When I think of beautifully written books, from now on this will come to mind. I was hesitant to pick this up for a few reasons, namely the fact that (a) I didn’t understand the title and (b) I had read Lily King’s earlier work Writers & Lovers and was not particularly impressed. Let this be a lesson to not (necessarily) dismiss all of an author’s work because you didn’t enjoy one.
You learn so much in college. When it’s good it feels like just the beginning, and when it’s hard, it’s the end of everything. For our narrator, it seems like her world is upended in beautiful and terrifying ways by Sam and Yash, upheaval that, rather than being restricted to their time in academia, will shape her life for years to come.
It’s tempting to start this review on our narrator and her first loves, on the life lessons that coincide with college curricula, of growing up and getting hurt, but I don’t want this to be dismissed as a romance book because it’s not. You do walk with the narrator, “Jordan” as she’s nicknamed for much of the book, through college romances, relationship complications, and heartbreak, but you also walk with her through the decisions that usher one further along the path of adulthood, through struggle and loss and life. Her thought processes and emotions were detailed so beautifully I couldn’t stop listening to the book. In fact, I listened to the last hour motionless in a chair, so as to be able to sit with the words and focus on the story. I am an avid multitasker when it comes to audiobooks, so I cannot stress how uniquely this captivated me. I had tears rolling down my cheeks by the end.
I was impressed by the insights King was able to articulate on life and love and mistakes, and will be forever thankful I gave her writing another try. I’m already excited to re-read it. This is one I would definitely recommend. Plus, there’s that taste of academia, of erudite friends who pontificate as a past time, that makes it a perfect companion for autumnal weather.
2% Rating: 9.5
Recommend? Yes
Re-Read? Definitely
Time: 1:48