January 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2011 pages
Four stars
"A modern love story told through a series of dictionary-style entries is a sequence of intimate windows into the large and small events that shape the course of a romantic relationship." - Goodreads
I liked this book more than I thought I was going to. I didn't think I would get enough story to really feel connected to the characters but that was not the case. I read it in one sitting, which I think worked in the books favor. I was really immersed in the story and felt emotionally connected to it.
This is a very raw, emotional and honest book. It goes through different part of a couples relationship and their breakup. Our protagonists, who's names we never learn, couldn't be more different. He's quiet and kind of nerdy while she is extroverted and turns into a different person when she is drunk. This story is told in short journal type entries in dictionary form. It does not take place in a chronological order but through alphabetical memories of the narrator. David Levithan chooses words from A to Z and connecting it to a memory or thought to describe this couple's up and down relationship.
The thing I loved the most about this book is how real it feels. There is so much raw emotion in the writing, you can feel it. It's not just a love story. It tells about how complicated love and relationships are. The Lover's Dictionary is very honest and realistic.
One of my favorite entries was ineffable: “Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.”
I highly recommend this book. It's a very quick, and intriguing read.
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