As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also each other’s only friend. So when Cameron disappeared without warning, Jennifer thought she’d lost the one person who would ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she is popular, happy, and dating – everything “Jennifer” couldn’t be. But she still can’t shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they both are confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.
Wow. This book was AMAZING. I just loved it. If you haven’t read it yet you need to. RIGHT NOW. At first I was turned off by the title thinking this book was just going to be a silly little romance between childhood friends. But Sweethearts turned out to be so much more. In fact it wasn’t even really a romance. It was really a story about deep friendship and the amazing impact a person can have on your life.
I absolutely loved the characters in Sweethearts. Sara Zarr definitely has a gift for writing teenage characters that feel real and authentic. Even though I have almost nothing in common with Jenna I still found it really easy to connect with her. The struggles she faced, and the things she felt were so real and palpable. It was amazing. Then there’s Cameron. He’s the type of guy I would want as a friend. Kind. Thoughtful. Encouraging. Loyal to the end. He was everything a good friend should be. There needs to be more guys like him in the world!!!
From the cover and title I would expect Sweethearts to be kind of fluffy and lighthearted, but it actually hit on some really deep and difficult stuff. Finding your identity. Confronting your past. Overcoming pain and hardship. Everything was dealt with in such a perfect way. I feel like I’m more ready to face issues in my own life because I read this book.
Overall Sweethearts was just plain brilliant. I adored it from beginning to end and I was really sad when it was over. The last 3 pages were my favorite and I think I’ve read them 5 times now because they’re just SO PERFECT. I can’t wait to read more by Sara Zarr. She is an amazing author. Her writing is like a window into teenage soul. Which sounds so extremely cliché but I don’t know how to say it without it coming out like that. And its so true. Sweethearts gets 5 out of 5 ice cream cones!
Seriously, if you haven’t read this book you really, REALLY should! You won’t be disappointed.
Julia :)
This sounds like an amazing book! I haven't actually read anything by Sara Zarr yet but everyone says she's awesome, so I really should. This one's already on my to-read list, but I think I'll be bumping it up a little higher now that I've read your review!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this book! I'm glad you enjoyed it too! It was one of my favorite books last year. I was the same, I thought it would just be a quick and simple read... but I was blown away and it turned into a long and amazing read because I kept rereading my favorite parts. One of my favorite quotes is from this book, the author's writing is so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! Love your site-hope you'll come say hi if you get a chance!
ReplyDeleteKristin@ MyBookishWays
Yes, "just plain brilliant" is right. And, as a bonus: The cover is PERFECTION!
ReplyDeletehaha!! sounds like a great read..but honestly, I just wanna eat that cookie or whatever it is there.
ReplyDeleteWhere's you get the cut "Reading is Cool" button?! I'm your newest follower :-]
xo,
Lah
She is one of my very favorite authors!! Definitely pick up her others, they are just as good.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good book. From the cover and description it seems like it would be a fluffy romance, but I'm happy to hear that it's more about deep friendship. There aren't enough books about that out there right now. Thanks for the review! I'm going to have to pick Sweethearts up now. :)
ReplyDeleteCameron is a really amazing character. I liked Jenna's friends and her story. When I bought the book, the lady at Borders really liked the cover, LOL.
ReplyDelete@Lazy Girl Haha I know I want to eat the cookie too. This cover makes me hungry.... I think I found the Reading is Cool picture on Google somewhere. Its a print by an artist on Etsy. :)
ReplyDelete