Love and Other Words

4.5 stars — When my hubby came home and I was crying and told him I had only an hour left in the audiobook, but I knew there was more crying to come…well, that might have been an understatement. I’m glad I stayed downstairs, I definitely would have woken him up. So fair warning to anyone who has lost a parent…this one hits hard, on multiple occasions. As a side note, I can’t tell if this review is subtly spoilery or not…like not explicitly, but if you really want to know NOTHING, then maybe skip this. I just had so many thoughts to get out. I’m not even sure what I’m going to be able to say about this one. It impacted me in a very real way. It was addicting to listen to, but at the same time I kept taking breaks because I kept feeling too much, and it overwhelmed me. Not that this is a devastating read per say, but it was the bigness of the relationship between Macy and Elliott that kept me both stalling and devouring. And it’s strange, because the magnitude of their feelings for one another both got to me and felt almost too much…and I can’t decide in the end. I LOVED reading it, but it felt…exhausting. It’s weird, because I could see bits of where this story was going to end, what the secrets were likely going to be, throughout the story — and, to be honest, I’m not always a fan of secrets teased but kept from the reader until the end…but this felt like enough hints were given that it wasn’t a complete shock, but it still had the impact that this tactic was looking for, so it only mildly bothered me. I understood, and in the end it fit with the way this story was laid out, with pieces of the past interwoven with the present. I loved the way the story was told, because we really got to see the relationship that developed slowly, over time, between Macy and Elliott when they were young…and it was so believable. And I think it made for a stark contrast with the withdrawn Macy of today. Though, in all honesty, she was always a bit reticent and afraid of loss. I loved the connections that young Macy and Elliott made, the way they would read together, the way they felt legitimately like teenagers, including all the hormones that go with that. I was worried that I was going to be more annoyed with Macy at the end, but I wasn’t…the way it all played out kept me connecting with her even through the hard moments. Even though Elliott’s forthrightness and intensity was…uh, intense I guess, I really loved how unique of a character he was. He was this beta-ish boy, deliciously nerdy and bookish…but that intensity bled into his sexual side in a way that took me offguard. I was often thrown off by his honesty, and I will admit that his honesty made for some really uncomfortable situations. But in the end I loved the way he didn’t hold back on his feelings as a side effect. I really loved the families in this one. I ADORED Macy’s father, and what seeing her relationship with him did to help us understand her more. He was a father character that was so easy to love. And of course the Petropoulos family was amazing, particularly in its contrast to Macy and her Dad. As always, I loved Erin Mallon’s narration. Amazing emotion, great range, and I loved all of her voices (but especially Elliott’s). She nailed how I wanted them both to sound. So yeah. Definitely one of my faves by this duo. I wrote this review, went to bed, and proceeded to replay certain scenes and silently cry. Definitely a book hangover kind of book.

Too melodramatic at the end for me.

To be honest I really don't like this book