The Truth About Leaving by Natalie Blitt

The Truth About Leaving

by Natalie Blitt

Lucy Green thought she had her senior year in the bag. Cute boyfriend? Check. College plan? Check.
 
But when her boyfriend dumps her the week before school starts and she literally stumbles into Dov, the new Israeli transfer student, on her first day of school, Lucy's carefully mapped-out future crumbles.
 
Determined to have a good senior year, and too busy trying to hold her family together while her mom is across the country working, Lucy ignores the attraction she feels to Dov. But soon, Lucy and Dov's connection is undeniable. Lucy begins to realize that sometimes, you have to open yourself up to chance. Even if the wrong person at the wrong time is a boy whose bravery you admire and who helps you find your way back to yourself. 

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Should Lucy take a chance on love so soon after her betrayal? And why bother investing her time and herself in a relationship with an expiration date? Lucy dealt with these and other questions of the heart during her senior year, which was a year filled with lots of change, joy, disappointment, and growing up.

• Pro: I adored both Dov and Lucy, which was a good thing, because this was very much a character driven story.

• Pro: Blitt did such a good job conveying the characters' emotions. This was especially true of Dov. His sadness and conviction came across so clear. I was really captivated by his desire to serve his country, and Dov reminded me of an Israeli exchange student from my high school, who spoke the same way about her service commitment. I also thought Lucy's unease about her future was well illustrated, and I really appreciated all the different choices Blitt had her explore, because I think those alternatives are often overlooked.

• Pro: Lucy suffered some big changes in her life all at once, but it was great that she had people like her grandmother, her best friend, and her teacher to support her. While Lucy grappled with her loyalty to her family, it was those three who reminded her, that she had rights and needs too.

• Pro: I couldn't even with Lucy's mother, but I thought her father was great. There were these rather honest discussions between them, which were really healthy and productive, and I really liked seeing that side of a parent-child relationship.

• Pro: I LOVED all the poetry and ballet that was incorporated into the story. Both were such wonderful outlets for the characters and gave them a chance to share their passion with us.

• Pro: I thought the ending was brilliant and meaningful. It wasn't super neat and tidy, if you think about it, but it was a great way to illustrate the tremendous growth Lucy experienced over the course of the book.

Overall: An emotional and heartwarming tale of friends, family, love, growth, and learning to make tough choices.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 January, 2019: Finished reading
  • 5 January, 2019: Reviewed