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Other Words for Love

by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (Goodreads Author)

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 1,838 ratings · 422 reviews

Ari Mitchell feels invisible at her Brooklyn high school. Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighte...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published January 11th 2011 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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2011 Debut Authors (Young Adult and Middle Grade Lit.)

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Jan 08, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I don't even know where to start this review. I've been sitting here for what seems like hours trying to compose my thoughts into coherent sentences and it is just not happening.

When I first started Other Words for Love, I had no idea what to expect. It's a debut, so I had no previous experience with the author's writings. I thought the summary sounded nice.... but it didn't hook me enough to 'have' to read this book. (That summary does not do this book justice!) So why did I decide to read thi...more I don't even know where to start this review. I've been sitting here for what seems like hours trying to compose my thoughts into coherent sentences and it is just not happening.

When I first started Other Words for Love, I had no idea what to expect. It's a debut, so I had no previous experience with the author's writings. I thought the summary sounded nice.... but it didn't hook me enough to 'have' to read this book. (That summary does not do this book justice!) So why did I decide to read this book? Well, it's a 2011 debut, and I'm all about supporting debut authors, and it's a story about first love. Such a sucker for first love. And look at the gorgeous cover..... it's that's not enough incentive to pick it up, I don't know what is!

Normally I wouldn't have made it through a novel like this. Okay let me explain that a little better.... Most of the novel is about Ari and her day to day life. Can anyone say boring? Waking up, eating breakfast, going to school.... been there, done that... who cares? BUT, wait. I did care. Because of Ari.

Ari was a breathe of fresh air. She's, me. She's, you. She's your average teenage girl, but there is something so original and unique about her. And I know that make absolutely no sense, but I can't think of any other way of describing it. I felt what Ari felt. And that, was powerful. I wanted to read about her eating breakfast! I wanted to be there with her on her first day at the new school, and watch her fall in love. And I did.

And it wasn't just Ari that made this novel so incredible. It was every character. It's been a while since I've read a novel with such a fleshed out cast of characters. Ari's Mom and Dad.... her sister and brother-in-law. Ari's best friend. I felt like I knew them all, and their interactions in the story made it even that much more powerful. I loved the family dynamic in this novel. There aren't many YA novels that depict a relationship between a mother and daughter quite like this novel. I mean how many YA novels have you read, where the only parental interaction is through a telephone... or most of the time, the parents aren't even mentioned at all.

Lorraine's writing is very readable, it's poetic, beautiful even. I will be reading everything this lady writes. I can tell you that much. Don't assume this novel is fluff because it's a story of first love. Other Words for Love deals with some lofty issues, but it's still very entertaining.

The cover might have drew me in but it was the story and most importantly the characters that made me stay. (less)

34 likes · like · see review

May 30, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Wendy Darling by: Kate

Shelves: young-adult, read-2011, 2011-publication, realistic-fiction

I enjoy a great romance novel now and again, and I like it when there are relationships in most of the YA books that I read. But the key word for me is romance, not just hormones and sex. I felt like Ari, who is too good to be true in many aspects, was a little too fixated on boys in this book between her long-standing crush on her brother-in-law, her ennui over her ex-boyfriend, her interactions with Del, and her relationship with Blake. While I remember being 17 and dealing with those crazy te...more

24 likes · like · see review

May 06, 2011 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-release, bought, read-2011, historical-ya, desperate-for-reread

4/5

I'm not even entirely sure how I feel about this. Other Words for Love is an inspired and empowering book that reveals important morals that I appreciated during my reading. Ari was such a genuine character that not only could I connect and relate to her on so many levels, I was also able to understand her rationale behind her actions and sympathise with her at her low-points.

Other Words for Love is unlike all other contemporaries, in that love is portrayed as OTHER than what it normally ent...more 4/5

I'm not even entirely sure how I feel about this. Other Words for Love is an inspired and empowering book that reveals important morals that I appreciated during my reading. Ari was such a genuine character that not only could I connect and relate to her on so many levels, I was also able to understand her rationale behind her actions and sympathise with her at her low-points.

Other Words for Love is unlike all other contemporaries, in that love is portrayed as OTHER than what it normally entails in YA. It comes in so many different forms in this book, and I seriously just loved that love was not one-dimensional. The topics and issues were brought about in an intelligent and sophisticated manner, while wrapped up in a presentable and easy-to-read format that young-adults and beyond will be able to enjoy while contemplating the ramifications of what love does to people.

+ Beautiful cover and a suitable, simplistic title
+ Character development could not have been better--the people we meet at the beginning are not the same as the people we see at the end.
+ Relatability and historical standpoints. Even though this book is set 25 years~ in the past there is still a lot of relevance to teenagers and young adults today.
+ I'm not sure about other people, but I liked that there was an emphasis on safe sex and contraceptives and checkups, because so much of today's media kind of forgets that those things are important.
+ Ari is such a strong character, who undergoes enormous change and strife. Her narration is a strikingly honest one, and I loved her for it. She's just your average girl, insecure and uncertain of the future. Which is, once again, very relatable. Especially in that time period when experience and excitement was favoured (and still is). She's intelligent and makes mistakes but learns from them and understands the consequences. And it's easy to understand how mistakes can be made in the blink of an eye...
+ Solid writing. Ari's tone remains true throughout the book. It never felt strained; it was all just very believable.
+ The statue. What a strong literary symbol. I'll have to flick through again to pluck out specifics.
+ Touching up on that love in many forms: friendship and family are huge parts of this book too. Especially the strains that can occur when they mix together.

Grr. I wish I would get out of this review-funk. I have all these things I want to say, but actually typing them out? Oh well. This review won't be published until a few weeks from now. :)(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: When I first saw this book, I thought I was going to love it. Maybe even more than a 5 cupcake book! I didn't love it as much as I hoped but I still did enjoy it a lot. We are introduced to Ari who lives in the late 80's. She lives with her mother and father. Her sister lives a little bit away with her husband Patrick. Ari kind of had feelings for Patrick which was a bit unusual but nothing actually ever happens between them. It's more like a little teenage crush.Her sister is kind...more My Thoughts: When I first saw this book, I thought I was going to love it. Maybe even more than a 5 cupcake book! I didn't love it as much as I hoped but I still did enjoy it a lot. We are introduced to Ari who lives in the late 80's. She lives with her mother and father. Her sister lives a little bit away with her husband Patrick. Ari kind of had feelings for Patrick which was a bit unusual but nothing actually ever happens between them. It's more like a little teenage crush.Her sister is kind of a manic depressant. Ari ends up attending a private school and had to transfer from her public school. At least there she fit in. She values her education and doesn't want to end up like her sister, young and pregnant.

She than meets Leigh and Leigh's two cousins Del and Blake. I really liked Blake, he was a perfect gentlemen. Ari is very careful with Blake, and he does not pressure her for sex but she knows he's not a virgin because he has an ex-girlfriend from Georgia. Remember this is the late 80's, AIDS was on the rise and she was discovering more about it. I liked seeing how Ari and Blake's relationship was developing and how they were falling in love. One thing that bothered me was how Blake wouldn't stand up to his father. His father wanted him to be a lawyer like himself and Blake had different dreams. I wanted Blake to be a different person.

Ari went from being somewhat independent to being sucked into a relationship that brought her down. Yes, she stuck up for herself but her grades started slipping and she focused all her energy on a boy. I wanted her to keep up with her dreams and she started brushing them off.

I'll stop there because I don't want to ruin the whole book. I really enjoyed reading this book however I was a bit let down by the end. I wanted the perfect ending and this book didn't sugar coat it and though that was a good thing, I still wanted the cheery happy ending. I liked how Ari discovered who she really was. I liked how she made the right choice for herself at the end.

Overall: Really enjoyed reading it.

Cover: Love the cover! I was instantly attracted to the book just by the cover alone! Beautiful!

What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes

Taken from Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com (less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Aleeeeeza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read

this book isn't groundbreaking or phenomenal. instead, it's the kind of book that you read and sigh at the end of, emotionally exhausted. and then you find yourself thinking about it some days later and smile, feeling it's aftereffects as if you went through the main character's journey yourself.

or, well, it was like that for me. :)

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2012 Glass rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: girls-reading-together, 2011, favorites, girl-power

I really liked this book. It's about figuring out what you want, geting to know yourself and people around you, growing up, taking chances and making the wright choices - and, above all it's about girl power - something I'm raised to believe in.

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 22, 2011 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christina

Originally featured on yareads.com

There are so many different ways to promote books these days. The one way that I completely trust is when everyone (with nothing to gain for doing so) is buzzing about a book as enthusiastically as they were for Other Words For Love. So after I checked it out myself, I completely loved it.

The characters in this book were incredible. Each character was unique, complex, so well fleshed out and had these realistic personalities with both virtues and flaws. Some cha...more Originally featured on yareads.com

There are so many different ways to promote books these days. The one way that I completely trust is when everyone (with nothing to gain for doing so) is buzzing about a book as enthusiastically as they were for Other Words For Love. So after I checked it out myself, I completely loved it.

The characters in this book were incredible. Each character was unique, complex, so well fleshed out and had these realistic personalities with both virtues and flaws. Some characters you’ll completely hate and others you’ll grow to understand. Some of them were even quite cruel at times like Evelyn and Summer, who would say certain things that would make me go – GAAAAAASPPPPPPPPPPP! OHHHHH, she did not just say that! I wanted to dive into the pages, step beside Ari and serve them a swift kick to head for how they acted. This just goes to show how invested you become in these characters and Ari’s story.

What really hit me was just how authentic I felt the emotions expressed in the book were. Everything Ari felt, from her elation at being with Blake, to her eventual heartbreak just felt so so real. Her feelings in the end might seem dramatic but if you’ve ever been heartbroken that’s exactly what it’s like – the colors fade to gray, food seems pointless and you’re stuck in a rut you don’t bother to get out of. I loved how the way Ari felt meant that she perceived the statue of Saint Anne differently – it was very clever and so true.

The part that particular struck me the most me while Ari’s world was falling apart, she felt like all the hard work she’d done up to that point, not just in school but in life, had counted for nothing because of a slip up right at the finish line. For me that was the part where I raised my hand and said “Oh I have been there” Which I think a lot of girls will feel the same about quite a few sections of the book.

If there was a flaw in this book I can only say it was the blurb – it gives too much away. The last paragraph of the blurb basically gives half the story away and I was able to have a good guess about what would happen in the rest. BUT! Despite that, the story’s execution was superb and even though I’d already been told what would happen it didn’t make it any less interesting or heartbreaking or amazing, which proves just how great this book is.

Ari’s life in New York in the 1980s was completely fascinating to read about, in particular to note what has changed and what is still the same. Even after finishing it I couldn’t stop thinking about this story for days after. I was so proud of Ari and what she managed to accomplish in the end, her experiences made her so much stronger. Sign me up for every Lorraine Zago Rosenthal writes next. Highly, highly, highly, recommend it.(less)

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May 20, 2012 Gabriela Milanes rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: horrible-main-characters, ya, terrible

I can't exactly pinpoint the exact reason why I gave this book such a low rating. It seemed like a book I would like, fluffily YA romance, right? But I felt more and more sour towards the book as the pages went on, until I was reading it just for the sake of finishing it. Maybe it's the characters, who I couldn't connect with in the slightest. Apart from Patrick, her sister's husband, I pretty much found everyone in this book annoying. Too typical, cliche, and boring. Even Ari got just completel...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Emily Eponine rated it 5 of 5 stars

The synopsis on Goodreads for this book does not do it justice, in my opinion. It doesn't even cover half of what this story is about. I thought that this would be an extremely light read, but it pulled me through so many emotions from happy, to sad, to infuriated! This book is about Ari Mitchell and her eventual relationship with Blake Ellis, but it's also about her relationship with her sister Evelyn, her relationship with her very strict and worried mother, and her rocky friendships. You'd th...more The synopsis on Goodreads for this book does not do it justice, in my opinion. It doesn't even cover half of what this story is about. I thought that this would be an extremely light read, but it pulled me through so many emotions from happy, to sad, to infuriated! This book is about Ari Mitchell and her eventual relationship with Blake Ellis, but it's also about her relationship with her sister Evelyn, her relationship with her very strict and worried mother, and her rocky friendships. You'd think that it may be boring to just read about the trials and tribulations of a teenage girl living in the 1980's, but it's not, not at all. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal includes a fleshed out cast of characters who are all very developed in their own way, and they almost seem like real people. To me, they are real people. Ari is just a typical girl on the surface. She could be anyone, she's the girl across the street, she's your best friend, she's your sister. But the way that Rosenthal wrote her character made me want to know her. She made me relate to her in a way that I haven't related to a character in a long time. I can't remember the last time I related to a character on such a high level. This book covers a lot of issues that teenagers go through. The first love, and the fallout of it, and the consequences of getting so wrapped up in someone that you neglect important things around you. This book also has a tremendous main plot but also has a lot of different conflicts that happen throughout that make you realize that this book is not just about love of a boyfriend/girlfriend, but love of family.
I love this book for all of those reasons. But I mostly love it because I feel like it has helped me to understand my own life. This book opened my eyes and made me realize that no matter how perfect a guy may seem on the surface, there's usually some type of flaw that you could be blind to. This book has helped me to get over someone who I really cared about because I was going through exactly what Ari was going through. So I'm pretty sure that you have to read this. You have no other options. I'm forcing you to go out and buy this book. Right now. Stop reading this and go to Barnes & Noble. And buy it. And I promise i'll be here when you get back.
(less)

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Jun 11, 2011 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: we-girls-like-to-read-together, romance

So this is great book... it has ups and downs but without them this book wouldn't be so great! :) (view spoiler)

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Feb 27, 2013 Isla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mature-ya, sophisticated, important-issues, classroom-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I teach high school English, and I’m always searching for a great YA novel for my students. I certainly found it in this one! I can only describe OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE as an incredible and heart-wrenching experience. Although this novel is categorized in the YA genre, the content and themes (depression, teen pregnancy, sex, family dysfunction, sibling rivalry, death of a parent) are mature, sophisticated and complex.

I was immersed in the mind of Ariadne (Ari) Mitchell, an intelligent teenager who...more I teach high school English, and I’m always searching for a great YA novel for my students. I certainly found it in this one! I can only describe OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE as an incredible and heart-wrenching experience. Although this novel is categorized in the YA genre, the content and themes (depression, teen pregnancy, sex, family dysfunction, sibling rivalry, death of a parent) are mature, sophisticated and complex.

I was immersed in the mind of Ariadne (Ari) Mitchell, an intelligent teenager who initially views the world through a hazy lens of chronic depression. Neither Ari nor anyone around her seems to realize that Ari has this problem, and she attempts to deal with it on her own for a long time. She also copes with a well-meaning but bullying mother who is often crass and frequently hilarious, a once-beautiful sister whose failures make her see green when looking at her promising younger sibling, a distant father with a career in law enforcement that keeps him physically and emotionally away from his family, and a ruggedly sexy brother-in-law who is rough around the edges but soft at heart (Ah, Patrick...) Ari also has a best friend, Summer, who is THAT GIRL: gorgeous, popular and smart, lusted after by many but secretly insecure. Some of that insecurity is cattily directed at Ari, but Ari (like most girls her age) doesn’t understand that and takes all of the criticism to heart.

One day, 17-year-old Ari meets 20-year-old Blake Ellis—a handsome college boy from a wealthy family in Manhattan. His mother died years ago, he and his brother Del (a real player) are opposites and don’t get along, and his father is a slick lawyer who wants to control Blake’s fate in every way. Blake falls for Ari because of all they have in common: she’s down-to-earth like he is, they both understand how it feels to have a controlling parent, and they seem to want the same things in life—a family and a future together. Their relationship grows physically intimate, and Ari’s burgeoning sexuality is handled sensitively by the author (and by Blake). This content is realistic but not overly graphic, and the emotions involved in the physical relationship are palpable.

But things don’t work out the way Blake and Ari expect when they are pulled apart by various forces. Ari’s chronic depression explodes into a nervous breakdown which she admirably fights through. After her recovery, Ari is presented with a chance to reunite with Blake but wisely turns him down. The old Ari wouldn’t have done that, but the new Ari has enough strength. She finally sees that she is beautiful, she is smart, she is loved by her family, she is a talented artist with a bright life and career ahead. She doesn’t regret her relationship with Blake because she knows the good and the bad of it have made her into a strong young woman instead of the insecure girl she once was.

I admire that the author doesn’t pass judgment or preach morals. The message is subtle and implicit. I also admire that she didn’t sell out with the typical Hollywood ending. I will keep this book in my classroom for years to come as a personal favorite to recommend to my students.(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Krista rated it 5 of 5 stars

Other Words For Love is the kind of book that leaves you speechless and emotional when you finish the last page. "This was from a boy I used to know. He was very special to me, but that was so long ago."

--This isn't the final line, but it's one of the last ones in the book that clung to me for days after I was done. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal has an uncanny ability to bring her characters to life, so much so that I keep wondering what Ari and Blake would be doing now. The story ends something like...more Other Words For Love is the kind of book that leaves you speechless and emotional when you finish the last page. "This was from a boy I used to know. He was very special to me, but that was so long ago."

--This isn't the final line, but it's one of the last ones in the book that clung to me for days after I was done. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal has an uncanny ability to bring her characters to life, so much so that I keep wondering what Ari and Blake would be doing now. The story ends something like 20 years ago, so I keep visualizing what happened to them after the story ended. I wish there was a sequel so we could know.

The author made these characters so real and intense that I care about them enough to keep thinking about them. I love the way each character is drawn with flaws that make them so human and sympathetic. I love how the story is set up, starting with Ari's family, to show why she reacts the way she does to her romance with Blake. I was invested in Ari's story from the first page, but everything really heated up when she started dating Blake.

The depth of her emotions sunk into me so much that I felt happy when she did and depressed along with her. The writing style is so good that I want to emulate it in my own creative writing. I think it's just so beautifully worded and it flows so easily that you barely feel like you're reading fiction. It's more like this girl from the 1980s is just coming into the present time and speaking her secrets right into my ear.

I noticed this book was published two years ago, when it was probably unusual for YA novels to be set in the 1980s, and I think that some authors have caught on to what a cool idea this is and started writing novels in the same era. But of the two others I have read, I think Other Words For Love is the best. It is just raw and realistic and heartbreaking. It also manages to be funny and insightful.

No spoiler here, but the ending was so perfect. That was the only way it could have ended. I'm so happy for Ari.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Suad Shamma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2012

This was a much more interesting story than I thought it would be. When I first bought the book, in all honesty, I was looking for a quick romance novel to pass the time. This took me by surprise though, because it was way more than just a romance. It was a story of a girl, with regular human problems, who grows up and changes and develops as a person. A girl who had just experienced her first love, but also her first heartbreak. Something I believe we could all relate to.

Ari is a very strong ch...more This was a much more interesting story than I thought it would be. When I first bought the book, in all honesty, I was looking for a quick romance novel to pass the time. This took me by surprise though, because it was way more than just a romance. It was a story of a girl, with regular human problems, who grows up and changes and develops as a person. A girl who had just experienced her first love, but also her first heartbreak. Something I believe we could all relate to.

Ari is a very strong character, being the second child and younger sister to Evelyn whose mom considers a failure, she has a lot to prove. She tries so hard to live up to people's expectations and as such, she makes sure to never put a foot wrong. However, that is always easier said than done. We pretty much go through the journey with Ari as she slowly starts to find herself and create her own individuality away from friends and family.

She learns to stand up for herself against her shallow, silly best friend Summer, her pushy mother, her nagging sister and her weak boyfriend. Ari has a lot of insecurities, and when I first started reading the book I really disliked the tone of her character. It almost reminded me of Charlie in Perks of Being a Wallflower, this childlike, immature, always on the verge of crying tone. She had a lot of annoying thoughts, like her crush on her brother in law Patrick, taking his sweatshirt and smelling it, listening to her sister and Patrick having sex, and so on and so forth. A bit disturbing to say the least. However, she eventually starts to grow out of that character, and it is that transition that makes reading the book worthwhile.

The secondary characters were all great in their own roles. The likeable characters were likeable, and the unlikeable characters were unlikeable, and then there were the inbetweeners. I loved Ari's family, the regular, everyday drama that occurs in every family. Her relationship with her mother is quite unique, and I respected that.

In all honesty, one of my least favourite characters - aside from Summer, whom I loathed from page 1 - was Blake. I did not connect with him, he always seemed a bit fake. I immediately got the impression that he was temporary. And the whole situation with him and Ari seemed very Gossip Girl-y. Like Dan and Serena, or whoever.

The ending seemed a bit rushed, and how everything magically worked out for Ari seemed a bit too...unsurprising. However, I will say this, I am very glad that Rosenthal decided to end it the way she did, because if she had ended it the way every reader wanted her to end it, it would've then become too "happily ever after" for my liking. This is reality. And reality's good.

A tad flawed, but overall, a great read. (less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Zoe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychological, ya, below-the-belt

It’s quite an intense book and I found it captivating, but most of all, it made me FEEL. I wanted to yell and then I wanted to cry and then I wanted to shake some sense into Ariadne. My emotions got dragged along every which way wherever the author took it. I started out interested, then concerned, then repulsed, and then saddened and then relieved.

I could relate to Ariadne. Her social life, her parents, her obsession with art, her personality, I could understand it all.
Ariadne’s life is so mis...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

It's been so long since I've found a book I couldn't put down!

From the first few pages I was immediately hooked. There wasn't really anything extraordinary about the story line, nothing glitzy, just a relatable heartwarming story that made me feel sooo many emotions I forgot about. It was nothing like I expected it to be, it was so much more than just a love story. The writing flowed so perfectly, I read it with ease and it really gets you invested in the story line. As I neared the end of the b...more

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Aug 15, 2012 dontouchmychocolate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A book longer than the others I usually read, and it got a bit tiring waiting for Blake's appearance.
I think the build-up I had after reading the summary/blurb of the book had me expecting to see him somewhere before quarter-way through, so....

By the time Ari and Blake met, the book had progressed quite a long way; she'd met Del and had feeling for him. I seriously thought that the author was messing with me when she mentioned someone called "Blake" yet the focus was on Ari's home life.

Eventuall...more A book longer than the others I usually read, and it got a bit tiring waiting for Blake's appearance.
I think the build-up I had after reading the summary/blurb of the book had me expecting to see him somewhere before quarter-way through, so....

By the time Ari and Blake met, the book had progressed quite a long way; she'd met Del and had feeling for him. I seriously thought that the author was messing with me when she mentioned someone called "Blake" yet the focus was on Ari's home life.

Eventually, when she met Blake and they fell for each other, the relationship felt too flat for me. I wasn't drawn to their romance or relationship whatsoever. Which meant that when things turned out how they did between them, I didn't sympathize with Ari. They just didn't move me, no matter how much Ari declared that Blake was the boy she loved wholeheartedly.

As well-written as this book was, I simply got tired of reading and waiting for something to happen. The one thing I found interesting about it was people's perception of AIDS.

I also felt that there were so many things going on that I couldn't pinpoint what had the most weight. The blurb focused a lot on Ari and Blake, not Ari and the other dozen things she had going on in her life. Personally, I was expecting a romance story.

Things felt all over the place. First, Ari's sister Evelyn was crazy and probably the woman who Tim McGraw had in mind when he was singing "Angry All The Time". Then there was Ari's oblivious mother and the constant comparing she did of her daughters. Then there was Ari's father who was a detective who worked odd hours. I mean, Ari's mother got so much mention in the book, her father being cast aside that I would forget that she was not from a single-parent home when he got mentioned.
Then there was her best friend Summer who could be a royal bitch....
There was too much happening, other things felt neglected, and with all of them jumbled up into this pot of a supposed romance story, I was just aching to be done with it.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Juweiria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Amazing! seriously been sitting here for 1 hour (just finished the book) and trying to find the words to describe this book. I even tried reading another book straight after this,but I couldn't stop thinking about it. No, this isn't your typical YA novel because it's not just about her relationship with the boy. It's about her relationship with her mum, dad, sister and her friends and Lorraine tackles a lot of problems that most teenagers go through. One thing that was a problem was the time the...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Liana rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, I feel like the description for this book is really misleading. It basically describes the second and last third of the book and the first third is something completely different. I'm not sure how to change it. That said, I found the beginning of the book captivating, maybe even more so than the latter half. I read this book as quickly as I could, though it wasn't a quick read. The writing was something to be enjoyed and devoured. I really liked Ari, personally. I could relate to a...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, best-ya-ever

Having read so many great and detailed reviews of "Other Words For Love" I did not go into this expecting a fluffy YA romance. Honestly, I hate fluffy YA romances, and that's what drew me to this book at first. What lured me in and kept me there was the voice of the main character, Ari, who is so gripping and quietly powerful that I devoured this entire novel in one sitting. In fact, each and every character in this story is phenomenal.

Ari is a teenager growing up in Brooklyn New York in the 198...more Having read so many great and detailed reviews of "Other Words For Love" I did not go into this expecting a fluffy YA romance. Honestly, I hate fluffy YA romances, and that's what drew me to this book at first. What lured me in and kept me there was the voice of the main character, Ari, who is so gripping and quietly powerful that I devoured this entire novel in one sitting. In fact, each and every character in this story is phenomenal.

Ari is a teenager growing up in Brooklyn New York in the 1980s. She is a pretty and smart girl, but she has a hard time seeing herself that way, what with her sexually experienced and glam best friend, Summer, always talking out of the side of her mouth and putting Ari down. The boys don't notice Ari, she's only had one kiss, and that one was such a disappointment. Ari has a burning lust for her sister's husband, Patrick, who is such an attractive character. He's this rough guy, a fireman with a Boston accent, but he's so sweet and patient with his wife (Ari's sister, Evelyn), and he loves their two sons like crazy. Ari knows she shouldn't stare at Patrick's hot body and she feels guilty and "sinful" because of it, but she can't help herself.

Ari's life is filled with frustration and longing. She's depressed, and even though she is close with her mom, Mom expects a lot from her because Evelyn was such a disappointment, getting pregnant at seventeen, marrying so young, and working as a cashier at the grocery store. Ari wants to be "good" to please her domineering mother and her distant father, but it's so hard to do what Mom wants when Ari isn't even sure what she wants for herself.

Enter a change in Ari's life: the family inherits $$, and Ari gets to go to Summer's private school in Manhattan. Ari meets Leigh, who is suffering from the loss of her boyfriend in a car accident. Summer immediately sees Leigh as a rival, and the two don't hit it off. Ari wishes she could be friends with both girls, but it's so hard.

Leigh introduces Ari to her older cousins, Del and Blake, brothers who are so different. Del owns a nightclub, smokes like a fiend and drinks a lot, and sleeps around with girls he brings to his bachelor pad apartment right above the club. Blake is a "good boy" who goes to college at NYU, is a straight A student, and is as sad as Del that their mother died years ago. But Del is the black sheep, ignoring his controlling father's wishes, while Blake obeys Daddy's every word.

Ari can't believe it when Blake shows interest in her. They start dating, and Summer is jealous. "You're a lucky girl all of a sudden," Summer says with obvious envy. Blake is sweet, kind, patient, handsome, rich, romantic, sexually experienced, and Ari loses her virginity to him. To her, Blake with his blue eyes and sweet disposition is like a drug, and she thinks of him constantly, all day and all night, as they make their plans for the future.

But things go wrong. Blake's father ruins it all, Blake wont stand up to him, Summer betrays Ari in a heartbreaking way, and Ari spirals downward with the depression she's been fighting since before she even met Blake. She makes a big mistake with Del, screws up her SAT, and isn't sure what, if anything, the future holds for her.

After much anguish, Ari slowly recovers, realizing the importance of her family, her talents, and most of all, herself. That is the moral of "Other Words For Love": that above all, the only person you can really count on is you. I just see Ari walking into the sunset to a future brighter than she ever imagined.

I wish this book would get more attention, because it's the best of the best of YA. It doesn't insult teens with trashy, empty romance. It treats important issues seriously, and gives a great message to young women. Its honest portrait of how things go in life should help young people, or anyone, dealing with a broken heart.

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Apr 26, 2012 Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ari Mitchell had always felt overlooked and under apriciated in midst of her beautiful best friend and older sister. When Ari moves to a very prestegious new school, she meets an interesting new friend who introduces her to her cousin. Ari falls hard and fast for him. Although this might sound like a love story, it's more than just that. After her break up with her first love, Blake, Ari is lost and depressed. She doesn't really know what she wants and she doesn't really have anyone to talk to....more Ari Mitchell had always felt overlooked and under apriciated in midst of her beautiful best friend and older sister. When Ari moves to a very prestegious new school, she meets an interesting new friend who introduces her to her cousin. Ari falls hard and fast for him. Although this might sound like a love story, it's more than just that. After her break up with her first love, Blake, Ari is lost and depressed. She doesn't really know what she wants and she doesn't really have anyone to talk to. By the end of the story, Ari has found herself and finds the courage to tell Blake how she feels and saying goodbye at the same time, even when he says he wants her back. This book was not what I expected, and that's one reason I really liked it. Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's "Other Words For Love" intrigued me with its unexpected love story.

To start off, I think some themes of this story are to never let someone drag you down, move on, find yourself and do what's best for you. This story is about Ari's first love, so it's easy for many people to relate to. Things with Ari and Blake were good for while, but when Blake's dad's ambitions for him get in the way, Ari finds herself out of Blake's life. I can relate to this because I know what it's like to have a boyfriend's parent think you're holding their child back. I had a boyfriend that went away for college while we agreed to still date. Long distance relationships are hard enough, but when he came home to visit, he spent a lot of time with me, and his mom didn't like that. She tried to get him to break up with me. That's a lot like what Blake's dad did in the story, because he tried to get Ari to break up with Blake by bribing her with anything she wanted.

Secondly, in this book, I think Ari is the most important character because it's all about her first love and her finding her voice. The writer did make me believe in her as a person, because she made a very hard decision to give him up even though she would always feel for him. I really like Ari in the book. I think she's a great inspirtation to girls everywhere because she didn't let the boy she loved more than anything take advantage of her or downgrade her own feelings.

To continue, this book made me feel like I really knew Ari. There was so much discription and we followed Ari's feelings and actions through the whole book. I saw her build herself up, break down, and then build herself up again but without cracks. I can picture this sinerio happening to anybody.

To conclude, I would definitely recomment this story to everybody. It's very revealing and relatable. Ari's story and truely touching and inspiring. It's an honest story that teens and adult alike can enjoy. "Other words for love" is a great story because it's truely timeless and a great romance that's different from any other.(less)

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Apr 07, 2012 Kayla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really amazing. Beautifully narrated of a always-second-choice girl finally taking a step out of her shell, gaining independence and finding love, and she learned so much from it as well. She is strong. I've always known she'll survive.
I think the narrator is incredibly human in this novel. Normal novels won't include your crush towards your brother-in-law. They won't write that, because it'll be disgusting, a bit disturbing yeah, but it's true. These things do happen. And it's sad that nobody...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Sela Harrison rated it 5 of 5 stars

I related so much to Ari, and I'm 37 years old! The author fully captures the angst, pain, insecurity, and growth of this character, and explores difficult relationships between friends, parents, and romantic partners. I began reading the novel and fell in love. I couldn't put it down because of how gripping and real it is. I was connected to all of the characters, and not just Ari. I felt for Evelyn, her jealousy of everything that Ari is and all she has the potential to become, and I know what...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Paris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mature-ya-best-ya-ever

PHENOMENAL BOOK ALERT!!!! Edgy, sophisticated, sexy, wise, entertaining, intelligent, inspiring and emotional story about love, friendship, family, and finding yourself as a person and as a young woman.

The bittersweet ending is everything I could have hoped for. Ari is a wonderful and highly layered character who overcomes many odds, including the heavy burden that is low self-esteem and depression. I also enjoyed Evelyn, Patrick, Ari's mother, and Blake's family. You just don't see characters...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Gerilyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finished Other Words For Love in a marathon read over the weekend.

I could not put it down.

Ari is a captivating character, and her story is fascinating and ultimately satisfying. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, the brisk pace of this intimate story, and the exceptionally well-drawn characters.

All of the supporting characters are as detailed and well-developed as the main character, and each has a distinct, compelling personality. I admired the way Ari’s crushes were portrayed—not as one...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Suzanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Other Words For Love" by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal is a wonderful and mature YA novel. I had heard a lot of blogger buzz about it since it was published in 2011, and I wish I had read it sooner.

The novel tells the story of Ariadne "Ari" Mitchell, a teenager in New York City (Brooklyn) from the middle to the late 1980s. I loved that such a wide span of time was covered because it allowed the author to add depth to the characters and allow them to grow and mature.

The hook of this novel is the relat...more "Other Words For Love" by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal is a wonderful and mature YA novel. I had heard a lot of blogger buzz about it since it was published in 2011, and I wish I had read it sooner.

The novel tells the story of Ariadne "Ari" Mitchell, a teenager in New York City (Brooklyn) from the middle to the late 1980s. I loved that such a wide span of time was covered because it allowed the author to add depth to the characters and allow them to grow and mature.

The hook of this novel is the relationship between Ari and her first love, Blake Ellis, who is a wealthy college student living n a penthouse in Manhattan, while Ari is a high school girl who lives a more humble, middle-class life in Brooklyn.

But this relationship is only part of an involved, meaningful story. At its heart, the novel is about relationships, and different forms of love via parents, friends, sisters, brothers, and extended family.

It is also a story of a girl's awakening to who she is and who she wants to be. Ari at first doubts her talent and her attractiveness, and she only accepts it when she is with Blake. When she fails her, she falls into a dark depression and believes that nothing about her is valuable. But she eventually realizes that she has much to offer, and she learned it the hard way. At the end, she understands that she doesn't need Blake or anyone else.

The emotion at the end and throughout the novel was strong and palpable. There were many times that I had to reach for a tissue, and also when I laughed and smiled. The author infuses a lot of smart humor into a heart-breaking story.

The relationship between Ari and her mother is unforgettable. All of the characters are developed and realistic.

I was pulled into these relationships, and the 1980s era. It was brought to life through mentions of music (Modern English, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, and more), television shows and actors (Miami Vice, Don Johnson, Tom Selleck), fashion (Converse, and Madonna's lace) and political events. It even opens with a reference to the chilly interactions between the US and Russia.

I appreciated that Lorraine Zago Rosenthal wrote this in a sophisticated way instead of the typical empty YA style of boy meets girl, boy treats girl like trash, girl takes boy back. NO. Here, Ari becomes strong and realizes that even though romance is nice, it's not real life and there is more to a relationship than that. She understands that if a man can't put her "first" in his life, then she doesn't need him.

I also liked that the author included issues of depression, anxiety, and other psychological difficulties. Ari had been depressed for years without fully realizing that she had a problem. It took the breakup with Blake to break her down so much that she finally sought help.

One of the morals of this story is that everything happens for a reason. At the end, Ari understood why she had to go through what she did, and so did I.(less)

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Dec 21, 2011 Esther Shaindel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: http://readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2...

Though the story of Other Words for Love is set in the '80s, this story could have been happening right now. The emotions are so real, the relationships and complications so true-to-life. Ari is the perfect character for this story to happen to - just enough naivete, just enough repressed anger, just enough dreams and fantasies.

I love how there are so many layers to the story and how Lorraine knits them all together to cre...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Charisma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-2011-ya, ya, new-york-stories, favorites, ya-contemporary, smart-books

This is the most amazing book! I had heard such praise for it on the internet that I had to get it, and I was intrigued right off the bat by Ari’s intimate narration. My heart ached for her through her hard times and soared when things were good. I was happy at the end, even though it’s bitter-sweet, because what happened was best for Ari and she grew so much, she figured out that she didn’t need a guy to be a satisfied person. I loved the writing style, and that the subjects were deep and cover...more

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Nov 12, 2011 ChristinaSimone rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best thing about this book? EVERYTHING.

Other Words For Love sunk me deep inside the main character’s consciousness. It sent me to New York City in the 1980s, and it was a place I wanted to be. I wish I could still be there. I wish the book wasn’t over. I wish I knew Ari and Blake and Del and Leigh and Summer and Patrick and Evelyn, and that I could find out what they were doing today...if they were real. Because the thing is, they felt real. Hauntingly and beautifully real. I could just hear...more The best thing about this book? EVERYTHING.

Other Words For Love sunk me deep inside the main character’s consciousness. It sent me to New York City in the 1980s, and it was a place I wanted to be. I wish I could still be there. I wish the book wasn’t over. I wish I knew Ari and Blake and Del and Leigh and Summer and Patrick and Evelyn, and that I could find out what they were doing today...if they were real. Because the thing is, they felt real. Hauntingly and beautifully real. I could just hear Patrick's Boston accent and Rachel's southern drawl. I could see Blake's blue eyes and Summer's flowing blonde hair. I practically smelled the tobacco on Del, heard Madonna and Bruce Springsteen singing, and smelled the food that Ari's mother was constantly cooking in their kitchen, like I was there...in that average house in Brooklyn.

The story is so different and unconventional. So bold and edgy for the YA genre. The first half develops the characters so extensively and in such detail that you know them through and through. You know that Ari's mother isn't happy. You know why Ari's father works constantly. You feel how much it hurts Evelyn that she hasn't met her mother's demanding standards. You feel Patrick's strong, commanding, sexy presence.

The first half of the story makes sense out of the second half. If I didn’t know everything that I did about Ari and her family, how people treated her, how she saw herself...I wouldn’t have bought the second half, and her reaction to losing the best thing she ever had.

But I did buy it. And I loved it. The story gave me goosebumps and tears and laughter and smiles.

The end is glorious. Such a powerful resolution, such a good message, and Ari is so strong and admirable. She grows and changes and matures. I hope she got everything she wanted, just like she bravely wished for Blake. She had so much dignity in that scene. I can’t stop thinking about it, or about Ari, or about this amazing, stunning, lovely and gorgeous novel. I'm eagerly awaiting the author's second book!

Let me make this clear: I don’t give five stars easily. This one deserves SIX.
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Oct 26, 2011 Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I think that what makes Other Words for Love a standout are the characters. Ari—a pretty, talented artist who is so overshadowed by her glamorous friend, Summer, that she can’t see the beauty of her own reflection in the mirror. Evelyn, Ari’s streetwise, stunning, bitchy and foul-mouthed sister who is trying to cope with her weight issues, her post-partum depression, and the knowledge that her parents are disappointed in her for falling into motherhood as a teen and living an average life with a...more I think that what makes Other Words for Love a standout are the characters. Ari—a pretty, talented artist who is so overshadowed by her glamorous friend, Summer, that she can’t see the beauty of her own reflection in the mirror. Evelyn, Ari’s streetwise, stunning, bitchy and foul-mouthed sister who is trying to cope with her weight issues, her post-partum depression, and the knowledge that her parents are disappointed in her for falling into motherhood as a teen and living an average life with a “low-class” spouse. But her husband, Patrick, is anything but “low.” He’s a great guy, everything a woman could hope for—handsome, strong, a tough but caring father, and a considerate older brother figure to Ari. Ari, though, has a semi-secret crush on him and sees him as everything she wants: a devoted family man with a smokin’ body and a kind heart.

When she finally finds Blake Ellis, a gorgeous college student at New York University, she can’t believe he’s interested in her. But he is, and what’s more, he’s a rich Upper East Side hottie who lives in a penthouse and was raised with old-fashioned manners and respect for girls. He doesn’t push her into anything—a relationship, physical intimacy, but it all unfolds as their attraction heats up, and when it gets physical, it's very sexy, especially for a YA novel.

Ari and Blake are both pressured by their parents. Ari’s mother wants her to be an independent career woman, and Blake’s father wants him to take over the family business, a law firm. Blake has other ideas, and Ari supports them, but he can’t let go of his need to please and obey his sleazy, bullying, manipulative father. Ari is so blinded with love for Blake that she can’t see his weaknesses and flaws, even though others do—like Blake’s cousin, Leigh, and his older brother, Del—a nightclub owner who’s quick to throw a punch and who sees Blake for what he really is. Del refers to twenty year old Blake as a “little boy,” and unfortunately, that turns out to be true. Blake isn’t man enough to put Ari first in his life, and this leads to heartbreak for both of them.

Overall, the novel is a very well-written and complex story about growing up, falling in love, moving on, and realizing what and who are truly important in life. I loved it; it’s just an amazing read. (less)

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Oct 18, 2011 Gemma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eh... this one's really more of a 2.5, really.

This is the first time I've had truly mixed opinions about a book since reading the fifth Vampire Academy book back in June. Sometimes I'll give a book three, write out my review and then mark it down to a two. Or vice versa.

But for this one... I honestly don't know. I'm really not quite sure how I feel about it.

The story was unremarkable. There was a book called What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell that won the national book award a few years...more

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About Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal was born and raised in New York City. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education from the University of South Florida. She also earned a master’s degree in English, with a concentration in American and British literature, from Northern Kentucky University. Her debut novel, OTHER WORDS FOR LOVE, was published by Random House (Delacorte Pr...more

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“I thought he should have realized sooner that important people don't show up very often, and you should hold on to them when they do. Maybe I was smarter than he was all along, because that was something I'd always known.” — 59 people liked it

“The memory of tonight was as unblemished as new-fallen snow that I had to protect from careless footsteps.” — 32 people liked it

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