Other Words for Love

Other Words for Love
By Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
2011
354 pages

Summary: When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else? (Amazon)

Review: Other Words for Love is a sweet story with characters that are charming and endearing. Ari is believable and many readers will connect to her feelings of falling in love for the fist time. The author also created very complex and interesting secondary characters, especially Blake and Ari’s sister Evelyn. Rosenthal does a great job of portraying the messiness of first love and heartbreak, making this a poignant novel. While I appreciated the 1980’s setting, some younger YA’s might find it hard to connect to that time period. Furthermore, while the story is quite in depth, the writing was at times slow. I think this novel is more suited for readers who enjoy slower-paced novels rich in character and story.

This is Lorraine Zago Rosenthal’s first novel.

Author website: http://lorraine-zago-rosenthal.blogspot.com/

Rating:
Writing: 4/4
Characters: 3.5/4
Plot: 3/4
Originality: 3/4
Popularity: 3/4
Cover Art: 4/4
Grade Level Interest: S