Title: First Comes Love
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (May 8, 2012)
Source: ATW ARC Tours
From GoodReads:
Like his name, Gray is dark and stormy. Dylan, a girl always searching for what's next, seemingly unable to settle down, is the exact opposite: full of light and life. On the outside, they seem like an unlikely couple. But looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract. What starts as friendship, turns into admiration, respect and caring, until finally these two lone souls find they are truly in love with each other. But staying in love is not as easy as falling in love. If Dylan and Gray want their love to last, they're going to have to work at it. And learn that sometimes love means having to say you're sorry.
It's hard for me to come up with a good description for First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky. Clearly, the book is about two characters falling in love, but it's so much more than a romance. In fact, I would even say the romance isn't the most important part of the book. It's really more about two characters getting to know each other and themselves.
Gray is a loner. An outsider. He wasn't always this way, but life took a detour when tragedy struck his family. Now, he's used to staying in the shadows, hoping no one will pay too much attention. But Dylan does. She notices everything, including Gray. Her mission: to find out what he's hiding from.
This tender story is told from alternative POVs of Gray and Dylan. In this way, we get to see the slow changes in Gray as he steps out of his comfort zone and back into real life. Also, we see Dylan's motivations and her quirky views on how to live day to day. I enjoyed both voices and how it made perfect sense that this pair would come together.
What I loved most about this story is that it took it past first love. Yes, it's great when love happens, but that's not the end of the story. Love continues and grows, but it also struggles. Love isn't always that hard to find, but it can be hard to keep. I really appreciated that First Comes Love took the readers on a journey that explores what love is and what a person is willing to give up in order to keep it.
First Comes Love is tender, heartfelt, and uplifting. The characters have depth and the story covers many aspects of life, love, friendship, and family. It's a beautiful love story, that is simultaneously, fun, silly, sweet, raw, and heartbreaking. If you're looking for a scorching, sexy romance, I wouldn't recommend picking this up, but if you're looking for a deeply written story you can emotionally connect to, check this one out.
Final thoughts: Borrow or buy.
