The Story of Us is a beautiful and intricate look at first love. I was captivated by Cricket's vulnerability and desire to follow her heart, despite her clear misunderstanding of its direction. The tragic story of her maybe-ending first love is cushioned with a charismatic and delightful, oftentimes laugh-inducing upcoming wedding. Cricket's confusion is coupled with her fear of her mother leaving yet another man. The backdrop of a sleepy little town, a wild, hair-brained, downright crazy family, and a lovable and loyal dog (and its quaint story as well) sets a neat, quick pace for this novel. I can't say, as an avid and faithful fan of Deb Caletti's, that this was one of my favorites of her novels. In fact I hate to say that it was one of my least favorites. But that does not mean that it lacks real merit as a story worth telling. The alternating chapters relating Cricket's letters to her maybe-ex-boyfriend back home, detailing the story of how they came to fall in love and commenting on all of the wonderful things a relationship with your dog has to offer (silly, I know, but it was a cute addition to the novel!), were stunning staggered breaths amid this fancy-free novel. It's definitely not what I expected, and not Deb's best, but it IS worth the read.