Visti i temi che tratta (e che sono il motivo per il quale ho comprato e letto questo romanzo), mi dispiace molto non scrivere una recensione entusiasta di Ethan che amava Carter, soprattutto per l’importanza che queste storie hanno per chi non si vede mai, o solo raramente, rappresentatə.

Infatti, entrambi i protagonisti sono neurodiversi: Carter ha la sindrome di Tourette, mentre Ethan ha subito una lesione cerebrale traumatica in seguito a un incidente. Non ho niente di cui lamentarmi del modo in cui sono rappresentate queste due neurodiversità: l’autrice stessa ha la sindrome di Tourette e mi è sembrato che si fosse ben documentata anche per le lesioni cerebrali traumatiche.

Ho molto da lamentarmi, invece, del modo in cui Loveless ha sviluppato il rapporto tra Ethan e Carter. O forse sarebbe meglio scrivessi come non lo ha sviluppato, considerando che rimane invariato dall’inizio alla fine del romanzo. Infatti, dalla prima volta che si incontrano fino all’ultima pagina, Ethan e Carter rimangono invariati e così la loro relazione, che tra l’altro sembra nascere dal nulla. Inoltre, nonostante il romanzo copra una linea temporale abbastanza lunga, si ha la sensazione che tutto accada nell’arco di pochi giorni e che siano del tutto insufficienti per costruire un rapporto profondo.

Infine, mi lamenterò del fatto che Ethan che amava Carter è troppo romantico per i miei gusti aromantici: ovviamente, questa è una mia personale sensibilità, ma, se li condividete con me, sappiate che in questo romanzo scorrono fiumi di miele... ( )

Kind of conflicted here, because I liked the book and Ethan and Carter were sweet and lovely, together and on their own with their different issues, and I kind of feel bad for giving them a mediocre rating. But by the end of the story I just wasn't convinced that it could work out.

To me the book failed to really explore the more difficult aspects of such a relationship, and the characters remained a little underdeveloped in that sense - or maybe my problem was that both of them remained a little immature. The author tried to put them through some sort of trial, I suppose to show that they'd be able to handle it together, but in the end - to me - it felt that if Ethan's parents hadn't stepped in, the two of them would have failed that trial. And in that same vein, I felt both of them never really got out from under the wings of Ethan's parents - which in Ethan's case is definitely understandable, but it seemed that instead of Carter taking over the responsibilities that come with living with a brain damaged man, he slid under the parents' wing and started being sheltered as well. (And the whole thing with their bedroom was just weird, man.)

I thought the most interesting and richly painted character was Elliot, Ethan's teenage brother, as he was the one who felt the most capable of feeling the full tragedy of what happened to Ethan, and thus capable of depth and personal growth. I would have liked for him to have more room to act and influence the story, as he was often just added to or taken away from a scene to drive a point home, then it was back to the wings for him to wait for his next appearance.

Other than that, I thought the love story rested too much on "well it's like that" - I wouldn't call it instalove, but it almost was. Carter insists that his falling in love has nothing to do with having Tourette's, but how could it not? It's part of him, and I thought it was pretty plain that it was at least initially responsible for their relationship to grow at all, so I was a little disappointed with that denial of a possible connection just for the sake of it, or just to show that this is a pristine and completely unselfish romance.

The twist halfway through didn't completely convince me either, there were just so many improbable circumstances and behaviours on several sides that I found it to be almost gratuitous to suddenly veer in this direction. The ending was almost saccharine, albeit in a geeky and slightly cheeky manner that could as well be read as dorky-cute, if you're so inclined (I was kind of torn, but my teeth *did* hurt a little, so it was very close.)

Overall I'd say I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more focus on Carter's Tourette issues, a bit more focus on solutions for the more problematic aspects of their relationship (what happens when Ethan's parents get too old to care for him?), and a bit of a deeper and perhaps more merciless exploration of the feelings between them, without this need to insist on rainbows and unicorns, pure love romance, and on characters who are free of selfishness or impure reasons for doing what they do. Maybe it's just me who was in the wrong book. ( )

Moving.

Poignant yet necessary.

Even controversial.

I probably could go on for days about the love I have for this book. Stories with main characters like this need to be told regardless of the genre. You can tell the amount of passion and research that went into Ethan, Who Loved Carter" from the first few paragraphs. Carter who has Tourette's falls for his next door neighbor, Ethan who has Traumatic Brain Injury. The first thought I had once finding out Ethan's back story was, "How is this one going be pulled off?"

Ryan Loveless did not disappoint, she covered a vast range of emotions with out cheapening her characters or making a mockery of their respective diagnoses.

There's not that many books that made me tear up(just a little), I can count them on less than one hand but I'm adding this one to the list.

It was just wonderful. Because I understand why Ethan loved Carter. I love them too.

And to Ms. Loveless, thank you for writing a story like this and sharing about your own experience as well. Job WELL done!

And potential readers, if you're tottering on reading this book...DON'T. You're missing a hell of a story." ( )

Such a heart warming story. I absolutely love Ethan and Carter, and I am so glad Carter came to his senses! ( )

Such a heart warming story. I absolutely love Ethan and Carter, and I am so glad Carter came to his senses! ( )