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Things I Know About Love
Things I know about love. 1. People don’t always tell you the truth about how they feel. 2. Nothing that happens between two people is guaranteed to be private. 3. I don’t know if you ever get over having your heart broken.Livia’s experience of love has been disappointing, to say the least. But all that is about to change. After years of illness, she’s off to spend the summer with her brother in America. She’s making up for lost time, and she’s writing it all down in her private blog.America is everything she’d dreamed of – and then she meets Adam. Can Livia put the past behind her and risk falling in love again?
180 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2006
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1159 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 279 reviews
May 26, 2016
THE REVIEW
Why this book?
It seemed like a book for me
What I thought
This was a cute book, nothing special, but it was a fast paced read that kept me interested. I only wish it was longer, fleshed out more everything happened too fast. Speaking of too fast, the romance; they were saying I love you way too soon. I also don’t really feel like I connected with the characters. The ending though was heartbreaking. Overall an okay book.
Why this book?
It seemed like a book for me
What I thought
This was a cute book, nothing special, but it was a fast paced read that kept me interested. I only wish it was longer, fleshed out more everything happened too fast. Speaking of too fast, the romance; they were saying I love you way too soon. I also don’t really feel like I connected with the characters. The ending though was heartbreaking. Overall an okay book.
January 1, 2012
4 of 5 stars
Can I say that my first read for 2012 left me crying? Ugh. Yeah right, it was New Year and I was freaking crying! Not that I'm saying the book was bad, in fact I really did liked it, it was just that I wasn't really expecting to get really emotional by the end of this book. When I picked this up I was looking for a fun and light read. I was expecting a sweet and happy ending so when the ending came it kind of caught me off guard and bam! I started cryingand I had a clogged nose that made it really hard to fall asleep because I have to breathe through my mouth which was really awkward and annoying. But nonetheless I had fun reading this and I really admired the main characters of this story.
The story primarily focuses in Livia, a seventeen-year old British girl who was a cancer survivor. After a year of illness she went to Princeton, New Jersey to spend her summer there with her brother. She decided to create a private blog and record all her experience she had during the vacation. And things she learned about love.
The story was written in blog format. Most of it were Livia's but there were some parts narrated through Adam's blog.
Livia was a lovely and adorable character. I instantly loved her from the very start. I like how she was being so positive and adventurous. She's so lively and spontaneous despite the fact that she had been really ill for quite a long time. I admire her relationship with her family, with her mom and brother. And then there's Adam. Adam was her brother's friend back in Manchester and was also studying with him in Princeton. He was nice, cool, and a total sweet heart. I love every moment they had together and how their relationship developed. It was really sweet and cute. I also love the snippets of Adam's blog, it was really funny but also very swoon-worthy. I just really love the guy.(so much for the fangirling)
The ending however made me a bit disappointed or rather sad and hurt. It was abrupt and left me totally shocked. It was really heart breaking. I won't spoil the ending but I wish the story had been a little longer. Or I wish the ending happened gradually. The last few parts was narrated through Adam's blog and you know how I'm a sucker for male POVs that I started crying when I read the last parts in his perspective. God, this is the second time an Adam made me cry (The first one was Adam Wilde of Where She Went).
All in all, I think it was still a lovely and heart warming story and there were really great and wonderful things Livia and Adam experienced. I was just really hurt because I so love the couple. But still, this was a wonderful read. I still recommend this to everyone! Don't be deceived by the cover. And keep tissues near by.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
Can I say that my first read for 2012 left me crying? Ugh. Yeah right, it was New Year and I was freaking crying! Not that I'm saying the book was bad, in fact I really did liked it, it was just that I wasn't really expecting to get really emotional by the end of this book. When I picked this up I was looking for a fun and light read. I was expecting a sweet and happy ending so when the ending came it kind of caught me off guard and bam! I started crying
The story primarily focuses in Livia, a seventeen-year old British girl who was a cancer survivor. After a year of illness she went to Princeton, New Jersey to spend her summer there with her brother. She decided to create a private blog and record all her experience she had during the vacation. And things she learned about love.
The story was written in blog format. Most of it were Livia's but there were some parts narrated through Adam's blog.
Livia was a lovely and adorable character. I instantly loved her from the very start. I like how she was being so positive and adventurous. She's so lively and spontaneous despite the fact that she had been really ill for quite a long time. I admire her relationship with her family, with her mom and brother. And then there's Adam. Adam was her brother's friend back in Manchester and was also studying with him in Princeton. He was nice, cool, and a total sweet heart. I love every moment they had together and how their relationship developed. It was really sweet and cute. I also love the snippets of Adam's blog, it was really funny but also very swoon-worthy. I just really love the guy.
The ending however made me a bit disappointed or rather sad and hurt. It was abrupt and left me totally shocked. It was really heart breaking. I won't spoil the ending but I wish the story had been a little longer. Or I wish the ending happened gradually. The last few parts was narrated through Adam's blog and you know how I'm a sucker for male POVs that I started crying when I read the last parts in his perspective. God, this is the second time an Adam made me cry (The first one was Adam Wilde of Where She Went).
All in all, I think it was still a lovely and heart warming story and there were really great and wonderful things Livia and Adam experienced. I was just really hurt because I so love the couple. But still, this was a wonderful read. I still recommend this to everyone! Don't be deceived by the cover. And keep tissues near by.
This review is also posted at Book Overdose
January 1, 2012
Things I Know About Love is a very light, adorable and cute story about love, realization and life.
Summary
Seventeen-year-old English girl, Livia Stowe who just recovered from Leukemia flies from England to Princeton, New Jersey to visit her brother. While in Princeton, Livia discovers new adventures of life she has yet to experience especially on love and looks back to her disappointing past relationships and try to get it right this time.
Ups and Pros
The best thing about reading Things I Know About Love is that it reminds me so much of my first year in high school (and I am still in high school) Livia talks about case studies on her previous relationships and things she learned from them which reminds me a lot of myself. Livia's first love reminds me of mine and Livia's first boyfriend reminds me of mine as well. And she talks about the things she learned which I compare to the things I learned or I learned something new from her.
It makes me "kilig" because it's a total reminiscent of my first year in high school which I totally miss. And "kilig" is a Tagalog word and I've searched what's the English word for it and the said "twitterpated" or the feeling of having "butterflies" trust me, feeling kilig is a happy feeling. Anyway, here's the definition of "kilig."
Characters
Livia's character is very adventurous and ready to live life, due to the fact that she spent most of her teenage life in the hospital. Even though she's a cancer survivor, she's not afraid to take the risk and she's very spontaneous and lively character. And she's British! British is asdfghjkl adorable and admirable to me. I love how British talk it's very different from American and from what I'm used to as well. Livia is a very fun character to read despite her past. And when it comes to love, she is very detail and very rational about things. That I love about her. And I love her relationship with her brother, very cute.
And Adam. Let me just put it this way. His character is 987654321 times amazing. Don't mind me but I can be a hardcore fangirl. Especially when it comes to British blokes. Bloody.
Writing, Narration and Ending
I love the casual narration and the way Livia talks about her life, it really allows the reader to connect with her maybe because the story is written jn blog format.. She talks about her family and past casual and doesn't express any too dramatic emotions that fits my taste perfectly. There is also some insights on Adam's thoughts and feelings which really helps the reader to connect with him as well. The ending is expected for me I saw it coming. But it is still very sad. I mean I didn't really expect such a happy ending but I also didn't expect such a short ending. But since I've read more sad endings that literally left me howling and heartbroken inside, I guess I had braced myself for the ending of this novel.
Flaws, Downs ans Cons
The ending just felt short, I wanted more. Though I expected that to happen I was expecting it to be delivered with a bigger bang. And more case study would've been better too. And the romance between Adam and Livia felt kind of past, maybe it has something to do with the length of the book which is actually very short as well.
More description on the beauty of Princeton, New Jersey and New York would've been better too since I've never been there and would love to go there, more insight would've worked.
Overall
But overall, I learned lots of new things about love and how I'll handle them. Livia's story is absolutely cute and enjoyable to read. I love to read more of English bloke's journey into America.
Summary
Seventeen-year-old English girl, Livia Stowe who just recovered from Leukemia flies from England to Princeton, New Jersey to visit her brother. While in Princeton, Livia discovers new adventures of life she has yet to experience especially on love and looks back to her disappointing past relationships and try to get it right this time.
Ups and Pros
The best thing about reading Things I Know About Love is that it reminds me so much of my first year in high school (and I am still in high school) Livia talks about case studies on her previous relationships and things she learned from them which reminds me a lot of myself. Livia's first love reminds me of mine and Livia's first boyfriend reminds me of mine as well. And she talks about the things she learned which I compare to the things I learned or I learned something new from her.
It makes me "kilig" because it's a total reminiscent of my first year in high school which I totally miss. And "kilig" is a Tagalog word and I've searched what's the English word for it and the said "twitterpated" or the feeling of having "butterflies" trust me, feeling kilig is a happy feeling. Anyway, here's the definition of "kilig."
Characters
Livia's character is very adventurous and ready to live life, due to the fact that she spent most of her teenage life in the hospital. Even though she's a cancer survivor, she's not afraid to take the risk and she's very spontaneous and lively character. And she's British! British is asdfghjkl adorable and admirable to me. I love how British talk it's very different from American and from what I'm used to as well. Livia is a very fun character to read despite her past. And when it comes to love, she is very detail and very rational about things. That I love about her. And I love her relationship with her brother, very cute.
And Adam. Let me just put it this way. His character is 987654321 times amazing. Don't mind me but I can be a hardcore fangirl. Especially when it comes to British blokes. Bloody.
Writing, Narration and Ending
I love the casual narration and the way Livia talks about her life, it really allows the reader to connect with her maybe because the story is written jn blog format.. She talks about her family and past casual and doesn't express any too dramatic emotions that fits my taste perfectly. There is also some insights on Adam's thoughts and feelings which really helps the reader to connect with him as well. The ending is expected for me I saw it coming. But it is still very sad. I mean I didn't really expect such a happy ending but I also didn't expect such a short ending. But since I've read more sad endings that literally left me howling and heartbroken inside, I guess I had braced myself for the ending of this novel.
Flaws, Downs ans Cons
The ending just felt short, I wanted more. Though I expected that to happen I was expecting it to be delivered with a bigger bang. And more case study would've been better too. And the romance between Adam and Livia felt kind of past, maybe it has something to do with the length of the book which is actually very short as well.
More description on the beauty of Princeton, New Jersey and New York would've been better too since I've never been there and would love to go there, more insight would've worked.
Overall
But overall, I learned lots of new things about love and how I'll handle them. Livia's story is absolutely cute and enjoyable to read. I love to read more of English bloke's journey into America.
March 21, 2011
Okay, I admit that when I first began reading this book, I didn't like it and it took me awhile to get into it (probably because of all the English terms that we don't use in the U.S.) Then when Adam came along, I didn't stop reading. I read this book in about an hour or two since it's a really fast read. I really wish there was more detail as I wanted to get to know about Livia and Adam more and Jeff and Krystina. By the time you get to the end of the book, I really wanted to cry. It was a bit predictable in the beginning, but I didn't think what happened would have actually happened. My mouth was hanging open I was so shocked.
This story really captured my heart because it's a REAL love story. Kate Le Vann portrayed what love really is and should be. Adam is a sweetheart and I am so glad that Livia ever met him.
In all, this book is such a light read and the jargon takes a little getting used to, but it's such a sweet love story. I also love how it's in blog format, so it's just like you're in the mind of Livia and Adam.
The Cover: I am not a big fan of this cover although I love what the girl is wearing. I think it's a little too plain.
This story really captured my heart because it's a REAL love story. Kate Le Vann portrayed what love really is and should be. Adam is a sweetheart and I am so glad that Livia ever met him.
In all, this book is such a light read and the jargon takes a little getting used to, but it's such a sweet love story. I also love how it's in blog format, so it's just like you're in the mind of Livia and Adam.
The Cover: I am not a big fan of this cover although I love what the girl is wearing. I think it's a little too plain.
April 19, 2016
3.5 stars
Ok, I'll try to do a review, but I ask you to consider the state I'm in the moment witch is not good at all. I'm heart broken and very emotional but I'll try to be at least a little rational about it.
The Plot - Is the cutes ever. Livia is traveling to see her brother and live , yes, live and love and all that teen excitements that normal teens are suppose to have before they grow into adulthood. She is like a diary lover and so she does this blog (secret and privet) where she puts all her feelings and thoughts and whatever she like it in it.
The Characters - Again, the cutes ever! Livia is so lovely wit her brit accent, her red hair, her pale skin, nerd ways and so, so, cute jokes. She is like your best friend and you can't help fall for her. Really. I was laughing so much in the first few pages that I got cramp on my jaw. Her brother Jeff, Adam, Krystina, they are all very real and very well presented with their flows and qualities and everything.
The Writing - It's in 1º person and is from Livia's blog perspective. She tell us trough the blog her experiences and is just as fun as to read a privet diary. You get to know what she thinks and what she feels. Is so moving and is like you are there with her and seeing trough her eyes. I love the way that the writing pulls me inside the story and make me part of it so it becomes part of me aswell.
Considerations - This is the part where I break down and spill my guts out, so if you don't want to you don't need to read it. It probably has a bunch of spoilers in it. I'm warning you. Ok, if you are reading this far is your decision.
Here it goes.
I had just finished reading this very serious book and I wanted one to relax and laugh a little, you know? A book that would make me feel all smiles and rainbows and stuff. So I started to read this one and I was so happy because Livia was just what I needed, you know, this funny friend telling me this amazing love story and heart breaks and it was like I've known her forever. That's how great this book can be. But then I felt my heart break into a million little pieces just in front of my eyes.
The last ten pages of it I was crying so hard that I couldn't breath and my throat was so tight and my chin was trembling and I felt this terrible pain and I felt, I felt,,,lost.
I think Lost is the right word.
I finished reading this at 2am. I went to bed but everytime I closed my eyes I started to cry again. It was past 5am when I finely dozed off and I woke with my face all swallowed and my day passed like a blur.
I just need to say this: Why? Why couldn't you just give me my happy ending? Why did you make me fall for this amazing character just to have it ripped away from me like this? How can you be so cruel?
Sorry, I told you I was heartbroken and very emotional. If this was a paper letter there would be tear stains all over it. I can't help it.
Maybe I'll change my mind about this and edit my review, but right now I can't help crying over this cruel ending.
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Ok, I'll try to do a review, but I ask you to consider the state I'm in the moment witch is not good at all. I'm heart broken and very emotional but I'll try to be at least a little rational about it.
The Plot - Is the cutes ever. Livia is traveling to see her brother and live , yes, live and love and all that teen excitements that normal teens are suppose to have before they grow into adulthood. She is like a diary lover and so she does this blog (secret and privet) where she puts all her feelings and thoughts and whatever she like it in it.
The Characters - Again, the cutes ever! Livia is so lovely wit her brit accent, her red hair, her pale skin, nerd ways and so, so, cute jokes. She is like your best friend and you can't help fall for her. Really. I was laughing so much in the first few pages that I got cramp on my jaw. Her brother Jeff, Adam, Krystina, they are all very real and very well presented with their flows and qualities and everything.
The Writing - It's in 1º person and is from Livia's blog perspective. She tell us trough the blog her experiences and is just as fun as to read a privet diary. You get to know what she thinks and what she feels. Is so moving and is like you are there with her and seeing trough her eyes. I love the way that the writing pulls me inside the story and make me part of it so it becomes part of me aswell.
Considerations - This is the part where I break down and spill my guts out, so if you don't want to you don't need to read it. It probably has a bunch of spoilers in it. I'm warning you. Ok, if you are reading this far is your decision.
Here it goes.
I had just finished reading this very serious book and I wanted one to relax and laugh a little, you know? A book that would make me feel all smiles and rainbows and stuff. So I started to read this one and I was so happy because Livia was just what I needed, you know, this funny friend telling me this amazing love story and heart breaks and it was like I've known her forever. That's how great this book can be. But then I felt my heart break into a million little pieces just in front of my eyes.
The last ten pages of it I was crying so hard that I couldn't breath and my throat was so tight and my chin was trembling and I felt this terrible pain and I felt, I felt,,,lost.
I think Lost is the right word.
I finished reading this at 2am. I went to bed but everytime I closed my eyes I started to cry again. It was past 5am when I finely dozed off and I woke with my face all swallowed and my day passed like a blur.
I just need to say this: Why? Why couldn't you just give me my happy ending? Why did you make me fall for this amazing character just to have it ripped away from me like this? How can you be so cruel?
Sorry, I told you I was heartbroken and very emotional. If this was a paper letter there would be tear stains all over it. I can't help it.
Maybe I'll change my mind about this and edit my review, but right now I can't help crying over this cruel ending.
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June 12, 2012
I tought it started out great, super cute, then her and this guy fall in love and really you can't help but love him too, hes like ... perfect. They love each other and they know it, it's precious. You can feel it ending on such a good note... and then they fucking RUIN IT by killing the girl at the end! the girl you learned to lvoe cause of her little quirks and the way she talks about the guy she loves and what she wants to do with him in the future where she wants it to go with him. They need a warning on these books i HATE sad endings. So it leaves you at the end, with a guy that got his heart ripped out and has to live with it. I've lived through situations like that where someone you love so much jsut up and dies on you and let me fucking tell you i am not a fan. I dont like going through it in real life i sure as hell dont like to put myself through it in someone elses!!!! No Titanic, No The Notebook!!! Just let me have my happy endings that give me that nice kick for the rest of the day instead of destroying me and making me have that sad disheartened feeling all day. Such great points and cute ideas wasted because someone somewhere wanted people to cry! NO! just NO!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2017
*Spoiler Alert*
I was going to give this a 3 star rating. Then the author wrote the last chapter. She did the one thing I hate. YOU DON'T KILL OFF THE MAIN CHARACTER. It's just sad and unnecessary. Then you leave me pissed off for the rest of the day or night. Thanks for ruining my day.
I was going to give this a 3 star rating. Then the author wrote the last chapter. She did the one thing I hate. YOU DON'T KILL OFF THE MAIN CHARACTER. It's just sad and unnecessary. Then you leave me pissed off for the rest of the day or night. Thanks for ruining my day.
December 27, 2010
Love is a tricky thing to find, some search their whole life to find it, that connection with that one person who makes everything better. Who some how gets you and understand you and care about you more than anything in the world and just want to see you happy. Many who think that they have found it are quickly shown that they were wrong. Finding that pure honest love with someone, other than your family members, who feels the exact same way is so hard to find but it doesn’t stop us from trying. Livia Stowe has had her experiences with love though short and not as many as some. After a hard year fighting and beating an illness that would have made the strongest of heart quiver in fear, seventeen year old Livia was ready to experience life and love and decided to visit her older brother Jeff, studying abroad from England at Princeton University for the summer. She lived in England her whole life and had not been able to travel or experience life like a normal girl because of her illness and being able to go to America was an opportunity that she couldn’t pass up. Plus she thought what better way to really remember every experience but to create a private blog and catalogue everything while there. Livia was on a mission in America to have a fun summer fling with a sexy American boy while spending time with her brother. Surprisingly instead of a fun summer fling, Livia ended up finding love with Adam, who was a friend of Jeff and was from England too.
The story quickly changed gears from Livia blogging about her sight seeing experiences in America to falling in love with Adam. I really liked Adam and how genuine he was and how he really cared about Livia, falling just as much a Livia did. Their journey in finding love was so heart warming and had me so emotionally invested. The relationship Livia’s family was so tight, which was nice to read about even though her parents were divorced. It was refreshing to see the strong bond they still had, showing that things could still be ok after a divorce. What really threw me off was how the story ended. Things were going great and then it just ended, leaving me totally undone. I have to admit there was some foreshadowing leading up to the end but it was still too abrupt to me. I felt that there was so much more story to be told and Livia and Adam deserved to have more. All in all, I felt that it just ended way to quickly, leaving me raw with emotion but other than that this was a good story showcasing that life is short and we all need to stop and really experience it.
The story quickly changed gears from Livia blogging about her sight seeing experiences in America to falling in love with Adam. I really liked Adam and how genuine he was and how he really cared about Livia, falling just as much a Livia did. Their journey in finding love was so heart warming and had me so emotionally invested. The relationship Livia’s family was so tight, which was nice to read about even though her parents were divorced. It was refreshing to see the strong bond they still had, showing that things could still be ok after a divorce. What really threw me off was how the story ended. Things were going great and then it just ended, leaving me totally undone. I have to admit there was some foreshadowing leading up to the end but it was still too abrupt to me. I felt that there was so much more story to be told and Livia and Adam deserved to have more. All in all, I felt that it just ended way to quickly, leaving me raw with emotion but other than that this was a good story showcasing that life is short and we all need to stop and really experience it.
August 16, 2012
As I was looking for a book to read, I saw the title and the cover and decided that this will be the one that I will be reading. The title itself is very catchy, and the cover, showing a woman (only her lower body actually) sitting on some luggages with buildings on the background is what encouraged me to read this book. From there, you can tell that it is about love and travel. (Wonderful title and amazing cover really gets my attention.)
Livia Stowe is a 17 year old leukemia survivor. She’s just going to the hospital for follow up check ups. She lives with her mom in Manchester while his brother is in America for studies. Missing his brother, she flew to America and while on her way, she’s also making a blog (a private blog) about the things she knows (and will know) about love. In America, she met a lot of people, including Adam – his brother’s mate. She already met Adam before, way back in Manchester. But when she meets him in America, at first, she forgot who he is. Since then, Livia had a crush on him. There are a lot of circumstances whenever there had a chance to meet, but nevertheless, those “odd moments/situations” didn’t stop them to know each other better and fall in love with each other.
I really love the way on how the story goes. I love the transition when it comes to Livia’s blog to Adam’s and vice-versa. I love the setting and characters in the story. I love everything! Ha, what more can I say? Hmmmm… Ah! The ending. It really shocked me. I mean, okay, Livia’s not feeling well on her date with Adam, she has sore throat, but you know? It didn’t even cross my mind that that simple sore throat can cause her death. Really. (Okay, maybe I was just overreacting. Of course her head also aches, and maybe she really got tired on their date, but, hayyyy…). Waa! How I wish it didn’t end that way! I just thought that it will have a happy ending. I was very shocked. Lesson learned: if you’re not feeling well, maybe it’s better to cancel all your appointments and have some rest or better go to the hospital to have it checked. Maybe it’s just simple, but it can cost you your life. We’ll never know.
Anyway, praises for Kate Le Vann for having such a wonderful story. I’m really loking forward to read more of her books. I rcommend this book to everyone, especially to those who wants to read about “undying love”. I really swooned over this. This is really a must-read.
Livia Stowe is a 17 year old leukemia survivor. She’s just going to the hospital for follow up check ups. She lives with her mom in Manchester while his brother is in America for studies. Missing his brother, she flew to America and while on her way, she’s also making a blog (a private blog) about the things she knows (and will know) about love. In America, she met a lot of people, including Adam – his brother’s mate. She already met Adam before, way back in Manchester. But when she meets him in America, at first, she forgot who he is. Since then, Livia had a crush on him. There are a lot of circumstances whenever there had a chance to meet, but nevertheless, those “odd moments/situations” didn’t stop them to know each other better and fall in love with each other.
I really love the way on how the story goes. I love the transition when it comes to Livia’s blog to Adam’s and vice-versa. I love the setting and characters in the story. I love everything! Ha, what more can I say? Hmmmm… Ah! The ending. It really shocked me. I mean, okay, Livia’s not feeling well on her date with Adam, she has sore throat, but you know? It didn’t even cross my mind that that simple sore throat can cause her death. Really. (Okay, maybe I was just overreacting. Of course her head also aches, and maybe she really got tired on their date, but, hayyyy…). Waa! How I wish it didn’t end that way! I just thought that it will have a happy ending. I was very shocked. Lesson learned: if you’re not feeling well, maybe it’s better to cancel all your appointments and have some rest or better go to the hospital to have it checked. Maybe it’s just simple, but it can cost you your life. We’ll never know.
Anyway, praises for Kate Le Vann for having such a wonderful story. I’m really loking forward to read more of her books. I rcommend this book to everyone, especially to those who wants to read about “undying love”. I really swooned over this. This is really a must-read.
June 7, 2013
That. Is. It. I am through with cancer books. I am through with ANY book that involves any kind of serious illness. I don't want to get my heart ripped out again and again. The first time I actually like a female main character and she dies before getting a taste of her happily ever after. I'm one step away from trying to track down the author's address and barging through her front door and demanding an explanation as to why she gave us such a horrid ending. I'm heartbroken. My eyes are puffy from crying and I still can't wrap my head around Livia dying. Cancer is a ~bleep.~
Livia Stowe is a survivor of leukemia. (Was.) She's determined to live life to the fullest so she flies to America to spend a vacation with her older brother, Jeff. She meets Adam again, one of her brother's mates, and as they spend more time with each other they slowly fall for each other. But before they could really get to their happy ending Livia's sickness catches up to her and she dies in the hospital. Adam's last gift to her was a pair of red Dorothy shoes. (And let the tears commence to fall.)
I loved Adam and Livia's relationship. You could see how much they cared for each other and how determined they were to make it work. Adam was such a sweetheart and Livia was such a cutie. They were perfect for each other. Their relationship was sweet, romantic and REAL. But cut short. And that was the worst part of it all. I repeat, I am THROUGH with cancer books.
Livia Stowe is a survivor of leukemia. (Was.) She's determined to live life to the fullest so she flies to America to spend a vacation with her older brother, Jeff. She meets Adam again, one of her brother's mates, and as they spend more time with each other they slowly fall for each other. But before they could really get to their happy ending Livia's sickness catches up to her and she dies in the hospital. Adam's last gift to her was a pair of red Dorothy shoes. (And let the tears commence to fall.)
I loved Adam and Livia's relationship. You could see how much they cared for each other and how determined they were to make it work. Adam was such a sweetheart and Livia was such a cutie. They were perfect for each other. Their relationship was sweet, romantic and REAL. But cut short. And that was the worst part of it all. I repeat, I am THROUGH with cancer books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2012
Love is hard to find, we have to go through a lot of things to find our true love who makes everything seems so perfect and who makes our day brighter like we don't wanna end the day with them. So here's the story of Livia who went to America to bond with her brother and she's up for a mission to have a summer fling with an American boy but find herself falling in love with Adam-his brother's friend. By the way the story is in a blog form-blog of livia and blog of adam.
This is one of the best books I've ever read, and the first book that made my heart melt that I even caught myself crying. Their love was unexpected and I might say that that it was a right love but at the wrong time. This story does not only talk about Love but it also gives life lessons and realization. So I recommend this book to everyone! You'll love it.
This is one of the best books I've ever read, and the first book that made my heart melt that I even caught myself crying. Their love was unexpected and I might say that that it was a right love but at the wrong time. This story does not only talk about Love but it also gives life lessons and realization. So I recommend this book to everyone! You'll love it.
June 12, 2022
What the FUCK
Reading this cute fluffy little romance-as-narrated-via-blog-diaries and aww it's light and sweet and funny and then-
And THEN
The ending winds like and socks you in the gut before you realise what the signs meant. Jesus! I cried! What the hell!
Reading this cute fluffy little romance-as-narrated-via-blog-diaries and aww it's light and sweet and funny and then-
And THEN
The ending winds like and socks you in the gut before you realise what the signs meant. Jesus! I cried! What the hell!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2012
Strangers are called strangers because they are strange. Duh!
After surviving leukemia, Livia Stowe decided to relive the times she has missed because of her sickness. She's been healthy now for almost a year and she is now ready to get back to her normal energetic self again. So when her brother, who is attending Princeton, asks her to visit him there for a few weeks, she immediately grabs the opportunity though convincing her mother to allow her was pretty hard. After being gone for so long, she misses him and chooses to stay with him than spend her time cramming at school with higher education blarbs of her schoolmates.
On her flight down to America, she decides to start a journal/blog of sorts which is set privately only to her. Her aim at this moment is to know what love really is. It isn't something that comes too easy to her, but she clearly wants to find it some day and somewhere down her insticts tells her that going on a holiday with her brother might be the key.
When her brother shows her around Princeton, she ends up meeting - again - Adam. An old friend of her brother which is also a Brit.
Swept up in the promise of romance and the magical New York City that Adam shows her, Livia is smitten, but with all she knows about love, is Livia really ready to risk her heart again?
Expectation is the root of all hearthache. This definitely what happens to me upon stumbling with this book. I was expecting something light to read with regard to its title but I end up crying to it and it really breaks my heart.
One thing that makes this book a unique one is the initial set-up which is a private blog that serves as a diary. It was really really clever. The things Livia writes on her blog was pretty fascinating and very real. Her blogs are occassionally interrupted by ones done by Adam. It really makes me giggle that Adam takes Livia's advice to start his own journal, even though its just 'for girls'. I'm really craving for more of Adam's entries, though I know his character and the shortness of this book wouldn't have made them necessary.
Livia Stowe's character was one cool breathe of fresh air for me. Her character was very cool, energetic and vibrant despite the sufferings she's been through. I see her as a very pretty girl who has a very positive outlook in her life. Adam, on the other hand was a great hero for Livia on the story. He's just simply being himself and he's really not a jerk which makes him more adorable.
The road of romance between these two was freakingly adorable. From their trip to New York to simple walking at night together, the love between them was very honest and realistic. Their relationship was pretty smooth and it really felt very good to watch it unfolds and would definitely makes you wish you would also feel and experience something like that.
The ending of this book still leave me at awe. I am not going into details about what happened but it was so touching it really really makes me cry. Though I really have a tendency to cry at simple emotional scenarios, this one is much different. It's just so touching and emotional and touching. ugh!Just reminiscing the last few pages makes me want to cry all over it again/. I can still remember clutching on those last pages wishing that the story could stay longer with me. Okay, I know i'm really getting so emotionala bout this.
One downside to this for me is how short this story was for I would have loved to read more. It felt like the author rush in writing its plot when what it really needed was an in-depth analysis of the story. Another is the lack of major conflict in it. There is nothing really big that is waiting to happen in here - well, aside from Livia's quest for love - that's why the event towards the end will surely surprise you. I think it would also make it better if at the end someone would get to read Livia's blog, it's such a good one and the one who would get to read it would surely learn a lot of things.
In those short 150+ pages, I was besotted with this book. It was adorable and very light-hearted. It was so happy yet emotionally draining. It allows us to view a different kind of love. Yay! :)
PS. I think I'll be re-reading this someday, and I'll surely remember everything there is to know about love. :)
After surviving leukemia, Livia Stowe decided to relive the times she has missed because of her sickness. She's been healthy now for almost a year and she is now ready to get back to her normal energetic self again. So when her brother, who is attending Princeton, asks her to visit him there for a few weeks, she immediately grabs the opportunity though convincing her mother to allow her was pretty hard. After being gone for so long, she misses him and chooses to stay with him than spend her time cramming at school with higher education blarbs of her schoolmates.
On her flight down to America, she decides to start a journal/blog of sorts which is set privately only to her. Her aim at this moment is to know what love really is. It isn't something that comes too easy to her, but she clearly wants to find it some day and somewhere down her insticts tells her that going on a holiday with her brother might be the key.
When her brother shows her around Princeton, she ends up meeting - again - Adam. An old friend of her brother which is also a Brit.
Swept up in the promise of romance and the magical New York City that Adam shows her, Livia is smitten, but with all she knows about love, is Livia really ready to risk her heart again?
Expectation is the root of all hearthache. This definitely what happens to me upon stumbling with this book. I was expecting something light to read with regard to its title but I end up crying to it and it really breaks my heart.
One thing that makes this book a unique one is the initial set-up which is a private blog that serves as a diary. It was really really clever. The things Livia writes on her blog was pretty fascinating and very real. Her blogs are occassionally interrupted by ones done by Adam. It really makes me giggle that Adam takes Livia's advice to start his own journal, even though its just 'for girls'. I'm really craving for more of Adam's entries, though I know his character and the shortness of this book wouldn't have made them necessary.
Livia Stowe's character was one cool breathe of fresh air for me. Her character was very cool, energetic and vibrant despite the sufferings she's been through. I see her as a very pretty girl who has a very positive outlook in her life. Adam, on the other hand was a great hero for Livia on the story. He's just simply being himself and he's really not a jerk which makes him more adorable.
The road of romance between these two was freakingly adorable. From their trip to New York to simple walking at night together, the love between them was very honest and realistic. Their relationship was pretty smooth and it really felt very good to watch it unfolds and would definitely makes you wish you would also feel and experience something like that.
The ending of this book still leave me at awe. I am not going into details about what happened but it was so touching it really really makes me cry. Though I really have a tendency to cry at simple emotional scenarios, this one is much different. It's just so touching and emotional and touching. ugh!
One downside to this for me is how short this story was for I would have loved to read more. It felt like the author rush in writing its plot when what it really needed was an in-depth analysis of the story. Another is the lack of major conflict in it. There is nothing really big that is waiting to happen in here - well, aside from Livia's quest for love - that's why the event towards the end will surely surprise you. I think it would also make it better if at the end someone would get to read Livia's blog, it's such a good one and the one who would get to read it would surely learn a lot of things.
In those short 150+ pages, I was besotted with this book. It was adorable and very light-hearted. It was so happy yet emotionally draining. It allows us to view a different kind of love. Yay! :)
PS. I think I'll be re-reading this someday, and I'll surely remember everything there is to know about love. :)
January 9, 2013
In the novel, "Things I Know About Love," written by Kate le Vann, Livia, the main character is setting off on an adventure to see her brother in America as she is now Leukemia free. Livia is an eighteen year old girl who wants her last "hoorah" the summer right before she ventures off to college back to her hometown in England. This book did not only keep me wanting more from the story, but also wanting more from the author.
If you're looking for a quick, easy read, I suggest you read this novel. However, if you're looking for something a little challenging and stimulating this book is definitely not the one for you. Throughout the novel, Le Vann uses very basic and bland diction. I'm not sure if she meant to do this to keep it short and sweet or if this book was just meant to really be a quick read. The story line was great and made me want me to keep reading but as I kept reading I just kept getting disappointed. Details were missing causing me to have a confused reaction. This may be alright for a mystery or sci-fi novel, but surely not fitting the genre of realistic fiction. For example, when Livia is about to get into a car accident within the first few moments of arriving to America she reacted with, "I screamed and Jeff banged on the brakes." As you can see her reaction is very weak and dull. I thought the author would have used more descriptive adjectives or interjections from the characters. This left me a bit underwhelmed. However, it did keep me reading because I wanted to find out if any of the characters were injured or not. Unfortunately, the author did not discuss this.
Like I mentioned before, "Things I Know About Love" truly has a good storyline but is missing possible potential to become better due to lack of diction and imagery. There were several times where I just kept reading and reading because I was curious to know what would happen, yet I wouldn't get the answers I wanted. Or if I did, they would be missing detail. One of the various times this happened is when Livia was dying to go to this boys party but she wasn't able to because her brother was worried she would become ill again. All she said to convince the boy that she truly wanted to go was, "I really wanted to go. My brother thought I was too tired." (53) Another thing to keep in mind is that she was actually extremely interested in this boy however, we were not able to acknowledge this through this context due to her absence of emotion. You have to read deep into the novel to find out that she is sincerely into this boy.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In short, the storyline was fantastic, but missing some detailed context I was specifically looking for. This book is for someone who wants a short and simple, easy read. If you are looking for something to challenge you and make you think, this is certainly not the book for you. Moreover, this book would have satisfied me completely if it contained a greater amount of diction as well as detail.
If you're looking for a quick, easy read, I suggest you read this novel. However, if you're looking for something a little challenging and stimulating this book is definitely not the one for you. Throughout the novel, Le Vann uses very basic and bland diction. I'm not sure if she meant to do this to keep it short and sweet or if this book was just meant to really be a quick read. The story line was great and made me want me to keep reading but as I kept reading I just kept getting disappointed. Details were missing causing me to have a confused reaction. This may be alright for a mystery or sci-fi novel, but surely not fitting the genre of realistic fiction. For example, when Livia is about to get into a car accident within the first few moments of arriving to America she reacted with, "I screamed and Jeff banged on the brakes." As you can see her reaction is very weak and dull. I thought the author would have used more descriptive adjectives or interjections from the characters. This left me a bit underwhelmed. However, it did keep me reading because I wanted to find out if any of the characters were injured or not. Unfortunately, the author did not discuss this.
Like I mentioned before, "Things I Know About Love" truly has a good storyline but is missing possible potential to become better due to lack of diction and imagery. There were several times where I just kept reading and reading because I was curious to know what would happen, yet I wouldn't get the answers I wanted. Or if I did, they would be missing detail. One of the various times this happened is when Livia was dying to go to this boys party but she wasn't able to because her brother was worried she would become ill again. All she said to convince the boy that she truly wanted to go was, "I really wanted to go. My brother thought I was too tired." (53) Another thing to keep in mind is that she was actually extremely interested in this boy however, we were not able to acknowledge this through this context due to her absence of emotion. You have to read deep into the novel to find out that she is sincerely into this boy.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In short, the storyline was fantastic, but missing some detailed context I was specifically looking for. This book is for someone who wants a short and simple, easy read. If you are looking for something to challenge you and make you think, this is certainly not the book for you. Moreover, this book would have satisfied me completely if it contained a greater amount of diction as well as detail.
January 22, 2012
Jadi, apa yang kautahu tentang cinta?
Summary
Livia Stowe, seorang gadis London yang sebentar lagi lulus dari high school, dan pada musim liburan kali ini ia memutuskan terbang ke Princeton, Amerika Serikat untuk mengunjungi kakak lelakinya, Jeff, yang kuliah di sana. Oleh sebab leukimia yang dideritanya, Mum dan Jeff khawatir atas perjalanan itu. Namun, Livia tetap berangkat. Selain untuk berlibur, dia juga ingin merenungkan tentang cinta. Kebetulan dia memang baru putus dari Luke.
Dan, di Amerika Livia justru bertemu dengan cowok-cowok Inggris juga, padahal dia sudah berjanji untuk bermain cinta dengan stranger. Lalu, masuklah Adam ke kehidupan Livia. Tapi, apakah Livia akan menyambut uluran cinta dari Adam? Bagaimana jika Adam juga menjauh setelah tahu bahwa ia menderita kanker? Temukan petualangan Livia mencari makna cinta hingga ke New York dalam novel karya Kate Le Vann bertajuk Things I Know About Love ini.
Menderita suatu penyakit parah adalah pukulan telak bagi siapa pun. Jika kemudian seseorang mampu bangkit dan bersabar atasnya, maka masa depan dapat dikendalikannya. Sebaliknya, jika seseorang sudah luruh dan tak bersemangat, maka masa depan suram akan membayangi setiap jejak langkahnya. Dan, Livia, meskipun awalnya kurang semangat, kemudian demi keluarganya ia berjuang untuk sehat. Apalagi ia juga punya teman-teman yang mendukungnya.
Kisah ini sebenarnya sangat dramatis, namun entah mengapa setitik air mata pun tak jatuh dari kelopak mata saya. Sekilas saya sempat tersentuh, namun tak lama menjadi biasa saja. Namun demikian, saya suka dengan karakter Livia dan Adam. Sejoli yang sama-sama menyimpan rasa, tapi sulit mengungkapkannya. Livia, sebagai seorang perempuan dan beban penyakitnya, enggan memulai. Sedangkan, Adam adalah teman Jeff yang merasa canggung harus mendekati adik sahabatnya, meski hatinya sudah terpaut pada Livia. Bagi saya, tarik ulur ini begitu manis, karena kecanggungan di antara keduanya merupakan refleksi keseharian.
Inti novel ini begitu sederhana, bahkan konfliknya pun, meski terkadang mencolok, kurang kuat untuk membangun suatu dunia dramatis bagi hubungan Livia-Adam. Yang jelas, ceritanya mengalir lancar, walaupun saya merasa pada beberapa bagian terjemahannya agak kaku dan kurang nikmat dibaca. Tapi, overall saya suka. 3 bintang untuk kisah Livia-Adam ini.
Jadi, apa yang diketahui Livia tentang cinta? Berikut adalah catatan yang dipublikasikannya di blog pribadinya:
Yang kutahu tentang cinta
1. Jatuh
2. Cinta
3. Adalah
4. Suatu
5. Hal
6. Yang
7. Paling
8. Indah
9. Di
10. Dunia
Selamat membaca, kawan!
Summary
Livia Stowe, seorang gadis London yang sebentar lagi lulus dari high school, dan pada musim liburan kali ini ia memutuskan terbang ke Princeton, Amerika Serikat untuk mengunjungi kakak lelakinya, Jeff, yang kuliah di sana. Oleh sebab leukimia yang dideritanya, Mum dan Jeff khawatir atas perjalanan itu. Namun, Livia tetap berangkat. Selain untuk berlibur, dia juga ingin merenungkan tentang cinta. Kebetulan dia memang baru putus dari Luke.
Dan, di Amerika Livia justru bertemu dengan cowok-cowok Inggris juga, padahal dia sudah berjanji untuk bermain cinta dengan stranger. Lalu, masuklah Adam ke kehidupan Livia. Tapi, apakah Livia akan menyambut uluran cinta dari Adam? Bagaimana jika Adam juga menjauh setelah tahu bahwa ia menderita kanker? Temukan petualangan Livia mencari makna cinta hingga ke New York dalam novel karya Kate Le Vann bertajuk Things I Know About Love ini.
Menderita suatu penyakit parah adalah pukulan telak bagi siapa pun. Jika kemudian seseorang mampu bangkit dan bersabar atasnya, maka masa depan dapat dikendalikannya. Sebaliknya, jika seseorang sudah luruh dan tak bersemangat, maka masa depan suram akan membayangi setiap jejak langkahnya. Dan, Livia, meskipun awalnya kurang semangat, kemudian demi keluarganya ia berjuang untuk sehat. Apalagi ia juga punya teman-teman yang mendukungnya.
Kisah ini sebenarnya sangat dramatis, namun entah mengapa setitik air mata pun tak jatuh dari kelopak mata saya. Sekilas saya sempat tersentuh, namun tak lama menjadi biasa saja. Namun demikian, saya suka dengan karakter Livia dan Adam. Sejoli yang sama-sama menyimpan rasa, tapi sulit mengungkapkannya. Livia, sebagai seorang perempuan dan beban penyakitnya, enggan memulai. Sedangkan, Adam adalah teman Jeff yang merasa canggung harus mendekati adik sahabatnya, meski hatinya sudah terpaut pada Livia. Bagi saya, tarik ulur ini begitu manis, karena kecanggungan di antara keduanya merupakan refleksi keseharian.
Inti novel ini begitu sederhana, bahkan konfliknya pun, meski terkadang mencolok, kurang kuat untuk membangun suatu dunia dramatis bagi hubungan Livia-Adam. Yang jelas, ceritanya mengalir lancar, walaupun saya merasa pada beberapa bagian terjemahannya agak kaku dan kurang nikmat dibaca. Tapi, overall saya suka. 3 bintang untuk kisah Livia-Adam ini.
Jadi, apa yang diketahui Livia tentang cinta? Berikut adalah catatan yang dipublikasikannya di blog pribadinya:
Yang kutahu tentang cinta
1. Jatuh
2. Cinta
3. Adalah
4. Suatu
5. Hal
6. Yang
7. Paling
8. Indah
9. Di
10. Dunia
Selamat membaca, kawan!
September 17, 2010
Livia’s childhood was spent mostly in hospitals battling leukemia. She’s missed out on most of the things that teenage girls get to do and her love life has been limited as well.
Having never been outside of England and never flown on a plane, Livia takes her first trip to spend the summer with her brother who’s now a student at Princeton University, in NY. She’s hoping to take in the sights and maybe a have a fling with an American boy during the month she’s there.
To document her trip & her quest to find love she starts her American Summer Blog. Mostly to keep track of her past mistakes in the love department. She starts first with her rules for blogging:
“ First rule: I have to dispassionately review all my romantic experiences that have gone wrong and the bits that went right”
“Second rule: is that I have to have more experiences, or this blog will be pretty boring, I need to move on and take chances when they find me.”
“Third rule: is that I have to tell the truth, even when it makes me look bad I’m not going to learn anything about love if I skip the parts that make me want to hide behind the sofa.”
I just adored Livia! She’s had a pretty sheltered life and a sad one at that, but she never feels sorry for herself (even during the few times she borders on self-pity – it’s in a cheeky, get over it already manner). She is the epitome of the saying “when life gives you lemons – make lemonade!” Her attitude was contagious.
Of course when you try to plan things out life has a way of changing those plans and instead of meeting a sexy American boy for a fling she meets Adam, a fellow Brit – her brother’s friend and someone she already knows.
Adam is beyond swoon worthy. It’s not in the “he’s so hot” way (although he is described as good looking) but because he is just so unbelievably sweet and perfect for Livia in every way. She inspires him to start his own blog so you get a peek at Adam’s thoughts while they embark on their relationship. He helps her see all the things she’s been missing and gets her to really live for the first time in her life.
At 160 pages this is a really quick read but it ends right when it should. It’s a small snapshot of a period of time in these two people’s lives. I laughed out loud and I cried big fat tears. I really enjoyed this one!
Loved: Livia’s “brit – speak” I’m kind of a sucker for accents.
Nitpick: I wish it was a little longer just so I could spend more time with Livia and Adam.
Having never been outside of England and never flown on a plane, Livia takes her first trip to spend the summer with her brother who’s now a student at Princeton University, in NY. She’s hoping to take in the sights and maybe a have a fling with an American boy during the month she’s there.
To document her trip & her quest to find love she starts her American Summer Blog. Mostly to keep track of her past mistakes in the love department. She starts first with her rules for blogging:
“ First rule: I have to dispassionately review all my romantic experiences that have gone wrong and the bits that went right”
“Second rule: is that I have to have more experiences, or this blog will be pretty boring, I need to move on and take chances when they find me.”
“Third rule: is that I have to tell the truth, even when it makes me look bad I’m not going to learn anything about love if I skip the parts that make me want to hide behind the sofa.”
I just adored Livia! She’s had a pretty sheltered life and a sad one at that, but she never feels sorry for herself (even during the few times she borders on self-pity – it’s in a cheeky, get over it already manner). She is the epitome of the saying “when life gives you lemons – make lemonade!” Her attitude was contagious.
Of course when you try to plan things out life has a way of changing those plans and instead of meeting a sexy American boy for a fling she meets Adam, a fellow Brit – her brother’s friend and someone she already knows.
Adam is beyond swoon worthy. It’s not in the “he’s so hot” way (although he is described as good looking) but because he is just so unbelievably sweet and perfect for Livia in every way. She inspires him to start his own blog so you get a peek at Adam’s thoughts while they embark on their relationship. He helps her see all the things she’s been missing and gets her to really live for the first time in her life.
At 160 pages this is a really quick read but it ends right when it should. It’s a small snapshot of a period of time in these two people’s lives. I laughed out loud and I cried big fat tears. I really enjoyed this one!
Loved: Livia’s “brit – speak” I’m kind of a sucker for accents.
Nitpick: I wish it was a little longer just so I could spend more time with Livia and Adam.
April 7, 2010
At first look, Things I know about Love seemed like it was going to be a sweet and short romance that would leave me with a smile on my face by the end, and while it was some of those things, it was also something I wasn't expecting... incredibly heartbreaking. So sad, in fact, that even though it's been a day since I've finished this, whenever I think about it I start to tear up.
Livia and Adam were a very cute couple, and I liked how you could just tell how much they meant to each other from the very first time they met. In addition, I felt both were likable and for the most part well developed given how short this novel was.
Things I know about Love is told from blog entries coming from not only Livia but Adam also, leaving for you to see both sides of the relationship, which I liked. Also, I felt that from this, it allowed you to really get a gist of were Livia was coming from, something that you probably wouldn't have gotten if this was told in regular first or third person narration. Though, this did have some negative points such as you only saw glimpses of what happened between the different characters and lack of character development for other characters besides Adam and Livia. Another downfall of this novel was how short it was (barley 160 pages) because I would have loved to seen more development and such.
The one major thing that brought this down to a C grade though is the fact that I've seen this done before and better, so that's why I'm not exactly going to go about highly recommending it. Since for me if I'm going to read a sad book and let it mess with my emotions, I want it done breath-taking-ly well, and this wasn't even close to be being that way.
But Things I know about Love is still an okay novel, and one I do suggest you possibly pick up at the library once it's released if you're about trying it, but I defiantly don't suggest paying the full hardcover price tag for this one because quite bluntly it's not worth it, especially if you're not a big fan of sad novels.
Though as always this is my personal view. You could end up loving it like other reviewers had, but sadly this wasn't at all times the book for me.
Grade: C
Livia and Adam were a very cute couple, and I liked how you could just tell how much they meant to each other from the very first time they met. In addition, I felt both were likable and for the most part well developed given how short this novel was.
Things I know about Love is told from blog entries coming from not only Livia but Adam also, leaving for you to see both sides of the relationship, which I liked. Also, I felt that from this, it allowed you to really get a gist of were Livia was coming from, something that you probably wouldn't have gotten if this was told in regular first or third person narration. Though, this did have some negative points such as you only saw glimpses of what happened between the different characters and lack of character development for other characters besides Adam and Livia. Another downfall of this novel was how short it was (barley 160 pages) because I would have loved to seen more development and such.
The one major thing that brought this down to a C grade though is the fact that I've seen this done before and better, so that's why I'm not exactly going to go about highly recommending it. Since for me if I'm going to read a sad book and let it mess with my emotions, I want it done breath-taking-ly well, and this wasn't even close to be being that way.
But Things I know about Love is still an okay novel, and one I do suggest you possibly pick up at the library once it's released if you're about trying it, but I defiantly don't suggest paying the full hardcover price tag for this one because quite bluntly it's not worth it, especially if you're not a big fan of sad novels.
Though as always this is my personal view. You could end up loving it like other reviewers had, but sadly this wasn't at all times the book for me.
Grade: C
December 20, 2010
Things I Know About Love tells the story of Livia Stowe, a seventeen year old British girl who is traveling to the United States to visit her brother who is a student at Princeton University in New Jersey. Livia is super excited to see her brother, who she is extremely close to. She is also excited to take this trip on her own, especially after fighting and winning leukemia a year prior.
Livia begins a blog about her American adventures. When she arrives in the United States, she is quickly greeted by her brother and becomes wrapped in his world, becoming fast friends with his friends and reacquainting herself with Adam, her brothers best friend, whom she had met a year earlier. Livia knows there is something special about Adam, and she finds herself falling fast. The good news? Adam is falling for her too. They begin a relationship and Adam takes Livia to New York City, so she can experience the big apple and all of its tourist attractions. When they arrive in NYC, Livia begins to feel sick and passes out. She is rushed to the hospital, where she dies a day later.
Did my review feel a little abrupt to you? That’s because this book unfortunately felt extremely abrupt to me.
First let me tell you what I liked about this book. Because there was a lot that I liked, and I truly enjoyed this book until the last few pages. I loved that this book was written in blog form. I thought it was super fun and obviously since I blog, I enjoyed it. It’s also really modern and I think it’s a fun way to tell a story, especially because it allowed us to put ourselves right in Livia’s head.
I thought Livia was adorable and I enjoyed reading about her past experiences with guys (and the subsequent lessons she learned about love) though I wish we could have learned even more. I also liked how quickly this book moved; Livia was only in the states for two weeks, so it’s natural that the book would be fast-paced.
Now let me tell you what I think could have been improved.
See the rest of my review here: http://jessicalawlor.com/2010/12/book...
Livia begins a blog about her American adventures. When she arrives in the United States, she is quickly greeted by her brother and becomes wrapped in his world, becoming fast friends with his friends and reacquainting herself with Adam, her brothers best friend, whom she had met a year earlier. Livia knows there is something special about Adam, and she finds herself falling fast. The good news? Adam is falling for her too. They begin a relationship and Adam takes Livia to New York City, so she can experience the big apple and all of its tourist attractions. When they arrive in NYC, Livia begins to feel sick and passes out. She is rushed to the hospital, where she dies a day later.
Did my review feel a little abrupt to you? That’s because this book unfortunately felt extremely abrupt to me.
First let me tell you what I liked about this book. Because there was a lot that I liked, and I truly enjoyed this book until the last few pages. I loved that this book was written in blog form. I thought it was super fun and obviously since I blog, I enjoyed it. It’s also really modern and I think it’s a fun way to tell a story, especially because it allowed us to put ourselves right in Livia’s head.
I thought Livia was adorable and I enjoyed reading about her past experiences with guys (and the subsequent lessons she learned about love) though I wish we could have learned even more. I also liked how quickly this book moved; Livia was only in the states for two weeks, so it’s natural that the book would be fast-paced.
Now let me tell you what I think could have been improved.
See the rest of my review here: http://jessicalawlor.com/2010/12/book...
July 28, 2011
Leukemia survivor Livia Stowe decided to fly across the Atlantic to see her brother Jeff who was studying in Princeton. Her mum was always worrying about her and her health. She went on to document her trip to America by way of a blog. Not so much about her travels but she wanted to chronicle the things she learned about love. Being a cancer survivor doesn’t really leave much room for successful relationships. There was Darren, a guy whom she turned down a second date and ended up being the butt of a nasty gossip. Then there was Luke, a guy who made her laughed, said and did mean things and fell in love with in a bad way. Luke dumped her when her sickness came back. Cruelly. Her experiences haven’t really been ideal. Then she met Adam.
Livia’s love life was improving. Adam was handsome, kind and seemed to be really into her. For the first time in her life, she found a good, real man to love. But there was still the unknown that was nagging her. What if Adam would have the same reaction as Luke once he found out about her health? Livia battled between telling Adam the truth and leaving things to fate.
I have to be honest.
This book was hard to get into at first. I’m not a fan of narrative books and because this was sort of a journal/blog, this falls under that category. I didn’t have to wait long though until it peaked my interest. One word. ADAM. He’s the quintessential perfect boy friend. As soon as he entered the scene, I’m all, ears perked up and panting to read more.
At first, I dismissed this book as just one of those contemporary romance read; sparsely peppered with dry humour, witty conversations and predictable story telling.
But then I got to the last five pages, give or take, of the book and then…BAM! I didn’t see that wrecking ball coming from a mile away.
This book could’ve probably use about a hundred more pages. The characters were enjoyable and the romance was incredibly believable. But I really wish it didn’t end so abruptly. It didn’t give me a moment to cry. I was too shocked. .
Livia’s love life was improving. Adam was handsome, kind and seemed to be really into her. For the first time in her life, she found a good, real man to love. But there was still the unknown that was nagging her. What if Adam would have the same reaction as Luke once he found out about her health? Livia battled between telling Adam the truth and leaving things to fate.
I have to be honest.
This book was hard to get into at first. I’m not a fan of narrative books and because this was sort of a journal/blog, this falls under that category. I didn’t have to wait long though until it peaked my interest. One word. ADAM. He’s the quintessential perfect boy friend. As soon as he entered the scene, I’m all, ears perked up and panting to read more.
At first, I dismissed this book as just one of those contemporary romance read; sparsely peppered with dry humour, witty conversations and predictable story telling.
But then I got to the last five pages, give or take, of the book and then…BAM! I didn’t see that wrecking ball coming from a mile away.
This book could’ve probably use about a hundred more pages. The characters were enjoyable and the romance was incredibly believable. But I really wish it didn’t end so abruptly. It didn’t give me a moment to cry. I was too shocked. .
March 22, 2013
Do you like romance? Do you like to cry? Do you like reading a book where you sigh and say. 'Why can't that happen to me?!'? How about hating happy endings? Feeling like your heart is being ripped out? Well guess what, this is the book for you.
I have been reading a lot of love stories lately; mainly because the guys in my life suck but thats beside the point. I started reading this and loved it right away! Its all about her true feelings, i mean its her blog, and you get to know exactly what shes thinking. And the longer i read it the more i loved it, thats just a fact.
Now add a super sweet older brother who cares about her so much even though he hasnt seen her in about a year. They are also really close. (You know, like how you wish your relationship with your siblings was.)
Now add in a super cute guy who she met once before, who also happens to live in England but is on vacation in the US, and now you cant put the book down.
This is how the whole book is; one thing at a time is added that just makes it that much better.
But of course there had to be something bad about it didnt there?!
I have been reading a lot of love stories lately; mainly because the guys in my life suck but thats beside the point. I started reading this and loved it right away! Its all about her true feelings, i mean its her blog, and you get to know exactly what shes thinking. And the longer i read it the more i loved it, thats just a fact.
Now add a super sweet older brother who cares about her so much even though he hasnt seen her in about a year. They are also really close. (You know, like how you wish your relationship with your siblings was.)
Now add in a super cute guy who she met once before, who also happens to live in England but is on vacation in the US, and now you cant put the book down.
This is how the whole book is; one thing at a time is added that just makes it that much better.
But of course there had to be something bad about it didnt there?!
August 27, 2014
Although I have a million books requested at the library, this book grabbed my attention when I came across it. Perhaps it was because of the length - just over 150 pages. I feel like I don't have much free time for reading anymore, and I don't want to spend forever reading one book. (I'm looking at you,
11 22 63
!) The cute cover and the summary that promises travel and romance helped hook me. But what really got me to take this book home was reading the other Goodreads reviews telling of an unexpected ending.
The story was adorable. I loved Livia, and her relationships with her family. I liked seeing her friendship with Krystina bloom, and I loved Adam and how their relationship grew, and how he didn't treat her any different even though he knew she had leukemia.
And though the ending was a bummer (as Goodreads promised), it was awesome.
The story was adorable. I loved Livia, and her relationships with her family. I liked seeing her friendship with Krystina bloom, and I loved Adam and how their relationship grew, and how he didn't treat her any different even though he knew she had leukemia.
And though the ending was a bummer (as Goodreads promised), it was awesome.
July 21, 2010
Livia is traveling from the UK to Princeton, New Jersey to visit her graduate student brother.
She is traveling alone for the first time. She is traveling for the first time alltogether, because she's spent the last few years battling leukemia.
Livia is writing a diary so she can fully explore her own history of boyfriends and figure out what she wants from love.
This is a cute story, Livia is likeable, her experience of the US and the way she reacts to American friends of her brother's is a hoot.
The romance that develops between Livia and her brother's British friend is okay, but really too smooth, sudden, and intense for my own taste.
But my biggest beef with the story is that it is too short, without the kind of development of the 10 things I know about love theme that would fulfill the promise of the quirkiness the book shows. The ending felt abrupt, and I found myself thinking that it was gratuitous, an obvious heart-string pulling ploy instead of the dramatic conclusion it could have been.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: A keebler chocolate chip cookie because it's sweet and easy to eat, but it doesn't quite fulfill you the way the package promises....
She is traveling alone for the first time. She is traveling for the first time alltogether, because she's spent the last few years battling leukemia.
Livia is writing a diary so she can fully explore her own history of boyfriends and figure out what she wants from love.
This is a cute story, Livia is likeable, her experience of the US and the way she reacts to American friends of her brother's is a hoot.
The romance that develops between Livia and her brother's British friend is okay, but really too smooth, sudden, and intense for my own taste.
But my biggest beef with the story is that it is too short, without the kind of development of the 10 things I know about love theme that would fulfill the promise of the quirkiness the book shows. The ending felt abrupt, and I found myself thinking that it was gratuitous, an obvious heart-string pulling ploy instead of the dramatic conclusion it could have been.
This Book's Food Designation Rating: A keebler chocolate chip cookie because it's sweet and easy to eat, but it doesn't quite fulfill you the way the package promises....
December 11, 2014
was ready to give this at least a 2 because while it's nothing amazing it's pretty decent and readable but then that last chapter happened.
June 15, 2018
perfect!!!
The things i know about love - kate la vann
היי אנשים,
אז סיימתי את הנובלה האהובה עליי *-*
כשהחלטתי לעשות הפסקה מנשיקות של חושך, לא בטוחה איזה צד מזוכיסטי שבי בחר דווקא את הספר הזה 🤣
אז... בגלל שאני צריכה לפרוק יהיה פה ספויילר.. רציני 😬
😍
😍
😍
😍
😍
😍
נובלה קצרה, שמספרת על בחורה צעירה, כשמכל קשר ובן זוג לומדת משהו וממשיכה לקשר הבא בלי פחדים, הנובלה מסבירה שצריך לנסות ולא לפחד.. כי אף אחד לא באמת יודע מה יקרה מחר..
ליביה נלחמה בלוקמיה בגיל 14 .. וניצחה 🤗
בגלל הבדידות היא מתחילה לכתוב בלוג כדי לשמר את הזיכרונות שלה.
בגיל 17 היא מנהלת שיחה קצרה עם השותף למעונות של אח שלה, ובגיל 18 היא טסה מאנגליה לארה"ב לבקר את האח האהוב שלה, ושם היא פוגשת שוב את אדם.. היא משכנעת אותו גם לפתוח בלוג, ובציטוטים משם אנו לומדים על מחשבותיו.
הוא וליב מתחילים להתקרב ומתאהבים...
****ואז בוום***
הספר די אכזרי, אבל כמו שכבר ציינתי הוא מלמד אותנו לנסות דברים, לא לוותר ולא להעביר למחר :)
The things i know about love - kate la vann
היי אנשים,
אז סיימתי את הנובלה האהובה עליי *-*
כשהחלטתי לעשות הפסקה מנשיקות של חושך, לא בטוחה איזה צד מזוכיסטי שבי בחר דווקא את הספר הזה 🤣
אז... בגלל שאני צריכה לפרוק יהיה פה ספויילר.. רציני 😬
😍
😍
😍
😍
😍
😍
נובלה קצרה, שמספרת על בחורה צעירה, כשמכל קשר ובן זוג לומדת משהו וממשיכה לקשר הבא בלי פחדים, הנובלה מסבירה שצריך לנסות ולא לפחד.. כי אף אחד לא באמת יודע מה יקרה מחר..
ליביה נלחמה בלוקמיה בגיל 14 .. וניצחה 🤗
בגלל הבדידות היא מתחילה לכתוב בלוג כדי לשמר את הזיכרונות שלה.
בגיל 17 היא מנהלת שיחה קצרה עם השותף למעונות של אח שלה, ובגיל 18 היא טסה מאנגליה לארה"ב לבקר את האח האהוב שלה, ושם היא פוגשת שוב את אדם.. היא משכנעת אותו גם לפתוח בלוג, ובציטוטים משם אנו לומדים על מחשבותיו.
הוא וליב מתחילים להתקרב ומתאהבים...
****ואז בוום***
הספר די אכזרי, אבל כמו שכבר ציינתי הוא מלמד אותנו לנסות דברים, לא לוותר ולא להעביר למחר :)
September 3, 2012
Things I Know About Love is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Livia Stowe. She had been in remission from leukemia for about a year so she decided to visit her older brother, Jeff, in Princeton, New Jersey. From a private blog that she kept, Livia recorded her experiences in America as well as in love.
As the book progressed, I fell deeply in love with all of the characters, especially Livia, Jeff, and Adam. Everything about the book was cute and witty, and I found myself smiling most of the time.
I cried at the ending, even though I had already suspected what would happen. I was a little disappointed because the ending seemed a little too abrupt and rushed.
Overall, Things I Know About Love was a fun, cute read.
As the book progressed, I fell deeply in love with all of the characters, especially Livia, Jeff, and Adam. Everything about the book was cute and witty, and I found myself smiling most of the time.
I cried at the ending, even though I had already suspected what would happen. I was a little disappointed because the ending seemed a little too abrupt and rushed.
Overall, Things I Know About Love was a fun, cute read.
October 21, 2015
Livia is on a mission - she wanted to write a blog that listed things she knew about love. And the challenge was to make sure it was the truth, no matter how silly or stupid it might make her. She was also cancer-free for a year now, and her ultimate wish was to see her brother Jeff who was in America. Of course, the overprotective mother would want otherwise but that's really understandable.
This book was narrated in blog style. Livia wrote things that happened to her and of course the events that led to her finding true love. Adam's blog entries were also there from time to time.
The story was simple, short, cute, funny, and heartbreaking. Although a lot of it was built on coincidences, it was still enjoyable. I think what the author really wanted to depict was the effect love has on people. Livia could be dying anytime, but having Adam come along made it worthwhile.
This book was narrated in blog style. Livia wrote things that happened to her and of course the events that led to her finding true love. Adam's blog entries were also there from time to time.
The story was simple, short, cute, funny, and heartbreaking. Although a lot of it was built on coincidences, it was still enjoyable. I think what the author really wanted to depict was the effect love has on people. Livia could be dying anytime, but having Adam come along made it worthwhile.
January 22, 2014
I was so into this story that I didn't notice it's about to end. Really, I was expecting more from Livia and Adam's story. More moments shared together and their relationship to go deeper. But...ugh. That's just how the story goes. then...ting!It ended suddenly. I was kinda disappointed and sorry for Adam. :(
That was not how I picture its ending. Though Livia's condition is laid, the timing of its ending is saddening.
Anyway, despite of the surprise unexpected ending that I get, I got too involved that I wasn't aware of my tears rolling down my face. So there, because I'm too caught up on it, I rate this four stars.
That was not how I picture its ending. Though Livia's condition is laid, the timing of its ending is saddening.
Anyway, despite of the surprise unexpected ending that I get, I got too involved that I wasn't aware of my tears rolling down my face. So there, because I'm too caught up on it, I rate this four stars.
March 31, 2011
An unexpected gem found in my library's ebook library. This short novel (read it in 2 hours) is kind of gut wrenching. The blog post concept seems like a silly, unnecessary premise at the start, but by the end, it makes total sense. What's not revealed in the book description is that the story's actually told from the perspective of two people, and those dual perspectives really make the book work. A good read I haven't seen much chatter about.
August 30, 2010
Totally predictable and not enough character development for my liking. A good readalike for Lurlene McDaniel fans. I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out...Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2010...
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