Emily Henry’s stunning debut novel is Friday Night Lights meets The Time Traveler’s Wife and perfectly captures those bittersweet months after high school, when we dream not only of the future, but of all the roads and paths we’ve left untaken. Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start . . . until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary … seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a preschool where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.
Then there are the visits from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her, “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.
“A truly profound debut.”—Buzzfeed
“A time-bending suspense that’s contemplative and fresh, evocative and gripping.”—USA Today
“Henry’s story captivates, both as a romance and as an imaginative rethinking of time and space.”—Publishers Weekly
“This time-traveling, magical, and beautifully written love story definitely deserves a spot on your bookshelf.”—Bustle
From the Hardcover edition.
more
I didn’t know this was a young adult book when I started it, but found it enjoyable nonetheless. The story was original and took a few unexpected twists and turns. I would recommend this book for YA and adults.
This book drew me in with its stunning cover, and the evocative storytelling and lush prose had me hooked from the first page. Epic love story? Check. Mystery and suspense? Check. An ending that will knock your socks off? Check. As soon as I finished reading The Love That Split the World, I immediately wanted to turn back to page one and read the whole book all over again! I also have a fond spot in my heart for this book because I was reading it when I got the lightning-bolt idea for my novel The Best Week That Never Happened. I like to think that something about this story opened the floodgates for my own creativity!
4.5/5 Stars
This book is brilliant! I have never read anything like it. This book will keep your mind churning trying to figure things out. This book is written as a contemporary, but with am alternate reality/time travel aspect.
What I liked
This book is diverse! I love, love, love this! The main character, Natalie, is of Native American descent and she was adopted by a Caucasian couple. Both of these things keep things diverse and original. Natalie’s ancestry and her adoption are a big part of who she is and has a lot to do with how she lives her life and how she feels about herself. Also, mental illness is touched upon which only adds to the diversity.
I loved the alternate realities/time travel aspect of the book. I have honestly not read anything like this book before. I have always loved alternate reality and time travel stories. I don’t think that there are enough young adult books in this vein of science fiction/paranormal.
I really loved seeing how mental illness was touched upon in the book. Natalie undergoes counseling and she sees people that are’t there, or so she thinks. It comes across as mental illness initially until the alternate reality/time travel aspect develops. It was interesting to see how the people in Natalie’s life treated her when they thought that she was having night terrors and seeing people that no one else could see.
The characters are so well written. I instantly connected with them. They are described so vividly, and you really get to know their inner selves through the writing. Their passions, their addictions, their fears, everything is displayed brilliantly.
I adored the concept of two people from different realities falling in love. This whole concept is just so romantic, and tragic, and beautiful.
What I didn’t like
Everything about this book was perfect to me except for the ending. It didn’t provide enough closure for my liking. The ending is vague at best. We only get one tiny detail as to how the ending goes, and we don’t even get all the information involving that. Everything else is up in the air. If the ending supplied more details about how things turned out, this book would be flawless.
Would I Recommend It
Yes, this book is fantastic! It is just a marvelous read that will leave you full of so many emotions. This book is wholly original and the diversity is top notch.
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the characters and the use of stories within the story.