Sam@WLABB
Written on Nov 29, 2017
I didn't realize the title of this book was based on the Beatles' song, Here, There, and Everywhere, but I have to say, it's appropriate. That song is a sweet and beautiful declaration of love, and encompasses many of the emotions Zeus was experiencing as he fell in love for the first time.
•Pro: I LOVED Zeus! He was wry and witty and made me laugh often. I think I laughed for several pages straight as he explained his heritage and declared himself "Mexiwegian". He was also sweet and caring. He felt bad when he was insensitive to others' needs, and he also felt things quite deeply. He took one for the team on more than one occasion, and grew a whole lot during this book.
•Pro: This book had quite a precious sibling relationship. Zeus was much older than his brother, Manny, who he lovingly referred to as Grub, but still had a genuine fondness for him and spent quite a bit of time fostering Grub's love for all things World War II.
•Pro: Speaking of Grub, I loved that kid too. I adored all his WWII adventures and I thought the storyline involving Grub and Blackjack, the 90-year-old WWII veteran was quite special.
•Pro: This was such a precious story of falling in love. From the first time Zeus saw Rose, I knew I was going to enjoy watching this relationship blossom, and I was not disappointed. I was delighted tagging along for their Sunday outings and volunteering at the nursing home. Theirs was a tender, sweet first love that I wish everyone could experience.
•Pro: This book had so many wonderful side characters, which I think is really important to point out, because this is a character driven story. One of my favorites was Letty. She was the heart of Hilltop Nursing Home. She was spunky and fun-loving and she was all about living in the moment. She was always saying, "Enjoy today, you might be dead tomorrow." Sage advice.
•Pro: Full disclosure - I cried when I read the ending. I was on the treadmill, and I was blubbering. It was just so sweet and touching. I also liked that we got a lot of closure. I knew how things were going for almost all the major players in the story, and although there was one question mark, I decided how to interpret the very end of the book, and I was happy with it.
Overall: A sweet and touching tale of first love, which made my heart dance and brought lots of happy tears to my eyes.
*I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
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