![]() It’s impossible not to root for the two of them to beat the odds. Cotugno draws even the minor characters well, and although Sawyer, as a reformed bad boy, is something of a stock figure, Reena is complex and appealing. In a confident debut, Cotugno structures Reena’s story in alternating “before” and “after” chapters that explain how Reena and Sawyer got together, what brought them to where they are now, and where they could end up, maybe, if they can push through a tangle of guilt, anger, and complicated family connections. I like to read from page one to the end without my brain having to back track, or to have to remember each segment.That said, I loved this book because I chose to read the after and then the before and my brain combined the two into one great novel. I dislike a before and after split style of writing. Then her one love-Hannah’s father, Sawyer LeGrande-comes back to town. How to Love, a debut novel by Katie Cotugo, was at first a turn-off for me. It’s not what Reena planned, but she’s making the best of it. Katie Cotugno is the New York Times bestselling author of messy, complicated feminist YA novels including 99 Days, How to Love, Fireworks, Top Ten, 9 Days & 9 Nights, You Say It First. Instead of studying journalism at Northwestern after graduating from high school a year early, she’s living with her parents in hot, sticky Florida, taking courses at the local community college and caring for her toddler, Hannah. ![]() There’s a big gap between where 18-year-old Reena Montero expected to be and where she is. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |