Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
Release Date: January 11, 2011
Publisher: Delecorte Books For Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Buy The Book:Amazon







Summary: When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.
When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else? 

My Thoughts: When I first saw this book, I thought I was going to love it. Maybe even more than a 5 cupcake book! I didn't love it as much as I hoped but I still did enjoy it a lot. We are introduced to Ari who lives in the late 80's. She lives with her mother and father. Her sister lives a little bit away with her husband Patrick. Ari kind of had feelings for Patrick which was a bit unusual but nothing actually ever happens between them. It's more like a little teenage crush.Her sister is kind of a manic depressant. Ari ends up attending a private school and had to transfer from her public school. At least there she fit in. She values her education and doesn't want to end up like her sister, young and pregnant. 

She than meets Leigh and Leigh's two cousins Del and Blake. I really liked Blake, he was a perfect gentlemen. Ari is very careful with Blake, and he does not pressure her for sex but she knows he's not a virgin because he has an ex-girlfriend from Georgia. Remember this is the late 80's, AIDS was on the rise and she was discovering more about it. I liked seeing how Ari and Blake's relationship was developing and how they were falling in love. One thing that bothered me was how Blake wouldn't stand up to his father. His father wanted him to be a lawyer like himself and Blake had different dreams. I wanted Blake to be a different person.  


Ari went from being somewhat independent to being sucked into a relationship that brought her down. Yes, she stuck up for herself but her grades starting slipping and she focused all her energy on a boy. I wanted her to keep up with her dreams and she started brushing them off.  

I'll stop there because I don't want to ruin the whole book. I really enjoyed reading this book however I was a bit let down by the end. I wanted the perfect ending and this book didn't sugar coat it and though that was a good thing, I still wanted the cheery happy ending. I liked how Ari discovered who she really was. I liked how she made the right choice for herself at the end. 

Overall: Really enjoyed reading it. 

Cover: Love the cover! I was instantly attracted to the book just by the cover alone! Beautiful!

What I'd Give It: