This book AHHHH!!! FEEELLLSSS. This hit me right in the heart. A beautiful story of 2 best friends who outstood the odds that tried to obliterate their friendship. It also deals with the sexual assualt and the author portrayed it crisply. I loved how wilson was protective of his sister. And yes this book mainly deals with rich people stereotyping the poor and how they treat them. My heart went out to Clare and Zara, i grew very much fond of them.I really didnt expect this book to exceed my expectations but boy did it exceed!!...LOVED THIS BOOK ON A WHOLESOME LEVEL

This book hit home for me only because I have gone through it not the entire thing (None of my friends mothers treated me as bad as Zari's mother treated Clare) . The story played out in poetry and there were a lot of lines I was able to hightlight and remember.
Wonderful read and the book stayed on topic! There was no filler and no fluff.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

*I received a pdf review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.*

**TW// DATING VIOLENCE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, DOMESTIC ABUSE, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP, VERBAL ABUSE**

I’m not sure when I requested this one on NetGalley so I was kind of surprised when I got the email.

I also found myself surprised to find out that this book is written in more of a poetry/prose form. I have never liked poetry and I’ve never really read a book like this so I had no idea what to expect and was also hoping my dislike of poetry wouldn’t immediately sink the book for me.
My last surprise came in the fact that I actually found this book decently enjoyable. It was easy to work past the writing style and get immersed into the story of Zari and Clare.
The basic premise of this book is that it explores the friendship between Zari and Clare while tackling forces that threaten their bond.

For Zari, her parents have worked hard to get where they are and they are constantly hoping and pressuring her to achieve a similar result. The big way they do this is to push her into an internship with a professor her father really admires and works with. She’s not into it at first but actually begins to enjoy it and she also meets Dion here. Dion is the professor’s son who Zari connects with and soon begins dating. But the relationship goes sour (tw//domestic abuse, violence) when Dion becomes physically abusive and eventually threatens to kill Zari if she chooses to break up with him.

Clare is a girl who lost her father and feels partially to blame. In addition to her guilt, she’s also dealing with not having money and not being able to afford what I think her moms cafe. Her mom is attending school so she is trying to make ends meet and support her mom both through playing guitar on the street and through words.

The forces that come between them? Zari’s parents and her boyfriend Dion. Both seem to think Clare is off limits because she is poorer and doesn’t look like them (she’s got pink hair and plays guitar on the streets). This causes a rift between all of them and also a wedge into the possibly blooming Clare/Zari’s brother romance.

To my surprise, I got all of that from poetry (I’ve struggled to understand it my whole life) and actually really enjoyed this one.

The only real issue I have with this one is that everything is wrapped together for the end in like 20 pages. All the serious issues we have had throughout the book are wrapped up in some way just like that. It felt like we definitely needed more to make sure everything was properly fleshed out and dealt with. Some of the most serious issues in the book are wrapped up way too soon, which feels like a disservice to their severity.

I only had one issue with this book but wasn’t a dealbreaker! This is a good book that deals with some heavy and relevant topics through a poetry style in a way that even people like me who may not like/understand poetry will enjoy.

I LOVE how the story is written in poetry.

So creative to form a full novel/story from many pieces of poetry. I've got to hand it to the author because already writing a novel you have to be so intentional with your words but with poetry it's even more so. This was done really well

The poetry is beautifully crafted
Talks about: the pressures of choosing a college/career path at a young age, the joy of friendship, the loss of a loved one, abusive relationships and much more.

Abuse is such a huge issue in our world today, especially in teenagers, and this book addressed that. It showed inside the victim's head as well as those around her who are concerned for her and her safety. It was such a difficult topic and I feel the way it was approached in poetry form in this book was a perfect way to bring this problem to light. Poetry is a good outlet for emotions and thoughts and so with that it fit perfectly in this book. As heartbreaking and sad as it was, it just worked.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an earc copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this collection of poetry. Some of the poetry made me feel some feelings. The pressure from parents, and the domestic violence made me feel so much too. I didn’t connect with the poetry but I liked it because it caused me to feel a lot of things. I gave this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Nothing that hasn't already been written. To be fair, I am biased against books written in verse-- just not my cup of tea. But I thought I'd try this one out just in case I changed my mind. I didn't. I didn't like it and the bad verse just made the juvenile book that much worse.

And We Call It Love is a story about two best friends, written like poetry. It read beautifully. The stories are heartbreaking, and wonderful. Clare and Zari are relatable and flawed. Each of their stories are unique, they are navigating their own lives while trying to keep their friendship strong. I loved everything about this book. The way it was written made And We Call It Love have an even bigger impact as I was reading it.

Downloaded for the kindle app. And it's formatting has made it impossible to read. Its way too small and there is no zoom function. Beautiful cover though.

The Next
Three Hours

I spend filling up
my entire notebook
with truth,
and
something
inside me
goes back
to where it feels right.

*Thank you Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I actually didn’t know what I was getting into when I started this book. It’s just that one day I’m requesting a copy on Netgalley and next thing I know I’m loving it.

Initially, I though this poetry book will be the same as others with lengthy descriptions or so-many-spaces but this one is told in verses. Alternating between Zari and Clare, we can follow the story of these two bestfriends and how they maintain their friendship despite some obstacles. The first few pages were a blur, the pages flying by and I wasn’t actually sure who was narrating what that I had to backread a couple of times. But further into the book it was much easier since I already knew which is which.

I love how this book tells us issues about friendship, family, social class, abusive relationship, etc., and how it felt realistic because these things really happen. It also made me really happy knowing that Clare was there for Zari and how strong she was for the both of them. Because sometimes we really just need someone to never give up on us no matter how much we push them away.

Love is like

an invisible string,
and no matter
where you go
or what you do
or how long
it is between talks,

it never breaks.

And We Call It Love by Amanda Vink is a story written entirely in the form of verses.  I was a little thrown at first as it took a few pages to get the flow, and be able to decipher who (Zari or Clare) was narrating.  I enjoyed "living" the story as there are no pauses and the book is easy to read.

The story itself is about two best friends and the strength of bonds despite obstacles.  It is powerful, and realistically covers relationship abuse.  You are able to feel the characters change throughout the verses, as the story unfolds.

I haven’t read a verse-novel in quite a while, so I was really pleased by it being a super quick, straight-to-the-point and easy read. It tackled issues of acceptance and friendship, abuse, not taking things for granted as well as the importance of all living things needing a support system in order to thrive. “It’s difficult for a tree to survive without its support system.”

I liked the idea behind the story better than the actual story? I think it could have been a really good poetry collection, especially because you can tell a story in so much depth with such fewer words with poetry, but this one just didn't hit the mark. The poems were choppy and read a little more like a children's book than what I was expecting.

I did like the idea, and the way Zari and Clare looked out for one another, how Wilson knew something was wrong even when their parents didn't. The characters and the idea and the general story were all great, the execution, not so much.

Trigger warning: Abusive relationship

I didn’t realise when I requested the book that it would be written in verse. I’m not a poetry fan so it was offputting to me at first. But I persevered and I am so glad I did.

The book is about two friends, Zari and Clare. Zari is from a wealthier family and Clare lives with her widowed mum. Zari’s parents are very judgemental and want Zari to have a brilliant job and not waste time hanging out with unsuitable people.
I loved the friendship between the two girls because they didn’t care how different their circumstances were.
I thought the abuse plot was done well but I wish the book had even just 50 more pages because it seemed too short. I think the book could have gone deeper into things if it had been that much longer.

I usually love poetry and verse, however, this book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I think my biggest issue with it, despite the fact that it was written as poetic verse, was that the writing just wasn’t that poetic. I was expecting more lyrical writing with this type of writing format. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Another issue that I had with this book is that it was told in alternating perspectives, and I usually love the dual points of views, however, the way it was written, there was no clear definition between who was Clare or who was Zari. So it made it a little confusing to keep up with the plot because of that.

It saddens me that the execution of the story wasn’t done well because the book explored some very important topics like friendship, self-discovery, and abusive relationships. And I think those are some compelling topics for teens to read about if done well. The characters in this book weren’t very well-developed and this book just fell short.

As a writer, I honestly despise being too critical when it comes to debut authors so I won’t delve too much on the negatives. Also, since I’m not the intended audience, the writing may not resonate with me so much, however, middle-grade readers or tweens may find this books interesting.

This was a disappointing read for me as I was looking forward to it. I found it disjointed and hard to follow. Not an enjoyable read for me.

The characters felt superficial and the plot felt forced through out

I thought this was a very gorgeous book of poetry. It dealt with some really tough situations that were portrayed in a very flowing, beautiful manner. It really told a story in a way that I found similar to Ellen Hopkins who is one of my all-time favorite authors. The story unfolds in this beautifully lyrically written way that makes you not want to put it down until you are done.

I thought that the sensitive topics were really written in a way that helps you understand yet get the full affect of what the author was trying to portray. There were parts that made me extremely uncomfortable but I think that was the point of the whole book. It really made me open my eyes.

If you are new to poetry this is absolutely a wonderful place to get started. This book really made my love for poetically written books surge. This author is extremely talented and I cannot wait to read more by them.

Overall, I liked this book. It was written in prose and done really well. However, I did find it difficult to differentiate between the two main characters in the beginning. There is no clear distinction between the two. The reader had to determine that themselves by sorting through the details of the story, The story itself was heartbreaking. The way that people treat each other is the main theme of the book. The book deals with topics from abuse and isolation to loneliness and companionship. I think this book makes for an interesting and eye-opening read. Trigger warning, there is abuse in this book. Thank you so much to NetGalley and West 44 Books for providing me with a review copy of this book!

The simplicity of the verse was almost too much but the subject matter was extremely relevant. This read almost too young for me to personally enjoy but I would consider purchasing it for younger relatives. I am an avid reader of young adult novels and tend to enjoy this format style. The cover was eye catching though.

And We Call It Love is the story of two best friends who want nothing more than to write music together and navigate through the trials of high school. But outside circumstances – family, opportunities, and romances – quickly become obstacles for them. What starts turning into a rocky relationship is transformed into a real test of character and time as both Clare and Zari come to terms with some harsh realities that neither of them were prepared for.

This book is technically a collection of poetry but if I had to classify it, I would slot it as prose-poetry. I am a huge fan of prose-poetry myself, so when I heard about this book I was very excited. Not only was it a fresh read amidst proper prose format books that I usually read – but it also focused on friendship.

That focus is one of the things I loved most about this book. Friendship, I think, is a severely underestimated trope in a lot of young adult stories . A sad fact, when that is an age when a lot of us make friendships that can have a long-lasting effect on us, regardless of what path they take. Friendships are often a subplot in stories, an afterthought, because a friendship isn’t deemed as vital to the story as a character’s internal struggle with themselves.

And We Call It Love does great work of showing how those go hand in hand – it shows how friendship affects how we see ourselves and our worth, and how the decisions we make for and without our friends force us to question ourselves as people. It is a simply narrated but very powerful book.

Moreover, it discusses abusive relationships and I think this was an important thing to touch on. Abusive relationships in teenage years are very difficult to recognise as so – especially when they’re encouraged by family (something that gains a scary amount of authority since helicopter parents are more critical of dating during those years). Once you have that stamp of approval, it becomes difficult to pinpoint the abuse. There is a denial that takes place, and then fear, and then desperation. All these were emotions that really came through the words, both from the perspective of the victim, and from the perspective of a hapless bystander.

From a technical stand-point, it’s evident that Vink has a lot of potential as a poet. The only thing that stopped me from giving it a full 5-stars is that certain verses didn’t work for me, structurally speaking. Some words and lines could’ve been put differently. There are some moments when the writing leans on cliche – mind you, I am a sucker for tropes and cliches so it’s nothing against that. I simply feel in these instances it took away from the simple rawness and impact the words were going for.

Regardless, I feel like the poetry-prose collection still did an excellent job at showing us the world of Clare and Zari, and how precariously it hangs while their lives spin out of control. I am very glad Vink chose this format of writing because there are some definitive messages behind the words that become debatable in traditional poetry, while purely prose might’ve made it a little bland. This is the perfect format for this story.

I’ve found prose-poetry to be a tricky genre in young adult fiction and with seasoned young adult readers – it receives very mixed responses. That being said, I urge you to give this book a try because it talks of things like love and passion, all in a way that portrays the strength of friendship and companionship in both good times and bad. I wish this book and the author well for when it is published – I have no doubt many others will have the same good things to say that I did!

And We Call It Love by Amanda Vink
I have to say this was the first book of this type and I didn't really enjoy it at all! It was confusing and just seemed like everything was told from one view!
2 stars