From Barnes and Noble:
It’s the summer of 1982, and for Scott and Cath, everything is about to change.
Growing up across the street from each other, Scott and Cath have been best friends for most of their lives. Now they’ve graduated high school, and Cath is off to college while Scott stays at home trying to get his band off the ground. Neither of them realized that their first year after high school would be so hard.
Fortunately, Scott and Cath still have each other, and it’s through their letters that they survive heartache, annoying roommates, family dramas, and the pressure of figuring out what to do with the rest of their lives. And through it all, they realize that the only person they’ve ever wanted to turn to is each other. But does that mean they should think about being more than friends? One thing is clear, Change is an inescapable part of growing up, and we share unbreakable bonds with the friends who help us navigate it.
This funny, extraordinary, and deeply moving book—set to an awesome ’80s soundtrack—captures all the beautiful confusion and emotional intensity we find on the verge of adulthood…and first love.
Rating: 4/5
What’s it like: Sarah Dessen meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but completely written in letters.
What did I think?: I heard from multiple people that it was an amazing book. I thought it was good, but I wouldn’t go that far as to call it amazing. The book takes place in 1982 and is about two friends, Cath and Scott, who just graduated high school. Cath heads off to college, and Scott stays at home to work with his dad. The novel is completely in letter format, complete with stationary headings. There are details and previous conversations that the reader isn’t filled in on. I love the idea of letters but it’s hard to envision the lag time. Sometimes, I was trying to figure out why they didn’t just pick up the phone and call each other more often. It would have saved the money for stamps, but not have made as good of a story.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was a quick read because of the formatting. I liked the ending as well but wished I wouldn’t have felt as much of a time period disconnect. Cath lives in the dorms which isn’t something I ever did. It feels weird reading about her experiences in the dorms, especially visiting people in your hallway and having one phone in the hall.