Love and Other Foreign Words - Erin McCahan

Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: May 1, 2014
Source/Format: Borrowed from Ellice (Thanks!) || Hardcover

Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue -- the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiancé up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word -- at least not in a language Josie understands. (from Goodreads)

The first time I ever saw Love and Other Foreign Words in person, I was browsing the YA section at The Strand. The dark blue caught my eye, and once I spotted the cover illustration, I knew it was something I had to check out for myself. I read the first chapter standing there, immediately drawn to main character Josie and her way of looking at the world. Though I had to set it down then (due to a lack of funds!), I had my heart set on finding some way of acquiring it.

With many thanks to the wonderful Ellice (who lent me her copy), I was able to read Love and Other Foreign Words sooner than I expected to. This is, in fact, a wonderful thing because I really enjoyed it! The main character is a riot, the writing is clever and the story was really engaging. Quiet and quirky work hand in hand in this novel, shaping it into a memorable tale.

Josie is, by far, one of my favorite YA females in a long time! The lens with which she views the world is what immediately makes her stand out as a narrator. I was equally amused and horrified by the directions her thoughts would swing, but more importantly, I felt a kinship. I could see why, for some readers, she’s going to rub them the wrong way, but her entire personality just worked for me. In fact, without her narrating this novel, I rather doubt I would think Love and Other Foreign Words was remarkable the way I do currently.

In terms of story, Love and Other Foreign Words is actually a fairly simple one. It concentrates heavily on Josie, and how what she thinks she knows (especially about love) is challenged at every turn. The catalyst for her thoughts on love? Her sister’s engagement to a guy Josie doesn’t quite approve of. It’s quiet, and mostly introspective, but I was easily charmed by how the story moved along at just the right pace. While it’s definitely off-beat, sometimes, that can lead to a great reading experience overall – as it definitely did that for me!

I enjoyed Love and Other Foreign Words, plain and simple, from the story to the characters (including the secondary ones, who I think deserved a little more time to shine in their own rights). It might sound strange, but reading it is an experience that I can compare to listening to a beautifully performed musical composition – fluid, pleasant and entertaining. It’s definitely a contemporary that’s flown under the radar, so consider this review my endorsement to GO FORTH AND READ IT NOW!