Love, Life and the List by Kasie West // Last Book Review of The Year //
December 31, 2017
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Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d
planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best
friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with
anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no
heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings Abby isn’t
going to take any chances.
Which is where the list comes in.
Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.
Which is where the list comes in.
Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems… and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.
Review:
Love, Life
and the List is a book about self-discovery and transformation. It’s a cute
book that’s going to steal your breath away and warm your heart. The story is funny,
quirky, charming and all kinds of romantic, perfect if you’re looking for a warm
summer read in this cold days.
I freed my
mouth and laughed, even though the “just friends” part was not by choice. I
had, in fact, professed my love to Cooper Wells exactly one year ago that very
month. It had been more than obvious by his reaction that the feelings were not
reciprocated. So I had to play it off like some joke. Some joke he had been
more than willing to go along with. And I let him, because I didn’t want to
lose him as a friend. He was the best friend in the world.
Abby was a pleasant
surprise as a protagonist. I liked her sarcasm and how she was quick on her
feet when she needed to give a smartass answer or even a funny one. I laughed a
lot thanks to her. I also though it was well built her relationship with her
grandfather. They bickered the whole book, but you could feel the love. I liked
how her art was described and the whole creative process she went through, and
it was a learning experience for me seeing her overcome her fears because of
that list. I might just make one for myself because it really helped her and
her art.
Cooper was
a big teddy bear, I admit. He was introduced as this playful guy with a
constant smile on his face, that was clueless about how Abby felt about him.
NOT. He was a little snake in a hot guy’s body. Because he played with Abby’s
feelings the whole book. But he manages to redeem himself in the end and I forgave
him, but just because he’s cute and he cried.
And as the
illegal sky rockets lit up the sky with their loud bangs of color, I noticed
Cooper looking at me. He averted his gaze. Maybe things could change.
The couple
itself was super cute. They were best friends up until the last ten pages of
the book and I should totally be mad at that. But I’m not. It worked. We got to
know them as friends first and see how they interact with each other and THEN
we saw them as a couple. But I must admit, for a couple of seconds I was afraid
they weren’t going to make it. But they did, and they have a happy ending. Don’t
worry people!
The only
thing I expected more out of this book is the secondary characters. Even though
the main story is not about them, the secondary characters make or break a
book. I have to highlight her Grandfather though, because he was a terrific character. I felt like I read about people that were supposed to be important but
only showed up for two pages at the end. Cooper’s parents also didn’t really
like Abby and it was explained why, but it didn’t convince me at all because that
specific subject was almost never addressed or dealt with. It was brushed under
the carpet. I would also have liked to read more about Abby’s dad and even her
mom and Elliot. All of this, in my opinion could have been addressed with more detail
because it’s important things that matter to the protagonists but are missing.
But overall,
it was a simple yet sweet book that takes you back to your first crush and your
first heartbreak. It’s cute and quirky and oh so adorable. The characters are well
written and well thought out. Kasie West wrote a delightful book.
4/5 Stars
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