Other Words For Love

This book tells the story of Ariadne Mitchell, also known as Ari, who is a teenager like any other. She is concerned about her studies, her family… She has a best friend, Summer, and she has a crush on her sister's husband. But her life begins to change when she starts at a new school. There she will meet a girl that will take her to places she never imagined to go, and she will meet people she never thought to meet.

When I started reading this book I had no idea what I would find, but as I read more pages I could not believe I had had this book on the shelf for weeks without giving it the opportunity it deserved.

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal brings us a credible story of a girl who is starting to live, who face obstacles and problems, her show more family, her studies, her decisions, her first love ... her first time ... her first disappointment.

Very few books make me think about my life. And this is one of them. In many passages I thought I was reading my own life in these pages and I could really identify with Ari in many occasions. Her story is not the only one that I saw real, the secondary characters are very well defined. The book is not only based on Ariadne, but also in her relationship with her friends, parents, sister, boyfriend, and how these relationships are developed based on the decisions and problems that affect the main character.

Rosenthal's prose is magnificent. A good story like this, can not be told well if you don’t have the qualities that has this writer. From the beginning this book captures you and you can’t stop reading until you finish the last page.

I was speechless with this book. I expected something different. A light story of teenagers and a happy ending just like Cinderella. But no ... I met a true story of a teenager like any other, like you and me.

I hightly recommend this book to older teens and adults ... maybe you will find answers in this book, and maybe others will see their own steps reflected in these pages.

No five stars… I give it a hundred of them… show less

I absolutely loved this story. It was a beautiful, heart-breaking story about self acceptance, loss and the loneliness that comes with love. I read it in just a few hours, pausing to breathe only enough times to sustain life.

The cover summation is crap. If I had read that alone I probably wouldn't have even picked this book up. That makes the story sound common place, sophomoric and shallow, everything it isn't. It is not a story about a poor girl falling in love with all the tinsel and glamour that comes with dating a rich boy. I never once felt that Ari really took notice of the financial differences. When she would compare herself to her wealthier friends it was their acceptance of themselves she envied, not the money. Summer and show more Leigh, while both rich, were also confident, self assured and at ease with who they were. These were the things that Ari coveted.

Her relationship with Blake, who yes, had the means to wine and dine, spirit her away for day trips in the Hamptons, and enough family connections to get her into any university, never once really meant anything to Ari. She was in love with feeling loved and I don't think for a second that she noticed the "glamorous side of New York". She only noticed how love made her feel. There's a certain high that comes with knowing that someone loves you, truly, for yourself alone. It's perhaps one of the biggest confidence boosters there is. Ari needed that, regardless of the hurt that comes when a relationship ends prematurely. She needed to know that it was possible for her to feel that way.

Knowing that there is to be a breakup in the book is not a spoiler. The events in the book aren't important; the emotions are. Watching Ari learn to recognize love, in all its forms was the real story.

It's been a while since I've finished a book and almost immediately wanted to read it again. While this is a YA novel, the main characters are teenagers and the story is very coming-of-age, the sentiment cannot be confined to YA alone. It's too beautiful for just about anyone to overlook. show less

Brooklyn high school student Ari Mitchell has always lived in the shadows of both her sister and her best friend. But when she gets a chance to attend an elite private school, she makes friends with Leigh, who's artsy, rich, and sees Ari for who she really is. Leigh introduces Ari to a world of privilege and to her gorgeous college-aged cousin, Blake. As Ari spends more and more time with Blake, she begins to distance herself from her friends and the high expectations of her family.

I was drawn to this debut novel by the beautiful cover and the promise of a 1980s setting, but ended up disappointed. There was just too much going on in the plot, but at the same time it felt like not much happened at all. Plus, the summary gives away a show more plot point that doesn't happen until about three quarters of the way into the book! Though it is ostensibly set in the 80s, it felt like an afterthought that had no bearing on what happened to the characters. Certainly some readers will enjoy the romance, the friendships, and the family drama depicted in this story, but they have to be patient and willing to look past its shortcomings. show less

I was first drawn to Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's debut by the title and cover. It was immediately obvious that it was a contemporary YA title, which I'm always on the lookout for, and including "love" in the title always catches my eye. Little did I know that OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE would end up being so much more to me than a well told, entertaining story.

OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE tackles a variety of pertinent issues, including depression, discrimination based on socioeconomic status and cultural differences, teen sex and pregnancy, and general teenage angst. The novel's 1985 setting offers a twist while reminding readers that these issues, in many ways, defy time.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of Rosenthal's debut was her treatment of Ari's first show more crush, first love and first real relationship. This novel poses the question: "[Was it] true love... or something else?" In many cases, especially in YA literature, true love is always the answer, but Rosenthal strays from this well-beaten path and battles through the unforgiving undergrowth of that little used second path. Love is not simple or easy or perfect, but it can make us radiantly happy for a time and teach us valuable lessons - Ari's story reinforces this.

I read this novel at a time when I was feeling jaded about relationships and love, so maybe this mindset influenced me somewhat and fostered a closer connection with Ari... Regardless, Ari's romantic adventures left me hopeful. I love a happy ending with passionate kissing and whatnot, but the ending of OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE was different. It was still happy, but it wasn't happy because of a boy or a relationship... it was happy because Ari knew who she was, what she wanted, and that she was perfectly capable of being single. Go, Ari!

OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE is a gorgeous novel and I'll definitely be reading more from Rosenthal. Don't miss this fantastic debut! show less

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's Other Words For Love is one of those rare novels that had my heart threatening to fall right out of my chest; the emotions, characters and situations felt so real and stomachache-inducingly familiar. Books about first love usually resonate with me far more than any other subject -- it's something close to my own heart, I guess. And if I had big expectations about this one after reading so many glowing reviews, they were all met. And then some.

Ari is the novel's backbone -- our narrator; our heroine. Told in her matter-of-fact and almost deadpan style, we get to know the Mitchell and Cagney families intimately in a very short time. At 17, Ari finds herself drawn to Patrick, her older sister's firefighter husband show more -- and who wouldn't? Patrick is everything Ari longs for: handsome; dependable; family-oriented; strong. And, more than anything, he takes an interest in her . . . too much, Evelyn gripes. Too much of an interest in her.

Oh, this book . . . it's hard to even pinpoint why I adored it so much. The love story that transpires had me breathless, remembering, and it's difficult to not feel tossed right back into the maelstrom of your own first love while dissolving into Other Words For Love. Rosenthal does an incredible job making us love and care for these people -- and Ari felt like a friend I could head to Brooklyn and visit. The glittering world of Leigh, Blake and Delsin -- Ari's new friends in the city -- was sparkling, yes, but it wasn't their wealth that made them so appealing to Ari. It was a sense of belonging and camaraderie -- and of love -- that made their presence like a drug to her.

In the story, Summer accuses Ari of not really being in love -- of simply thinking she is -- because she's in a state of limerence, when feelings of romantic love are so intense that your affection becomes obsession. But who doesn't look back on their first great love and remember those sleepless nights spent replaying every word and look exchanged, and the very first time you kissed? Of the way you felt when you realized your feelings were returned -- when you wanted to wake up and shout "I'm in love!" while dancing in traffic on the roof of your car?

If you have a desire to replay that time in your life -- or simply read a sweet, understated but beautiful novel -- don't miss out on Other Words For Love. Though labeled as young adult literature, our protagonist is anything but a "typical" teen -- and this is anything but a one-note love story. show less

Oh my. . . this book was tender aching, lovely loneliness, and finally, quiet confidence.

This is a book I think almost anyone can appreciate and relate to. If you’re older, you are going to think about your first serious romance and let your mind roll over the nostalgia, good or bad. If you are Ari’s age and in a relationship of your own, you might laugh, commiserate and nod in agreement. If you still are waiting for your first ‘real’ relationship, Ari’s story might simultaneously make you want one more and caution that a heart that loves is also a heart that can be crushed. Ari is every girl, and I don’t mean that she’s a two-dimensional character; I mean that her thoughts, hopes, disappointments and emotions are ones we show more universally share. It’s a rare person who hasn’t had almost all the same reactions that Ari has, even the darkest, saddest ones.

That being said, there is something more to this book than being a coming-of-age tale about first love. It’s about the different types of love we carry, and how the affection and commitment we have for one person affects our relationships that we have with others. In the beginning, I think this is why Ari’s yearning for someone to care for her is so acute. Her family does love her, but she lives in the shadow of her sister’s life choices and her mother’s expectations. Her relationship with her father is a distant one, and it seems that while she certainly is loved, there is little said in words or actions by her family that shows she is truly appreciated. Too often, the family’s care over one of the more fragile and selfish members of the family causes them to expect Ari to sacrifice emotionally. Ari gets it, but for a girl who already feels like she is nothing special, it still stings. When how she ought to treat others is at odds with her own desires, Ari also learns that mirrors reflect both ways, and that she, too, is capable of stinging others.

It’s a wonderfully written story, with hallmarks and benchmarks of growing up being woven through the narrative of everyday living. I think that’s what I appreciated most. So often in these stories, the self-analysis and introspection that the protagonist takes us through is very involved and detailed. Ari has her depressing moments, but I’d say for about a good two-thirds of the book, it’s almost as if she won’t admit to herself how she really feels, or she’ll briefly acknowledge the truth of her emotions without actually feeling them. Very often, Ari’s fixes her own self-assessment onto the Saint Anne statue that the previous homeowners left behind. There is also a true honesty and authenticity in Ari's family, and the way they treat each other continuously moves the story along. I don't usually see each individual's personal characteristics come out, and I think the author really nailed this.

Other Words for Love: I don’t think the title is so much about the actual ‘other’ words so much as the actions we hope convey our affections. Sometimes we fall short, and sometimes we have to choose between the different types of love we have among those we care for. The book is a reminder that emotions ebb and flow, and sometimes people grow out of relationships the same way they grow into them. True love, did Ari have it? No, but I think she did love Blake, and the first time you care for someone like that, it changes your world to realize you can feel that deeply. Ari learned hard lessons from it, but they are ones she can carry forward for the rest of her life. Towards the end my mind drifted a little bit, but I loved the resolution. It's certainly not a Hollywood ending, but part of me feels very proud of Ari. I hope you will, too. show less

The synopsis for this book does not do it justice. This isn’t just some story about a girl who falls in love with a boy and then things go sour. It’s a story about Ari, this passionate, intelligent, caring teenager who loves art and feels this looming pressure to please her family. She does all she can for her sister Evelyn, who is a young mother, while lusting after her brother in law, Patrick. Her best friend Summer is a piece of work, but Ari still loves her. When she meets Blake, she slowly allows herself to live outside of the expectations that normally drive her. She gets lost in this new love and when things begin heading south, she slowly has to find a way to be Ari again. A different Ari, a stronger Ari, but still Ari.

The show more complexities weaved into this story took me by surprise. It takes place in the 80’s (before I was even born) and the setting feels much more intimate than stories set in the present where technology tears us away from face to face contact. Tying in information about the AIDS scare was also a nice touch.

I wasn’t expecting Ari’s story to pull me in as it had, but as a character, she is interesting. In fact, all the characters in Other Words for Love are interesting. Rosenthal layers each of them, so we get a peek at who we think they are, only to discover that maybe they’re more than we imagined. The story follows Ari in her day to day life, but somehow, every little thing about her drew me in. I haven’t been so absorbed with a character in a while.

Ari’s pain was my pain, her joy was my joy. When she felt the stirrings of love for the gorgeous and sweet Blake, I felt them too. When she hated her mother or her sister Evelyn, so did I. But when Ari felt alone and depressed, I wanted her to know that it wasn’t true, because I was there. That’s cheesy, right? But that’s how I felt. Ari could easily be me, or you, or anyone who has ever felt lost and Rosenthal conveys that so well.

Other Words for Love is so much more than it seems. It’s beautiful and touching and filled with heartache and hope. It’s about life, family, friendship, first loves, first heartbreak, and it’s about growing up along the way. Ari, Blake, Summer, Del, Leigh – every single character is fleshed out and well-developed. The story flows easily off the pages and it was hard to put down because as the time in Ari’s world continued to drift by, I wanted to drift along with it. The ending holds an astounding perfection that left me smiling with tears in my eyes. I was content with Ari's story as it came to a close, but it was bittersweet at the same time. Trust me when I say that this book will surprise you in the best ways, you just have to give it a shot.

Opening line: In 1985, just about everyone I knew was afraid of two things: a nuclear attack by the Russians and a gruesome death from the AIDS virus, which allegedly thrived on the mouthpieces of New York City public telephones. ~ pg. 7

Favorite lines: “Don’t be afraid of the dead, Ari. They can’t hurt you. It’s the living you should worry about.” ~ pg. 15
And this one:
I was sure he meant Del. I thought of the fight with the engineering student and the college expulsion and the STD, whatever it was. I also thought of Evelyn, and I wondered if Blake and I had something in common. We were both trying to make up for things we hadn’t even done. ~ pg. 100

*Page numbers are from NOOK e-book and may differ from physical copy show less