A review by thetomatowriter
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
4.0
4.5, This was surprisingly good. From the cover, I mostly expected something cutesy and fluffy for a light read, a 3 star book at best. While it succeeded in that it made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, this book ended up being more than that. It was also a very real portrayal of friendships, of the complicated feelings of grief, and even of anxiety. And it was a smart read, too. The characters are smart and proudly nerdy. One of Paige's best friends is a Christian, a feminist, and a hopeless romantic all in equal measure, and the word misogyny is used in casual conversation between the girls.
In one of my favorite parts, one of Paige's friends is in an unhealthy relationship and she tells Paige, "The highs (of being in love) are so high, but the lows are even lower. It's like he can make or break my day." That's a narrative we've heard about first loves in teen romances over and over. But instead of accepting that love must be this intense, all-consuming thing that devastates as much as it edifies, Paige thinks to herself, "But it shouldn't be like that." The boys she's interested in are never fussy about their masculinity. Her favorite thing about her first boyfriend was his unabashed eagerness for the things he liked. The thing she likes about the next boy she has a crush on is his sweetness, his ability to be joyful in the midst of sorrow. Her love interest is Quizbowl captain who hides away from parties to read and references books like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women, unbothered that those are considered "girly" books. This book completely tears apart the narrative that girls only like bad boys, and I love it.
The female friendships were excellent. Her best friends were all so well-rounded and her relationships with each of them were key to the book. Her friendships with the two cousins, Ryan and Max, are also terrifically written and just warm my heart. In fact, I'd say it's a book about friendship as much as it's a book about romance, and above all else, it's a book about becoming okay again. And it executes that theme so excellently. I mean, yeah, it's a cutesy, cliche book. There was nothing that happened in this book that shocked me (though that's a theme here, too) and there were a few scenes that were so tropey, I fought the urge to roll my eyes. But overall, it was such a good, wholesome read, and I'd read it again easily.
In one of my favorite parts, one of Paige's friends is in an unhealthy relationship and she tells Paige, "The highs (of being in love) are so high, but the lows are even lower. It's like he can make or break my day." That's a narrative we've heard about first loves in teen romances over and over. But instead of accepting that love must be this intense, all-consuming thing that devastates as much as it edifies, Paige thinks to herself, "But it shouldn't be like that." The boys she's interested in are never fussy about their masculinity. Her favorite thing about her first boyfriend was his unabashed eagerness for the things he liked. The thing she likes about the next boy she has a crush on is his sweetness, his ability to be joyful in the midst of sorrow. Her love interest is Quizbowl captain who hides away from parties to read and references books like Pride and Prejudice and Little Women, unbothered that those are considered "girly" books. This book completely tears apart the narrative that girls only like bad boys, and I love it.
The female friendships were excellent. Her best friends were all so well-rounded and her relationships with each of them were key to the book. Her friendships with the two cousins, Ryan and Max, are also terrifically written and just warm my heart. In fact, I'd say it's a book about friendship as much as it's a book about romance, and above all else, it's a book about becoming okay again. And it executes that theme so excellently. I mean, yeah, it's a cutesy, cliche book. There was nothing that happened in this book that shocked me (though that's a theme here, too) and there were a few scenes that were so tropey, I fought the urge to roll my eyes. But overall, it was such a good, wholesome read, and I'd read it again easily.