I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs
Genre: YA, Coming of Age
Pages: 159 (ebook)
Source: Author
Author's Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Description:
My best friend was more than just a best friend to me. Three words summed it up: I heart him. I’d never tell him though. I wasn’t stupid. Besides, what he’d told no one, but me, was a little something I wished I could forget… or ignore. He was gay. I guess gay wouldn’t be bad if I wasn’t so in love with him. Now it was just cruel.
Stereotypes run amok in this college love story: Parties, alcohol, hookups, and breakups. Alexandria Carmichael may find it a bit much as she deals with the unreturned love from the boy who completes her. When all is revealed, not only does she risk losing her best friend forever, but also herself. Without her childhood companion for support, Alexandria takes a journey of self-discovery but fears what she’ll find at the end
My Rating:
My Review: Alex has found herself in the most difficult situation of her life. Not only is she in love with her best friend who happens to be gay, but she has allowed herself to disappear in a crowd and she doesn't even know how to stand up for herself anymore. Both Seth and Alex face difficult issue but they've always had each other. This time, it looks like even a best friend can't set things right.
I really enjoyed this book. The premise drew me in and I was not disappointed. Not only is Alex in love with her best friend Seth, but she is starting college and dealing with the issues and insecurities with that. I also loved that there were no easy answers for the character. The situation sounded very realistic and extremely relevant. However, I wished that Ms. Jacob had addressed some of the issue that came up a little bit more. Serious issues like sexuality, suicide, and drugs were brought up but seemed to be skated over. I also didn't quite connect with Alex. I understood that Alex was in love with Seth because she said it over and over again but I'm not quite sure that I believed it. Her actions didn't seem to show that she was in love with him. In fact, I think she could have been a better friend. However, I think if I understood why she was in love with him, it would have been a little less teenage drama/angst and I would have been a bit more invested in the conflict.
Overall, this was a very good read that kept me interested from beginning to end.
I also loved that Ms. Jacobs set the story in a college setting. I would love to see more of that in books. Does anyone know of any good reads that take place in a college setting?
This book satisfies the 2012 Multicultural Book Challenge
