The Love That Split the World

Emily Henry

January 26, 2016

Razorbill

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Blurb: 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 preschool 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.
 
Then there are the visits 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.

Purchase Link: Amazon

After reading Emily Henry’s fabulous Beach Read in January (at the beach no less), I immediately reserved all of her books at my local library. When The Love That Split the World became available this weekend, I immediately threw myself into the book. Honestly, except for some really excellent writing, the two books are as different as night and day. But in a good way.

The Love That Split the World is about Natalie Cleary who has visitations from an old Native American woman, “Grandmother,” who tells her stories of her culture. On the very last visit, Grandmother tells Natalie that she has to save “him” and she only has a very small window to do so.

This YA novel takes on time travel, romance, and fitting in when you are different. I was totally gripped by this story and loved Emily Henry’s prose. Her take on time travel was really intriguing (I love time travel stories!) and I enjoyed how the interwoven Native American stories helped Natalie understand what was happening to her and what her choices should be. So, I’ll just say it again: I love this book. I can’t go into a lot of detail because it just feels like it would be so easy to go into spoiler territory unintentionally.

Now, the funny thing is that when I went to Goodreads while reading the book, it told me that I had read The Love That Split the World before and gave it 4 stars on March 26, 2016. What?! I recognized nothing in this book, even when I was now alerted that it should be familiar. The only thing I can think is that it was during this time that my SIL died and maybe all other memories from those weeks were just shoved aside in mourning. Even more startling is that I gave it 4 stars when I found it to be so completely absorbing. Although, I have to say that the past two years have changed me as I suspect that they have for everyone. And, these past six years of book blogging have changed the way I read as well as my expectations. Blogging about books has truly helped me become a better reader (and writer).

The Love That Split the World is a good read obtained from the library–visit yours virtually like I do. 🙂

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