This book!!! So cute and equally emotional. This is one of those books where I feel like I know these characters in real life now. Luckily if I’m missing them, I’ll always have this book to come back to. It was beautiful.

Cass is an 18 year-old teen who was adopted in a closed adoption. She really doesn't know much about where she came from, and she's never really cared either. It isn't until her mother gets sick and starts pushing her to find out what she can that she gets more curious. Cass's family is pretty darn perfect (besides the mother's heart problems), so I can see why she hasn't worried about finding her "real" mom. Her real mom has been with her all along and has been pretty wonderful.

Once Cass decides to start the journey to finding out, it quickly becomes important to her. I get that too. Even though she's perfectly satisfied with the family she has, I can see just wanting and needing to know why you came to be where you are.

The coolest thing about this book were the letters that Cass's birth mom wrote to her during her pregnancy. These letters were written at a school for pregnant teens, and the reader has no way of knowing if they will ever actually make it to Cass. And even if they do, there isn't a lot of identifying information for Cass to use in her quest.

The characters in this book felt so real. I feel like I know them in real life and I'm kind of sad to not be with them anymore. I guess I can always reread??? I would compare this book to Emma Mills's books because of the overall feeling it gave me. It was happy and funny, but also serious and heartbreaking at times. The perfect mix.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was Cass. I feel like I know her, and it feels real because she gets on my nerves sometimes. I think she came off as spoiled and ungrateful a lot. Her life seemed almost too good to be true and she totally didn't appreciate that. Her college woes were especially hard to take considering she had SO MANY OPTIONS. She was being a spoiled brat about possibly not being able to afford a private school. With everything else going on in her life, it was very frustrating to read about.

It's a total 5 star book. One of the best YA books I've read in a WHILE. I know this author has personal ties to this subject, and it shows in the way the story is so captivating and emotional.

OVERALL: LOVED IT. Can't recommend enough for the heart this book brought. It's cute AND emotional. It's fun AND serious. A 5 star book and is immediately going on my Favorites list!

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This is my first book by Cynthia Hand and I found myself really captivated by her writing style. This is told in dual point of view, between Cass, a teen who is living a wonderful life with her adoptive parents, and an unnamed 16-year-old girl in a past timeline living at a group home for unwed mothers, writing to the daughter she’s giving up for adoption (Cass.)

Lots of emotional moments as we are with the unnamed character as she writes letter after letter, at first unsure she wants to even do this, and eventually opening up. And Cass’s pov is wonderful as well as she turns eighteen and decides she’d like to find out who her birth mother was and sets out to search for her. As we get further and further into the book, the emotional journey becomes ever more poignant. The relationships are what make this book—that between Cass and her very sick mother, that between Cass and her best friend who is also adopted, but under different circumstances—and as the search begins to produce results Cass has questions to ask of herself. This was a terrific read!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
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Cass always knew she was adopted. Now that her adoptive mother is dying of heart disease, the desire to find her birth mother is increasing. Yet she doesn't want to hurt her parents, who are the best parents a girl could ask for. Her best friend, Nyla, is also adopted but her circumstances are different. She's from Nigeria and her parents were killed in a war.

Cass's birth mother lived in a home for unwed mothers which she finished high school. She was only 16 years old. The book alternatives chapters about Cass, with letters S (her birth mother) addressed to her unborn child, "X".

Both S and X are great characters and you'll really like them. The story is a good one and will keep you interested and invested. Although heavy subjects, The How & Why is an easy read. Enjoy. ( )

Told in alternating voices, The How and Why explores teenage pregnancy and adoption. Cassandra grew up with loving parents, but she wants to learn about her birth parents . S is the sixteen year old who gave birth to Cassandra and picked her parents in a closed adoption. S's story is revealed in the letters she wrote to her unborn baby which are interwoven with Cass’ search for her, creating an engrossing, emotional novel. I really enjoyed the book, but I felt that the ending was wrapped up too neatly in a way that was not as realistic as the rest of the novel and detracted from its impact. ( )

"The point is, I hope you get it - the why of the whole thing. I hope you have a good life- a boring, no-drama, no-real-problems kind of life.
Good luck, X. I wish you the best."

I have such a weakness for family stories. I will without fail, pick up a book if family is a central focus, and I can say The How & the Why is a great addition to the emotional family-centric stories that I love. The story is told in 2 perspectives: 18 year old Cass as she’s getting ready for all that comes with senior year , and letters from 16 year old, ‘S’ who gave her up 18 years ago.

I really liked Cass as a character. She’s honest and flawed and it’s so easy to feel for her through all of her struggles. Her friendships with Nyla and Bastian are wonderful. Seeing from her birth mother’s perspective was really nice, and woven into the story seamlessly. (S can really set a scene). My biggest complaint with the story was that I didn’t really buy Cassa and Nyla’s acting prowess, so some of that stuff fell falt for me. Otherwise, The How & the Why is an emotionally raw story about family and identity that will tug on your heartstrings.

Sidenote: I would LOVE a novella that explores what happens after the epiloge. I think the story ends in the right place narratively. But as soon as I finished the book, I put it down in my lap and said "NO." so I would really love to see "the next" of THe How & the Why.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ( )