Book Review- Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
"Get this, I'm supposed to be starting a journal about "my journey." Please. I can see it now: Dear Diary, As I'm set adrift on this crazy sea called "life" . . . I don't think so. It's been seventy-five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her. And she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone now, and she doesn't want to talk about it. They wouldn't get it, anyway. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to have your best friend ripped away from you. They wouldn't understand what it feels like to know it's your fault. Amy's shrink thinks it would help to start a diary. Instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia. But as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past wasn't as perfect as she thought it was—and the present deserves a chance too." (Summary from Amazon)

Elizabeth Scott does it again with this book- it's a masterpiece. What I really enjoy about her novels is how she's able to go back and forth between serious and light and do both so very well. This was a quick read- pretty much read it over one weekend, which is a feat for me now that I have a job. The emotions in the book just leap off the page; I found myself really involved in Amy's story and life and how she dealt with her best friend's death as well as her own problems. Like other reviewers, I liked how Scott changed the reason for the parents' neglect of Amy. Usually, we see the parents who neglect their child as working too hard at their job, or maybe from going out on dates/hookups way too often, but in this, Amy was neglected because her parents were so wrapped up in their love for each other that there was barely any left for her. It was also interesting seeing how the romance angle played into this- it's a minor aspect of the story but still present and it helped Amy be able to see what she'd be denying to herself all this time. A powerful and evocative read, this is one novel you should not skip over.