review by Maryom Serena always had big plans for her life - to leave her Florida home, go to college, travel the world and write about her journey. What her plans didn't include was getting pregnant at 16 while her boyfriend Sawyer took off leaving no word! Move on a few years and Serena has a toddler Hannah, and a new steady boyfriend Aaron. Then Sawyer breezes back as if nothing happened, wanting to pick up where they left off. Serena and Sawyer had only been together for a few months but he'd been the love of her life. Is she willing to take him back now?
This is a really readable, entertaining story but a little too light and fluffy for my taste. It's definitely got an unusual twist for a teen-romance....but...somehow it seems to be giving the wrong message to a teenage readership. There's none of the gritty 'bringing up baby' realism of Malorie Blackman's Boy's Don't Cry or the emotional impact of Juno , no real feel of the responsibilities and pressures brought about by having a child, particularly alone.
It's very much a 'true love conquers all' story and although I'm sure many readers will love the ending, I wasn't happy. How To Love is fine as an escapist love story but please don't treat it as anything else.
Maryom's review - 3.5 stars
Publisher - Quercus
Genre - teen romance
Buy How to Love
from Amazon
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