Review ~ Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

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?

Love & Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.  (From Harper Collins website)

Oh, wow. Talk about a sleeper! Love and Leftovers took me by complete surprise. Being that it was written in verse, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I guess I thought the verses would be little separate stories that didn't necessarily tell a linear story, but it so does. Love and Leftovers was a complete, beautiful, full story told in these small, heartbreaking segments that completely drew me in.

The entire story is told from Marcie's point of view. The book is actually her poetry journal. A journal that chronicles Marcie's struggles with the split of her parents, her cross-country move that separates her from her boyfriend and friends, making friends in her new home, a new relationship, and all the way back around in a complete circle. It documents her confusion with her parents, her mother's debilitating depression, her need to be wanted by a boy... just on and on.

Love and Leftovers would be a fabulous read for teens, especially reluctant readers. The tiny segments keep the pages turning, trying to learn what Marcie will address next. Teen sexuality, the confusion and the importance of timing, is a big theme to the story. This book is the perfect book for teens, but really, I think it's perfect for anyone. I read this book in under two hours; I literally could not put it down. All around, I couldn't recommend Love and Leftovers more highly.

Favorite Quote:
(Choosing one quote was nearly impossible.)

                                                        "I let my dream eyes
                                                         connect the dots between the freckles
                                                         that spill over his shoulders

        as if he stood in pink lemonade rain."

Hardcover, 304 pages

Expected publication: December 27th 2011 by HarperCollins Children's Books

You can pre-order Love and Leftovers at:
Amazon  |  Barnes and Noble  |  Book Depository

* I received an ARC from Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review. *