* I would give this book 3.75 for review*

I would rate this book higher then top ten but lower then you say it first. I really liked how this book explored teen pregnancy. I thought the structure of the book was cool. I also liked how these characters were most older in the second half of this book. I also really liked the setting of this book for being in florida. I did not love sawyer at the start of the book and found my myself screaming at them the characters in the first half of the book. It was not relationship i really liked. But i really did liked her relationship with the side characters. I also liked how grief played a role in is book. It was a fun read and i would def read more book about this author in the future. I thought it tackled the reality of teen pregnancy and found it be hard hitting read that also tackled drugs and drunk driving. This book is again very sex positive again. ( )

* I would give this book 3.75 for review*

I would rate this book higher then top ten but lower then you say it first. I really liked how this book explored teen pregnancy. I thought the structure of the book was cool. I also liked how these characters were most older in the second half of this book. I also really liked the setting of this book for being in florida. I did not love sawyer at the start of the book and found my myself screaming at them the characters in the first half of the book. It was not relationship i really liked. But i really did liked her relationship with the side characters. I also liked how grief played a role in is book. It was a fun read and i would def read more book about this author in the future. I thought it tackled the reality of teen pregnancy and found it be hard hitting read that also tackled drugs and drunk driving. This book is again very sex positive again. ( )

First off, Thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC.

Now, this book definitely has it's faults. I will not deny that. But I just love love Reena and Hannah's relationship. I think it's a great books that shows teens that yes, being a teen mom is difficult but it shows what a good mom looks like. Reena works hard for Hannah and wants her to have the best life possible and I'd say that was why i'm almost giving this book a 4/5. I feel like there are too many sources in society depicting terrible teenage parents/mothers and not enough outlets showing teens that you can be a teenager and a great mom.
I also really enjoyed how Cotugno went about the story. She uses the whole Before/After narrative which I absolutely ADORE. I quite enjoy learning about how things went about in the past as the story is evolving because instead of having the character just tell you in conversation or at random intervals what happened in the past they are showing you instead. It's like flash backs in TV shows, who doesn't love a good flash back?

With the good comes the bad though... I really.. really... did not like Sawyer. I just. uh. I was really hoping in the end she would come to the realization that Sawyer does not need to be in her life and that her and Hannah are better off together alone. And that that would be who she learns "how to love" from.

Honestly as much as I wanted to murder Sawyer I did enjoy this book. So yeah, i'd recommend it to people just be forewarned that you might have homicidal tendencies to anyone named Sawyer after your finished, nbd. ( )

There was something heartbreaking and joyous and confusing about growing up with Reena; alongside Sawyer and Aaron. The first person voice of Reena in this works well, better than many novels. ( )

“I am remembering so clearly how he looked when he was eight, when he was eleven, when he was seventeen. Sawyer and I were only together for a few months before he left, but he was my golden boy for so long before that he would have taken the guts of me with him even if we’d never been a couple at all.”

I feel like I've lived Reena's entire life! The audiobook wasn't any longer than others I've listened to, but it still felt like I grew up with her. I loved the alternating chapters! The before and after really helped shaped the overall story. Obviously, we know Reena ended up pregnant and had a baby, but we simultaneously get to see what her life is like now, and the events that led up to that world-changing moment.

I didn't always agree with Reena or her decisions, but I did understand them. She was a young adult trying to find herself, and mistakes are a part of the process. I could look at some of her choices and think about how I would do things differently, but that's because I've already lived through that part of my life and learned from my mistakes.

I didn't love Sawyer, but I don't think I was supposed to either. He was a troubled teen with parental problems (that are never really explained), and he also struggles with addiction. His life is lacking substance, so he seems to just float from one place to the next. I understand now why he left, but I really wish he had never gotten involved with Reena. It was selfish and impulsive on his part.

On the other hand, Reena shouldn't have gotten involved with Sawyer. I don't have enough fingers to list the reasons why, but friends and family showing concern is a big one. Also, I've never seen someone so motivated to graduate and follow their dreams, so I was more than a little peeved when Sawyer became more important than school. He just kept taking things from her, slowly and without concern.

I didn't like how easy it was for Sawyer to wiggle himself back into her life in a major way, nor did I agree with how Reena treated those around her that had been there since his absence. I felt cheated. I know Reena deserved better than what she was getting, even if he seemed changed and understanding. He went about it the wrong way, and again she just let him without much consequence. I never understood her strong emotional attachment to him, other than the fact that he's her daughter's father and she has loved him since they were children. The middle (her actual relationship with him) was weird for me. What did he do to deserve so much from her?

I may have said, "I didn't," more than a few times, but I truly enjoyed this book. It was remarkably realistic, and I felt like their situation could have happened to anyone. While I didn't agree with a lot that happened, that doesn't mean it wasn't possible. The writing was beautiful, the secondary characters were prominent people within the story, and the narrator was captivating. I kept going back for more even when I wanted to yell at the characters for their stupidity. Life is about learning, and some lessons are harder than others.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on March 1, 2018.
http://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/03/how-to-love-by-katie-cotugno.html ( )