Love You Hate You Miss You

Amy is full of guilt. She can barely look at herself after what she did. It has been 75 days since she walked away from the car accident that took the life of her best friend, Julia. She never should have gone to that party, never should have said what she said, never should have drank what she drank.

After grueling weeks of therapy at Pinewood, a rehabilitation center, Amy is starting school again with a whole new look. She is now the outsider, the girl with no friends because she killed her only one. The only way Amy knows to vent is through drinking and ever since the night of the accident she can't even look at a bottle without getting sick.

The new Amy, the one that doesn't drink or drive or party, finds that the only way she can get show more her feelings out are through writing in a journal to Julia, a journal filled with things that she could never get the nerve to actually tell Julia when she was still alive.

Elizabeth Scott takes you into the mind of a teenager who can barely live with herself after what she did but who finally manages to face reality and realize that the only way to move on is by letting go of the past. Love You Hate You Miss You is a story of healing and of learning to cope with the things you can't change. Through journal entries, Amy's memories of past times, and weekly therapy sessions, the reader can really see what Amy is going through.

Having read more than one Elizabeth Scott novel in the past, I had high expectations for this book and once again, Elizabeth Scott did not disappoint. The concepts of guilt, friendship, and love are beautifully put together in this story about the importance of friendship and family. show less

We meet Amy, a recovering binge drinker, as she is coming out of a "teen treatment center". We"meet" Julia through Amy's thoughts and little letters that she writes to her. See, Amy and Julia are/were best friends until Julia dies in a car accident. Amy blames herself for the accident and throughout most of the book I was under the impression that Amy was the one driving.
Amy must face going back to school and living a normal life, and while there she feels like she shouldn't be. She has a few bought's with doubt and the urge to drink, and while her parents are being exactly like she always wanted them to be; she "hates" it. Amy doesn't have any friends at school and even though there is one guy who trys to talk to her; she keeps show more pushing him away.
The story progresses from there, Amy eventually starts to semi make friends, and while attending therapy she starts to realize that the accident wasn't entirely her fault. She slowly starts to heal and move on.
The story was a good one, although most of it was a little hard to understand with the way it switched from Amy's pov and her letters to Julia; but once you go the hang of the voice it was a fast but deep read. show less

Reviewed by coollibrarianchick for TeensReadToo.com

I've said this before and I am going to say it again: Elizabeth Scott's writing is chameleon-like. Some of her books are fluffy and light, the perfect poolside read, while some of her other books take on darker undertones. Where does her new book fall on this continuum? It's dark, not disturbingly dark but still dark, because the main character's emotional pain is very apparent.

I believe wholeheartedly that accidents happen and that blame is a waste of time and doesn't fix the problem. I also believe that you can't change the past, only move on with the future. While I may believe that, it doesn't mean that everybody else believes that.

This is especially true for Amy, the main character show more in LOVE YOU HATE YOU MISS YOU. She is hurting and thinks nobody in the whole world understands how it feels to lose a best friend. Even worse, she blames herself for her friend's death.

Over and over again, Amy is told it was an accident. You could say it to her a million times but it wouldn't matter - she still blames herself. She should never have done what she did. Truth be known, there were a lot of things she shouldn't have done, but who am I to preach to the choir?

Following a stint in rehab, Amy must go on with her life. Dealing was a bit easier in rehab because it was a controlled environment, but out in the real world, among her family and peers, dealing with Julia's death is an emotional roller coaster. Her shrink thinks writing a diary would help her greatly. At first, Amy is against the idea, but then she starts writing letters to Julia, which actually helps her cope.

Some of what Amy writes is funny, some letters are incredibly sad, while other letters are filled with anger. Many things come out in the letters. Through these letters we learn a lot about Amy and Julia's relationship, Amy's insecurities, as well as her home situation. Truths that were buried come to light and Amy learns that the past wasn't as perfect as she thought. And maybe it is the present that she should be focusing on.

I applaud Scott for not writing the pat happily-ever-after types of books. Once again, Elizabeth Scott has written a book that will stay with you long after it is done. How long do I have to wait until her next book comes out? show less

Amy starts out in rehab for alcoholism, but it seems her main issue revolves around guilt for her best friend's death. Not until the middle of the story do we discover why Amy thinks she is responsible for Julia's death but that adds to the story. The story takes place between letters to Julia and normal chapters. Amy is real and her pain and desire to punish herself rings true. It's not until she sees that Julia's own flaws were part of the cause and with the support of her parents (who she constantly tries to push away), a male classmate who brings Amy alive and an old friend Amy begins to emerge from her pain and experience life. Her classmates reaction and ostracizing of her are quite realistic also - engaging read.

First off, let me say this: I love the cover. I also found that if I put it down anywhere and looked over at it later, the girl on the cover would just be staring at me. All. The. Time. Anyway!

Love You Hate You Miss You is Elizabeth Scott's most recent novel. I've read a few of her books before, and they were all light, funny romances. Well, not this one. Love You Hate You Miss You is about 16-year-old Amy, whose best friend died 75 days ago. Not only that, but she also believes that it is her fault Julia is gone. As she struggles between school, home, and therapy, Amy begins writing letters to Julia. In doing so, she begins realize that maybe the past wasn't as perfect as she thought, and that the present deserves a chance too.

I had show more high expectations for this novel, and it did not disappoint. Though this is a somewhat familiar topic, Amy's thoughts really draw you a clear picture of her world, a place where she feels empty, broken, abandoned, but at the same like she deserves it.

Scott's supporting characters are very believable as they make their way back into Amy's life following Julia's death. They are flawed, but realistic. Whether it was Amy's parents, who were always too caught up in their own relationship to notice her, or Amy's childhood friend, who is too worried about what other people think, the relationships that were built progressed in a logical, yet complex way.

The story switches between real-time narration and the letters to Julia, and in doing so, it touched on many complex themes: grief, guilt, family, friendship, substance abuse, romance. All in all, it was an enjoyable, engaging book that I would recommend to anyone interested.

Four stars!

-Allison, http://readintothis.blogspot.com show less

This is a touching story about grief, guilt and responsibility. Sixteen year-old Amy believes she caused the death of her best friend and is now struggling with alcoholism, life without Julia, her parents, school and moving on. Heartbroken, guilty and alone, Amy has a realistic voice which comes through in her letters to Julia and alternating first person narrative. As Amy reflects on the past, she gradually comes to realise that it is impossible to change the choices we make and while the book doesn't end happily-ever-after, there is a feeling of hope as Amy begins the long process of healing.

I really liked this book's approach to the grieving process. The title sums up the stages of grief pretty spot on and the author did a great job at showing that through the book. Being a teenager is hard and awkward and terrible enough that when you combine it with losing your best friend, it's a nightmare. That's what I kept telling myself when I got annoyed with the characters. I'm not sure you could pay me enough to go back to high school.