The Love that Split the World, by Emily Henry

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

I finished this last night for week 27, a book with a beautiful title.


Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves.

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau."

[Laura, Celestial Sphere Mod]

This is a very difficult book to rate. It's unique, at least coming from someone who doesn't read a lot of sci-fi/magical realism, so it earned some points right off the bat. Typically I use the system where books that are very engrossing and make me not want to put them down earn 4 stars. Beyond that, books that make me think or really feel something earn 5 stars. But this book really challenged that system. The first 2/3 of the book just wasn't all that interesting to me. I wanted to know where the story went so I kept reading but it took me much longer than it should have I just never had that urge to pick it up. But then the last third happened. I realized that I really cared about the characters and the imagery was fantastic.

In the end, the last 100 pages just wasn't enough to push it to a 4-star read for me. I really enjoyed the inclusion of Native American folklore because I find that culture very interesting. But the use of insta-love and the overall lack of enthusiasm for most of the book prevents complete commendation from me.