Has to Be Love

by Jolene Perry

"Years ago, Clara survived a vicious bear attack. She's used to getting sympathetic looks around town, but meeting strangers is a different story. Yet her dreams go far beyond Knik, Alaska, and now she's got a secret that's both thrilling and terrifying--an acceptance letter from Columbia University. But it turns out her scars aren't as fixable as she hoped, and when her boyfriend begins to press for a forever commitment, she has second thoughts about New York. Then Rhodes, a student teacher in her English class, forces her to acknowledge her writing talent, and everything becomes even more confusing--especially with the feelings she's starting to have about him. Now all Clara wants to do is hide from the tough choices she has to make. When her world comes crashing down around her, Clara has to confront her problems and find her way to a decision. Will she choose the life of her dreams or the life that someone she loves has chosen? Which choice is scarier?"--Provided by Amazon.com.

• ISBN10: 0807531677
• ISBN13: 9780807531679
• Publish Date: 1 September 2016 (first published 1 September 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Albert Whitman & Company
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
I am going to try to stay away from spoilers, however some of the stuff that made me the angriest probably falls into spoiler territory. I’ll try to mark them, but… proceed with caution.

When I started Has to Be Love, I didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. I didn’t feel much of a connection to Clara, nor did I feel that I knew a lot about her, other than “likes to write” and “bear attack facial scar”. She wants to leave Alaska, but how can she possibly, with something as awful as a scar?!

This is going to sound insensitive, and I assure you it is not. I understand her insecurity and apprehension, that makes sense. But I’d like to think that there’s more to a person than a facial scar? I mean, as a parent of a kid with a facial scar, I hope not? Granted, Clara’s is more severe, but again, the fixation was over the top. I don’t remember if she was in counseling (if she was, it wasn’t a huge plot point) but she needed all the counseling, for real. Like, the bear attack itself was horrible, and traumatic and killed her damn mom, but she was more concerned about the scar. I… don’t get it.

Some background: Clara’s best friend is at her mom or dad’s house (whoever the non-custodial parent is, I don’t remember), and so she’s not there for Clara to whine to. Clara’s dad… I don’t really know what his problem is, but they need some kind of communication system (again, counseling would be helpful). She’s gotten into Columbia, but doesn’t tell anyone. For reasons. And Elias is building a house so they can get married right after high school (gag) and live in a quaint Alaskan town making babies for the rest of time.

Enter Rhodes. He’s visiting his aunt and student-teaching for the rest of the semester. Where’s Rhodes from? Unrealistic coincidence time! Columbia, of course. Rhodes is enamored with Clara, I guess because she’s a writer? I don’t even know, it was pretty insta-lovey. At first, I didn’t even mind the thought of them getting together if it’d rid us of Elias. But then I realized that Rhodes was a complete asshat as well.

Rhodes is everywhere, seeing everything that Clara does. It’s weird and unsettling. Elias… well, you know, he is way too committed for a seventeen year old dude. The irony is, his religion precludes him from basically even touching Clara. Rhodes does not have these same views. Rhodes is kind of full of himself, thinking he’s so worldly because he is from Columbia and he’s traveled. And I guess we’re supposed to be impressed?

Yeah… no. Now, here’s where things get dicey and kind of spoilery. Carla has to make some decisions, obviously. Some about college, some about her relationships, and some about her scars. And she does a brilliant job of waffling, going back and forth, and pissing me off. But even that I could get past, because she is a teenager, and I can’t make decisions as an adult, so I get it.

But here’s where the story lost me for good, and there was no coming back:

Religion was used as a plot device without explanation. Elias uses it for his explanation of not doing anything more than kissing Clara, even though he wants to marry her. View Spoiler » There’s no furthering of these themes as far as reasoning, it’s just “I shouldn’t” or “it’s bad to…”, which really angered me. If you have beliefs, so be it, but they can’t just show up for five minutes and then run the hell away.
This is the worst for me. The worst, and the reason for such a low rating. I am a pretty generous rater in general, but this made me so angry that I actually yelled at an inanimate object (my Kindle). It’s a spoiler though, so I shall hide it as such. View Spoiler » So much rage.

My problems with the book never resolved. I am not saying that the plot didn’t resolve, I am saying my issues didn’t. Clara was bland, unlikable, and indecisive, and I still knew nothing about her by the end. Other than her need for a mental health professional (I don’t mean this offhandedly, I am serious). The guys were still annoying me. Things started happening very quickly and randomly toward the end too, to the point where I was certain that I’d missed a few chapters or something.

This book was simply not for me.

*Copy provided by publisher for review
**Quotes taken from uncorrected proof subject to change