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Other Words for Love
It's the mid-1980s, and Ari Mitchell feels invisible at her Brooklyn high school. Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighter husband fills Ari’s head with guilty fantasies.
When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.
When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?
When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.
When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?
355 pages, Hardcover
First published January 11, 2011
44 people are currently reading
7700 people want to read
About the author
Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
5 books487 followersLorraine Zago Rosenthal is the author of five novels, including OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE, CHARMED, and ALWAYS AND FOREVER, which was released on November 11, 2025.
Lorraine was born and raised in New York City, and she is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in education and English. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband.
Connect with Lorraine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainezago/
Lorraine was born and raised in New York City, and she is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degrees in education and English. She currently lives near Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband.
Connect with Lorraine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainezago/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 520 reviews
December 16, 2011
This is the most amazing book! I had heard such praise for it on the internet that I had to get it, and I was intrigued right off the bat by Ari’s intimate narration. My heart ached for her through her hard times and soared when things were good. I was happy at the end, even though it’s bitter-sweet, because what happened was best for Ari and she grew so much, she figured out that she didn’t need a guy to be a satisfied person. I loved the writing style, and that the subjects were deep and covered issues of depression, jealousy between sisters and friends, mother-daughter conflict, love and sex (and I must admit this story is reeealllly sexy. Blake is hot!). The characters were incredible and real, I felt like I knew them personally because they were all portrayed so honestly, as people with positive and negative points. I also fell in love with Patrick! He said the most simple things that were so loving, for example when Ari was depressed about Blake and mentioned that he had promised to teach her how to drive. Patrick says “I’ll teach you how to drive.” And that was just so simple and sweet, like something that would happen in real life. I stayed up all night to finish this book and I can’t say enough about how much I love it. Everyone should read this, it has something for everyone, you'll just fall in love. It has a delicate, quiet power.
January 22, 2011
If you want to be transported to the 1980s in all of its awesomeness (Madonna, Duran-Duran, Miami Vice, big hair, bustiers, a decade that was conservative but decadent and ruled by Ronald Reagan, fear of AIDS and the Russians)and intimately get to know a girl who goes through heavy ups and downs with her family, friends, and first boyfriend, then read the stunning OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE.
I’m sending serious respect to the author for writing an intimate teen novel that isn’t the equivalent of shallow literary candy. She challenges readers to look beyond the traditional romance bubblegum. She doesn't hold back on the emotions or the sex or the love or the pain. Parents aren't displayed as always right or always wrong. They're just human.
This novel is thought-provoking, powerfully emotional, and beautiful. It also takes place in New York, where I live, so I loved that, too. The story has major NY flavor. It's also so compelling that I read it in one sitting.
My favorite line from Ari that brought tears to my eyes: “…we would secretly remember that we used to mean something to each other.”
This one gets 5 ("it was amazing") stars from me!
I’m sending serious respect to the author for writing an intimate teen novel that isn’t the equivalent of shallow literary candy. She challenges readers to look beyond the traditional romance bubblegum. She doesn't hold back on the emotions or the sex or the love or the pain. Parents aren't displayed as always right or always wrong. They're just human.
This novel is thought-provoking, powerfully emotional, and beautiful. It also takes place in New York, where I live, so I loved that, too. The story has major NY flavor. It's also so compelling that I read it in one sitting.
My favorite line from Ari that brought tears to my eyes: “…we would secretly remember that we used to mean something to each other.”
This one gets 5 ("it was amazing") stars from me!
January 8, 2011
I don't even know where to start this review. I've been sitting here for what seems like hours trying to compose my thoughts into coherent sentences and it is just not happening.
When I first started Other Words for Love, I had no idea what to expect. It's a debut, so I had no previous experience with the author's writings. I thought the summary sounded nice.... but it didn't hook me enough to 'have' to read this book. (That summary does not do this book justice!) So why did I decide to read this book? Well, it's a 2011 debut, and I'm all about supporting debut authors, and it's a story about first love. Such a sucker for first love. And look at the gorgeous cover..... it's that's not enough incentive to pick it up, I don't know what is!
Normally I wouldn't have made it through a novel like this. Okay let me explain that a little better.... Most of the novel is about Ari and her day to day life. Can anyone say boring? Waking up, eating breakfast, going to school.... been there, done that... who cares? BUT, wait. I did care. Because of Ari.
Ari was a breathe of fresh air. She's, me. She's, you. She's your average teenage girl, but there is something so original and unique about her. And I know that make absolutely no sense, but I can't think of any other way of describing it. I felt what Ari felt. And that, was powerful. I wanted to read about her eating breakfast! I wanted to be there with her on her first day at the new school, and watch her fall in love. And I did.
And it wasn't just Ari that made this novel so incredible. It was every character. It's been a while since I've read a novel with such a fleshed out cast of characters. Ari's Mom and Dad.... her sister and brother-in-law. Ari's best friend. I felt like I knew them all, and their interactions in the story made it even that much more powerful. I loved the family dynamic in this novel. There aren't many YA novels that depict a relationship between a mother and daughter quite like this novel. I mean how many YA novels have you read, where the only parental interaction is through a telephone... or most of the time, the parents aren't even mentioned at all.
Lorraine's writing is very readable, it's poetic, beautiful even. I will be reading everything this lady writes. I can tell you that much. Don't assume this novel is fluff because it's a story of first love. Other Words for Love deals with some lofty issues, but it's still very entertaining.
The cover might have drew me in but it was the story and most importantly the characters that made me stay.
When I first started Other Words for Love, I had no idea what to expect. It's a debut, so I had no previous experience with the author's writings. I thought the summary sounded nice.... but it didn't hook me enough to 'have' to read this book. (That summary does not do this book justice!) So why did I decide to read this book? Well, it's a 2011 debut, and I'm all about supporting debut authors, and it's a story about first love. Such a sucker for first love. And look at the gorgeous cover..... it's that's not enough incentive to pick it up, I don't know what is!
Normally I wouldn't have made it through a novel like this. Okay let me explain that a little better.... Most of the novel is about Ari and her day to day life. Can anyone say boring? Waking up, eating breakfast, going to school.... been there, done that... who cares? BUT, wait. I did care. Because of Ari.
Ari was a breathe of fresh air. She's, me. She's, you. She's your average teenage girl, but there is something so original and unique about her. And I know that make absolutely no sense, but I can't think of any other way of describing it. I felt what Ari felt. And that, was powerful. I wanted to read about her eating breakfast! I wanted to be there with her on her first day at the new school, and watch her fall in love. And I did.
And it wasn't just Ari that made this novel so incredible. It was every character. It's been a while since I've read a novel with such a fleshed out cast of characters. Ari's Mom and Dad.... her sister and brother-in-law. Ari's best friend. I felt like I knew them all, and their interactions in the story made it even that much more powerful. I loved the family dynamic in this novel. There aren't many YA novels that depict a relationship between a mother and daughter quite like this novel. I mean how many YA novels have you read, where the only parental interaction is through a telephone... or most of the time, the parents aren't even mentioned at all.
Lorraine's writing is very readable, it's poetic, beautiful even. I will be reading everything this lady writes. I can tell you that much. Don't assume this novel is fluff because it's a story of first love. Other Words for Love deals with some lofty issues, but it's still very entertaining.
The cover might have drew me in but it was the story and most importantly the characters that made me stay.
November 12, 2011
The best thing about this book? EVERYTHING.
Other Words For Love sunk me deep inside the main character’s consciousness. It sent me to New York City in the 1980s, and it was a place I wanted to be. I wish I could still be there. I wish the book wasn’t over. I wish I knew Ari and Blake and Del and Leigh and Summer and Patrick and Evelyn, and that I could find out what they were doing today...if they were real. Because the thing is, they felt real. Hauntingly and beautifully real. I could just hear Patrick's Boston accent and Rachel's southern drawl. I could see Blake's blue eyes and Summer's flowing blonde hair. I practically smelled the tobacco on Del, heard Madonna and Bruce Springsteen singing, and smelled the food that Ari's mother was constantly cooking in their kitchen, like I was there...in that average house in Brooklyn.
The story is so different and unconventional. So bold and edgy for the YA genre. The first half develops the characters so extensively and in such detail that you know them through and through. You know that Ari's mother isn't happy. You know why Ari's father works constantly. You feel how much it hurts Evelyn that she hasn't met her mother's demanding standards. You feel Patrick's strong, commanding, sexy presence.
The first half of the story makes sense out of the second half. If I didn’t know everything that I did about Ari and her family, how people treated her, how she saw herself...I wouldn’t have bought the second half, and her reaction to losing the best thing she ever had.
But I did buy it. And I loved it. The story gave me goosebumps and tears and laughter and smiles.
The end is glorious. Such a powerful resolution, such a good message, and Ari is so strong and admirable. She grows and changes and matures. I hope she got everything she wanted, just like she bravely wished for Blake. She had so much dignity in that scene. I can’t stop thinking about it, or about Ari, or about this amazing, stunning, lovely and gorgeous novel. I'm eagerly awaiting the author's second book!
Let me make this clear: I don’t give five stars easily. This one deserves SIX.
Other Words For Love sunk me deep inside the main character’s consciousness. It sent me to New York City in the 1980s, and it was a place I wanted to be. I wish I could still be there. I wish the book wasn’t over. I wish I knew Ari and Blake and Del and Leigh and Summer and Patrick and Evelyn, and that I could find out what they were doing today...if they were real. Because the thing is, they felt real. Hauntingly and beautifully real. I could just hear Patrick's Boston accent and Rachel's southern drawl. I could see Blake's blue eyes and Summer's flowing blonde hair. I practically smelled the tobacco on Del, heard Madonna and Bruce Springsteen singing, and smelled the food that Ari's mother was constantly cooking in their kitchen, like I was there...in that average house in Brooklyn.
The story is so different and unconventional. So bold and edgy for the YA genre. The first half develops the characters so extensively and in such detail that you know them through and through. You know that Ari's mother isn't happy. You know why Ari's father works constantly. You feel how much it hurts Evelyn that she hasn't met her mother's demanding standards. You feel Patrick's strong, commanding, sexy presence.
The first half of the story makes sense out of the second half. If I didn’t know everything that I did about Ari and her family, how people treated her, how she saw herself...I wouldn’t have bought the second half, and her reaction to losing the best thing she ever had.
But I did buy it. And I loved it. The story gave me goosebumps and tears and laughter and smiles.
The end is glorious. Such a powerful resolution, such a good message, and Ari is so strong and admirable. She grows and changes and matures. I hope she got everything she wanted, just like she bravely wished for Blake. She had so much dignity in that scene. I can’t stop thinking about it, or about Ari, or about this amazing, stunning, lovely and gorgeous novel. I'm eagerly awaiting the author's second book!
Let me make this clear: I don’t give five stars easily. This one deserves SIX.
February 23, 2011
Other words for love sparkled for me. I felt like Ari was a friend telling me her secrets and bringing me back to a decade where girls tried to look like Madonna and believed that you might get AIDS from a public phone. I related to Ari’s yearning for love. Her relationship with Blake [when it’s going well] sizzles! There’s a scene between them in a house on Long Island that surprised me and was very, very hot. I’m not sure I have seen that in YA before, but it explained how Ari got so pulled into the sexual relationship with Blake. She’s never had intimacy with a guy before, and then--whoa--Blake really shows her what’s up. I liked the way things turned out at the end, because Ari shows her inner strength that took her a long time to find. There’s too much going on in the book to say everything and I don’t want to ruin it for other people who will read it, but I fell in love with this book and I think you will too.
Favorite line: “This was from a boy I used to know. He was very special to me, but that was so long ago.”
Favorite line: “This was from a boy I used to know. He was very special to me, but that was so long ago.”
May 10, 2017
I enjoy a great romance novel now and again, and I like it when there are relationships in most of the YA books that I read. But the key word for me is romance, not just hormones and sex. I felt like Ari, who is too good to be true in many aspects, was a little too fixated on boys in this book between her long-standing crush on her brother-in-law, her ennui over her ex-boyfriend, her interactions with Del, and her relationship with Blake. While I remember being 17 and dealing with those crazy teenage hormones, that in and of itself isn't altogether that interesting to read about. At least not the way it's done here.
There are a few conversations between Ari and Blake about what they want in the future, but overall I felt like most of the book was about her wanting a boyfriend and her boy troubles, with the occasional friend, family, and SAT drama tossed in. I'd be okay with a book that was all about a relationship if there was more joy or depth or caring to it (see Sixteenth Summer) , but somehow I just wasn't convinced that either Ari or Blake really wanted and needed that specific other person. I think there's actually more time spent on the sex than on the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff...and I found it annoying that infidelity is so casually treated and forgiven. Ari is also a pretty terrible friend in this book. While we all through periods of self-centered sometimes, it's pretty crappy when you realize you've been a bad friend but you can't be bothered to truly apologize for it.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but the subject just didn't really grab me and I didn't feel moved by the relationship or the story. Oh, well. The author does deserve some credit for not going the usual route with the resolution, though. Even if there was some part of me that sort of wanted it after everything that everyone (myself included) had gone through.
There are a few conversations between Ari and Blake about what they want in the future, but overall I felt like most of the book was about her wanting a boyfriend and her boy troubles, with the occasional friend, family, and SAT drama tossed in. I'd be okay with a book that was all about a relationship if there was more joy or depth or caring to it (see Sixteenth Summer) , but somehow I just wasn't convinced that either Ari or Blake really wanted and needed that specific other person. I think there's actually more time spent on the sex than on the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff...and I found it annoying that infidelity is so casually treated and forgiven. Ari is also a pretty terrible friend in this book. While we all through periods of self-centered sometimes, it's pretty crappy when you realize you've been a bad friend but you can't be bothered to truly apologize for it.
This isn't a bad book by any means, but the subject just didn't really grab me and I didn't feel moved by the relationship or the story. Oh, well. The author does deserve some credit for not going the usual route with the resolution, though. Even if there was some part of me that sort of wanted it after everything that everyone (myself included) had gone through.
May 16, 2011
My favorite type of YA is the realistic kind, and this tops the charts of the best realistic YA out there.
I felt very close to the main character, Ari Mitchell, while reading. She's kind, honest, witty, clever, sincere, sweet, and waiting for love. She wants the unconditional kind her sister, Evelyn, has. Evelyn is married to Patrick--a fireman who is tough but soft on the inside.
I loved Patrick. I loved his no-nonsense ways, his gruff exterior, his kind heart, and the way he loves his wife even when she's lashing out at him because of her post-partum depression. He puts his wife and kids first, and he treats Ari like he's her older brother, trying to guide her and protect her, all the while oblivious to how she's lusting for him. So many moments in this story are subtly stated but deeply emotional. For example, later in the story when Ari is devastated over the breakup with her boyfriend, Blake, and she sadly remembers that Blake had promised to teach her how to drive, Patrick says, "I'LL teach you how to drive." That just tugged at my heart--the simplicity and the sweetness, and the book is filled with these moments.
Lorraine Zago Rosenthal fills this story with love, joy, heartbreak, pain, and hope. She writes with a beautiful ease that I wish I could replicate. I can't praise this story enough. Read it!
I felt very close to the main character, Ari Mitchell, while reading. She's kind, honest, witty, clever, sincere, sweet, and waiting for love. She wants the unconditional kind her sister, Evelyn, has. Evelyn is married to Patrick--a fireman who is tough but soft on the inside.
I loved Patrick. I loved his no-nonsense ways, his gruff exterior, his kind heart, and the way he loves his wife even when she's lashing out at him because of her post-partum depression. He puts his wife and kids first, and he treats Ari like he's her older brother, trying to guide her and protect her, all the while oblivious to how she's lusting for him. So many moments in this story are subtly stated but deeply emotional. For example, later in the story when Ari is devastated over the breakup with her boyfriend, Blake, and she sadly remembers that Blake had promised to teach her how to drive, Patrick says, "I'LL teach you how to drive." That just tugged at my heart--the simplicity and the sweetness, and the book is filled with these moments.
Lorraine Zago Rosenthal fills this story with love, joy, heartbreak, pain, and hope. She writes with a beautiful ease that I wish I could replicate. I can't praise this story enough. Read it!
May 16, 2011
This is my best YA read so far this year. It's honest and truthful, and even though parts of it are glamorous, it doesn't sugar-coat the realities of life. I also fell in love with just about every guy in the story...they're all written as so human, with pros and cons. Blake: sweet, sexy, patient, clean, but so eager to please his charming but bullying father that he'll give up what means most of him just to be the Good Son. Patrick: rugged, handsome, a devoted husband and father...well, not too many flaws in him other than his poor grammar and his bossy ways! Del: slick, damaged, tough, caring, dangerously attractive but promiscuous and quick to throw a punch (even though one of the punches he delivers is very well-deserved). There's so much more to say, but I'll sum it up like this: "Other Words For Love" is more than a 5-star read...it's a gorgeous story that will appeal to many. I'll be on the lookout for the author's next novel.
January 9, 2011
Crazy-beautiful and awesome.
January 14, 2011
I am a high school English teacher, and this is a book that I will keep in my classroom and give to students who are going through a break-up. Not only is this story wildly entertaining and extremely well-written, but it serves as a good example of empowerment for young women. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and I give the novel my highest recommendation for teen readers and adult readers.
April 18, 2011
Believe the hype on this one. Buy it. Read it. I mean that. Go get it right now.
I had heard that this book was good, and it wasn’t a lame and shallow romance, and that’s so true...please back up a safe distance because I’m going to spew love and glitter and rainbows and unicorns. Here’s my take:
So there’s this girl named Ari, and it’s 1985, and she lives in Brooklyn. She’s a pretty girl even though she thinks she’s too pale and skinny and flat chested, and she gets straight As in school and she loves to paint and draw. Her mom is constantly telling her to study, forget boys, think about college, all that annoying crap that’s true but SO irritating to hear on a regular basis.
Ari’s sister got herself pregnant at 17. The father of the baby married her. He's this sexy stud fireman from Boston named Patrick, and Ari is so dying for a boyfriend that she turns her lust toward Patrick. Totally understandable since he’s a hottie, and he’s nice to her (but only in a brotherly way.) Ari would never do anything like flirt with him or make a move on him. She just keeps the lust locked up in her head. But her trampy friend Summer has no problem throwing herself at Patrick and making sexual innuendo whenever she can. Summer is 100% frenemy, but Ari sees the good in her. (Patrick was great. He could have been a creep and returned Ari and Summer's lustful gazes, but NO. He loves his wife (who can be such a crazy bitch), PERIOD. He's pure good.)
Then Ari inherits money, and goes to a prep school, makes another friend, Leigh, and Leigh is genuinely nice to her, unlike Summer. Leigh introduces Ari to her rich family and her cousin, Del, who is this promiscuous player in his early 20s. He’s always smoking, drinking, fighting, and screwing around with slutty women. Ari finds herself attracted to him but he’s not her type of guy so she backs off, sort of afraid of him. After that, she meets Del’s brother, Blake.
Blake had me from the second he appeared. He’s the opposite of Del. Blake is clean, sweet, studious, and he goes to New York University. I had sympathy for him right away because Ari overhears that he had a girlfriend in Georgia whom he slept with for two years, and then she dumped him for no apparent reason (the reason will be revealed later in the book, and it's shocking). So that made think, “Aw, that poor guy.”
Ari and Blake don’t get together right away. He vaguely says something about getting together, but then he doesn’t call, and Ari feels pretty down in the dumps because of it. But Leigh invites her over for Easter, and then Ari and Blake start talking, and finally she gets to go out with this amazing guy. He’s got everything: looks, brains, manners, he holds the door for her, he pays for everything, he never curses, he bitches out anyone who swears in front of a lady, he tells Ari she’s pretty, he makes out with her in his expensive car, he doesn’t pressure her for sex, but when they do have sex, he’s great at it (*fans self*), need I say more?
Other things happen in this story, too. It’s not just about Ari and Blake. It’s about Ari and her mother, Ari and Summer, Ari and her sister, Ari HERSELF. That's the main point of the story: ARI, and how she figures out what's important and that she needs to love and appreciate all that's good about her. Don’t expect just a romance because even though you’ll get the romance, you’ll get other things, too. MANY other things that mean a lot more.
Eventually Blake screws everything up because he is intimidated by his sleazeball father, and Ari is crushed, pulverized, devastated, and she has a period where she kind of loses her mind and does some crazy things, including something with Del. I did NOT see that coming, but when I remembered how she had always felt about him...yeah, I wasn’t all that surprised. But in that scene, Del shows himself to be somewhat of a nice guy. Ari is crying because of Blake, and Del comforts her. She's never had that from a guy before, and she had NOT expected it from Del. I liked him for that.
I LOVED the ending. Ari could have been a wuss, but...NO. She was strong. She was an independent woman. She didn't let anyone wipe their dirty feet on her. I was just PROUD of that girl.
This book completely sucked me in and didn’t let go. I’m sort of having withdrawals now that I’m finished. My advice is to get a copy of it. Like I said before. Get it now. You’ll thank me later. Seriously, you will.
I had heard that this book was good, and it wasn’t a lame and shallow romance, and that’s so true...please back up a safe distance because I’m going to spew love and glitter and rainbows and unicorns. Here’s my take:
So there’s this girl named Ari, and it’s 1985, and she lives in Brooklyn. She’s a pretty girl even though she thinks she’s too pale and skinny and flat chested, and she gets straight As in school and she loves to paint and draw. Her mom is constantly telling her to study, forget boys, think about college, all that annoying crap that’s true but SO irritating to hear on a regular basis.
Ari’s sister got herself pregnant at 17. The father of the baby married her. He's this sexy stud fireman from Boston named Patrick, and Ari is so dying for a boyfriend that she turns her lust toward Patrick. Totally understandable since he’s a hottie, and he’s nice to her (but only in a brotherly way.) Ari would never do anything like flirt with him or make a move on him. She just keeps the lust locked up in her head. But her trampy friend Summer has no problem throwing herself at Patrick and making sexual innuendo whenever she can. Summer is 100% frenemy, but Ari sees the good in her. (Patrick was great. He could have been a creep and returned Ari and Summer's lustful gazes, but NO. He loves his wife (who can be such a crazy bitch), PERIOD. He's pure good.)
Then Ari inherits money, and goes to a prep school, makes another friend, Leigh, and Leigh is genuinely nice to her, unlike Summer. Leigh introduces Ari to her rich family and her cousin, Del, who is this promiscuous player in his early 20s. He’s always smoking, drinking, fighting, and screwing around with slutty women. Ari finds herself attracted to him but he’s not her type of guy so she backs off, sort of afraid of him. After that, she meets Del’s brother, Blake.
Blake had me from the second he appeared. He’s the opposite of Del. Blake is clean, sweet, studious, and he goes to New York University. I had sympathy for him right away because Ari overhears that he had a girlfriend in Georgia whom he slept with for two years, and then she dumped him for no apparent reason (the reason will be revealed later in the book, and it's shocking). So that made think, “Aw, that poor guy.”
Ari and Blake don’t get together right away. He vaguely says something about getting together, but then he doesn’t call, and Ari feels pretty down in the dumps because of it. But Leigh invites her over for Easter, and then Ari and Blake start talking, and finally she gets to go out with this amazing guy. He’s got everything: looks, brains, manners, he holds the door for her, he pays for everything, he never curses, he bitches out anyone who swears in front of a lady, he tells Ari she’s pretty, he makes out with her in his expensive car, he doesn’t pressure her for sex, but when they do have sex, he’s great at it (*fans self*), need I say more?
Other things happen in this story, too. It’s not just about Ari and Blake. It’s about Ari and her mother, Ari and Summer, Ari and her sister, Ari HERSELF. That's the main point of the story: ARI, and how she figures out what's important and that she needs to love and appreciate all that's good about her. Don’t expect just a romance because even though you’ll get the romance, you’ll get other things, too. MANY other things that mean a lot more.
Eventually Blake screws everything up because he is intimidated by his sleazeball father, and Ari is crushed, pulverized, devastated, and she has a period where she kind of loses her mind and does some crazy things, including something with Del. I did NOT see that coming, but when I remembered how she had always felt about him...yeah, I wasn’t all that surprised. But in that scene, Del shows himself to be somewhat of a nice guy. Ari is crying because of Blake, and Del comforts her. She's never had that from a guy before, and she had NOT expected it from Del. I liked him for that.
I LOVED the ending. Ari could have been a wuss, but...NO. She was strong. She was an independent woman. She didn't let anyone wipe their dirty feet on her. I was just PROUD of that girl.
This book completely sucked me in and didn’t let go. I’m sort of having withdrawals now that I’m finished. My advice is to get a copy of it. Like I said before. Get it now. You’ll thank me later. Seriously, you will.
March 23, 2011
Having read the other 5-star reviews, there are only a few original things I can add. But first I have to agree that this book is extremely well-written, that the characters have depth and are compelling, the protagonist (Ari) is very sympathetic, and that the story is a gripping tear-jerker. I was also impressed with this novel’s realistic portrayal of teen sex, teen pregnancy, dysfunctional familial relationships, death, depression, loneliness, feminism (it's veiled, but it's there), and becoming an adult.
The only additional comment I can make is that I was sincerely impressed with the author’s ability to capture time and place. Nothing is overdone. It’s just there, working quietly to create the setting. For example, there is a scene where Ari is inside her boyfriend’s brother’s apartment in New York City, and she says: “There was a window. . .I saw gargoyles on the neighboring building. Or maybe they were dragons. . .I saw spooky angel faces with apple cheeks and rosebud lips.”
Those types of passages are throughout the novel, and they made me back up and savor the words.
The time period is also well-done, and the decade’s position between the new millennium and the 1960s-70s is subtly pinpointed: “I wished I could sleep in a fairy tale instead of on Evelyn’s rickety old canopy bed from when Lyndon Johnson was president.”
I also relished so many of the emotional images that are woven into this intricate story. Ari’s sister Evelyn became pregnant as a teenager, and the author portrays this situation with a sad image: “I wondered if this was how my sister had felt when she left home with her pregnant stomach and her princess phone.”
Being an adult who reads YA literature, I was highly impressed with this novel, which I enjoyed tremendously, and I recommend it for teenagers who can handle mature themes, and for adults who appreciate sophisticated YA fiction.
The only additional comment I can make is that I was sincerely impressed with the author’s ability to capture time and place. Nothing is overdone. It’s just there, working quietly to create the setting. For example, there is a scene where Ari is inside her boyfriend’s brother’s apartment in New York City, and she says: “There was a window. . .I saw gargoyles on the neighboring building. Or maybe they were dragons. . .I saw spooky angel faces with apple cheeks and rosebud lips.”
Those types of passages are throughout the novel, and they made me back up and savor the words.
The time period is also well-done, and the decade’s position between the new millennium and the 1960s-70s is subtly pinpointed: “I wished I could sleep in a fairy tale instead of on Evelyn’s rickety old canopy bed from when Lyndon Johnson was president.”
I also relished so many of the emotional images that are woven into this intricate story. Ari’s sister Evelyn became pregnant as a teenager, and the author portrays this situation with a sad image: “I wondered if this was how my sister had felt when she left home with her pregnant stomach and her princess phone.”
Being an adult who reads YA literature, I was highly impressed with this novel, which I enjoyed tremendously, and I recommend it for teenagers who can handle mature themes, and for adults who appreciate sophisticated YA fiction.
December 19, 2011
SO GOOD!!!!!! The author is clearly an insider to New York's social structure.
February 7, 2011
Other Words for Love. What a breath of fresh air. As an adult who reads YA, it's rare that I find something like this.
There's a lot of well-written and enchanting YA out there, but a lot of it is also vapid, silly, girl meets guy and two minutes later they're in love with no explanation, no background, nothing happening in the story except for their cotton candy romance. There is also YA with hard-edged characters who are cruel, shallow, annoying, and no explanation is ever given as to why they're so empty and obnoxious. Often, it's either ugly realism or a dreamworld, and neither make for a good piece of literature. But Other Words for Love is a perfect mix of the bliss and the agony that can come with a first love, especially one as intense and meaningful as exists between Ari and Blake.
What I admire even more is that the story isn't only about Ari and Blake. It's about what makes them drawn to each other-his bully of a father, Ari's pushy mother, siblings who have disappointed their parents so much that Ari and Blake feel a duty to take up the slack, Ari's physically present but emotionally absent father, Blake's long-dead mother. The author of this novel has created characters that stayed with me after I finished reading. I knew so much about them, I felt them so deeply, and understood them so fully that it was hard to let them go. All of the characters are well-rounded and sympathetic. Everyone has a history.
Other Words for Love is a smart, deep, emotional story that anyone who has been in love, who has felt insecure, who has had problems with family and friends will understand. Yes, I think that's everyone.who hasn't gone through these experiences? How could you not relate? The novel is written in a remarkable way-literary at times, but so well-paced and easy to read. This novel adheres to a higher standard that I hope will continue in the genre and from this gifted author.
There's a lot of well-written and enchanting YA out there, but a lot of it is also vapid, silly, girl meets guy and two minutes later they're in love with no explanation, no background, nothing happening in the story except for their cotton candy romance. There is also YA with hard-edged characters who are cruel, shallow, annoying, and no explanation is ever given as to why they're so empty and obnoxious. Often, it's either ugly realism or a dreamworld, and neither make for a good piece of literature. But Other Words for Love is a perfect mix of the bliss and the agony that can come with a first love, especially one as intense and meaningful as exists between Ari and Blake.
What I admire even more is that the story isn't only about Ari and Blake. It's about what makes them drawn to each other-his bully of a father, Ari's pushy mother, siblings who have disappointed their parents so much that Ari and Blake feel a duty to take up the slack, Ari's physically present but emotionally absent father, Blake's long-dead mother. The author of this novel has created characters that stayed with me after I finished reading. I knew so much about them, I felt them so deeply, and understood them so fully that it was hard to let them go. All of the characters are well-rounded and sympathetic. Everyone has a history.
Other Words for Love is a smart, deep, emotional story that anyone who has been in love, who has felt insecure, who has had problems with family and friends will understand. Yes, I think that's everyone.who hasn't gone through these experiences? How could you not relate? The novel is written in a remarkable way-literary at times, but so well-paced and easy to read. This novel adheres to a higher standard that I hope will continue in the genre and from this gifted author.
May 31, 2011
Read OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE if you want a story that is raw and romantic, sad but hopeful, serious but humorous, gritty yet gorgeous. It's not a shallow YA, where parents don't even have a role in the story and the teenagers barely have an intelligent or meaningful thought.
This novel has a strong plot that moves quickly, but it's literary. What I mean by literary is character-driven, where the focus is not only on the story but on the inner workings of the main character's mind. Her thoughts on her life, the people around her, life in general, and society. The author captures Ari's thoughts and feelings in an incredible way. It also impressed me that she could write a literary novel with beautiful prose that also has commercial appeal and a compelling plot. This is not an easy feat.
The setting of 1980s New York City is perfect. The terror of AIDS is everywhere, and even though teenagers are sophisticated, there's an innocence in Ari that wouldn't exist today. It was a more conservative time in some ways, but not all. Don't forget that stay-at-home mothers weren't so glorified then as now. Ari feels pressure to be a career woman and not depend on a male. This was what happened back then, because after the 70s, the sexual revolution, ERA, being a housewife was considered a waste of a female's life. Ari feels this pressure. It often confuses her.
The characters are three-dimensional with many gray areas. Ari has a transcendent voice that pulled me into her world, her home, her mind. Which is why I loved it.
This novel has a strong plot that moves quickly, but it's literary. What I mean by literary is character-driven, where the focus is not only on the story but on the inner workings of the main character's mind. Her thoughts on her life, the people around her, life in general, and society. The author captures Ari's thoughts and feelings in an incredible way. It also impressed me that she could write a literary novel with beautiful prose that also has commercial appeal and a compelling plot. This is not an easy feat.
The setting of 1980s New York City is perfect. The terror of AIDS is everywhere, and even though teenagers are sophisticated, there's an innocence in Ari that wouldn't exist today. It was a more conservative time in some ways, but not all. Don't forget that stay-at-home mothers weren't so glorified then as now. Ari feels pressure to be a career woman and not depend on a male. This was what happened back then, because after the 70s, the sexual revolution, ERA, being a housewife was considered a waste of a female's life. Ari feels this pressure. It often confuses her.
The characters are three-dimensional with many gray areas. Ari has a transcendent voice that pulled me into her world, her home, her mind. Which is why I loved it.
December 22, 2011
Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...
Though the story of Other Words for Love is set in the '80s, this story could have been happening right now. The emotions are so real, the relationships and complications so true-to-life. Ari is the perfect character for this story to happen to - just enough naivete, just enough repressed anger, just enough dreams and fantasies.
I love how there are so many layers to the story and how Lorraine knits them all together to create a perfectly woven, multi-layered story. Each thread is followed through and creates problems just when another thread seems to be finally coming together.
And the ending is great, too. It's not a "happy-ever-after," but it's true to real life. We're left with hope for Ari, hope that she learned something from this whole thing, hope that somewhere out there is the perfect situation for her - and I especially like that her hope does not hinge on her finding a guy!
Though the story of Other Words for Love is set in the '80s, this story could have been happening right now. The emotions are so real, the relationships and complications so true-to-life. Ari is the perfect character for this story to happen to - just enough naivete, just enough repressed anger, just enough dreams and fantasies.
I love how there are so many layers to the story and how Lorraine knits them all together to create a perfectly woven, multi-layered story. Each thread is followed through and creates problems just when another thread seems to be finally coming together.
And the ending is great, too. It's not a "happy-ever-after," but it's true to real life. We're left with hope for Ari, hope that she learned something from this whole thing, hope that somewhere out there is the perfect situation for her - and I especially like that her hope does not hinge on her finding a guy!
February 23, 2011
Originally featured on yareads.com
There are so many different ways to promote books these days. The one way that I completely trust is when everyone (with nothing to gain for doing so) is buzzing about a book as enthusiastically as they were for Other Words For Love. So after I checked it out myself, I completely loved it.
The characters in this book were incredible. Each character was unique, complex, so well fleshed out and had these realistic personalities with both virtues and flaws. Some characters you’ll completely hate and others you’ll grow to understand. Some of them were even quite cruel at times like Evelyn and Summer, who would say certain things that would make me go – GAAAAAASPPPPPPPPPPP! OHHHHH, she did not just say that! I wanted to dive into the pages, step beside Ari and serve them a swift kick to head for how they acted. This just goes to show how invested you become in these characters and Ari’s story.
What really hit me was just how authentic I felt the emotions expressed in the book were. Everything Ari felt, from her elation at being with Blake, to her eventual heartbreak just felt so so real. Her feelings in the end might seem dramatic but if you’ve ever been heartbroken that’s exactly what it’s like – the colors fade to gray, food seems pointless and you’re stuck in a rut you don’t bother to get out of. I loved how the way Ari felt meant that she perceived the statue of Saint Anne differently – it was very clever and so true.
The part that particular struck me the most me while Ari’s world was falling apart, she felt like all the hard work she’d done up to that point, not just in school but in life, had counted for nothing because of a slip up right at the finish line. For me that was the part where I raised my hand and said “Oh I have been there” Which I think a lot of girls will feel the same about quite a few sections of the book.
If there was a flaw in this book I can only say it was the blurb – it gives too much away. The last paragraph of the blurb basically gives half the story away and I was able to have a good guess about what would happen in the rest. BUT! Despite that, the story’s execution was superb and even though I’d already been told what would happen it didn’t make it any less interesting or heartbreaking or amazing, which proves just how great this book is.
Ari’s life in New York in the 1980s was completely fascinating to read about, in particular to note what has changed and what is still the same. Even after finishing it I couldn’t stop thinking about this story for days after. I was so proud of Ari and what she managed to accomplish in the end, her experiences made her so much stronger. Sign me up for every Lorraine Zago Rosenthal writes next. Highly, highly, highly, recommend it.
There are so many different ways to promote books these days. The one way that I completely trust is when everyone (with nothing to gain for doing so) is buzzing about a book as enthusiastically as they were for Other Words For Love. So after I checked it out myself, I completely loved it.
The characters in this book were incredible. Each character was unique, complex, so well fleshed out and had these realistic personalities with both virtues and flaws. Some characters you’ll completely hate and others you’ll grow to understand. Some of them were even quite cruel at times like Evelyn and Summer, who would say certain things that would make me go – GAAAAAASPPPPPPPPPPP! OHHHHH, she did not just say that! I wanted to dive into the pages, step beside Ari and serve them a swift kick to head for how they acted. This just goes to show how invested you become in these characters and Ari’s story.
What really hit me was just how authentic I felt the emotions expressed in the book were. Everything Ari felt, from her elation at being with Blake, to her eventual heartbreak just felt so so real. Her feelings in the end might seem dramatic but if you’ve ever been heartbroken that’s exactly what it’s like – the colors fade to gray, food seems pointless and you’re stuck in a rut you don’t bother to get out of. I loved how the way Ari felt meant that she perceived the statue of Saint Anne differently – it was very clever and so true.
The part that particular struck me the most me while Ari’s world was falling apart, she felt like all the hard work she’d done up to that point, not just in school but in life, had counted for nothing because of a slip up right at the finish line. For me that was the part where I raised my hand and said “Oh I have been there” Which I think a lot of girls will feel the same about quite a few sections of the book.
If there was a flaw in this book I can only say it was the blurb – it gives too much away. The last paragraph of the blurb basically gives half the story away and I was able to have a good guess about what would happen in the rest. BUT! Despite that, the story’s execution was superb and even though I’d already been told what would happen it didn’t make it any less interesting or heartbreaking or amazing, which proves just how great this book is.
Ari’s life in New York in the 1980s was completely fascinating to read about, in particular to note what has changed and what is still the same. Even after finishing it I couldn’t stop thinking about this story for days after. I was so proud of Ari and what she managed to accomplish in the end, her experiences made her so much stronger. Sign me up for every Lorraine Zago Rosenthal writes next. Highly, highly, highly, recommend it.
November 30, 2012
Other Words For Love has so much honesty and realism that it connected me to the characters right off the bat. It is filled with raw emotion and all the exhilaration, heartbreak, joy and pain of life...especially that of a young person during her interactions with family, friends and romantic interests. It is edgy in many ways and it boldly and effectively defies the conventional YA premise. If you’re looking for a beautifully crafted story with heart, depth and meaning, this novel is for you. Although the main character is a teenager, her story is exceptionally wise and mature.
May 20, 2012
I can't exactly pinpoint the exact reason why I gave this book such a low rating. It seemed like a book I would like, fluffily YA romance, right? But I felt more and more sour towards the book as the pages went on, until I was reading it just for the sake of finishing it. Maybe it's the characters, who I couldn't connect with in the slightest. Apart from Patrick, her sister's husband, I pretty much found everyone in this book annoying. Too typical, cliche, and boring. Even Ari got just completely unbearable at one point. For such a caring, plain person she sure messes up in this book. A lot. The attraction to her sister's husband and not to mention every male except her dad mentioned in this book (I am not kidding) put me off. The way Ari treats all her friends in this book and allows herself to be walked all over rubbed me the wrong way. And was it necessary to set this book in the 80's? I'm all for it if it actually did something for the story, but it doesn't. I would forget for half the book until the author mentioned AIDS. You would think she would have fun with it, including music and clothing, but from the descriptions I couldn't imagine it at all. I think the main problem is, once I stopped liking Ari, I stopped liking this book. Books with weak heroines don't do it for me, but I guess someone else could get past the issues I had and enjoy this.
January 24, 2011
Ariadne (Ari) Mitchell attends public high school in Brooklyn. She is artistic and dreams of one day attending Parsons School of Design and of falling in love. Ari’s best friend Summer is beautiful and flashy and attends the exclusive Hollister Prep on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. When Ari’s family receives an inheritance, they decide to send her to Hollister Prep. Ari’s preppy style and artistic sensibility is more of a match at Hollister. She quickly makes a new friend Leigh who introduces her to her wealthy family and takes her to nightclubs and museums. Leigh also introduces Ari to her gorgeous cousin Blake, and Ari can’t believe he is interested in her. They begin a relationship and Ari is so infatuated she forgets about her studies, friends, family and plans for the future. When there are some bumps in the road with Blake, Ari struggles to find her footing and find herself again.
This is a wonderful coming of age book by debut author Lorraine Zago Rosenthal. The setting is New York in the mid 1980′s at the time of AIDS blood tests, Live Aid, Madonna and Duran Duran. Ari is easy to relate to with her over-bearing mother, and pretty and popular best friend. Ari suffers from stress migraines and is a nice and hard-working girl. She wonders if she has what it takes to be an artist and if she will ever find love.
Ari’s relationships with her family and friends are vividly described. Ari’s mother wants the best for Ari. Her eldest daughter Evelyn married young after a teen pregnancy. She is very protective of Ari and holds her to high standards and does not want her to lose sight of her goals. Ari’s friend Summer is the popular and boy-crazy girl who we are not sure has Ari’s best interests at heart. Ari’s sister Evelyn suffers from depression and is threatened by Ari. Leigh is the friend that seems the most perfect for Ari. They both are quiet and kind and love art. Blake seems like the too-perfect boyfriend who is kind, polite and considerate.
The friend relationships ring very true. Ari has always had one best friend Summer, but is now managing the complexity of having another good friend Leigh. Adding Blake to the equation adds more drama to Ari’s life than she has ever experienced.
The writing in this book is beautiful and descriptive. I felt like I was there in New York in the 1980s. The story is something anyone can relate to about first love and following your dreams. This story is uniquely told and a fast read. Recommended for fans of contemporary young adult novels, and older teens. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
This is a wonderful coming of age book by debut author Lorraine Zago Rosenthal. The setting is New York in the mid 1980′s at the time of AIDS blood tests, Live Aid, Madonna and Duran Duran. Ari is easy to relate to with her over-bearing mother, and pretty and popular best friend. Ari suffers from stress migraines and is a nice and hard-working girl. She wonders if she has what it takes to be an artist and if she will ever find love.
Ari’s relationships with her family and friends are vividly described. Ari’s mother wants the best for Ari. Her eldest daughter Evelyn married young after a teen pregnancy. She is very protective of Ari and holds her to high standards and does not want her to lose sight of her goals. Ari’s friend Summer is the popular and boy-crazy girl who we are not sure has Ari’s best interests at heart. Ari’s sister Evelyn suffers from depression and is threatened by Ari. Leigh is the friend that seems the most perfect for Ari. They both are quiet and kind and love art. Blake seems like the too-perfect boyfriend who is kind, polite and considerate.
The friend relationships ring very true. Ari has always had one best friend Summer, but is now managing the complexity of having another good friend Leigh. Adding Blake to the equation adds more drama to Ari’s life than she has ever experienced.
The writing in this book is beautiful and descriptive. I felt like I was there in New York in the 1980s. The story is something anyone can relate to about first love and following your dreams. This story is uniquely told and a fast read. Recommended for fans of contemporary young adult novels, and older teens. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
May 23, 2011
Other Words for Love is one of those rare treats filled with characters and situations that mirror everyday life yet maintain a certain compelling allure to readers in spite of the fact that they themselves have most likely experienced something similar in their own lives. Perhaps part of the appeal is due to the subject matter. As the title suggests, this is a story about love and all of the ways it can manifest, obscure itself, and be displayed. More intriguing, it’s about a girl finding her own path into adulthood as she steps up, strikes out, and dusts herself off to try again. Rosenthal has written a book that is not only inspiring, but transcending.
I was originally thrown when I began reading Other Words for Love as it is set in 1985. I immediately flipped to see if it was a re-print, but of course it wasn’t. I couldn’t understand why an author would write a dated book. But the story pulled me, and I decided to let it go and enjoy the ride. It wasn’t until I read the last page that I understood. Love, with all its joys, triumphs and failures defies time. That which plagued teenagers and adults alike in 1985 still stumps and tantalizes us in 2011. It’s a bit surreal to see that in spite of history, lessons in love can only be learned individually, and most usually in err.
What makes this book even more identifiable is its heroine, Ari, who you can’t help rooting for. She’s typical in nearly every way, fraught with insecurities, yet possessing a good head on her shoulders as well as a strong heart and fairly intuitive sense of self. Her struggles and daily life could have been easily mistaken for that of a current teenager. Again, I have to say I found this shocking. Spoken like a true youngin, huh?
So, if you have a hankerin (that’s southern for desire) to read a lovely understated novel that will take you back, and maybe even shine a spot light on some lessons you have forgotten or over looked, give this one a try.
I was originally thrown when I began reading Other Words for Love as it is set in 1985. I immediately flipped to see if it was a re-print, but of course it wasn’t. I couldn’t understand why an author would write a dated book. But the story pulled me, and I decided to let it go and enjoy the ride. It wasn’t until I read the last page that I understood. Love, with all its joys, triumphs and failures defies time. That which plagued teenagers and adults alike in 1985 still stumps and tantalizes us in 2011. It’s a bit surreal to see that in spite of history, lessons in love can only be learned individually, and most usually in err.
What makes this book even more identifiable is its heroine, Ari, who you can’t help rooting for. She’s typical in nearly every way, fraught with insecurities, yet possessing a good head on her shoulders as well as a strong heart and fairly intuitive sense of self. Her struggles and daily life could have been easily mistaken for that of a current teenager. Again, I have to say I found this shocking. Spoken like a true youngin, huh?
So, if you have a hankerin (that’s southern for desire) to read a lovely understated novel that will take you back, and maybe even shine a spot light on some lessons you have forgotten or over looked, give this one a try.
February 12, 2011
Other Words for Love is a superb debut novel by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, and I’m very, very happy that I picked up this book. From the first few pages I just knew this book was going to have the perfect amount of humor, seriousness, dialogue, and inner dialogue, and it came through.
Other Words for Love is set in New York in the 1980s, specifically 1985-1988. Those dates are really special to my sister and myself…I was born in ’85 and she was born in ’88. So for me, it was really nostalgic to read a YA novel set during the first three years of my life. It was good to look back and see what our culture was worried about in the 80s such as AIDS, and to read a book without a cell phone in it. Plus all of the ’80s references brought make some memories.
The thing is, this book is just about a girl, Ariadne, from the ages 16-19…should be boring, right? Well it’s not whatsoever. I didn’t want to put this book down at all, and I read it until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. Ari’s life and thinking was very real to me, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen with her family, school, and relationships. Also, any type of love interest for Ari didn’t show up until way later in the book, which I actually liked. I’m surprised by that. Having Ari not miraculously go through all these events and fall in love in a week but instead over the course of three years is great. It shows us that things just don’t happen overnight, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. By the end of the book, Ari is a completely different young girl, and this might sound cheesy, but I’m proud of her.
Sometimes you just absolutely LOVE a book and you have no way of really explaining it, and that’s how I feel about Other Words for Love.
Other Words for Love is set in New York in the 1980s, specifically 1985-1988. Those dates are really special to my sister and myself…I was born in ’85 and she was born in ’88. So for me, it was really nostalgic to read a YA novel set during the first three years of my life. It was good to look back and see what our culture was worried about in the 80s such as AIDS, and to read a book without a cell phone in it. Plus all of the ’80s references brought make some memories.
The thing is, this book is just about a girl, Ariadne, from the ages 16-19…should be boring, right? Well it’s not whatsoever. I didn’t want to put this book down at all, and I read it until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. Ari’s life and thinking was very real to me, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen with her family, school, and relationships. Also, any type of love interest for Ari didn’t show up until way later in the book, which I actually liked. I’m surprised by that. Having Ari not miraculously go through all these events and fall in love in a week but instead over the course of three years is great. It shows us that things just don’t happen overnight, and Rome wasn’t built in a day. By the end of the book, Ari is a completely different young girl, and this might sound cheesy, but I’m proud of her.
Sometimes you just absolutely LOVE a book and you have no way of really explaining it, and that’s how I feel about Other Words for Love.
February 17, 2012
I really liked this book. It's about figuring out what you want, geting to know yourself and people around you, growing up, taking chances and making the wright choices - and, above all it's about girl power - something I'm raised to believe in.
December 28, 2010
My Thoughts: When I first saw this book, I thought I was going to love it. Maybe even more than a 5 cupcake book! I didn't love it as much as I hoped but I still did enjoy it a lot. We are introduced to Ari who lives in the late 80's. She lives with her mother and father. Her sister lives a little bit away with her husband Patrick. Ari kind of had feelings for Patrick which was a bit unusual but nothing actually ever happens between them. It's more like a little teenage crush.Her sister is kind of a manic depressant. Ari ends up attending a private school and had to transfer from her public school. At least there she fit in. She values her education and doesn't want to end up like her sister, young and pregnant.
She than meets Leigh and Leigh's two cousins Del and Blake. I really liked Blake, he was a perfect gentlemen. Ari is very careful with Blake, and he does not pressure her for sex but she knows he's not a virgin because he has an ex-girlfriend from Georgia. Remember this is the late 80's, AIDS was on the rise and she was discovering more about it. I liked seeing how Ari and Blake's relationship was developing and how they were falling in love. One thing that bothered me was how Blake wouldn't stand up to his father. His father wanted him to be a lawyer like himself and Blake had different dreams. I wanted Blake to be a different person.
Ari went from being somewhat independent to being sucked into a relationship that brought her down. Yes, she stuck up for herself but her grades started slipping and she focused all her energy on a boy. I wanted her to keep up with her dreams and she started brushing them off.
I'll stop there because I don't want to ruin the whole book. I really enjoyed reading this book however I was a bit let down by the end. I wanted the perfect ending and this book didn't sugar coat it and though that was a good thing, I still wanted the cheery happy ending. I liked how Ari discovered who she really was. I liked how she made the right choice for herself at the end.
Overall: Really enjoyed reading it.
Cover: Love the cover! I was instantly attracted to the book just by the cover alone! Beautiful!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
She than meets Leigh and Leigh's two cousins Del and Blake. I really liked Blake, he was a perfect gentlemen. Ari is very careful with Blake, and he does not pressure her for sex but she knows he's not a virgin because he has an ex-girlfriend from Georgia. Remember this is the late 80's, AIDS was on the rise and she was discovering more about it. I liked seeing how Ari and Blake's relationship was developing and how they were falling in love. One thing that bothered me was how Blake wouldn't stand up to his father. His father wanted him to be a lawyer like himself and Blake had different dreams. I wanted Blake to be a different person.
Ari went from being somewhat independent to being sucked into a relationship that brought her down. Yes, she stuck up for herself but her grades started slipping and she focused all her energy on a boy. I wanted her to keep up with her dreams and she started brushing them off.
I'll stop there because I don't want to ruin the whole book. I really enjoyed reading this book however I was a bit let down by the end. I wanted the perfect ending and this book didn't sugar coat it and though that was a good thing, I still wanted the cheery happy ending. I liked how Ari discovered who she really was. I liked how she made the right choice for herself at the end.
Overall: Really enjoyed reading it.
Cover: Love the cover! I was instantly attracted to the book just by the cover alone! Beautiful!
What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
May 6, 2011
4/5
I'm not even entirely sure how I feel about this. Other Words for Love is an inspired and empowering book that reveals important morals that I appreciated during my reading. Ari was such a genuine character that not only could I connect and relate to her on so many levels, I was also able to understand her rationale behind her actions and sympathise with her at her low-points.
Other Words for Love is unlike all other contemporaries, in that love is portrayed as OTHER than what it normally entails in YA. It comes in so many different forms in this book, and I seriously just loved that love was not one-dimensional. The topics and issues were brought about in an intelligent and sophisticated manner, while wrapped up in a presentable and easy-to-read format that young-adults and beyond will be able to enjoy while contemplating the ramifications of what love does to people.
+ Beautiful cover and a suitable, simplistic title
+ Character development could not have been better--the people we meet at the beginning are not the same as the people we see at the end.
+ Relatability and historical standpoints. Even though this book is set 25 years~ in the past there is still a lot of relevance to teenagers and young adults today.
+ I'm not sure about other people, but I liked that there was an emphasis on safe sex and contraceptives and checkups, because so much of today's media kind of forgets that those things are important.
+ Ari is such a strong character, who undergoes enormous change and strife. Her narration is a strikingly honest one, and I loved her for it. She's just your average girl, insecure and uncertain of the future. Which is, once again, very relatable. Especially in that time period when experience and excitement was favoured (and still is). She's intelligent and makes mistakes but learns from them and understands the consequences. And it's easy to understand how mistakes can be made in the blink of an eye...
+ Solid writing. Ari's tone remains true throughout the book. It never felt strained; it was all just very believable.
+ The statue. What a strong literary symbol. I'll have to flick through again to pluck out specifics.
+ Touching up on that love in many forms: friendship and family are huge parts of this book too. Especially the strains that can occur when they mix together.
Grr. I wish I would get out of this review-funk. I have all these things I want to say, but actually typing them out? Oh well. This review won't be published until a few weeks from now. :)
I'm not even entirely sure how I feel about this. Other Words for Love is an inspired and empowering book that reveals important morals that I appreciated during my reading. Ari was such a genuine character that not only could I connect and relate to her on so many levels, I was also able to understand her rationale behind her actions and sympathise with her at her low-points.
Other Words for Love is unlike all other contemporaries, in that love is portrayed as OTHER than what it normally entails in YA. It comes in so many different forms in this book, and I seriously just loved that love was not one-dimensional. The topics and issues were brought about in an intelligent and sophisticated manner, while wrapped up in a presentable and easy-to-read format that young-adults and beyond will be able to enjoy while contemplating the ramifications of what love does to people.
+ Beautiful cover and a suitable, simplistic title
+ Character development could not have been better--the people we meet at the beginning are not the same as the people we see at the end.
+ Relatability and historical standpoints. Even though this book is set 25 years~ in the past there is still a lot of relevance to teenagers and young adults today.
+ I'm not sure about other people, but I liked that there was an emphasis on safe sex and contraceptives and checkups, because so much of today's media kind of forgets that those things are important.
+ Ari is such a strong character, who undergoes enormous change and strife. Her narration is a strikingly honest one, and I loved her for it. She's just your average girl, insecure and uncertain of the future. Which is, once again, very relatable. Especially in that time period when experience and excitement was favoured (and still is). She's intelligent and makes mistakes but learns from them and understands the consequences. And it's easy to understand how mistakes can be made in the blink of an eye...
+ Solid writing. Ari's tone remains true throughout the book. It never felt strained; it was all just very believable.
+ The statue. What a strong literary symbol. I'll have to flick through again to pluck out specifics.
+ Touching up on that love in many forms: friendship and family are huge parts of this book too. Especially the strains that can occur when they mix together.
Grr. I wish I would get out of this review-funk. I have all these things I want to say, but actually typing them out? Oh well. This review won't be published until a few weeks from now. :)
April 5, 2024
So I read this again in 2024 to see if I still feel the same, and I do, but in a less cringey way. i think this is a beautiful coming of age story and just so fucking brilliant and not nearly as appreciated as it should be!
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2011 review: The synopsis on Goodreads for this book does not do it justice, in my opinion. It doesn't even cover half of what this story is about. I thought that this would be an extremely light read, but it pulled me through so many emotions from happy, to sad, to infuriated! This book is about Ari Mitchell and her eventual relationship with Blake Ellis, but it's also about her relationship with her sister Evelyn, her relationship with her very strict and worried mother, and her rocky friendships. You'd think that it may be boring to just read about the trials and tribulations of a teenage girl living in the 1980's, but it's not, not at all. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal includes a fleshed out cast of characters who are all very developed in their own way, and they almost seem like real people. To me, they are real people. Ari is just a typical girl on the surface. She could be anyone, she's the girl across the street, she's your best friend, she's your sister. But the way that Rosenthal wrote her character made me want to know her. She made me relate to her in a way that I haven't related to a character in a long time. I can't remember the last time I related to a character on such a high level. This book covers a lot of issues that teenagers go through. The first love, and the fallout of it, and the consequences of getting so wrapped up in someone that you neglect important things around you. This book also has a tremendous main plot but also has a lot of different conflicts that happen throughout that make you realize that this book is not just about love of a boyfriend/girlfriend, but love of family.
I love this book for all of those reasons. But I mostly love it because I feel like it has helped me to understand my own life. This book opened my eyes and made me realize that no matter how perfect a guy may seem on the surface, there's usually some type of flaw that you could be blind to. This book has helped me to get over someone who I really cared about because I was going through exactly what Ari was going through. So I'm pretty sure that you have to read this.
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2011 review: The synopsis on Goodreads for this book does not do it justice, in my opinion. It doesn't even cover half of what this story is about. I thought that this would be an extremely light read, but it pulled me through so many emotions from happy, to sad, to infuriated! This book is about Ari Mitchell and her eventual relationship with Blake Ellis, but it's also about her relationship with her sister Evelyn, her relationship with her very strict and worried mother, and her rocky friendships. You'd think that it may be boring to just read about the trials and tribulations of a teenage girl living in the 1980's, but it's not, not at all. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal includes a fleshed out cast of characters who are all very developed in their own way, and they almost seem like real people. To me, they are real people. Ari is just a typical girl on the surface. She could be anyone, she's the girl across the street, she's your best friend, she's your sister. But the way that Rosenthal wrote her character made me want to know her. She made me relate to her in a way that I haven't related to a character in a long time. I can't remember the last time I related to a character on such a high level. This book covers a lot of issues that teenagers go through. The first love, and the fallout of it, and the consequences of getting so wrapped up in someone that you neglect important things around you. This book also has a tremendous main plot but also has a lot of different conflicts that happen throughout that make you realize that this book is not just about love of a boyfriend/girlfriend, but love of family.
I love this book for all of those reasons. But I mostly love it because I feel like it has helped me to understand my own life. This book opened my eyes and made me realize that no matter how perfect a guy may seem on the surface, there's usually some type of flaw that you could be blind to. This book has helped me to get over someone who I really cared about because I was going through exactly what Ari was going through. So I'm pretty sure that you have to read this.
May 16, 2011
2.5 stars
Firstly, this book does not deserve such a gorgeous cover. It gives people false hope of a good book
This book is....I'm not entirely sure what word I want to use but the phrase 'all over the place' would fit as well.
This book went up and down for me. More down than up. I look at this book as though it's in 3 parts:
1st Part - not good. I hated the characters.
2nd Part - uplifting and good. I felt like the book was heading in a good direction.
3rd Part - back to being bad (although the ending was good)
The plot was not good at all - I felt like there wasnt really a plot at all. But I did feel like she developed the characters well and gave them what they deserved in the end.
Also, I'm not entirely sure why the author chose to set this book in the 80s. I actually forgot until 30% into it, or something. The whole AIDS issue wasnt even brought up that much, so it seemed unnecessary to me.
Another thing - the blurb. It gives entirely too much away and I think it's a tad over dramatic.
Firstly, this book does not deserve such a gorgeous cover. It gives people false hope of a good book
This book is....I'm not entirely sure what word I want to use but the phrase 'all over the place' would fit as well.
This book went up and down for me. More down than up. I look at this book as though it's in 3 parts:
1st Part - not good. I hated the characters.
2nd Part - uplifting and good. I felt like the book was heading in a good direction.
3rd Part - back to being bad (although the ending was good)
The plot was not good at all - I felt like there wasnt really a plot at all. But I did feel like she developed the characters well and gave them what they deserved in the end.
Also, I'm not entirely sure why the author chose to set this book in the 80s. I actually forgot until 30% into it, or something. The whole AIDS issue wasnt even brought up that much, so it seemed unnecessary to me.
Another thing - the blurb. It gives entirely too much away and I think it's a tad over dramatic.
March 7, 2012
this book isn't groundbreaking or phenomenal. instead, it's the kind of book that you read and sigh at the end of, emotionally exhausted. and then you find yourself thinking about it some days later and smile, feeling it's aftereffects as if you went through the main character's journey yourself.
or, well, it was like that for me. :)
or, well, it was like that for me. :)
January 20, 2012
I love this book. It's just so good, and Ari is a very real and sympathetic character. I love the way romance and family issues are written realistically, and the ending was perfect.
February 16, 2011
Oh my. . . this book was tender aching, lovely loneliness, and finally, quiet confidence.
This is a book I think almost anyone can appreciate and relate to. If you’re older, you are going to think about your first serious romance and let your mind roll over the nostalgia, good or bad. If you are Ari’s age and in a relationship of your own, you might laugh, commiserate and nod in agreement. If you still are waiting for your first ‘real’ relationship, Ari’s story might simultaneously make you want one more and caution that a heart that loves is also a heart that can be crushed. Ari is every girl, and I don’t mean that she’s a two-dimensional character; I mean that her thoughts, hopes, disappointments and emotions are ones we universally share. It’s a rare person who hasn’t had almost all the same reactions that Ari has, even the darkest, saddest ones.
That being said, there is something more to this book than being a coming-of-age tale about first love. It’s about the different types of love we carry, and how the affection and commitment we have for one person affects our relationships that we have with others. In the beginning, I think this is why Ari’s yearning for someone to care for her is so acute. Her family does love her, but she lives in the shadow of her sister’s life choices and her mother’s expectations. Her relationship with her father is a distant one, and it seems that while she certainly is loved, there is little said in words or actions by her family that shows she is truly appreciated. Too often, the family’s care over one of the more fragile and selfish members of the family causes them to expect Ari to sacrifice emotionally. Ari gets it, but for a girl who already feels like she is nothing special, it still stings. When how she ought to treat others is at odds with her own desires, Ari also learns that mirrors reflect both ways, and that she, too, is capable of stinging others.
It’s a wonderfully written story, with hallmarks and benchmarks of growing up being woven through the narrative of everyday living. I think that’s what I appreciated most. So often in these stories, the self-analysis and introspection that the protagonist takes us through is very involved and detailed. Ari has her depressing moments, but I’d say for about a good two-thirds of the book, it’s almost as if she won’t admit to herself how she really feels, or she’ll briefly acknowledge the truth of her emotions without actually feeling them. Very often, Ari’s fixes her own self-assessment onto the Saint Anne statue that the previous homeowners left behind. There is also a true honesty and authenticity in Ari's family, and the way they treat each other continuously moves the story along. I don't usually see each individual's personal characteristics come out, and I think the author really nailed this.
Other Words for Love: I don’t think the title is so much about the actual ‘other’ words so much as the actions we hope convey our affections. Sometimes we fall short, and sometimes we have to choose between the different types of love we have among those we care for. The book is a reminder that emotions ebb and flow, and sometimes people grow out of relationships the same way they grow into them. True love, did Ari have it? No, but I think she did love Blake, and the first time you care for someone like that, it changes your world to realize you can feel that deeply. Ari learned hard lessons from it, but they are ones she can carry forward for the rest of her life. Towards the end my mind drifted a little bit, but I loved the resolution. It's certainly not a Hollywood ending, but part of me feels very proud of Ari. I hope you will, too.
This is a book I think almost anyone can appreciate and relate to. If you’re older, you are going to think about your first serious romance and let your mind roll over the nostalgia, good or bad. If you are Ari’s age and in a relationship of your own, you might laugh, commiserate and nod in agreement. If you still are waiting for your first ‘real’ relationship, Ari’s story might simultaneously make you want one more and caution that a heart that loves is also a heart that can be crushed. Ari is every girl, and I don’t mean that she’s a two-dimensional character; I mean that her thoughts, hopes, disappointments and emotions are ones we universally share. It’s a rare person who hasn’t had almost all the same reactions that Ari has, even the darkest, saddest ones.
That being said, there is something more to this book than being a coming-of-age tale about first love. It’s about the different types of love we carry, and how the affection and commitment we have for one person affects our relationships that we have with others. In the beginning, I think this is why Ari’s yearning for someone to care for her is so acute. Her family does love her, but she lives in the shadow of her sister’s life choices and her mother’s expectations. Her relationship with her father is a distant one, and it seems that while she certainly is loved, there is little said in words or actions by her family that shows she is truly appreciated. Too often, the family’s care over one of the more fragile and selfish members of the family causes them to expect Ari to sacrifice emotionally. Ari gets it, but for a girl who already feels like she is nothing special, it still stings. When how she ought to treat others is at odds with her own desires, Ari also learns that mirrors reflect both ways, and that she, too, is capable of stinging others.
It’s a wonderfully written story, with hallmarks and benchmarks of growing up being woven through the narrative of everyday living. I think that’s what I appreciated most. So often in these stories, the self-analysis and introspection that the protagonist takes us through is very involved and detailed. Ari has her depressing moments, but I’d say for about a good two-thirds of the book, it’s almost as if she won’t admit to herself how she really feels, or she’ll briefly acknowledge the truth of her emotions without actually feeling them. Very often, Ari’s fixes her own self-assessment onto the Saint Anne statue that the previous homeowners left behind. There is also a true honesty and authenticity in Ari's family, and the way they treat each other continuously moves the story along. I don't usually see each individual's personal characteristics come out, and I think the author really nailed this.
Other Words for Love: I don’t think the title is so much about the actual ‘other’ words so much as the actions we hope convey our affections. Sometimes we fall short, and sometimes we have to choose between the different types of love we have among those we care for. The book is a reminder that emotions ebb and flow, and sometimes people grow out of relationships the same way they grow into them. True love, did Ari have it? No, but I think she did love Blake, and the first time you care for someone like that, it changes your world to realize you can feel that deeply. Ari learned hard lessons from it, but they are ones she can carry forward for the rest of her life. Towards the end my mind drifted a little bit, but I loved the resolution. It's certainly not a Hollywood ending, but part of me feels very proud of Ari. I hope you will, too.
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