just the characters, there are pretty terrible things happening to them), there are some really good scenes, including a couple of epic ones. And it’s all very sex-positive, which is always a huge bonus. Except from Elizabeth, there is no judgement, no shame.
I was very tempted to give this book 3 stars because of how uncomfortable it made me feel but it wouldn’t be fair. It’s too well-written for that, and I’m also sure it will stay in my mind for a while.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Andie has been in love with Ivy since forever. Ivy doesn’t do relationships and goes from girl to girl, which isn’t that surprising at nineteen. Andie is okay with it because she’s convinced that, someday, Ivy will settle down with her. Then Dot comes into the picture. Andie doesn’t take her seriously, in part because she’s only seventeen, but when Ivy keeps taking her home and Dot suddenly seems always there, Andie begins to worry.
This story made me feel very uneasy at times, which is actually a good thing. It rang true and makes me wonder whether this book wasn’t for me because I’m too old or because I really don’t want to relive these years.
I didn’t like any of the characters, which, for the character-driven reader I am, is a problem. I might have liked Elizabeth at first but she turned out to be way too closed-minded. I grew to respect Dot after a while and almost wish the story had been told from her point of view instead of Andie’s.
Telling the story from the point of view of a character who isn’t one of the mains involved in the romance is an interesting and bold choice. I can see how it might unsettle some readers but I rather liked it. At some point in the book, Andie, who is the least driven character in the whole story, wonders if she’s a secondary character in her own story, and is there anything more teenager-y than that? Some people, like Ivy or Dot, are lucky enough to know who they are and what they want from a pretty young age, but many others, especially queer kids, spend years finding themselves.
When I say I didn’t like any character, it’s not entirely true, I rather liked Andie’s parents, their strip club and the way they deal with the dad’s mental health issues. And I did like the three main characters a little more by the end.
That said, in all this rather depressing story (it’s not just the characters, there are pretty terrible things happening to them), there are some really good scenes, including a couple of epic ones. And it’s all very sex-positive, which is always a huge bonus. Except from Elizabeth, there is no judgement, no shame.
I was very tempted to give this book 3 stars because of how uncomfortable it made me feel but it wouldn’t be fair. It’s too well-written for that, and I’m also sure it will stay in my mind for a while.
I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 5, 2021
Andie is a young woman who is neither here nor there. Doesn't have any drive or asperations. She works in her family strip club and goes to clubs with her friends. Really, she has been playing best friend / side character to Ivy Harlowe's life. How can she be doing anything on her own when she spends all her time saying 'Yes' to Ivy's whims?
Ivy is the beautiful and tragically troubled best friend of Andie. Everyone wants to be with her. And Ivy wants to be with everyone. She doesn't do relationships. Until a persistent make-up You tuber enters their lives.
Andie has been pining for Ivy her entire life and is now threatened by the girl who seems to be sticking to Ivy when no other person ever has. Also, things are getting serious between Andie and the girl she has been dating so she is confused and conflicted. Should she tell Ivy how she feels? See if Ivy has been feeling the same all these years while Andie has been patient and caring and letting her work through her issues?
This story was unique and unconventional. Something that is different from what I normally read. I am a huge fan of angst. This book is full of it from beginning to end. And that kept me super engaged and entertained. Anytime I put the book down, I was thinking about it while away.
There are certain sentences and scenes in books that have stuck with me over the years. There is a particularly heartbreaking scene in this one that I could visualize like a movie. It packed a punch that I think will leave a scar.
But while this is bleak and tragic, it also has a sweet love story and a dash of possibility.
I recommend this to people who enjoy reading about Young Adult, clubbing, casual sex, coming of age, loss, finding yourself, drug use, and fishing boat heiresses.
Ivy is the beautiful and tragically troubled best friend of Andie. Everyone wants to be with her. And Ivy wants to be with everyone. She doesn't do relationships. Until a persistent make-up You tuber enters their lives.
Andie has been pining for Ivy her entire life and is now threatened by the girl who seems to be sticking to Ivy when no other person ever has. Also, things are getting serious between Andie and the girl she has been dating so she is confused and conflicted. Should she tell Ivy how she feels? See if Ivy has been feeling the same all these years while Andie has been patient and caring and letting her work through her issues?
This story was unique and unconventional. Something that is different from what I normally read. I am a huge fan of angst. This book is full of it from beginning to end. And that kept me super engaged and entertained. Anytime I put the book down, I was thinking about it while away.
There are certain sentences and scenes in books that have stuck with me over the years. There is a particularly heartbreaking scene in this one that I could visualize like a movie. It packed a punch that I think will leave a scar.
But while this is bleak and tragic, it also has a sweet love story and a dash of possibility.
I recommend this to people who enjoy reading about Young Adult, clubbing, casual sex, coming of age, loss, finding yourself, drug use, and fishing boat heiresses.
May 28, 2021
This is exactly what a “new adult” book shouldn’t be for me.
Andie is in love with Ivy, but Ivy doesn’t do love. She hops from one girl to the next, sometimes multiples in a night. That is until Dot comes along. A couple years younger than the main and her obsession. Andie here is the main, book is written from her POV, Ivy her obsession. Dot sort of stalks her way into Ivy’s life and becomes a constant in Ivy’s revolving door of hookups. Andie can’t stand this, she pines and pines of Ivy and sabotages any thing she can have. Andie’s whole life and personality revolve around Ivy, she seems like such an incredible door mat.
Ivy and Dot’s “relationship” develops and they do as well, but remain rather superficial and annoying to me. Andie might be one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever come across. And her parents? I just don’t get how they can be ok with all that goes on under their roof, it’s one thing to be excepting, but quite another to almost be enablers and encouragers. The rag tag group of friends you don’t get to know much about because, as mentions before, Andie’s obsessed with Ivy. This almost feels like some sort of stalker story, but it really isn’t. All I can say is the writing was decent enough but I couldn’t wait for this one to be over and start a new, and hopefully better book for me.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
Andie is in love with Ivy, but Ivy doesn’t do love. She hops from one girl to the next, sometimes multiples in a night. That is until Dot comes along. A couple years younger than the main and her obsession. Andie here is the main, book is written from her POV, Ivy her obsession. Dot sort of stalks her way into Ivy’s life and becomes a constant in Ivy’s revolving door of hookups. Andie can’t stand this, she pines and pines of Ivy and sabotages any thing she can have. Andie’s whole life and personality revolve around Ivy, she seems like such an incredible door mat.
Ivy and Dot’s “relationship” develops and they do as well, but remain rather superficial and annoying to me. Andie might be one of the most annoying characters I’ve ever come across. And her parents? I just don’t get how they can be ok with all that goes on under their roof, it’s one thing to be excepting, but quite another to almost be enablers and encouragers. The rag tag group of friends you don’t get to know much about because, as mentions before, Andie’s obsessed with Ivy. This almost feels like some sort of stalker story, but it really isn’t. All I can say is the writing was decent enough but I couldn’t wait for this one to be over and start a new, and hopefully better book for me.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
June 1, 2021
THIS WAS HARD FOR ME TO LIKE
I was such a fan of Moskowitz's first novel Sick Kids in Love, and I was expecting a similar reading experience with this book. Maybe that was where it went wrong for me? Because this was something completely different. First of, it's written for a more mature audience. Secondly, none of the things I liked in Sick Kids in Love was present in this book...
👍 What I Liked 👍
Ending: It's a bad sign when all you really like is the ending of a book. Still, at least I made it all the way to the ending... What I liked about the ending was, in particular, Ivy's growth as a person. She came far without losing herself along the way. I liked that. The ending felt real and heavy, which this book really needed.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
First half: The first half of this book was a drag. It just went on and on in the same vein over and over. The same thing happened again and again. The same conversations were had again and again. The same internal dialogue played out over and over. It was really annoying.
Ivy and Andie: I honestly do not know what Andie sees in Ivy. Andie doesn't tell us at any point. The only thing we know about Ivy is that she's popular and pretty. That seems to be the entire basis for Andie's attraction. Honestly, sometimes Ivy was downright mean to Andie. At best, she was inconsiderate. I can't get behind a toxic attraction like that.
Characters: I had a hard time liking any of the characters. They felt one-dimensional and slightly like caricatures and not real people.
Andie: I struggled the most with Andie, our MC. I wanted this book to be about her journey to self-discovery and self-worth. I wanted her to realise that she deserved better than a woman, who didn't really care about her. But Andie didn't evolve. Andie didn't grow. Andie stagnated and stayed in the same place all the way till the end.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 15 Bookworm Problems
I was such a fan of Moskowitz's first novel Sick Kids in Love, and I was expecting a similar reading experience with this book. Maybe that was where it went wrong for me? Because this was something completely different. First of, it's written for a more mature audience. Secondly, none of the things I liked in Sick Kids in Love was present in this book...
👍 What I Liked 👍
Ending: It's a bad sign when all you really like is the ending of a book. Still, at least I made it all the way to the ending... What I liked about the ending was, in particular, Ivy's growth as a person. She came far without losing herself along the way. I liked that. The ending felt real and heavy, which this book really needed.
👎 What I Disliked 👎
First half: The first half of this book was a drag. It just went on and on in the same vein over and over. The same thing happened again and again. The same conversations were had again and again. The same internal dialogue played out over and over. It was really annoying.
Ivy and Andie: I honestly do not know what Andie sees in Ivy. Andie doesn't tell us at any point. The only thing we know about Ivy is that she's popular and pretty. That seems to be the entire basis for Andie's attraction. Honestly, sometimes Ivy was downright mean to Andie. At best, she was inconsiderate. I can't get behind a toxic attraction like that.
Characters: I had a hard time liking any of the characters. They felt one-dimensional and slightly like caricatures and not real people.
Andie: I struggled the most with Andie, our MC. I wanted this book to be about her journey to self-discovery and self-worth. I wanted her to realise that she deserved better than a woman, who didn't really care about her. But Andie didn't evolve. Andie didn't grow. Andie stagnated and stayed in the same place all the way till the end.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 15 Bookworm Problems
June 29, 2021
Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2...
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book f*cked with my head.
Even now, I can't bring myself to write a lot about this because I think about this and all the mindf*ckery is coming back to me. God, where do I even start.
It's not that I didn't enjoy this book, but I was very, very confused for a very, very large part of this book. Like, seriously confused. Hence, the mindf*ckery.
Let us start with the fact that I literally thought this was a romance?!! And like a childhood-friends-to-lovers thing?!?! But it was not?!?! (I'm trying to figure out how much I can say in this review without spoiling it for other people)
Okay, so I saw the other reviews and apparently it's not that much of a spoiler if I tell you that our POV wasn't any of the MCs. She's literally a side character. So we're like supposed to see a whole romance form an outsider's POV. Which is an amazing way of writing (I've dreamt of doing something like this), but it does get old if your reader literally doesn't know it's going to happen.
I went into this book fully prepared to ship Andie and Ivy, and around halfway through I'm shipping both with other characters. Which was not okay with me because I really like to know who I'll be shipping upfront, rather than figuring it out. The latter does work for me in some cases, but then I don't like them being advertised to me? If that makes sense?
Away from the romance, the characters themselves were amazing to read about, with a few exceptions. I didn't like how entitled Andie feels in regards to Ivy, and I didn't like how judgemental Ivy was at times. But then I feel that both those flaws made them the realistic characters they are. (are you seeing what I mean about the mindf*ckery?!)
Dot was really my favourite character, I think. I loved her, even though I, like Andie, felt like she was being too much in the beginning, she slowly grew on me like she did on Andie and the others as well. I legit thought she might die, for a lot of time there, though.
I also really loved the rep here, there was so much rep! Ivy is lesbian (I think), so are Andie and Alyssa, and two side characters are together and polyamourous, Dot is bisexual, and if I remember right, there were some non-binary people as well? (It's been a few days, forgive me)
On the whole, an amazing book, but I don't know if I would say an amazing romance. The romance by itself was amazing, but I don't know if the book as a romance was as good as I expected it to be. The whiplash was a bit too much for me. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the whole third person POV(I have no idea what to call this), queer friend groups, an amazing romance, diverse rep, and stories about finding yourself.
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This book f*cked with my head.
Even now, I can't bring myself to write a lot about this because I think about this and all the mindf*ckery is coming back to me. God, where do I even start.
It's not that I didn't enjoy this book, but I was very, very confused for a very, very large part of this book. Like, seriously confused. Hence, the mindf*ckery.
Let us start with the fact that I literally thought this was a romance?!! And like a childhood-friends-to-lovers thing?!?! But it was not?!?! (I'm trying to figure out how much I can say in this review without spoiling it for other people)
Okay, so I saw the other reviews and apparently it's not that much of a spoiler if I tell you that our POV wasn't any of the MCs. She's literally a side character. So we're like supposed to see a whole romance form an outsider's POV. Which is an amazing way of writing (I've dreamt of doing something like this), but it does get old if your reader literally doesn't know it's going to happen.
I went into this book fully prepared to ship Andie and Ivy, and around halfway through I'm shipping both with other characters. Which was not okay with me because I really like to know who I'll be shipping upfront, rather than figuring it out. The latter does work for me in some cases, but then I don't like them being advertised to me? If that makes sense?
Away from the romance, the characters themselves were amazing to read about, with a few exceptions. I didn't like how entitled Andie feels in regards to Ivy, and I didn't like how judgemental Ivy was at times. But then I feel that both those flaws made them the realistic characters they are. (are you seeing what I mean about the mindf*ckery?!)
Dot was really my favourite character, I think. I loved her, even though I, like Andie, felt like she was being too much in the beginning, she slowly grew on me like she did on Andie and the others as well. I legit thought she might die, for a lot of time there, though.
I also really loved the rep here, there was so much rep! Ivy is lesbian (I think), so are Andie and Alyssa, and two side characters are together and polyamourous, Dot is bisexual, and if I remember right, there were some non-binary people as well? (It's been a few days, forgive me)
On the whole, an amazing book, but I don't know if I would say an amazing romance. The romance by itself was amazing, but I don't know if the book as a romance was as good as I expected it to be. The whiplash was a bit too much for me. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the whole third person POV(I have no idea what to call this), queer friend groups, an amazing romance, diverse rep, and stories about finding yourself.
March 26, 2024
UPDATED REVIEW (2024): I was reminded of this book recently as decided to revisit it and honestly I think it aged really well and I enjoyed it even more the second time.
This book lends itself very well to a reread. I knew about the big incident that shocked me that I referenced in my original review, and the reread with the context of knowing this is a story about about Ivy and Dot through the eyes of Andie is really interesting. Bumped up a rating to a 4.5
Original review from 2021:
So, I think I have a bit of an unpopular opinion on this book compared with many of my friend's reviews on GR, and that is I actually really loved this book! I'm seeing primarily mixed reviews to both vaguely positive to vaguely negative, where I'm only not giving this a full 5 stars because I missed a trigger warning that is sensitive to me. But I think this is a prime example of subjective taste in books.
So this book follows Andie, who's best friend is Ivy Harlowe. Andie is in love with Ivy, but Ivy isn't one for relationships- but Andie has always figured that when it comes time for Ivy to settle down, she will come to her closest friend and the only one to really know her. But when Ivy starts to get with the same new girl repeatedly named Dot, it throws Andie's world for a spin.
And I loved these characters! I'm a fan of messy but good natured characters. I've criticized NA books in the past for having messy flawed characters when they don't have enough positive traits to balance out their many flaws, but I latched on to all three characters of Andie, Ivy, and Dot really quickly and found myself rooting for all of them- even when that was contraindicated.
This book is dripping with angst and yearning, and I think I have a really high tolerance for angst, and I actually really enjoy it when I'm in the right mood for a book like this, and I think this book is hitting just the right spot at the right time.
Also I think it's really interesting how sex-positive this book was without being erotica like at all. Sex was everywhere as a concept. Most of the main characters were in open relationships, and Andie's family literally owns a strip club. But this is very much a novel. This is a great example how a book can be sexual with very little actual sex on the page. I enjoyed that a lot.
And with how messy all of the characters were, I really appreciated how they all showed growth! Like this book wasn't afraid to have the characters be shitty or be put in awkward positions to force them to grow up, but they all did! And I enjoyed seeing those arcs play out.
The thing I didn't like about this book, usually this would be more under a spoiler, but since the critique is that I wasn't aware about this being in the book and I would have preferred to know- I am going to write it openly. This book has an overdose scene. I'm not personally sensitive to that many triggers in books, but ODing and active homelessness are two of mine. And I just would have liked to know what to expect. I don't even dislike how it happened narrative wise or where it took the story, it was just jarring for me as a reader, and I had to jump several pages in the book. I also didn't love how everyone mostly brushed off biphobia but what can you do.
I definitely understand why this book isn't for everyone and not everyone will get the enjoyment I did out of it- and I encourage you to read some other reviews with different perspectives. But I really did like this book, it was wonderfully angsty right when I wanted something like that- and gave me even more. 4/5
This book lends itself very well to a reread. I knew about the big incident that shocked me that I referenced in my original review, and the reread with the context of knowing this is a story about about Ivy and Dot through the eyes of Andie is really interesting. Bumped up a rating to a 4.5
Original review from 2021:
So, I think I have a bit of an unpopular opinion on this book compared with many of my friend's reviews on GR, and that is I actually really loved this book! I'm seeing primarily mixed reviews to both vaguely positive to vaguely negative, where I'm only not giving this a full 5 stars because I missed a trigger warning that is sensitive to me. But I think this is a prime example of subjective taste in books.
So this book follows Andie, who's best friend is Ivy Harlowe. Andie is in love with Ivy, but Ivy isn't one for relationships- but Andie has always figured that when it comes time for Ivy to settle down, she will come to her closest friend and the only one to really know her. But when Ivy starts to get with the same new girl repeatedly named Dot, it throws Andie's world for a spin.
And I loved these characters! I'm a fan of messy but good natured characters. I've criticized NA books in the past for having messy flawed characters when they don't have enough positive traits to balance out their many flaws, but I latched on to all three characters of Andie, Ivy, and Dot really quickly and found myself rooting for all of them- even when that was contraindicated.
This book is dripping with angst and yearning, and I think I have a really high tolerance for angst, and I actually really enjoy it when I'm in the right mood for a book like this, and I think this book is hitting just the right spot at the right time.
Also I think it's really interesting how sex-positive this book was without being erotica like at all. Sex was everywhere as a concept. Most of the main characters were in open relationships, and Andie's family literally owns a strip club. But this is very much a novel. This is a great example how a book can be sexual with very little actual sex on the page. I enjoyed that a lot.
And with how messy all of the characters were, I really appreciated how they all showed growth! Like this book wasn't afraid to have the characters be shitty or be put in awkward positions to force them to grow up, but they all did! And I enjoyed seeing those arcs play out.
The thing I didn't like about this book, usually this would be more under a spoiler, but since the critique is that I wasn't aware about this being in the book and I would have preferred to know- I am going to write it openly. This book has an overdose scene. I'm not personally sensitive to that many triggers in books, but ODing and active homelessness are two of mine. And I just would have liked to know what to expect. I don't even dislike how it happened narrative wise or where it took the story, it was just jarring for me as a reader, and I had to jump several pages in the book. I also didn't love how everyone mostly brushed off biphobia but what can you do.
I definitely understand why this book isn't for everyone and not everyone will get the enjoyment I did out of it- and I encourage you to read some other reviews with different perspectives. But I really did like this book, it was wonderfully angsty right when I wanted something like that- and gave me even more. 4/5
November 1, 2021
Despite the title, this is not a love story
It's sad, it's painful, it's heart-breaking beautiful. I finished this a couple of days ago, but I'm still thinking about it.
This is the story about Andie. Andie is Ivy's best friend since childhood and she's had a crush on Ivy for years. Andie has been waiting for her shot to be with Ivy, but she feels like Ivy "is never ready." Until Ivy brings Dot home.
This is a love story from a side character's perspective. You watch Ivy and Dot's relationship from Andie's eyes. This is a story of unrequited love in its purest form.
Now, Andie is a tough character to love. She's not perfect, she's selfish and incredibly self-absorbed but her development throughout the novel is wonderful.
This book tugged at my heartstrings and there is no doubt in my mind that I'll read more of Moskowitz's work in the future
It's sad, it's painful, it's heart-breaking beautiful. I finished this a couple of days ago, but I'm still thinking about it.
This is the story about Andie. Andie is Ivy's best friend since childhood and she's had a crush on Ivy for years. Andie has been waiting for her shot to be with Ivy, but she feels like Ivy "is never ready." Until Ivy brings Dot home.
This is a love story from a side character's perspective. You watch Ivy and Dot's relationship from Andie's eyes. This is a story of unrequited love in its purest form.
Now, Andie is a tough character to love. She's not perfect, she's selfish and incredibly self-absorbed but her development throughout the novel is wonderful.
This book tugged at my heartstrings and there is no doubt in my mind that I'll read more of Moskowitz's work in the future
May 22, 2021
This was a quick, engaging read with lush detail but with a lot of unhealthy relationships.
I do appreciate the queer and disability rep, with the latter being done in a respectful manner, and wasn't made the focus on the character. However, I had a lot of trouble with the relationships. Andie is obsessed with her best friend Ivy, and has convinced herself that they will date eventually, to the point that when Ivy starts dating Dot Andie goes a bit crazy.
I've definitely had crushes that seemed to consume me, but Andie's actions towards Dot, and her later time with Elizabeth, felt like a train crash that kept going, and her lack of growth was disappointing.
I really liked this author's style of writing though, and I would try another of her books.
I do appreciate the queer and disability rep, with the latter being done in a respectful manner, and wasn't made the focus on the character. However, I had a lot of trouble with the relationships. Andie is obsessed with her best friend Ivy, and has convinced herself that they will date eventually, to the point that when Ivy starts dating Dot Andie goes a bit crazy.
I've definitely had crushes that seemed to consume me, but Andie's actions towards Dot, and her later time with Elizabeth, felt like a train crash that kept going, and her lack of growth was disappointing.
I really liked this author's style of writing though, and I would try another of her books.
May 29, 2021
trigger warnings: implied emotional abuse, parental abandonment, fire, alcohol, heavy drug use, panic attacks, hospitals
thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
Before I begin this review, I want to clarify for anyone who was interested in this book, that it is NOT a lighthearted rom-com, instead, it's an angsty YA-contemporary.
This isn't the first Hannah Moskowitz book that I read and I believe that this is relevant information. If you don't like the kind of unlikeable, messy characters that Moskowitz likes to write or their more crass and edgy style, or their very sex-positive themes, or their more dramatic plots, then this book probably isn't for you. If you, however, like me, enjoy a lot of what they have to offer, The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe will not disappoint you.
Moskowitz is an absolute master when it comes to character voice and character development, not only with the protagonists but with the side characters as well and it is, I believe, the point where their craft shines the brightest. They're not afraid to show people as they truly are, a little messy, a little lost, a little broken, but still good. It's also where their penchant for edginess actually also does them a service - it gives them a blunt edge to discuss them honestly without pulling any punches.
Andie, the main character, will frustrate a lot of readers. For most of the book she's nursing a very hopeless crush on her completely unavailable best friend, Ivy. She angsts about that a lot, is completely obsessed with Ivy, and gets jealous even as she herself is in a relationship with another girl (which is a whole other mess).
I loved Andie. She was written in a way where even in places where I couldn't relate to her (and don'T get me wrong, I did relate to her a lot of the time!), I could still understand her. Also, she's a lesbian who identifies as such explicitly in the text - and so does Ivy.
Speaking of which - Ivy is the person who the book almost focuses on more than Andie which I thought was really interesting. We see her develop and grow and have a really cute and believable romance - not through her own perspective but filtered through the eyes of her best friend, which added a whole other thematic dimension to this book and made it even better.
I also really liked Ivys love interest, Dot, who was absolutely adorable. In the first half, I thought she seemed a bit of a manic pixie dream girl character, but slowly, throughout the book, she very much comes into her own and gets developed as her own person, gaining a lot of depth and dimension.
My only complaint about the book comes in relatively late. There's an event in the third act that I won't spoil here, and it's followed by a timeskip, where I could've actually liked to see the immediate repercussions of it, especially from an emotional perspective.
On the whole, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
thank you to netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book!
Before I begin this review, I want to clarify for anyone who was interested in this book, that it is NOT a lighthearted rom-com, instead, it's an angsty YA-contemporary.
This isn't the first Hannah Moskowitz book that I read and I believe that this is relevant information. If you don't like the kind of unlikeable, messy characters that Moskowitz likes to write or their more crass and edgy style, or their very sex-positive themes, or their more dramatic plots, then this book probably isn't for you. If you, however, like me, enjoy a lot of what they have to offer, The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe will not disappoint you.
Moskowitz is an absolute master when it comes to character voice and character development, not only with the protagonists but with the side characters as well and it is, I believe, the point where their craft shines the brightest. They're not afraid to show people as they truly are, a little messy, a little lost, a little broken, but still good. It's also where their penchant for edginess actually also does them a service - it gives them a blunt edge to discuss them honestly without pulling any punches.
Andie, the main character, will frustrate a lot of readers. For most of the book she's nursing a very hopeless crush on her completely unavailable best friend, Ivy. She angsts about that a lot, is completely obsessed with Ivy, and gets jealous even as she herself is in a relationship with another girl (which is a whole other mess).
I loved Andie. She was written in a way where even in places where I couldn't relate to her (and don'T get me wrong, I did relate to her a lot of the time!), I could still understand her. Also, she's a lesbian who identifies as such explicitly in the text - and so does Ivy.
Speaking of which - Ivy is the person who the book almost focuses on more than Andie which I thought was really interesting. We see her develop and grow and have a really cute and believable romance - not through her own perspective but filtered through the eyes of her best friend, which added a whole other thematic dimension to this book and made it even better.
I also really liked Ivys love interest, Dot, who was absolutely adorable. In the first half, I thought she seemed a bit of a manic pixie dream girl character, but slowly, throughout the book, she very much comes into her own and gets developed as her own person, gaining a lot of depth and dimension.
My only complaint about the book comes in relatively late. There's an event in the third act that I won't spoil here, and it's followed by a timeskip, where I could've actually liked to see the immediate repercussions of it, especially from an emotional perspective.
On the whole, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
June 4, 2021
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Andie has been in love with her best friend for as long as she can remember. Ivy is perfect, the most beautiful person everywhere and just so good to be around. According to Andie. And the one person Ivy has ever really been close to, ever confided in is Andie. So she's just biding her time, waiting for Ivy to realize that she's right there and not only just as her cab driver (yeah Ivy loves to go out and has Andie driving her and her one night stands around.) but Andie just loves to be in Ivy's orbit.
Things start changing though, when at a club, Ivy meets Dot.
High schooler Dot looks young and vulnerable and that catches Ivy's attention right away. And Dot is too captivated. After learning that Dot is 17 and making sure that Dot actually wants to spend the night with Ivy, Andie brings them home to Ivy's.
While the two make out in the back, (yeah she really is a cab driver), Andie notices that Ivy's house is on fire.
Problem? LOL no, Ivy just moves in to Andie's and now brings Dot and all her future hookups there, in the room next to Andie's. Cosy, no?
Anyway, Dot keeps showing up after this, and suddenly Andie isn't the only person Ivy can count on anymore, and she doesn't love it.
Not gonna lie, this isn't a review, this is a rant. I haven't been this angry reading a book in a very long time. (not the good kind of anger either)
• I'm going to start with the obvious. Look I have absolutely no issues with age gaps. When both people are over 18. The thing is, not only is Dot under 18, she's also still in high school. And say what you will but you don't have the same life, the same hobbies, the same everything in high school vs in college. Everything changes... That's just a fact. And so yes, this 2 year age gap bothers me. Especially since Ivy keeps talking about Dot like she only sees a kid, all throughout the book she talks about her calling her a kid and I'm just not okay with that. Also, if you have to google if something is legal, (like Andie did) maybe it means you just shouldn't?
• Another part that greatly bothered me is about Dot. Dot never takes no for an answer, she just keeps showing up unannounced over and over and over. And yeah, she's a kid but still.
The fact is, at some point, Andie has a conversation with Dot asking her (basically) how she got the girl. And Dot says that she kept showing up until she was part of the scenery. (I'm barely paraphrasing) So what are we learning here? That no doesn't mean no? That insisting over and over until you get what you want is the way to romance? Where are the talks of consent, of respecting each other's boundaries, and what about actually fucking off when told to… I am fucking tired.
• And Ivy. Dear fucking Ivy. Hung the moon Ivy. I have never hated a character so much in a long long time. She was constantly seen as perfect by dear old Andie but Ivy K. Harlowe is a toxic, obnoxious, insufferable piece of garbage. She legit gets away with everything. From beginning to end, everyone just shrug it off and go like 'it's just Ivy.' WELL FUCK THAT. She never listens to anyone and only cares about herself. Period.
SPOILER So after Andie tells Ivy how she feels about her, Ivy says she's pretty much always known. And YET, she kept making out with her anytime she wants Andie to shut up or wants something?? Like that's not fucking okay. But it's not even mentioned. Like truly the girl could get away with murder. And also she lives with her for month, in the room next door and brings all her hookups to Andie's place??? Like have some compassion? Maybe? LOL I'm kidding Ivy would never.END SPOILER
Look there's a lot more that I hated about Ivy but I don't have time to list it all.
• Last, but not least, our MC, Andie. Goddammit girl. You need a new brain or something. Or maybe just a fucking backbone and glasses or some shit. The girl gets trampled by her best friend and yet she loves everything about her. She gets treated like staff and she just rolls with it. She gets a gf, change her entire personality. Girl, it was exhausting being in your head. Never again.
Okay, I don't have anything to add except that this was excruciating to read. It dragged one for fucking ever and the other characters were bland as fuck. And I also fucking hated Andie's parents. Traitors. Truly.
Now I'm really done and hopefully never think about this ever again.
Bye
Andie has been in love with her best friend for as long as she can remember. Ivy is perfect, the most beautiful person everywhere and just so good to be around. According to Andie. And the one person Ivy has ever really been close to, ever confided in is Andie. So she's just biding her time, waiting for Ivy to realize that she's right there and not only just as her cab driver (yeah Ivy loves to go out and has Andie driving her and her one night stands around.) but Andie just loves to be in Ivy's orbit.
Things start changing though, when at a club, Ivy meets Dot.
High schooler Dot looks young and vulnerable and that catches Ivy's attention right away. And Dot is too captivated. After learning that Dot is 17 and making sure that Dot actually wants to spend the night with Ivy, Andie brings them home to Ivy's.
While the two make out in the back, (yeah she really is a cab driver), Andie notices that Ivy's house is on fire.
Problem? LOL no, Ivy just moves in to Andie's and now brings Dot and all her future hookups there, in the room next to Andie's. Cosy, no?
Anyway, Dot keeps showing up after this, and suddenly Andie isn't the only person Ivy can count on anymore, and she doesn't love it.
Not gonna lie, this isn't a review, this is a rant. I haven't been this angry reading a book in a very long time. (not the good kind of anger either)
• I'm going to start with the obvious. Look I have absolutely no issues with age gaps. When both people are over 18. The thing is, not only is Dot under 18, she's also still in high school. And say what you will but you don't have the same life, the same hobbies, the same everything in high school vs in college. Everything changes... That's just a fact. And so yes, this 2 year age gap bothers me. Especially since Ivy keeps talking about Dot like she only sees a kid, all throughout the book she talks about her calling her a kid and I'm just not okay with that. Also, if you have to google if something is legal, (like Andie did) maybe it means you just shouldn't?
• Another part that greatly bothered me is about Dot. Dot never takes no for an answer, she just keeps showing up unannounced over and over and over. And yeah, she's a kid but still.
The fact is, at some point, Andie has a conversation with Dot asking her (basically) how she got the girl. And Dot says that she kept showing up until she was part of the scenery. (I'm barely paraphrasing) So what are we learning here? That no doesn't mean no? That insisting over and over until you get what you want is the way to romance? Where are the talks of consent, of respecting each other's boundaries, and what about actually fucking off when told to… I am fucking tired.
• And Ivy. Dear fucking Ivy. Hung the moon Ivy. I have never hated a character so much in a long long time. She was constantly seen as perfect by dear old Andie but Ivy K. Harlowe is a toxic, obnoxious, insufferable piece of garbage. She legit gets away with everything. From beginning to end, everyone just shrug it off and go like 'it's just Ivy.' WELL FUCK THAT. She never listens to anyone and only cares about herself. Period.
SPOILER So after Andie tells Ivy how she feels about her, Ivy says she's pretty much always known. And YET, she kept making out with her anytime she wants Andie to shut up or wants something?? Like that's not fucking okay. But it's not even mentioned. Like truly the girl could get away with murder. And also she lives with her for month, in the room next door and brings all her hookups to Andie's place??? Like have some compassion? Maybe? LOL I'm kidding Ivy would never.END SPOILER
Look there's a lot more that I hated about Ivy but I don't have time to list it all.
• Last, but not least, our MC, Andie. Goddammit girl. You need a new brain or something. Or maybe just a fucking backbone and glasses or some shit. The girl gets trampled by her best friend and yet she loves everything about her. She gets treated like staff and she just rolls with it. She gets a gf, change her entire personality. Girl, it was exhausting being in your head. Never again.
Okay, I don't have anything to add except that this was excruciating to read. It dragged one for fucking ever and the other characters were bland as fuck. And I also fucking hated Andie's parents. Traitors. Truly.
Now I'm really done and hopefully never think about this ever again.
Bye
June 2, 2021
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
3.5*
Whew, where to begin with Ivy? Well. I definitely had some mixed feelings about it, especially at the start. But I'll also say that I'm very glad that I followed it until the end, because I enjoyed the second half a lot. So, I'll break down what worked for me versus what did not. But first, a word from the author!
What I Liked:
►Sure, Andie was an actual disaster, but who among us hasn't been there? I fully admit to wanting to throttle Andie a time or twenty, before realizing... I have one million percent been Andie. Oh, pining tirelessly for someone who didn't reciprocate? Check. Doing things for them because they're your "great friend"? Double check. No idea what to do with her life? Still checking! Sigh, I realized fairly early on that pretty much everyone I have ever known has been Andie at one point in their lives, in some capacity. She was realistic in her messiness, is what I am saying.
►There is definitely a lot of growth for many characters. I admit, I was a wee bit worried about these young women. Not just for their seemingly laissez-faire attitude toward drugs (which prompted a whole discussion from me heh), drinking, sneaking into places illegally, random sexual encounters, etc., but because of some of their life choices in general. Andie, sad over Ivy's apparent lack of interest in her, grabs the first woman who does show interest, even though she ends up being a toxic shitshow. And look, again, these choices are messy, but they're real. Goodness, they're real, and honest, and I was just exceedingly thrilled that the author used all of it as an opportunity for growth.
►I really did become invested in the characters, especially in the second half. The story took a turn after A Big Thing™ happens, and I think at that point was when I really started to connect with the book, and when my enjoyment spiked. The characters became more empathetic, and frankly, more honest with themselves, which is hugely appealing.
►The age range of the characters is refreshing, and their struggles mirrored that. There're not enough new adult books. There just are not. And this is kind of what I am hoping to see from that age range- the whole "okay we're adults but... now what?" situation. And that is so huge here. The main characters are all in such fluctuating stages of life, and are trying to navigate that mess. Whether they want to go to college, the workforce, join the family business, etc., these are things they're all dealing with. I had a very rough time navigating that personally (I mean, I still do) so I think it's so great to read about others who may not have it all figured out yet.
►There is a ton of amazing rep here. Lots of positivity surrounding both sex and being gay, mental health, and disability. I think the author handles all of these phenomenally and realistically.
What I Didn't:
►I didn't get a sense of who Andie is outside of Ivy. To be completely fair, I don't think Andie knows who Andie is outside of Ivy, but I would have liked her to find out more, perhaps? Like I said before, I do understand Andie's infatuation (fine, obsession, perhaps) with Ivy, but I just wanted her to have more of her own personality, too. I just felt it harder to connect with her, not feeling like I "knew" her. She just seemed very bland as a person, I guess.
►The way Andie treated Dot bugged me. Look, I know she's jealous. I get it! But like... Dot didn't do anything to you, girl! (Frankly, I was also a little concerned with Dot, who was 17, hanging out with them anyway. I know they were only two years apart, but their levels of experience were... well, wildly different.) And I guess it is part of how it was shown to the reader that Andie is fairly obsessed with Ivy, but I think because of Dot's situations, Andie could have been kinder just on a human level.
►Why Ivy? I mean, she's pretty, cool. Plenty of women are pretty, I guess I never got the allure of Ivy? It sounds like every woman in the tri-state area was trying to take her home, and maybe she's just one of those people who others are drawn to. And I understood Andie's love for her, because they'd been close for ages, to a point. And frankly, I wish we'd gotten to know some of the other group members a little better!
Bottom Line: Loved the character growth and excellent rep, even if Andie and I didn't completely connect.
3.5*
Whew, where to begin with Ivy? Well. I definitely had some mixed feelings about it, especially at the start. But I'll also say that I'm very glad that I followed it until the end, because I enjoyed the second half a lot. So, I'll break down what worked for me versus what did not. But first, a word from the author!
"Author’s Note: The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe includes themes, imagery, and content that might be triggering for some readers. Scenes depicting alcohol consumption, drunkenness, drug use, and drug overdose appear in the novel. American Addiction Centers offers free and confidential guidance to those suffering from addiction."
What I Liked:
►Sure, Andie was an actual disaster, but who among us hasn't been there? I fully admit to wanting to throttle Andie a time or twenty, before realizing... I have one million percent been Andie. Oh, pining tirelessly for someone who didn't reciprocate? Check. Doing things for them because they're your "great friend"? Double check. No idea what to do with her life? Still checking! Sigh, I realized fairly early on that pretty much everyone I have ever known has been Andie at one point in their lives, in some capacity. She was realistic in her messiness, is what I am saying.
►There is definitely a lot of growth for many characters. I admit, I was a wee bit worried about these young women. Not just for their seemingly laissez-faire attitude toward drugs (which prompted a whole discussion from me heh), drinking, sneaking into places illegally, random sexual encounters, etc., but because of some of their life choices in general. Andie, sad over Ivy's apparent lack of interest in her, grabs the first woman who does show interest, even though she ends up being a toxic shitshow. And look, again, these choices are messy, but they're real. Goodness, they're real, and honest, and I was just exceedingly thrilled that the author used all of it as an opportunity for growth.
►I really did become invested in the characters, especially in the second half. The story took a turn after A Big Thing™ happens, and I think at that point was when I really started to connect with the book, and when my enjoyment spiked. The characters became more empathetic, and frankly, more honest with themselves, which is hugely appealing.
►The age range of the characters is refreshing, and their struggles mirrored that. There're not enough new adult books. There just are not. And this is kind of what I am hoping to see from that age range- the whole "okay we're adults but... now what?" situation. And that is so huge here. The main characters are all in such fluctuating stages of life, and are trying to navigate that mess. Whether they want to go to college, the workforce, join the family business, etc., these are things they're all dealing with. I had a very rough time navigating that personally (I mean, I still do) so I think it's so great to read about others who may not have it all figured out yet.
►There is a ton of amazing rep here. Lots of positivity surrounding both sex and being gay, mental health, and disability. I think the author handles all of these phenomenally and realistically.
What I Didn't:
►I didn't get a sense of who Andie is outside of Ivy. To be completely fair, I don't think Andie knows who Andie is outside of Ivy, but I would have liked her to find out more, perhaps? Like I said before, I do understand Andie's infatuation (fine, obsession, perhaps) with Ivy, but I just wanted her to have more of her own personality, too. I just felt it harder to connect with her, not feeling like I "knew" her. She just seemed very bland as a person, I guess.
►The way Andie treated Dot bugged me. Look, I know she's jealous. I get it! But like... Dot didn't do anything to you, girl! (Frankly, I was also a little concerned with Dot, who was 17, hanging out with them anyway. I know they were only two years apart, but their levels of experience were... well, wildly different.) And I guess it is part of how it was shown to the reader that Andie is fairly obsessed with Ivy, but I think because of Dot's situations, Andie could have been kinder just on a human level.
►Why Ivy? I mean, she's pretty, cool. Plenty of women are pretty, I guess I never got the allure of Ivy? It sounds like every woman in the tri-state area was trying to take her home, and maybe she's just one of those people who others are drawn to. And I understood Andie's love for her, because they'd been close for ages, to a point. And frankly, I wish we'd gotten to know some of the other group members a little better!
Bottom Line: Loved the character growth and excellent rep, even if Andie and I didn't completely connect.
June 5, 2021
Hannah's books are always complex, full of flawed characters trying to find their way, and I love them.
May 24, 2021
I hate to say this but the first half of this book wasn't particularly enjoyable. I thought Ivy and Andie's relationship was uncomfortable to read. Andie's obsession with Ivy, and Ivy's complete self-obsession, made it feel really icky to read the interactions between these two. When Dot comes along, she seems so incredibly young and Andie's actions towards her felt quite bully-like. Thankfully, the second part of this novel won me over.
I thought the characterisation in this is very good. Our three main characters, Ivy, Dot and Andie, all developed from their young, self-absorbed stage to a more well-rounded, likeable character. In saying this though, I liked that Ivy remained honest with herself and the way she sees relationships. It was great to see a description of an atypical romance and relationship.
No spoilers here but some big themes were unpacked in this novel, which again gave it a lot more depth to when it started out. An interesting way to relay a story as honestly, the three mains were not likeable initially.
This novel is definitely worth a read if you are looking for a new adult romance that pushes some unconventional boundaries.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the characterisation in this is very good. Our three main characters, Ivy, Dot and Andie, all developed from their young, self-absorbed stage to a more well-rounded, likeable character. In saying this though, I liked that Ivy remained honest with herself and the way she sees relationships. It was great to see a description of an atypical romance and relationship.
No spoilers here but some big themes were unpacked in this novel, which again gave it a lot more depth to when it started out. An interesting way to relay a story as honestly, the three mains were not likeable initially.
This novel is definitely worth a read if you are looking for a new adult romance that pushes some unconventional boundaries.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
May 27, 2021
The relationship with Andie and Ivy is super superficial and awkward to me. Ivy is a perfect 10 and could get anyone she wants, and uses this to play with people's feelings. Andie, who's POV you are reading, is obsessed with Ivy and her love for her makes her world revolve around Ivy. This is super destructive behaviour and not something that interested me. She also tends to be destructive when intervening within Ivy's own relationships.
The writing itself was good, however the stalker theme was very off putting.
The writing itself was good, however the stalker theme was very off putting.
September 5, 2024
I really, really like this book. Four and a half stars.
At first I felt like I was reading an updated, lesbian version of the Brat Pack novels of the 1980s. Everyone was drinking a lot and doing a moderate amount of drugs and almost everyone was having quite a bit of sex and none of it seemed to mean very much. But the more I read, the more it started meaning. The shallow hookups were still shallow hookups but the book itself is about deeper questions. What is a love story, really? How do you figure out who you are and what want and who you're going to be?
At a certain point near the end of the book, it struck me that the title echoes The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and the narrator, Andie, is trying to figure out whether she's a Prufrock, who the mermaids will never sing for, or if she just hasn't found her story yet. The book also deals with some aspects of what it means to love and support someone with a chronic health condition, though chronic illness is not as central to the book as it is to Moskowitz's Sick Kids in Love.
This book reminded me powerfully of what it's like to be young and trying to answer all those questions and also what it's like to go through life powerfully drawn to someone who is never going to want you the way you want them. It's got a lot of big feelings and I get very invested in how things were going to work out for the three central characters. It doesn't finish with a big happy every after, but I did find myself quietly satisfied.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. (By the way, the imprint is Entangled Teen, but I definitely class this as a New Adult novel, not Young Adult.)
At first I felt like I was reading an updated, lesbian version of the Brat Pack novels of the 1980s. Everyone was drinking a lot and doing a moderate amount of drugs and almost everyone was having quite a bit of sex and none of it seemed to mean very much. But the more I read, the more it started meaning. The shallow hookups were still shallow hookups but the book itself is about deeper questions. What is a love story, really? How do you figure out who you are and what want and who you're going to be?
At a certain point near the end of the book, it struck me that the title echoes The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and the narrator, Andie, is trying to figure out whether she's a Prufrock, who the mermaids will never sing for, or if she just hasn't found her story yet. The book also deals with some aspects of what it means to love and support someone with a chronic health condition, though chronic illness is not as central to the book as it is to Moskowitz's Sick Kids in Love.
This book reminded me powerfully of what it's like to be young and trying to answer all those questions and also what it's like to go through life powerfully drawn to someone who is never going to want you the way you want them. It's got a lot of big feelings and I get very invested in how things were going to work out for the three central characters. It doesn't finish with a big happy every after, but I did find myself quietly satisfied.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. (By the way, the imprint is Entangled Teen, but I definitely class this as a New Adult novel, not Young Adult.)
December 7, 2024
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe is a NA Contemporary novel that I’m absolutely obsessed with. I listen to this audiobook multiple times a year, because this is truly my favorite book.
The novel has a sapphic friend group and, as corny as it sounds, it feels like hanging out with friends when I’m listening to this audiobook. The relationship between Dot and Ivy has to be one of my all time favorite romances. There is so much depth to Ivy that not even her closest friends know the love she’s capable of.
And (**spoiler**) I was blown away the first time I listened to this book because I was expecting for Andie (the character whose POV the story is told in) to “get the girl.” But Andie and Ivy don’t end up together. And they shouldn’t have. They work so much better as best friends and would’ve been terrible as a couple.
I loved the writing and really enjoy the books I’ve read by this author, but also the audiobook narration by Lori Prince is perfect. She is brilliantly talented and really helps make the characters come alive.
CW: Overdose
The novel has a sapphic friend group and, as corny as it sounds, it feels like hanging out with friends when I’m listening to this audiobook. The relationship between Dot and Ivy has to be one of my all time favorite romances. There is so much depth to Ivy that not even her closest friends know the love she’s capable of.
And (**spoiler**) I was blown away the first time I listened to this book because I was expecting for Andie (the character whose POV the story is told in) to “get the girl.” But Andie and Ivy don’t end up together. And they shouldn’t have. They work so much better as best friends and would’ve been terrible as a couple.
I loved the writing and really enjoy the books I’ve read by this author, but also the audiobook narration by Lori Prince is perfect. She is brilliantly talented and really helps make the characters come alive.
CW: Overdose
July 19, 2021
REP: Lesbian main character, sapphic side character, Vietnamese side character, side character with chronic illness, side characters in an open relationship.
TWs: drug use, drug over dose, alcohol use, graphic mentions of sex
Genre: new adult contemporary with a sapphic cast
---------------------------
A proper review to come; not to be dramatic, but this book is one of the best things I've read this year. This is the only thing I'll be talking about for months to come now.
Warning: this review will be kind of spoiler-heavy.
This book was unexpectedly amazing. I mean, it's Hannah Moskowitz so I knew it was going to be good (I've vibed really well with her books in the past) but I didn't quite expect it to be this book. Based on the blurb I thought this book was going to be your typical romance; however, I realized after around 60% of the book that that definitely wasn't going to be the case. I think that's actually the reason why I ended up loving this book so much, like it took something nearly overused and did something unique to it? Anyways, before my ramblings get too long, let's get into the plot of this book.
Andie is your typical 19-year-old, really. She lives on Rhode Island, having just graduated high school the previous spring. She seems to be quite satisfied with her life, but at the same time not really. She works at the front desk at her parents' ethical strip club, goes out to her town's gay club every weekend, is notorious for not pulling anyone ever and is heads-over-heels in live with her best friend, Ivy. Ivy is kind of the opposite, a new girl every night, a tornado of sorts, who somewhat always leaves Andie behind in her debris. Always the center of attention, always just out of reach for Andie. One day, Ivy does the one thing she never does: she falls in love...and not with Andie.
Like I already mentioned I think the reason why I enjoyed this book so massively is that it didn't go where I thought it would, I initially went into this thinking Andie and Ivy would end up together. Instead we got a bittersweet, in my opinion very realistic tale of love and how the people you love the most maybe aren't meant for you. The way this book slowly handled that topic was absolutely beautiful. This is a very interesting take because while this definitely is a love story, it just isn't one about Andie; rather it is told by Andie. I don't know, but I feel like that really resonated with me. How, sometimes, you're not a side-character in a story but rather, it's just not your story. You just happen to live really close to it, happen to experience it, without being part of it.
There was even a quote at the end of the book which pretty much sums up with the book really was about, in my opinion.
"My mom smiles at me. 'This is [Ivy's] story. This big, once-in-a-lifetime love, it's Ivy's story this time. You'll get your own.'
My own.
It's not that I'm the secondary character in my own story.
It's just that this one was never my own."
I definitely enjoyed this book for it's somewhat unique take, for it not turning into your typical love story. As always with this author, I definitely really like the writing. What I definitely haven't mentioned yet, that I too liked a lot, is the characters. In my opinion, they're all 'believable', and all the more major ones are flawed in different ways. For example, Ivy has her reasons but I definitely do not really care for her as a person. She grew on me at the end and she's definitely a much more complicated character than I initially thought. Andie seemed kind of like myself in many regards, which was interesting.
All in all, this book was super readable, with an interesting take on a commonly occuring kind of plot, that didn't go where one would expect it to go. I really liked the characters (A+ for an all-sapphic main cast!) and found the story highly enjoyable. In my opinon, this book is more of a new adult story as opposed to a young adult story, not that it bothered me in the slightest just though I would put it out there!
Honestly, I cannot recommend this book enough if this kind of story is what you're usually interested in.
TWs: drug use, drug over dose, alcohol use, graphic mentions of sex
Genre: new adult contemporary with a sapphic cast
---------------------------
A proper review to come; not to be dramatic, but this book is one of the best things I've read this year. This is the only thing I'll be talking about for months to come now.
Warning: this review will be kind of spoiler-heavy.
This book was unexpectedly amazing. I mean, it's Hannah Moskowitz so I knew it was going to be good (I've vibed really well with her books in the past) but I didn't quite expect it to be this book. Based on the blurb I thought this book was going to be your typical romance; however, I realized after around 60% of the book that that definitely wasn't going to be the case. I think that's actually the reason why I ended up loving this book so much, like it took something nearly overused and did something unique to it? Anyways, before my ramblings get too long, let's get into the plot of this book.
Andie is your typical 19-year-old, really. She lives on Rhode Island, having just graduated high school the previous spring. She seems to be quite satisfied with her life, but at the same time not really. She works at the front desk at her parents' ethical strip club, goes out to her town's gay club every weekend, is notorious for not pulling anyone ever and is heads-over-heels in live with her best friend, Ivy. Ivy is kind of the opposite, a new girl every night, a tornado of sorts, who somewhat always leaves Andie behind in her debris. Always the center of attention, always just out of reach for Andie. One day, Ivy does the one thing she never does: she falls in love...and not with Andie.
Like I already mentioned I think the reason why I enjoyed this book so massively is that it didn't go where I thought it would, I initially went into this thinking Andie and Ivy would end up together. Instead we got a bittersweet, in my opinion very realistic tale of love and how the people you love the most maybe aren't meant for you. The way this book slowly handled that topic was absolutely beautiful. This is a very interesting take because while this definitely is a love story, it just isn't one about Andie; rather it is told by Andie. I don't know, but I feel like that really resonated with me. How, sometimes, you're not a side-character in a story but rather, it's just not your story. You just happen to live really close to it, happen to experience it, without being part of it.
There was even a quote at the end of the book which pretty much sums up with the book really was about, in my opinion.
"My mom smiles at me. 'This is [Ivy's] story. This big, once-in-a-lifetime love, it's Ivy's story this time. You'll get your own.'
My own.
It's not that I'm the secondary character in my own story.
It's just that this one was never my own."
I definitely enjoyed this book for it's somewhat unique take, for it not turning into your typical love story. As always with this author, I definitely really like the writing. What I definitely haven't mentioned yet, that I too liked a lot, is the characters. In my opinion, they're all 'believable', and all the more major ones are flawed in different ways. For example, Ivy has her reasons but I definitely do not really care for her as a person. She grew on me at the end and she's definitely a much more complicated character than I initially thought. Andie seemed kind of like myself in many regards, which was interesting.
All in all, this book was super readable, with an interesting take on a commonly occuring kind of plot, that didn't go where one would expect it to go. I really liked the characters (A+ for an all-sapphic main cast!) and found the story highly enjoyable. In my opinon, this book is more of a new adult story as opposed to a young adult story, not that it bothered me in the slightest just though I would put it out there!
Honestly, I cannot recommend this book enough if this kind of story is what you're usually interested in.
Read
June 15, 2022
TW: drug & alcohol use, overdose
This was really interesting... and super gay!
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe is about a girl named Andie who is in love with her best friend Ivy. Ivy is the girl every lesbian in town wants, and is never with the same girl twice. When she meets Dot, Ivy does something Andie would never expect: she sees her again. Everything is changing and Ivy falling in love with someone else wasn't the plan.
I honestly don't know how to feel about this book because it was really interesting but also took a turn near the last half and was super sad. I did love that this is a cast of all sapphics and they are super messy and half unlikable too. Ivy was insufferable. She's a shallow awful person but she's also complicated. She gets better but still I would never want to be friends with this person. And that's okay!!
The way this story was told was the worst part for me: it's first person pov but from Andie. Andie even makes a comment in the book about how she's not a secondary character- it just isn't her story which is true but reading from the pov of a side character isn't my favorite device. She's a doormat for most of this and sorry to say, pathetically in love with someone never interested.
Andie does try to become more of her own character but even in the end she doesn't manage to change any. She is someone who is obsessed with her friends and that's it. The relationship between Ivy and Dot really is her entire world and that was just... not the move. I wanted more from this book than it gave and that's on me.
I did like Ivy and Dot's love story but also I didn't really like what this book kept hammering over my head about monogamy. A guy in this even cheats on his wife and it's just "eh whatever, it happens lol" like that's cool they can get over it but I was so steamed. I hate cheaters and I hate people who excuse it.
Every single couple in here basically were in open relationships and I know I shouldn't judge people but I will and I didn't like what Ivy would not give up, even after what happens to Dot happens. I'm not a total stick in the mud though- their friends open relationship was great and I would have loved to see more of those two. It was just Ivy and Dot's that did me dirty. Ivy in general though... no thank you.
I never understood why Andie was so in love with Ivy- Ivy was straight up mean to her all the time for no reason. Like girl if I see you on the street it's on sight. It was toxic and I didn't vibe with that either. And yet Andie is like yes, I am in love. GIRL WHY. NAME A SINGLE REASON BESIDES SHE HOT. That's right, you can't!!
A lot of this book was so repetitive. They go to the same bar / club, have the same conversations, Ivy does the same shit. Repeat. Dot was an absolute sweetheart and I stand by that she deserved better than this book gave her. Also Andie's parents were the best part of this book, hands down.
Did I like this book? I don't know but it was sure an experience. Anything for the lesbians.
June 1, 2021
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 15/16+
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Chronic Illness Rep: 5/5
TW: drinking, drugs, over dose, grief, trauma, mentions of parent loss, brief mentions of bipolar disorder, mentions of chronic illness
Thank you so much Entangled Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All opinions are my honest thoughts and feelings.
Sick Kids in Love, Hannah Moskowitz’s first book with Entangled Teen, is my favorite book of all time. I have never felt so strongly for a book in my life—and that’s saying something. I actually screamed when I heard back from Entangled that I was approved for the ARC. So, suffice to say, I had high expectations for The Love Song of Ivy K Harlowe.
I found this book hard to get into at first. That might have something to do with the fact that I was expecting YA, and this book fell more into the NA category. A lot of the first half of this book revolved around clubbing, and that’s not something I have any interest in. I found the characters interesting, I liked them all, but I didn’t think Andie and Ivy would be good together, so I got pretty sick of the plot during that first half since it was just Andie pining over Ivy and their group going clubbing. When the book hit about the halfway mark, and Andie started to have some realizations, I finally started to feel more invested.
And then the incident happened. That, for me, was where the book really turned around. Hannah Moskowitz is an incredible writer, and what she does best, is chronic illness and disability rep, and abut 70% of the way through the book, she dives into that. And she does it just as well as she did in Sick Kids in Love. It was an incredibly hard hitting twist of events, and the following chapters had me on the verge of tears many times. In this book, we see chronic illness from the POV of the one who cares for the disabled person, and Hannah Moskowitz writes that just as well as she did Isobel in SKiL.
I’d love to see more of Ivy and Dot in the future!
In the end, I am still obsessed with Hannah Moskowitz and you need to check this book out.
Age Rating: 15/16+
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Chronic Illness Rep: 5/5
TW: drinking, drugs, over dose, grief, trauma, mentions of parent loss, brief mentions of bipolar disorder, mentions of chronic illness
Thank you so much Entangled Teen and NetGalley for an eARC of this book! All opinions are my honest thoughts and feelings.
Sick Kids in Love, Hannah Moskowitz’s first book with Entangled Teen, is my favorite book of all time. I have never felt so strongly for a book in my life—and that’s saying something. I actually screamed when I heard back from Entangled that I was approved for the ARC. So, suffice to say, I had high expectations for The Love Song of Ivy K Harlowe.
I found this book hard to get into at first. That might have something to do with the fact that I was expecting YA, and this book fell more into the NA category. A lot of the first half of this book revolved around clubbing, and that’s not something I have any interest in. I found the characters interesting, I liked them all, but I didn’t think Andie and Ivy would be good together, so I got pretty sick of the plot during that first half since it was just Andie pining over Ivy and their group going clubbing. When the book hit about the halfway mark, and Andie started to have some realizations, I finally started to feel more invested.
And then the incident happened. That, for me, was where the book really turned around. Hannah Moskowitz is an incredible writer, and what she does best, is chronic illness and disability rep, and abut 70% of the way through the book, she dives into that. And she does it just as well as she did in Sick Kids in Love. It was an incredibly hard hitting twist of events, and the following chapters had me on the verge of tears many times. In this book, we see chronic illness from the POV of the one who cares for the disabled person, and Hannah Moskowitz writes that just as well as she did Isobel in SKiL.
I’d love to see more of Ivy and Dot in the future!
In the end, I am still obsessed with Hannah Moskowitz and you need to check this book out.
March 29, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.
When Hannah described this as the great lesbian love story, I was immediately sold. That’s exactly what it was. I fell absolutely in love with Ivy and Andie. What a beautiful journey about growth, love and learning what your limits are.
This book follows Andie as she tries to grapple with her feelings for Ivy and still live her life. When Dot comes on the scene Andie must deal with the fall out as she doesn’t just leave after her night with Ivy. What starts as one story you think is going to happen blooms into something completely different. The journey that Andie goes on throughout this book is such a beautiful mix of self discovery and messy problems. I loved every second of this. It’s such a great story and one that should be told. That life may not always be this grand love story or adventure. You can find yourself in the most obscure places, even when you don’t want to find yourself at all.
Ivy. Oh Ivy. What a joy to watch Ivy transform as well. It was fun and fluid and her relationship with Dot was so cute!! I loved it. It wasn’t this picture perfect thing but it worked for them and that’s so important. Not everything is made the way society wants, but it can still work and that’s how these two were. It was fantastic.
I loved the core group of friends and their ability to be there for one another. Andie’s parents were also incredible. It was like this little found family, mixed with an incredible friend group and growing up. What a book. So, so good!
When Hannah described this as the great lesbian love story, I was immediately sold. That’s exactly what it was. I fell absolutely in love with Ivy and Andie. What a beautiful journey about growth, love and learning what your limits are.
This book follows Andie as she tries to grapple with her feelings for Ivy and still live her life. When Dot comes on the scene Andie must deal with the fall out as she doesn’t just leave after her night with Ivy. What starts as one story you think is going to happen blooms into something completely different. The journey that Andie goes on throughout this book is such a beautiful mix of self discovery and messy problems. I loved every second of this. It’s such a great story and one that should be told. That life may not always be this grand love story or adventure. You can find yourself in the most obscure places, even when you don’t want to find yourself at all.
Ivy. Oh Ivy. What a joy to watch Ivy transform as well. It was fun and fluid and her relationship with Dot was so cute!! I loved it. It wasn’t this picture perfect thing but it worked for them and that’s so important. Not everything is made the way society wants, but it can still work and that’s how these two were. It was fantastic.
I loved the core group of friends and their ability to be there for one another. Andie’s parents were also incredible. It was like this little found family, mixed with an incredible friend group and growing up. What a book. So, so good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2021
Thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a honest review!
I genuinely do not know what to feel about this book.
Andie is definitely an annoying character with an annoying plot and an annoying ending, but I guess she's realistic, even though that doesn't really make it better.
It was an interesting story though, something that I haven't read before but maybe there's a reason to that. Like, why would anyone want to read a story about two people falling in love but from an outsider's perspective?
I would much, MUCH rather to have Ivy or Dot as the narrator in the book. It would've been a better experience.
I did like that it was an all queer cast and that the author didn't treat the word "lesbian" like it was something wrong and dirty, which is new and exciting.
It was an overall good book that could've been better if Andie was a lot less lame.
I genuinely do not know what to feel about this book.
Andie is definitely an annoying character with an annoying plot and an annoying ending, but I guess she's realistic, even though that doesn't really make it better.
It was an interesting story though, something that I haven't read before but maybe there's a reason to that. Like, why would anyone want to read a story about two people falling in love but from an outsider's perspective?
I would much, MUCH rather to have Ivy or Dot as the narrator in the book. It would've been a better experience.
I did like that it was an all queer cast and that the author didn't treat the word "lesbian" like it was something wrong and dirty, which is new and exciting.
It was an overall good book that could've been better if Andie was a lot less lame.
August 1, 2021
This book was way different than I expected it to be! I thought this was going to be more of a feel-good romcom, but it really wasn't. It's more of an exploration about what it's like to be on the outside of a...not typical love story. This also deals with chronic illness! I really enjoyed this and liked the turns it took. I thought the main character was a little annoying at times and that the pacing dragged a bit in places, but overall was a great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Biphobia, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Car accident
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Biphobia, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Car accident
May 29, 2021
this was wonderful! i love a book where people and relationships are messy and complicated, because that reflects real life, the world, etc. also, who hasn't been in a position with unrequited love that made them do, say, and act in incredibly weird or strange ways?
i love the way hannah writes conversations. i love when a writer doesn't shirk away from portraying how messy life actually is.
this is one of those books that i wish had been around when i was younger. it's just real, and it offers no neat little bow in a cute package for anyone.
i love the way hannah writes conversations. i love when a writer doesn't shirk away from portraying how messy life actually is.
this is one of those books that i wish had been around when i was younger. it's just real, and it offers no neat little bow in a cute package for anyone.
Want to read
April 30, 2021*Received an ARC from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!*
April 29, 2021
THE LOVE SONG OF IVY K. HARLOWE is a new adult read about love, pining, and friendship. Andie is 19 years old and not going to college. Instead, she works during the day and spends the nights partying with her friends - really, it's one friend, her best friend. Andie is hopelessly in love with her best friend, Ivy, who hooks up with someone new every night. She never seems to have any issues finding a woman to take home every day. In Andie's mind, everyone loves Ivy, but no one can have a real connection with her the way Andie does, since Ivy never stays with anyone long enough to form such a connection.
That is, until Dot, a seventeen year old high school student, comes along. She seems like a baby gay, so Andie is surprised when Ivy takes her home one night. Even more surprising is the way Dot just keeps showing up - and Ivy keeps letting her. Andie's life, which entirely revolves around Ivy - even when she has a real girlfriend, is becoming complicated the more that Dot is around and her notions about Ivy are in question.
What I loved: The second half of the book, after THE EVENT, was a much more heartfelt piece that took the reader on a deeper and thought-provoking journey. I appreciated the diversity in cast and the way the fallout from the event (not specifying to avoid spoilers, as I definitely did not see it coming) was handled was really intriguing. Andie has a lot to learn about herself and her intense obsession, and we slowly begin to see her realize things along the way, even if they are slow to change.
What left me wanting more: I had a lot of trouble with the level of obsession Andie has, and the way the first half of the story is just a constant love letter to someone who can never love her back with a heavy dose of pining and angst. The only characters I really felt I got to know were Dot and Ivy, as they are the ones that Andie obsesses over - but who really is Andie aside from someone who loves Ivy? I think this is a question that Andie is also asking herself by the end. There are definitely a lot of unhealthy relationships in the book. I would have appreciated more depth to some of the other characters to really give a fuller picture of who they are and their role in Andie's life and a shorter lead in to the second half of the book, which is where things really begin to take on a new feeling.
I would add warnings for underage drinking and illicit drug use/abuse.
Final verdict: THE LOVE SONG OF IVY K. HARLOWE is a new adult contemporary read about obsession, pining, love, and friendship with all their complexity.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
That is, until Dot, a seventeen year old high school student, comes along. She seems like a baby gay, so Andie is surprised when Ivy takes her home one night. Even more surprising is the way Dot just keeps showing up - and Ivy keeps letting her. Andie's life, which entirely revolves around Ivy - even when she has a real girlfriend, is becoming complicated the more that Dot is around and her notions about Ivy are in question.
What I loved: The second half of the book, after THE EVENT, was a much more heartfelt piece that took the reader on a deeper and thought-provoking journey. I appreciated the diversity in cast and the way the fallout from the event (not specifying to avoid spoilers, as I definitely did not see it coming) was handled was really intriguing. Andie has a lot to learn about herself and her intense obsession, and we slowly begin to see her realize things along the way, even if they are slow to change.
What left me wanting more: I had a lot of trouble with the level of obsession Andie has, and the way the first half of the story is just a constant love letter to someone who can never love her back with a heavy dose of pining and angst. The only characters I really felt I got to know were Dot and Ivy, as they are the ones that Andie obsesses over - but who really is Andie aside from someone who loves Ivy? I think this is a question that Andie is also asking herself by the end. There are definitely a lot of unhealthy relationships in the book. I would have appreciated more depth to some of the other characters to really give a fuller picture of who they are and their role in Andie's life and a shorter lead in to the second half of the book, which is where things really begin to take on a new feeling.
I would add warnings for underage drinking and illicit drug use/abuse.
Final verdict: THE LOVE SONG OF IVY K. HARLOWE is a new adult contemporary read about obsession, pining, love, and friendship with all their complexity.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
March 7, 2022
This book is a love letter to anyone who has been in love with their best friend. Straight up, the emotional themes and some brilliant emotional scenes represent the queer or otherwise experience of being in love with a close friend who doesn't love you back. But in an empathetic way that makes you understand both sides of the situation. I plowed through this book and couldn't put it down.
I adored the dialogue. Each character had distinct dialogue and characterization. Pop culture references were also iconic. I do want to admit that this is a contemporary book that's structure and pacing are character-based, rather than plot-based. I love that in a book, but I understand that others might not.
The thing about this book is that even if you don't agree with a character's opinions or actions, Hannah Moskowitz writes them in a way that you can always understand their perspective and have empathetic feelings about them. I find that wildly impressive in a writing style. I had so many emotions, sad, excited, scandalized, and otherwise. I was impressed with the way the ending of the book made me feel closure.
I adored the dialogue. Each character had distinct dialogue and characterization. Pop culture references were also iconic. I do want to admit that this is a contemporary book that's structure and pacing are character-based, rather than plot-based. I love that in a book, but I understand that others might not.
The thing about this book is that even if you don't agree with a character's opinions or actions, Hannah Moskowitz writes them in a way that you can always understand their perspective and have empathetic feelings about them. I find that wildly impressive in a writing style. I had so many emotions, sad, excited, scandalized, and otherwise. I was impressed with the way the ending of the book made me feel closure.
June 5, 2021
The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlow is a love story but not the kind that makes you weak in the knees, it’s a true look at a realistic love when something unexpected happens and you have to navigate a whole new way of life, but it also a story of unrequited love.
It is told from the point of view of Andie who is so desperately in love with Ivy she has pretty much put her life on hold waiting for her life long best friend to realize she is in love with her. If I am being honest Andie is super whiney and just expects that things are going to turn out the way she wants. Her world is wreaking when Ivy who never falls in love and sleeps with everything that moves, falls in love with Dot. The entire story is based off Andie’s telling of how the events played out. Eventually she comes to realize that this is not a love story from her novels and that Ivy never has been in love with her.
Although this story was not something that I normally read, I did find it intriguing and enjoyed the story line. It shows you that love does not always turn out the way we planned and that in fact it can’t really be planned at all.
Special thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
It is told from the point of view of Andie who is so desperately in love with Ivy she has pretty much put her life on hold waiting for her life long best friend to realize she is in love with her. If I am being honest Andie is super whiney and just expects that things are going to turn out the way she wants. Her world is wreaking when Ivy who never falls in love and sleeps with everything that moves, falls in love with Dot. The entire story is based off Andie’s telling of how the events played out. Eventually she comes to realize that this is not a love story from her novels and that Ivy never has been in love with her.
Although this story was not something that I normally read, I did find it intriguing and enjoyed the story line. It shows you that love does not always turn out the way we planned and that in fact it can’t really be planned at all.
Special thanks to Netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.
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