A review by nissahh
The How & the Why, by Cynthia Hand
5.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Dear X,
When it comes to books I know that's going to be emotional and possibly make me cry I try to steer away from them because I really don't want to cry my heart out at 12:30 in the morning and yet that's what I did. I had everything planned out, I sectioned it off every 5 chapters or so to read every day because I was in a reading slump last month (October). I didn't stick to that at all, at the end of every section made me want to know what's going to happen next.
The first time I cried, I considered it stupid because nothing really sad happened or was said. It was the first letter 'S' wrote Cass and the ending made me get teary eyed a little. When you read it you would think I'm crazy for getting emotional over that.
After the first letter from 'S' to her Cass we met Cass celebrating her 18th birthday with her best friend Nyla at a Mexican Restaurant. After which she celebrates with her dad and her family at home where she had an embarrassing conversation with Nyla when she thought it was just them two. Then she celebrates with her mom who's in the hospital after a heart attack.
After coming home from the hospital she goes to room and thinks about her birth mother like she always done with every birthday and decided to actually pursue in finding out who she is this time.
We learn how Cass and Nyla are theater nerds; we get to see them audition and get ready to perform Into The Woods, which is Mama Cat's favorite play. There's a new boy in school who tries out for Prince Charming and is very good at singing. I do have to admit I was nervous that Sebastian (Bastian) would cause Nyla and Cass to have a rift in their friendship.
Since it's their senior year, Nyla and Cass, with Cass father, tour all of Idaho's colleges, even though he wants Cass to attend Boise State. She finds the perfect college for which is not Boise State.
Cass and Nyla competes in Idaho's National Drama Competition and we find out Mama Cat has 6 weeks to live. We see Cass struggling with the thought of losing her mother and how's that affecting her life outside of her family and her relationship with Nyla.
While we getting to know Cass, we are also learning more about 'S' and how she ended up deciding to put Cass up for adoption and how everything was in Booth and how she met Cass's father. Reading from 'S' letters made me the most emotional, we see her go from not wanting to write this letter to Cass, to seeing how she's truly feeling about Cass by the end. Her last two letters really did a number on me and just thinking about them is making me tear up a little.
Cass relationship with her parents were so cute and what I picture a healthy relationship with parents and child should be. They are supportive of Cass wanting to know more about her birth mother and possibly meeting her.
Her father is a 5th grade teacher and her mother was a cake baker before she was hospitalized because of heart attack. You can see how much they love and care for each other and that was really cute to see. There's a scene in this book that would be considered a spoiler and it was cute and funny.
Cass and Nyla was also cute (I use cute a lot apparently). They're both adopted and bonded even more over that. You can see how much each other means so much to them. They have traditions they do when before every audition and that was sweet. There's a part in this book that really shocked me and I didn't expect that from Cass because she knows how Nyla feels about that and yet she says it anyways. I understand being upset and overwhelmed with everything going on with her mother, but still.
Nyla is African American. She was born in Liberia and was adopted when she was three and she's a Mormon with three other siblings. The fact that you learn a lot about Nyla tells you a lot about the author's writing. I never learned so much about a side character before, but I guess it had to do with her and Cass being so close.
Because I don't believe sexuality is a spoiler, I would like to say that Sebastian is gay. You get a small glimpse of his family life from when he talks with Cass about going to college.
The ending was beautiful and had me wishing it was a little longer, but I understand. Sometimes you don't need to know more about something that is private even though it's a fiction. I imagine it must've been hard for the author, who's also adopted to write this beautiful book, and to have it go on more would be selfish.
This book was so beautifully written that made me want to immediately read again once I was finished. It has happy endings and new beginnings that was just *chef's kiss*. Get your tissues ready and be prepare to cry throughout this book. It's definitely one of my favorite books of all time and year.
Dear X,
When it comes to books I know that's going to be emotional and possibly make me cry I try to steer away from them because I really don't want to cry my heart out at 12:30 in the morning and yet that's what I did. I had everything planned out, I sectioned it off every 5 chapters or so to read every day because I was in a reading slump last month (October). I didn't stick to that at all, at the end of every section made me want to know what's going to happen next.
The first time I cried, I considered it stupid because nothing really sad happened or was said. It was the first letter 'S' wrote Cass and the ending made me get teary eyed a little. When you read it you would think I'm crazy for getting emotional over that.
After the first letter from 'S' to her Cass we met Cass celebrating her 18th birthday with her best friend Nyla at a Mexican Restaurant. After which she celebrates with her dad and her family at home where she had an embarrassing conversation with Nyla when she thought it was just them two. Then she celebrates with her mom who's in the hospital after a heart attack.
After coming home from the hospital she goes to room and thinks about her birth mother like she always done with every birthday and decided to actually pursue in finding out who she is this time.
We learn how Cass and Nyla are theater nerds; we get to see them audition and get ready to perform Into The Woods, which is Mama Cat's favorite play. There's a new boy in school who tries out for Prince Charming and is very good at singing. I do have to admit I was nervous that Sebastian (Bastian) would cause Nyla and Cass to have a rift in their friendship.
Since it's their senior year, Nyla and Cass, with Cass father, tour all of Idaho's colleges, even though he wants Cass to attend Boise State. She finds the perfect college for which is not Boise State.
Cass and Nyla competes in Idaho's National Drama Competition and we find out Mama Cat has 6 weeks to live. We see Cass struggling with the thought of losing her mother and how's that affecting her life outside of her family and her relationship with Nyla.
While we getting to know Cass, we are also learning more about 'S' and how she ended up deciding to put Cass up for adoption and how everything was in Booth and how she met Cass's father. Reading from 'S' letters made me the most emotional, we see her go from not wanting to write this letter to Cass, to seeing how she's truly feeling about Cass by the end. Her last two letters really did a number on me and just thinking about them is making me tear up a little.
Cass relationship with her parents were so cute and what I picture a healthy relationship with parents and child should be. They are supportive of Cass wanting to know more about her birth mother and possibly meeting her.
Her father is a 5th grade teacher and her mother was a cake baker before she was hospitalized because of heart attack. You can see how much they love and care for each other and that was really cute to see. There's a scene in this book that would be considered a spoiler and it was cute and funny.
Cass and Nyla was also cute (I use cute a lot apparently). They're both adopted and bonded even more over that. You can see how much each other means so much to them. They have traditions they do when before every audition and that was sweet. There's a part in this book that really shocked me and I didn't expect that from Cass because she knows how Nyla feels about that and yet she says it anyways. I understand being upset and overwhelmed with everything going on with her mother, but still.
Nyla is African American. She was born in Liberia and was adopted when she was three and she's a Mormon with three other siblings. The fact that you learn a lot about Nyla tells you a lot about the author's writing. I never learned so much about a side character before, but I guess it had to do with her and Cass being so close.
Because I don't believe sexuality is a spoiler, I would like to say that Sebastian is gay. You get a small glimpse of his family life from when he talks with Cass about going to college.
The ending was beautiful and had me wishing it was a little longer, but I understand. Sometimes you don't need to know more about something that is private even though it's a fiction. I imagine it must've been hard for the author, who's also adopted to write this beautiful book, and to have it go on more would be selfish.
This book was so beautifully written that made me want to immediately read again once I was finished. It has happy endings and new beginnings that was just *chef's kiss*. Get your tissues ready and be prepare to cry throughout this book. It's definitely one of my favorite books of all time and year.