Title: How It EndsAuthor: Laura Weiss
Age Group: Older Teens
# of Pages: 344
My Rating: 5/5
Hanna is a sophomore who is hopelessly head over heels for Seth. She worked hard to get noticed and when Seth finally did, they started a relationship. All is well now, right?
It turns out that everything is much more complicated than Hanna thought. In the midst of trying to figure out Seth, Helen who has been very close to Hanna and her family, is fading away with age. When Helen can no longer take care of herself, Hanna ends up volunteering to care for the elder who is like a grandmother to her. During the time when Hanna was with Helen, they listened to an audio-book that changed everything.
My initial thought of this novel changed so much towards the end. When I first started, I honestly thought, "Great, a hopeless teen who thinks she is in 'love'." I continued reading nonetheless because there was something in the way the story was structured that kept me reading.
The novel chapters are split up into two perspectives, Hanna's and Helen's. This is great way to tell the story because you get to read two views from characters with completely different experiences and personalities. Hanna yearned a lot for Seth during her chapters while Helen appreciated the little details in life and had her own secrets when she was still lucid. Having to read these two perspectives, you understand the relationship of the two at a much deeper and more emotional level.
There is just so many layers to this novel that I don't even know how to put them all into this review. The audio book is such a unique piece to the story. It delves into the era of the 1940s, one that is not commonly seen in YA fiction in terms of era setting. It ranges from how women were treated to taxidermy. You honestly don't mind the fact that there is another story within the story because it makes the reading experience so much richer. You can see that Hanna learns and grows when she comes to the realization that love is not all what it seems. Love comes in many forms and it doesn't always turn out to be that perfect fairy tale.
This book is for everyone of all ages so I highly recommend it. There is something for everyone to take away after it has been read.
Review copy provided by Simon and Schuster.
