Love, Life and the List: Curated Portrait of Summer ‘Heart’ List
THE STORY | Living without the things she wants most is something Abby Turner is accustomed to. This is true of her family life and her love life. Her mother is something of a shut-in who often refuses Abby’s attempts to get her to experience the outside world. Then there’s Cooper. Cooper is Abby’s best friend with whom she’s in love with, but it’s an unrequited love Cooper does not return.
Her one passion is art. But when she’s told her art has “no heart,” devastation sets in…
Love, Life and the List by Kasie West | Book Review
REVIEW | This summer is going to be different. Abby is weary of doing nothing special and being a bystander of her own life. This is why she creates a summer “heart list” full of daring, inspiring– and impossible, things to give her life more color. One of these things is be accepted into the art show she’s already been rejected for. A show where she hopes everything will change…Though I have my favorites, any of the Kasie West novels I’ve read have been golden. They’re the sort of stories I cannot not enjoy because they bring with them rays of sunshine that brightens any day, making the story impossible not to love. Nothing is any different when it comes to this charmer, West’s latest release.
“We’re good for each other, I think. You bring me down to earth and I make you dream big.” ― Kasie West, Love, Life, and the List
At the surface of each novel with West’s name on the cover, it appears to be all sunshine and happy emotions. Read the story and you’ll discover, there are usually poignant or deeper hardships waiting beneath that surface. Inside this portrait, it’s all about the hardship Abby has to weave through with her mother. The challenges of pushing her mother to do more without causing regression is Abby’s burden, and one she bears in the typical teenage girl fashion. Because of this, some readers might take issue with Abby; she does whine, but I read the book more as an accurate depiction of how a 17-year-old may react in this situation.
BOOK REVIEW | Lucky in Love – Golden YALit Sure to ‘Win’ the Heart of its Reader
Sweet, and charming, Kasie’s Love, Life and the List is sure to be a sparkling delight for anyone who likes cute YA romances. The characters and map of the plot might not work for every reader, and that’s okay. I thought the DNA of the characters and story is a lovely thing to discover. Abby and Cooper’s romance isn’t the focal point some contemporary romances are, but what’s there is cute. Furthermore I appreciate the quieter, unrequited romance because these are all moments that lead to the cute ending.
Those wanting a lighthearted summertime read, don’t miss Love, Life and the List. It’s a colorful canvas of YA literary bliss.
ABOUT the BOOK
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: 2017 Genre: Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Source: Amazon Preorder
FIND the BOOK ELSEWHERE: Goodreads
FIND the REVIEW ELSEWHERE: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★½
I haven't had the chance to read this Kasie West novel, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it. Makes me feel like I have something really good to look forward to. I also like a good unrequited love story. Makes you sympathize with the character almost immediately. Great review!
Kasie's books are always like sunshine. There's just something really fun about her stories. Hope you enjoy this one when you read it, Alicia. It made me smile for sure. :)
Thank YOU for stopping by and reading.
Aw yay, I am so glad you enjoyed this! I haven't read any of Kasie West's books but I do hope to at some point. I get a little nervous with fluffier books, but the fact that this has some harder topics makes me much more likely to give it a try! Awesome review!
They're rays of sunshine, Shannon! So much sweetest in each of her stories.
YAY! If you do read this one – or any of Kasie's books, let me know what you think. :) Thank you for reading.