Love and Other Words: A Book Review
Love and Other Words is a contemporary romance novel that tells the tale of Macy and Elliot, two book lovers who meet as young adults, fall in love, and lose each other for 11 years. The novel alternates between the past and the present, revealing how their relationship evolved and what happened to separate them. In this review, I will discuss the main themes, characters, and writing style of the book, as well as my personal opinion and rating.
The Isolating Effect of Grief
One of the main themes of the book is how grief can isolate people and prevent them from expressing their true feelings. Macy, the protagonist, loses her mother to cancer when she is 10 years old. She copes by shutting down her emotions and focusing on her academic and professional achievements. She also avoids talking about her mother or her past with anyone, including her fiancé, Sean. Elliot, the love interest, comes from a large and chaotic family, where he feels overlooked and misunderstood. He also suffers from dyslexia, which makes him insecure about his intelligence and abilities. He finds solace in reading and writing, but he also hides his passion from his family and friends. Macy and Elliot bond over their shared love of books and words, but they also struggle to communicate their deeper emotions and fears. Their inability to open up to each other leads to a misunderstanding that breaks them apart for more than a decade.
The Power of Literature and Language
Another theme of the book is how literature and language can connect people and inspire them to grow. Macy and Elliot meet in a closet full of books in Macy’s father’s weekend house. They spend hours reading, discussing, and recommending books to each other. They also play a game where they ask each other what their favorite word is and why. Through books and words, they learn more about themselves and each other, and they develop a friendship that turns into love. Books and words also help them cope with their personal challenges and discover their true passions. Macy realizes that she wants to be a pediatrician, not a doctor, because she loves working with children and making them happy. Elliot realizes that he wants to be a writer, not a lawyer, because he loves creating stories and expressing his feelings. Books and words also help them reconnect in the present, when they run into each other in a bookstore and start talking again.
The Complexity of Love and Friendship
The third theme of the book is how love and friendship can be complicated and unpredictable. Macy and Elliot start as friends, but they quickly develop romantic feelings for each other. However, they are afraid to ruin their friendship by admitting their attraction, so they keep it a secret. They also have to deal with external factors that threaten their relationship, such as their families, their careers, and their distance. When they finally confess their love, they are happy for a brief moment, but then they are torn apart by a tragic event that involves Macy’s father and Elliot’s sister. They blame each other and themselves for what happened, and they stop talking for 11 years. When they meet again, they still love each other, but they also have to face the consequences of their choices and actions. Macy is engaged to Sean, a successful and caring man who loves her, but who doesn’t understand her true self. Elliot is single, but he has been hurt by Macy’s rejection and silence. They must decide whether to rekindle their relationship or move on with their lives.
The Writing Style and Structure
The book is written in the first-person point of view, alternating between Macy and Elliot’s perspectives. The chapters are labeled as “then” and “now”, switching between the past and the present. The “then” chapters show how Macy and Elliot met, became friends, and fell in love. The “now” chapters show how they encounter each other again, and how they deal with their unresolved feelings and issues. The writing style is engaging and emotional, capturing the characters’ thoughts and feelings. The dialogue is witty and realistic, reflecting the characters’ personalities and chemistry. The descriptions are vivid and detailed, creating a sense of place and atmosphere. The structure is effective and suspenseful, revealing the events and secrets gradually and keeping the reader invested in the outcome.
My Opinion and Rating
I enjoyed studying Love and Other Words, and I found it to be a touching and fascinating story. I preferred the characters, mainly Macy and Elliot, who have been relatable and likable. I additionally liked the subject matters, specifically the significance of literature and language, which resonated with me as a book lover and a author. I also appreciated the writing style and structure, which kept me hooked and entertained. The only factor I didn’t like was the finishing, which I observed to be too rushed and convenient. I felt that the warfare become resolved too easily and fast, and that the characters didn’t face sufficient effects or demanding situations for their moves. I also felt that a number of the secondary characters, which include Sean and Elliot’s sister, were underdeveloped and stereotypical. I might have preferred to look more intensity and nuance in their roles and relationships. Overall, I would deliver the book a 4 out of five stars rating, and I could advocate it to fanatics of contemporary romance and books approximately books.
