A story about love, loss, family, friendship, religion, acceptance, and ultimately, growing up. I highly enjoyed this book! It’s not often you read a book that discusses religion in BOTH positive and negative aspects. How it can be this supportive ideal for some, but a crutch for others. It did a great job of showing characters questioning their beliefs on both sides of the spectrum which is rare. I LOVED how the story ended, which really challenged the idea of a happily ever after that relates to a boy. The ending was not at all what I was expecting to happen. The only reason I’m giving this a 4 instead of 5 star is because of the student/teacher relationship displayed in it. Maybe it’s just because I am a teacher, but that just really skeeves me out.

Hannah and her life-long best friend and next door neighbor, Emory, have shared every moment of their lives. But when the girls have a serious argument, they both say things they can never take back and as they head into their senior year their friendship seems to be over. Hannah throws herself into her work at the Christian school her father runs and Emory is focused on her nearly perfect boyfriend, Luke, and her upcoming audition for UCLA’s acting program. After a freak accident, Luke nearly dies and Hannah is the one who is there to save his life. As Luke recovers he tries to make sense of his near death experience and he finds that Hannah is the only person he can relate to. With Luke and Hannah becoming closer, and Emory concerned over her growing distance from him, the two girls are forced to face each other to come to terms with their own relationship. All of the characters are believable and nuanced, the connection that Emory and Luke have is so positive and caring and gives a great example to teens on what a healthy relationship can be. The situations are realistically portrayed as Hannah, Emory, Luke and their families navigate some serious issues such as questioning faith, sexual harassment and forbidden attraction. A solid tale that examines friendship, family and romantic love, overall a good choice for fans of realistic fiction and romance.


Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Best friends and neighbors, Hannah and Emory haven’t spoken since a fight, during which they said things they can’t take back. Emory, who is in public school, focuses on theater and her boyfriend Luke. Hannah, the daughter of the principal of her Christian school, begins questioning her faith and gets dangerously involved with an adult mentor. Then Hannah sees Luke crash his car outside her house, and she saves his life, motivating him to turn to her to make sense of his near-death experience. This forces the girls to reenter each other’s lives, moving them toward a reconciliation.

Tamara Ireland Stone has impressed me with each book she has written so far. I always enjoy her stories, characters and messages behind them all. These books deliver those hard feelings with a great story line.

womp womp.

i was not terribly impressed with this.

i saw it on netgalley and requested it 100% because i recognised the author from her book every last word - which i have not read, but it's on the list and i assume i'll get to it one day. but for some reason it's easier for me to read ARCs than the books that have been on my shelves for years. so i requested it, barely skimming the synopsis. i did see her faith mentioned but didn't think much about it as it was not tagged as christian fiction on goodreads or netgalley.

the religious stuff is not my personal jam so it got on my nerves. yes her faith is mentioned in the synopsis but it's almost like another character in this book. hannah questions her faith but not really, in my opinion. she does a bit of googling and says she doesn't know the answers to everything - well, gee, darn, none of us do. you should come to your own conclusions, sure, and if you want to believe something, go right ahead. you do you. honest, i'm not talking shit about that. i'm calling bullshit on her halfhearted attempt at questioning. perhaps that's normal - do a little questioning and decide to keep believing what you want to believe. i'm really not shitting on it. it just felt fake to me. it made me feel like the author was definitely pushing her own personal agenda on to the reader, and while that is fine and dandy, i think it should come with warning for those who do not want that. to be completely honest, i think that your own personal views will affect how you feel about this book - if you are a religious person perhaps it will not bother you. if you are not, it might bother you.

i feel like every book i pick up lately, if not a specific romance, has something to do with sexual assault. there was just a lot going on in this book.

i never got behind hannah's 'relationship' with aaron... speaking of sexual assault. lol jk it's fine because she kissed him first, what the actual fuck though. he's older and in a position of power and he has a girlfriend. he was so skeevy, should have called hima d-bag as well. i liked luke except when he was talking about his near death experience, which yes, i realise is the whole point of the book but whatever. i also hated that they broke up - the ending was super unsatisfying. what the fuck was that shit - the one healthy relationship in this book and they tear it to pieces.

as for the good parts - i liked the good parts of luke and emory's relationship. i liked most of hannah and emory's friendship. except when you find out the reason for their big fight, i was disgusted in the one so clearly in the wrong.

so yeah overall, not terribly impressed unfortunately.

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2018 June 12

BOOK REPORT for Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone

Cover Story: Stunned Speechless
BFF Charm: Heck Yes x 2
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: She Said, She Said
Bonus Factors: Friendship, Faith, Performing Arts
Relationship Status: Love at First Sight

Cover Story: Stunned Speechless

OMG THIS IS PHENOMENAL. I have no words but all props for Sabeena Karnik's paper art and Marci Senders' cover design. Just stare at it and soak it in, because that'll say more than I ever could. (I promise to regain my words for the rest of the review.)

The Deal:

Next-door neighbors and lifelong besties Hannah and Emory never knew a life without each other. But then they had their worst fight ever — like, things-you-can't-take-back worst fight — and they haven't spoken to each other in the months since.

Nowadays, Emory is preparing for her starring role in the school play and spending as much time as possible with her boyfriend before they go off to separate colleges, while Hannah is finding herself mired in a crisis of faith and finance. Emory and Hannah's estrangement is still going strong when an unfortunate incident brings them into each other's orbits again. Is reconciliation possible, or has this friendship been fractured beyond repair?

BFF Charm: Heck Yes x 2

I swear — long before they make the comparison themselves, I saw the dichotomy between Emory and Hannah as twin-like. Specifically, the Wakefield twins, with Emory having the more magnetic personality and Hannah's being more subdued. I was maybe a step slower to warm to Hannah*, but I grew to love them both separately and especially together.

*Let's be real; I'd never forsake a fellow Liz, even though it is a truth universally acknowledged that Jessica is more fun.

Swoonworthy Scale: 8

It's a shame that Emory and Luke have an expiration date, because they're cute and hot together. She jots down her favorite thing that he says each day, and their relationship is deffo sex-positive. Plus, Luke is SUCH a good egg! But as bittersweet and inevitable as the end of a high school romance usually is, there's value in showing that there are some people whom you'll only love for a finite time. (That Tennyson quote and whatnot.)

Hannah's situation is... trickier. When it comes to romances, I don't have to ship it or even support it — and I wanted to rebel against hers with every fiber of my being — but I do have to believe the it. And I did, just as much and as long as Hannah did.

Talky Talk: She Said, She Said

The alternating narration doesn't change vastly from Hannah to Emory, but the story they tell is poignant and engrossing, with even some genuine LOLs along the way. Despite the strong potential for it, Stone resists the urge to veer soap opera-y, opting to keep her novel and characters more grounded instead. (My instinct for MORE DRAMZ could probably be attributed to my steady diet of The WB and The CW since the late '90s.)

Bonus Factor: Friendship

Hannah and Emory are obvi the beating heart of this book, but it also features other awesome friendships, such as Emory's with her theatre friends, hairstylist extraordinaire Charlotte and hypothetical questioner Tyler; and Hannah's unexpected connection with Luke.

Bonus Factor: Faith

As the daughter of a pastor-turned-principal of a Christian school, Hannah has always been a staunch believer. But now she finds herself questioning her faith, and even exploring different expressions of spirituality like meditation. (She may have even persuaded me to try meditation, tbh.)

Bonus Factor: Performing Arts

Both girls excel on the stage, with Emory being the lead in her school's production of Our Town and Hannah being in her church's a capella choir. Although I got a slight kick out of Emory using a monologue from The Blair Witch Project, of all things, for her UCLA audition.

Relationship Status: Love at First Sight

OK, I'll admit; I totally lusted for this book on appearance alone at first. But it's so much more than a pretty face — and it's a really, really pretty face. The cover may have reeled me in, but its captivating story of friendship, faith, and love was what had me hooked.

Little Do We Know is available now.

Title: Little Do We Know
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone
Genre: YA
Rating: 5 out of 5

Hannah and Emory are next-door-neighbors and best friends. Until a few months ago, when they had a fight and said some things they can never take back. Hannah’s life at the Christian school her father runs is great, but is her faith really her own, or is it something she just picked up from her family? These questions become even harder when she realizes she may never get the chance to live out her dreams and gets involved with someone she should never have been involved with.

Emory is preparing for her UCLA performing arts audition and enjoying every moment she has left with her boyfriend, Luke. They’ll be going off to separate colleges, and she knows they don’t have much time left. Emory just wants to avoid her memories of the fight with Hannah—and what caused them.

The distance between the two girls seems unsurpassable, until the night Hannah finds Luke in his car outside Emory’s house, doubled over and on the verge of death. In the aftermath of that ordeal, the girls seek to sort out their differences, and realize their friendship is the strength that keeps them both afloat.

I loved this book. I could relate to Hannah so much, and the way she struggles with defining her own faith, while fighting for the chance to chase her dreams, was both poignant and uplifting. She makes some bad decisions, but learns from them, and changes as a result. Emory is a vibrant girl who practically dances across the pages. Her outgoing personality hides a secret—and a fear of the future. The two of them are drawn back together because of Luke, but their friendship is the backbone of this wonderful novel.

(Galley provided by Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

I have read and loved every single one of Tamara Ireland Stone’s novels up until now. Fortunately, Little Do We Know is another title to add to that list! It’s the story of two former best friends, Emory and Hannah, who haven’t spoken to each other since a big fight where they both said things that they regret to each other. The girls are each dealing with their own share of problems; Hannah is questioning all she’s ever known about her faith, while Emory is trying to fine-tune her college application and spend as much time as she can with her boyfriend Luke before they go off to separate colleges. But one night, when Hannah finds Luke doubled over in his car after suffering a traumatic injury, their paths are drawn together again as all three try to make sense of what brought them to this point and where to go from there. It took me a while to warm up to both Hannah and Emory, and the book alternates between both perspectives. It also isn’t easy to read about what the girls are doing, and what their choices are, since I didn’t necessarily always agree with their actions. But eventually, I realized I just couldn’t set the book down until I knew how it ended. I really liked how Stone portrayed the individual character journeys, the relationships (between the two main characters, and the other characters in relation to them) and I also liked the themes woven throughout the story about relationships with family, friends, lovers and even faith. It was another solid YA contemporary read from Stone, and definitely well worth the read.

Little Do We Know is instantly addicting. I was hooked as soon as Hannah stated how many steps were between her bedroom window and Emory's, and that was the first line.

It is super relatable, super readable, and super emotional. It's just one of those books that makes you constantly wonder what you would do if you were in the same position as the characters. When I put the book down, I found that it was still consuming my thoughts. It tackles so many topics realistically without promotion or demotion and is definitely worth reading!

I am always super engaged in everything that Tamara Ireland Stone writes, and this was no exception!

I loved this story....I identified with aspects of both characters, and I think there are a lot of great storylines for HS seniors. It was definitely character-driven and sometimes a little drawn out, but I binge read it and didn’t want to stop!

This story resonated with me more than it might have if my own son didn’t have an eerily similar experience as Luke and very recently too! (Eerily almost identical) So this made reading the book so much more personal to me. Any parent would most likely feel the same.
“Little Do We Know” is one of those rare YA books that even every adult should read. Luke suffered a freak accident that changed his life forever; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Many adults will never experience what Luke experienced which makes his revelations so much more valuable when they are passed on to others.
“I think you can spend your time thinking about what could have happened,” I continued. “Or you can be here and be happy about it. I’m definitely happy about it.”

After his traumatic accident, he experienced a NDE (near death experience) which raised questions about life and death that he never had. Luke came to terms with death in ways many who think they are spiritually connected never have.
“If anything, this experience has taught me to soak up every second of every day, because we never know when it will be over. I’m not afraid of what happens next. I honestly don’t care. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

But, Luke is also caught in the middle of some very real HS drama that forced him to reevaluate the relationships he has. Luke and his girlfriend Emory have planned the best- more carefree summer before setting off for college. Emory and her life long best friend Hannah had a falling out 3 months ago and haven’t spoken since.
Hannah, deeply spiritual and the daughter of a pastor could not be more polar opposite of Emory. Emory, a skeptic on the verge of non-believer in any kind of higher purpose & is the daughter of a single mom who is about to marry a man that Emory DOES.NOT.LIKE! The reader won’t know why or what happened to so deeply cut the throat of their friendship until the end. Knowing what happened between them will shock you!
I LOVED this story because the characters grow spiritually, emotionally, and exponentially in maturity. I believe readers will love these characters, root for them, and pray alongside them as they find their way in life together❤ LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!!
If you knew you were leaving this Earth forever, what would you want to say good-bye to?”

Books about faith and friendship are my jam and it's very rare to get both. It's also rare to have an exploration of faith and doubt that doesn't feel like either (a) the religion is bad or weird or (b) the person having the doubts is bad or weird. 

And I love the relationship Emory and Luke have. They are actual relationship goals and I love them so much. They're so sweet together and they clearly do love each other.

My actual favorite aspect of the novel, though? Emory and Hannah's friendship. For most of the book, it's basically imploded and we only have a very hazy idea of why. Even so, it's so obvious that they still love each other so much and just can't figure out how to salvage the friendship. 

I absolutely adore this book (no surprise; Tamara Ireland Stone is AMAZING) and I hope you read it, too. Highly recommended.

Little Do We Know Follows to Ex Best Friends Hannah and Emory as they deal with their senior year of high school. When Emory's boyfriend has a horrible accident and Hannah saves his life the two girls are forced to speak too each other. I thought that the characters were very real and I could relate to them.

Tamara Ireland Stone is back in top form with this absolutely lovely look at the deep friendship between two young women who couldn't be more different finding their way back to each other after a world shifting fight nearly destroys them.

Hannah and Emory have been best friends practically since babyhood. Though Emory is a social butterfly actress with a single mom and a long term boyfriend and Hannah is the devout daughter of a preacher and attends a religious high school run by her father they've lived their lives right next door to each other and grown up practically as sisters.

We aren't told initially what exactly happened the night their friendship was shattered. The book beings three months into the cold war standoff between them with neither willing to tell either their families or other friends what's caused the rift. Emory is determined to savor the last days of her relationship with the devoted and wonderful Luke and help her mother prepare for her upcoming wedding to a guy Emory can't stand. Hannah is dealing with a crushing betrayal from within her own family and the possibility that her faith may not be as unassailable as she once thought all while juggling a dangerous attraction to someone she shouldn't be getting involved with.

This sounds like the plot of several young adult novels but in Stone's capable hands the complex web of plots and characters never misses a beat. Both Emory and Hannah are amazing characters, maybe a bit more wise than your average teenage girls, but there's something wonderful about reading about self possessed, strong young women meeting adversity and being more than capable of overcoming it. You never really doubt that a friendship this strong could be broken by a few ill chosen words but watching them journey back to each other and in doing so confronting the fears and trauma that wait at the heart of their separation is very powerful.

Stone swims through some deep, deep waters with this book. Hannah's reexamination of her beliefs and the awakening she has that its up to her and not her father to decide what she believes or even if she believes at all and Emory staring down the barrel of the end of her relationship with a boy she genuinely loves with all her heart and soul but knows she has to let go of for both their sakes are momentous, world rocking moments. They are also the simplest things in the world to turn into teeny bopper dreck. Instead both stories are heartbreaking and beautiful and real.

This was a wonderful book full of melancholy romance and deep questions that have to be asked by all of us even if there aren't any answers.

This book is timely (#metoo movement) but more than that, it's an engaging and fast paced story built around friendship. Hannah and and Emory have been best friends and next door neighbors their entire lives until an event breaks their friendship in half. Little Do We Know is the story of Hannah and Emory finding their way back to each other after their event triggered fight almost ends them.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since former best friends Emory and Hannah said things they couldn't take back, they haven't spoken or crossed the 36 steps separating their houses.

Emory is preparing for the lead role in her school's production of Our Town and spending time with her boyfriend Luke before they go to separate colleges. With UCLA drama department auditions and Luke's lacrosse games to fill her time, Emory doesn't seem to notice Hannah's absence.

Hannah begins to question her faith - the one thing she could always count on - when she learns about her family's financial crisis. She listens to her father's sermons differently and can't seem to get Emory's words out of her mind. When Hannah helps Luke in unexpected ways, all three teens begin to rethink their paths.

THOUGHTS: Beautifully written with dual narrators, Little Do We Know is about losing yourself, your best friend, and your faith, then trying to find your way. Readers will appreciate the honest portrayal of these characters and their parents, who demonstrate that not every decision is the right one. Mature relationships are included, making this book most suitable for high school readers.

Hannah and Emory have been best friends and next-door neighbors for most of their lives. However, several months ago they had a big fight and said things that can’t be taken back. These teens are further put to the test, when Emory’s boyfriend gets in a serious accident outside of Hannah’s house. All three begin questioning their life, those they hold dear and their faith. This novel is perfect for fans of Emory Lord.

I enjoyed this novel. I feel that it will appeal to the Christian population, especially those questioning their faith. However, this novel would be hard to recommend to this population because there are several plot points which would not gel with the conservative wishes of adults. I liked that there were friendships between genders, without it having to be romantic. This novel included one of my hot button issues of student/teacher relationship, but the overall book was so well written and interesting, I could move past it.

This book is SO incredibly special and particularly timely (#metoo). I've already read it twice and I can assure you that you are going to want to add this to your TBR immediately (as in, right now)!

I laughed and I cried (both times). It’s been a while since I so deeply connected with a story and its characters. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK!!! 💖 This is hands-down one of my favorite reads of 2018.

I chose this book because I know the author, who wrote one if my favorite duologies. That being said, she did not disappoint! The story was interesting, fun, and easy to get sucked into. I really enjoyed it.

This story resonated with me more than it might have if my own son didn't have an eerily similar experience as Luke and very recently too! (Eerily almost identical) So this made reading the book so much more personal to me. Any parent would most likely feel the same. 
"Little Do We Know" is one of those rare YA books that even every adult should read. Luke suffered a freak accident that changed his life forever; physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Many adults will never experience what Luke experienced which makes his revelations so much more valuable when they are passed on to others. 
“I think you can spend your time thinking about what could have happened,” I continued. “Or you can be here and be happy about it. I’m definitely happy about it.”
After his traumatic accident, he experienced a NDE (near death experience) which raised questions about life and death that he never had. Luke came to terms with death in ways many who think they are spiritually connected never have. 
"If anything, this experience has taught me to soak up every second of every day, because we never know when it will be over. I’m not afraid of what happens next. I honestly don’t care. I’m just damn glad to be here.”
But, Luke is also caught in the middle of some very real HS drama that forced him to reevaluate the relationships he has. Luke and his girlfriend Emory have planned the best- more carefree summer before setting off for college. Emory and her life long best friend Hannah had a falling out 3 months ago and haven't spoken since. 
Hannah, deeply spiritual and the daughter of a pastor could not be more polar opposite of Emory. Emory, a skeptic on the verge of non-believer in any kind of higher purpose & is the daughter of a single mom who is about to marry a man that Emory DOES.NOT.LIKE! The reader won't know why or what happened to so deeply cut the throat of their friendship until the end. Knowing what happened between them will shock you! 
I LOVED this story because the characters grow spiritually, emotionally, and exponentially in maturity. I believe readers will love these characters, root for them, and pray alongside them as they find their way in life together❤️ LOVED LOVED LOVED this book!!! 
If you knew you were leaving this Earth forever, what would you want to say good-bye to?”