jeisel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
readabookorfive's review against another edition
5.0
Trigger warnings sexual assault and religion
It's about being alive. About noticing all the little things, because no one ever knows if it's the last time they'll see them.
Little Do We Know is a book that hit me so hard the first time I read it back in April and my reread was no different. It was my first Tamara Ireland Stone book and since, she has truly become one of my favourite authors, I've also read her debut and its sequel now and her writing and characters are just so beautiful as well as the fact that she's just such a wonderful person too. But, this one still remains my favourite because it has grown to be 1) my second favourite book of all time and 2) it just means so bloody much to me.
When I first read Little Do We Know, I was in a really bad patch with my mental health and whereas that has been a constant fight for me this year but, at that time, I was at one of my lowest points of my entire life and this book just spoke to me. I just needed to hear and read the messages that this book was showing me about friendship, love, finding yourself, faith, speaking up and everything in between. From my first read, Luke was my favourite character, Stone just has this way with writing these sweet male characters that capture my heart but Luke definitely took it for me. He's such a kind hearted, sweet person who truly goes through a path of self discovery in this book because of the horrific thing he has to go through and it really hit me. It helped me understand that yes, I am going through some shit right now that won't go away straight away but, I am strong and I can get through this.
I also absolutely adore Emory. I didn't at the very start but as we went through the book, I just loved her more and more. She's having to deal with the fact her mother is moving on with a guy that she hates and for good reason, she knows that she has to break up with the person she's absolutely in love with because they're moving onto college and on with their lives. And, on top of that, she's dealing with the fact she's fallen out with her best friend because she said a shitty thing about her and it just breaks my heart. Emory is such a strong female character that I think we can all learn strength from because even though she goes through all of these shitty things in her life, at the end, she's still smiling and laughing. She reminds me of Tohru from Fruits Basket who is my favourite female character of all time.
Then, there's Hannah. Hannah who is going through the fact that there's no money for her to go to college, she's really struggling with the fact her dad is making decisions she doesn't like, she's falling in love for the first time AND like mentioned before, Emory, her best friend, has fallen out with her all because she made a stupid comment. Whilst Hannah wasn't my favourite character in this book, she is still such an incredible character and I think would make a really interesting character study which I wrote a paper on at university actually. And, I found her struggle with her religion really relatable because it's something that I went through when I was around eleven and twelve and discovering my sexuality because I was so scared of rejection. I'm glad that she got everything that she deserved because she's incredible.
Overall, Little Do We Know is such an incredibly beautiful story about friendship, love, faith and tragedy. Tamara Ireland Stone just has such a beautiful writing style and has this amazing ability to make me sob into my pillow because her story is just so gorgeous. I will forever read anything this woman puts out into the world because I know that it will be nothing short of a masterpiece. Please, please pick up this book because you absolutely will not regret it and it just deserves all of the incredible praise.
It's about being alive. About noticing all the little things, because no one ever knows if it's the last time they'll see them.
Little Do We Know is a book that hit me so hard the first time I read it back in April and my reread was no different. It was my first Tamara Ireland Stone book and since, she has truly become one of my favourite authors, I've also read her debut and its sequel now and her writing and characters are just so beautiful as well as the fact that she's just such a wonderful person too. But, this one still remains my favourite because it has grown to be 1) my second favourite book of all time and 2) it just means so bloody much to me.
When I first read Little Do We Know, I was in a really bad patch with my mental health and whereas that has been a constant fight for me this year but, at that time, I was at one of my lowest points of my entire life and this book just spoke to me. I just needed to hear and read the messages that this book was showing me about friendship, love, finding yourself, faith, speaking up and everything in between. From my first read, Luke was my favourite character, Stone just has this way with writing these sweet male characters that capture my heart but Luke definitely took it for me. He's such a kind hearted, sweet person who truly goes through a path of self discovery in this book because of the horrific thing he has to go through and it really hit me. It helped me understand that yes, I am going through some shit right now that won't go away straight away but, I am strong and I can get through this.
I also absolutely adore Emory. I didn't at the very start but as we went through the book, I just loved her more and more. She's having to deal with the fact her mother is moving on with a guy that she hates and for good reason, she knows that she has to break up with the person she's absolutely in love with because they're moving onto college and on with their lives. And, on top of that, she's dealing with the fact she's fallen out with her best friend because she said a shitty thing about her and it just breaks my heart. Emory is such a strong female character that I think we can all learn strength from because even though she goes through all of these shitty things in her life, at the end, she's still smiling and laughing. She reminds me of Tohru from Fruits Basket who is my favourite female character of all time.
Then, there's Hannah. Hannah who is going through the fact that there's no money for her to go to college, she's really struggling with the fact her dad is making decisions she doesn't like, she's falling in love for the first time AND like mentioned before, Emory, her best friend, has fallen out with her all because she made a stupid comment. Whilst Hannah wasn't my favourite character in this book, she is still such an incredible character and I think would make a really interesting character study which I wrote a paper on at university actually. And, I found her struggle with her religion really relatable because it's something that I went through when I was around eleven and twelve and discovering my sexuality because I was so scared of rejection. I'm glad that she got everything that she deserved because she's incredible.
Overall, Little Do We Know is such an incredibly beautiful story about friendship, love, faith and tragedy. Tamara Ireland Stone just has such a beautiful writing style and has this amazing ability to make me sob into my pillow because her story is just so gorgeous. I will forever read anything this woman puts out into the world because I know that it will be nothing short of a masterpiece. Please, please pick up this book because you absolutely will not regret it and it just deserves all of the incredible praise.
iheartya311's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Great - as expected from this author. Emotional, endearing, and relatable. I'll read anything this author writes.
erica1994's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
andrearbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone was a book I snagged at Library Night at the K. It's actually already out on shelves, but still a new-ish release. This one was classic YA. Emory and Hannah are lifelong next door neighbors and former BFFs, but now aren't talking, and you don't know why. Through alternating chapters, they share their story of their final days of high school as well as elude to where things have been with their friendship. Things get more complex when Emory intervenes as she finds Hannah's boyfriend Luke passed out in a car outsider her house. This book is a story about friendship, romance and faith told in a unique and different way. I can't say that I've read many books that talk about all three of these like this one did. I will say I figured out the reason Emory and Hannah weren't talking fairly early on, but it didn't ruin my reading of the book. There are also some other complexities in the story that I'm still processing through, but overall I thought this one did what YA generally does for me.
rileygatlin's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
emmagohery's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good read. A little predictable, and light enough to read in 3 days. I like that it covers pretty dark topics in a way that makes them seem less daunting, and gets you thinking.
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Hannah and Emory have been best friends and next-door neighbors for most of their lives. However, several months ago they had a big fight and said things that can’t be taken back. These teens are further put to the test, when Emory’s boyfriend gets in a serious accident outside of Hannah’s house. All three begin questioning their life, those they hold dear and their faith. This novel is perfect for fans of Emory Lord.
I enjoyed this novel. I feel that it will appeal to the Christian population, especially those questioning their faith. However, this novel would be hard to recommend to this population because there are several plot points which would not gel with the conservative wishes of adults. I liked that there were friendships between genders, without it having to be romantic. This novel included one of my hot button issues of student/teacher relationship, but the overall book was so well written and interesting, I could move past it.
I enjoyed this novel. I feel that it will appeal to the Christian population, especially those questioning their faith. However, this novel would be hard to recommend to this population because there are several plot points which would not gel with the conservative wishes of adults. I liked that there were friendships between genders, without it having to be romantic. This novel included one of my hot button issues of student/teacher relationship, but the overall book was so well written and interesting, I could move past it.
ginnikin's review against another edition
It had rather more religion in it than I was prepared for, but Hannah's questioning makes it mostly okay. I had a *lot* of problems with Hannah's dad and Aaron, as does the story, although I think her dad gets off a bit lightly. I could've done with a lot more "love doesn't judge" religion, like in [b:The Names They Gave Us|30038906|The Names They Gave Us|Emery Lord|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474998295s/30038906.jpg|50443138]. Oh well. It was a good quick read.
katleap's review against another edition
3.0
3 Stars
This was a quick easy read.
Hannah and Emory have been best friends for years and haven't spoken to each other in three months. Unable to bridge the divide in their friendship, the two of them are brought together when Emory's boyfriend Luke almost dies in front of Hannah's house.
I liked the premise. Especially that Hannah and Emory can be such strong friends when they go to different schools and have different beliefs. I love strong friendships. I like how the characters evolved. It was an easy fun book.
This was a quick easy read.
Hannah and Emory have been best friends for years and haven't spoken to each other in three months. Unable to bridge the divide in their friendship, the two of them are brought together when Emory's boyfriend Luke almost dies in front of Hannah's house.
I liked the premise. Especially that Hannah and Emory can be such strong friends when they go to different schools and have different beliefs. I love strong friendships. I like how the characters evolved. It was an easy fun book.