Title: First Love
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and
Company
Publication Date: January 13, 2014
Genres: YA, Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Ellen Fritz
Ellen’s rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
Alexandra "Axi" Moore is a "good
girl": She studies hard, stays out of the spotlight, and doesn't tell
anyone how the pressures of school and home make her want to run away from it
all. The only person she can tell is her best friend, Robinson, with whom she's
secretly head-over-heels in love, and she spontaneously invites him to come
with her on an impulsive cross-country road trip. Being alone with Robinson is
a dream come true, but the adventure quickly turns from carefree to out of
control as.tragedy races to catch up to them. In this beautiful journey of
laughter and tears, two daring and unforgettable teenagers fall in love and
learn to cherish the precious time they have together. More than seventy-five
of Axi's black-and-white snapshots of the journey included throughout the book
make the story all the more real and poignant.
REVIEW
Although teen romance is honestly not my reading
preference, First Love is going on my
list of all-time favorites. Having met under trying circumstances, there is a
very close and special bond between Axi Moore and Robinson. It is natural then
that they should take their unauthorized road trip together. A road trip to all
the places which they want to show one another and, that might very possibly be,
Robinson's very last trip ever.
Axi, always the good girl, decides to let go, cut
loose and enjoy life - for this trip at least. She is rather horrified,
however, when Robinson decides that the mode of transportation will be stolen
vehicles. Nevertheless, Axi is determined to give Robinson a few pleasant
surprises during their trip, and have some fun herself.
A spin round a motor race track, an adventurous tour
through LA, and a visit with a Las Vegas stripper are just some of the
experiences their trip starts with. Even after they are on the run from the
cops, they go roller-coaster riding in Ohio and site seeing in New York City.
The author really has a gift for writing teen
dialogue. I loved how their very modern conversations were riddled with song
lyrics and quotes from books and movies.
In any other book I would rate the number of make-out
sessions and numerous, lengthy declarations of everlasting love as totally
exaggerated. In First Love however,
it is beautifully tender and most certainly a very necessary part of the story.
Here is where I warn sensitive readers to keep boxes of Kleenex close by as I
certainly bawled my eyes out.
For a thrilling, heartwarming, and even life changing
read that will take you on an emotional roller-coaster ride, I recommend First Love as an absolute must read.
This is the kind of book you would want to keep and reread every now and then.
ABOUT the AUTHOR
He's been called the busiest man in publishing, and
that's not just because of his own books. For the past decade, James has been
devoting more and more of his time to championing books and reading. From the
James Patterson Pageturner Awards, to his website ReadKiddoRead.com, to his
College Book Bucks scholarships and his regular donations of hundreds of
thousands of books to schools here in the states and troops overseas (see
interviews on Fox & Friends, The Dennis Miller Radio Show and CNN.com),
Patterson has passed on his passion of books and reading and supported those
who do the same. Jim personally funded a major ad campaign re-printing a recent
opinion piece on CNN.com about how it is our responsibility to get our kids
reading. The ad has run in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and USA Today.
Those ads are a call to action to parents to make their kids reading a top
priority; and were featured by USA Today here. Patterson believes that we
cannot rely on schools, teachers or the government to get our kids reading;
only parents can make this crucial change in the reading habits of our kids.
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