A review by cathyatratedreads
Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan

5.0

I loved McCahan's first book, and I absolutely adored this one. The main character was so real I felt I could go visit Ohio and see her. Her pithy observations were so funny I had to read them out loud to family members or underline them for future reference. But when she was hurt and confused, I felt it viscerally. And since she's only 15 and barely 16, and at that age of trying to figure out what love even means, it's ripe for confusion and momentary elation.
I love that McCahan writes about families whose members love each other deeply and get along and enjoy each other's company (but, realistically, have their disagreements and frustrations, but work through them). It's a breath of fresh air in a landscape of literature about broken families and people who can't stand each other.
Bonuses for me: set in Columbus, where my father is from. Rich use of language and plays on language, which I love. Precociously and ridiculously smart main character whose family members both encourage her in her uniqueness but help her to find ways to relate to others and be "nicer" sometimes.
This book was far too short! I wanted to spend a lot more time with Josie. But really, it was absolutely Pperfect (in Josie-speak).

Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/love-foreign-words-clean-young-adult-book-review/