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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Love Edy by Shewanda Pugh

I don't read YA romance books for the most part. Reading about kiddies in love and angst really doesn't hold much appeal to me as an adult woman. That's not meant to be judgmental of anyone who does enjoy this genre, it just ain't for me. Because it is so popular however, I figured I would give Love Edy a shot (plus I'm really loving that cover). Well I'm happy to say that not only did I read it, but I ended up liking Love Edy. Quite a lot actually and I'm so glad that I gave it a try. The author has a very beautiful voice and the words just seemed to flow in the telling of this story. It grabbed me from the start and held my interest and curiosity captive until the book was finished. There were some things that I didn't care for, but the good outweighed the bad in my opinion.


Edy is a young girl in love (can it be called love at this age?) with her best friend and neighbor Hassan. The two have been best friends since early childhood and are now teens together. She is the plain girl who has yet to develop in anyway. Hassan on the other hand has physically grown quickly and has become a star on the high school football team. This has gained him popularity and the attention of the popular girls in the school. This does not, however, affect his friendship with Edy and he and his friends are extremely protective of her. Hassan is clueless to Edy's feelings for him and of her jealousy when she believes he is intimate with other girls. He isn't without his own feelings for Edy either. He just doesn't completely understand or embrace them at first. That is until new neighbor Wyatt moves in and becomes close to Edy. Unacknowledged feelings are the least of the problems facing these two, however. Hassan isn't free to find his own love. His parents have prearranged a marriage for him and with that in his future any other relationship is doomed because of this obligation to family and his religion. The book tells the story of changes between Edy and Hassan, in their lives and their feelings for one another.

One of the best aspects of the book is that it is multicultural. Hassan and his family added so much in terms of diversity to the story. I was thrilled! I read interracial and African-American romance books because I want a realistic representation of the world. Love comes in all colors and color combinations and this book reflects that. Yay!! I love how the author lets you discover the characters, learning who they are, how they think and how and why they behave the way that they do. Hassan and Edy are rich and spoiled, and you can definitely see how that influences decisions and behavior. Thier wealth isn't something that turns you off of the characters however, it just helps set the stage and gives the reader characters that are flawed but still likable. Wyatt is another great character in this tale. He may live in a wealthy neighborhood but he is anything but. He adds a different angle to the story and another level of conflict between Edy and Hassan. He also has a history that is rather dark, you don't know what it is exactly but you are waiting for it to crash down on the story and wreck havoc. Regardless, you feel for Wyatt (at least I felt sympathy for him) even when you probably shouldn't. In addition to Wyatt there is a fantastic cast of supporting characters that never weigh heavy on the story. They in fact play an important role in keeping it real and interesting.

There were just a few minor parts that didn't work for me and my personal tastes. I felt the characters were initially too young. I believe that Edy is fourteen at the beginning of the book. As an adult reader that set me back a bit, yet the writing was so compelling it engrossed me anyway. Edy's mom is little too much. Maybe I shouldn't say that this is "bad" because it really wasn't so terrible that I wanted to stop reading or anything. The author naturally has her vision and she alone knows where she is going with it. I just hope, as a reader, that there is an explanation or reason for this extreme attitude of hers. Love Edy also has one of my biggest pet peeves. It ends with a cliffhanger. A big cliffhanger that I didn't see coming! Not too happy about that I must say.

Overall I am recommending Love Edy. It is a wonderful book that is written with great depth and care for the characters. I find it difficult to believe that anyone can read this book and not become invested in what's happening with these kids. Even people like me who aren't generally into YA fiction should enjoy reading Love Edy.
I'm giving Love Edy a 4 out of 5 rating, taking one point away for the dreaded cliffhanger.

*I received a copy of this book from the author and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.*

Rating: 4 out of 5
Published: June 2014
Pages: 313
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