Love & Leftovers, a Love Story

Any book with a cover with Converse is going to be worthy of me grabbing, period. Add in a blurb by Lauren Myracle on the cover, and I am sold! 

No really, those are the real reasons I bought this novel. That and the fact that I want to add more lyrical writing to my reading list this year, but I do not regret a single moment spent reading this book.

Summary (from book jacket):

My wish is to fall cranium over Converse in dizzy daydream-worthy love. (If only it were that easy.)

Marcie has been dragged away from home for the summer--from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She's left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "summer vacation" has become permanent. She has to start a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when when a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you've lost it?

Love & Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl's journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

My thoughts: 

There is nothing worse in high school than leaving behind those you love, people you have known your entire life - especially when you do not have a chance to say a proper good-bye. 

This is what happens to Marcie. She acts out, trying to find herself, trying to understand what just became of her life. After all, when it comes to divorce parents do not ask for the child's input, nor, does it seem, do they discuss the overall effect it will have on said child (or in this case, Marcie).

I loved every single page of this novel. I could not put it down. Marcie is a heroine to be reckoned with. Okay, that may be a bit hyperbolic, but so is her character. She is wild, she is normal, she is lonely, she is seeking approval. Most of all, she wants to be loved.

Tregay drew me in from the first page, and I wanted to keep turning those pages, rooting for Marcie to find love as well as a happy relationship with her mom. Readers will find themselves caught in the web of these pages, but they will not struggle to free themselves. Instead, they will allow the web to hold them, devour them, until the very last page. 

I enjoyed the plot, the writing style, and the characters. While Marcie is this novel's focus, it is the guys in the novel that bring it up to spice-worthy. Linus, the boyfriend left behind, will have readers' hearts beating for more as he brings a bit of "rock 'n roll" into Marcie's world. And then there is J.D., the one that will have readers' hearts beating for more as he helps Marcie discover that she likes (and needs) kisses that she feels on more than just her lips. But do not be deceived; this is not a novel about lust and sex. As a matter of fact, there is no sex in the novel, but there is a lot of kissing.

Marcie's struggle with the two boys in her life is one that reflects the real struggles of growing up. They add a "coming of age" element to the plot, helping Marcie find herself.

On a final note, this novel reminds me of another one that I recently read and enjoyed, Anna and the French Kiss. I think this lyrical work will appeal to the same type of reader, so be sure to add it to your list. It is worth every single word.