I believe in books.: Blake Reviews Love & Leftovers

Author: Sarah Tregay
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: 27 December 2011
Format: ARC
Series: None
Source: BEA

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 at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status 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?

I'm usually a huge fan of books written in verse, and I can easily finish them within a day, but Love & Leftovers was different for me. I couldn't connect with Marcie or feel sympathetic for her in any way. Yes, her world was turned upside down, but she didn't even try to make the best of her new situation. We followed her through a move and a change in scenery, but nothing really happened to her or around her. Life happened, and not a particularly bad one.

I feel like something somewhat overwhelming would happen, and Marcie would just shrug her shoulders and go about her day. She didn't deal with her emotions or problems, they simply just ceased to be an issue in her mind. She was also very blind to what others were thinking and feeling around her. Marcie also didn't really think about how her actions would be seen by others, she simply did what she wanted.

I did, however, enjoy the flow of the book. It progressed smoothly and seemingly without effort. I just wish I had been more engrossed in the overall story. I feel like I still know nothing about Marcie, even after reading about what should have been very intimate details of her life.