Book Review: Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

What's worse than getting dumped? Not even knowing if you've been dumped. Joy got no goodbye, and certainly no explanation when Zan - the love of her life and the only good thing about stifling, backward Haven, Utah - unceremoniously and unexpectedly left for college a year early. Joy needs closure almost as much as she needs Zan, so she heads for California, and Zan, riding shotgun beside Zan's former-best-friend Noah.

Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy's story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

 
This was a book right up my alley. I definitely fit within the target audience for this book. I've read the mixed reviews on this book and can understand them but for me this book was a hit. I could totally relate to the main character Joy. I'm a good mormon girl who grew up in California and now lives in Utah. All the references to Mormon culture, expectations & rules made me laugh out loud more than once.

I loved the way this was written with flashbacks and short chapters full of humor.  I admit this is not a book that will appeal to everyone but it is one that I really enjoyed reading.  I'm adding Emily's other book to my to read list.

Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: The Teen Book Scene Tour

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith was released on April 28, 2011 by Dutton Juvenile.

Guest Post: Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith

Welcome to Author Emily Wing Smith.

Bio:

Even as a child, Emily Wing Smith had overly thick eyebrows, a passion for writing, and a tendency toward attending odd schools. So it wasn’t much of a surprise when she graduated first with a BA in English from Brigham Young University, and later with an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College. It’s also no real shocker that she spends too much money on eyebrow waxing.
Emily lives with her husband in Salt Lake City, where she writes, bakes chocolate chip cookies, and occasionally substitutes at her old high school (which hasn’t gotten any less odd).

Guest Post: Top 10 Summer Memories:

Watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants at the drive-in while eating giant sandwiches.

Fondue night watching classic '80s films.

Watching fireworks while listening to a super cheesy version of "God Bless the USA."

Strawberry Push-Ups from the ice cream man.

Stargazing on the lawn at Hollins College summer program.

Summer solstice barbecue ending with my gest friend getting pushed out of a hammock.

Drowning in gigantic dark green polo shirt as assistant manager at Papa John's. Also wore lame hat.

Lying on a beach towel in my backyard reading Baby Sitters Club and Sweet Valley Twins books all day.

Getting a wedgie in the water park's wave pool every year.

Road trping to Vegas while playing crazy car games.

Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith:

What's worse than getting dumped? Not even knowing if you've been dumped. Joy got no goodbye, and certainly no explanation when Zan - the love of her life and the only good thing about stifling, backward Haven, Utah - unceremoniously and unexpectedly left for college a year early. Joy needs closure almost as much as she needs Zan, so she heads for California, and Zan, riding shotgun beside Zan's former-best-friend Noah.
Original and insightful, quirky and crushing, Joy's story is told in surprising and artfully shifting flashbacks between her life then and now. Exquisite craft and wry, relatable humor signal the arrival of Emily Wing Smith as a breakout talent.

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