Dec 12, 2011

Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Title: Love & Leftovers
Author: Sarah Tregay
Publisher:  HarperCollins Children’s Books
Publication Date: 12.27.11
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary, Poetry
Series: No
Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):
My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

Review:
Let me begin by saying I was not expecting this book to be told entirely in poetry format. I actually knew little about this novel before getting it in the mail, but what girl doesn’t love a good coming of age story? The way Sarah Tregay writes this tale is beautiful and poignant, but I think the story may suffer a little from the way it’s told.

A story told entirely in the poetic form is daring and revolutionary. It took me a little while to get into the story because I think my brain has become stuck on one format of storytelling in novels, and the shift took me by surprise. Once I got past that, I started to remember my love of poetry. There is something so simplistic and beautiful about poetry, and that really enhances the story here. Poetry is the closest form of written art in my book; instead of hanging pictures, Tregay hung words.

My biggest complaint is the serenity of this story. Forgive me for going into metaphor overload, but this story like a lake when the sun is shining and it’s 80 degrees outside. It’s peaceful and calm. There may be a breeze that makes the waves ripple along the surface a little, but there were no huge rapids or twists. There were no surprises and short of the format, nothing new. I didn’t have any “Oh, my God—did that really just happen?!” moments.

Please don’t get me wrong—this book is very good, and I do recommend it. But I don’t recommend going into it thinking this book will be exciting. It’s paced and sweet and light, but it’s not as meaty a story as I would prefer.

Buy: Amazon

4 comments:

  1. I had no idea this story was told entirely in poems. I honestly thought it was going to be a narrative! I enjoy all forms of literature, but I'm not sure if I could read a whole story in verse. Books on poetry are a bit different, so this might be something I will tackle down the line. Great heads up on this one =)

    Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves

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  2. Oh crap, is written in verse? I was looking forward for this book but that writing style is not really my thing. I read the Wake trilogy and I liked it enough, but still the verse thing didnt do it for me. The *serenity* is not really my thing either =(. Well... thanks for the great review. You make this book sounds very good and interesting even though you didnt enjoy it that much.

    Great review my dear! I love reading honest and RESPECTFUL reviews that keeps also some objectiveness at the same time.

    Dazzling Reads

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  3. My daughter would love reading this book, thanks for the review.

    I like reading reviews before I buy them that way I know if I would like to read it or not.

    Thanks :)

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  4. It is written in verse? I was really looking forward to reading this book, but that is not the kind of writing style I can handle for an entire book. Thank you for this wonderful review!! I might borrow it from a friend...

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