A Review for How to Love by Katie Cotungo

Posted by Donna
Release Date: October 3rd, 2013
Finished Date: September 4th, 2013

Publishers: Quercus 
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 400

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

BEFORE:

Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.

AFTER:

Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.

After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?

The Review: "What you looked like was never lost on me," he says, lacing one arm around my shoulder, pulling me down until my head is resting on his chest. "Nothing about you, my dear, has ever been lost on me."

I hadn't heard of How to Love until it arrived on my doorstep, and as soon as I read the blurb, I was pretty intrigued.  I knew it was something I wanted to read but I had my doubts seeing as I'd never heard of the book before. Well, I needn't have worried because How to Love is a heart-breaking and hope-filled story about two teenagers finding love, at the wrong place and wrong time, and dealing with unforgettable consequences.

Reena and Sawyer's story is a difficult one. Reena has loved Sawyer from afar for as long as she can remember. They're families are close but Reena always manages to keep her emotions in check around him. It isn't until one day that Sawyer finally takes notice in Reena, that things really start to change for them. The problem is, Sawyer is a boy that comes with a lot of trouble. Sawyer, in my opinion, really is a like two separate people. As we go back and fourth in the before and after story, we see who Sawyer really is and why he becomes the way he is. However, despite his problems there's still something about him that makes you as a reader like him and even feel for his situation. When Sawyer returns, you see the change in him straight away. He's grown up, not so troubled any more and he's ready to face the future. I liked the before Sawyer (even with his problems) but I loved the after Sawyer. And Reena, even as closed off as she was, I liked her. I could understand her reasoning's for the being the way she was. With her family being religious, she was kind of cast out of the family whenever they spent time together. It was sad! The only real person she had to confined in was her friend. It was hard to watch her come out of her protective shell but then, I was rooting for her at the same time too. I guess a lot of people could relate to Reena - for a girl of her age and for the troubles that she went through, she held up very well.

One thing that stood out to me about this book was how much I enjoyed how the story went from past to present - I think Katie Cotungo did it very well and the story was written great too. While I was reading the book I just kept imagining it playing out as movie. I for one think it would be a great contemporary movie! It has enough suspense, lovable moments and sad moments to keep you entertained, the characters are lovable and I just really enjoyed this book.