Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West

Love, Life, and the List

by Kasie West

What do you do when you’ve fallen for your best friend? Funny and romantic, this effervescent story about family, friendship, and finding yourself is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances.

Which is where the list comes in.

Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being.

But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.

Reviewed by kymmiejournals on

4 of 5 stars

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3.5 stars

I've never experienced falling in love with a guy best friend ('cause I don't have one and I know it's 3/10 statistics that a boy and a girl can only be bff and no emotions or whatsoever) , so I wouldn't understand Cooper's feelings... Yes, Cooper! Abby is like every other girls, admit feelings - gets rejected - got hurt - moved on - try again and it's normal. But for Cooper, I don't know why he had to be a coward and keeps pushing Abby away. The story is plain, talks about a lot of art, paintings, museum, gallery which Abby loves and is determined to get her masterpiece presented in the museum she's working at. Abby's personality is strong and knows what she wants. I like the idea behind of what they came up with about "witnessing life to come" and they went to see a sunrise. The author's description of waiting for the sun to come up is beautiful and you can imagine that you're also witnessing a sunrise.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 29 May, 2018: Finished reading
  • 29 May, 2018: Reviewed