Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott

Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott Summary:

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, and Amy doesn't want to talk about it. No one knew Julia like she did. No one gets what life is without her.

No one understands what it's like to know that it's all your fault.

Amy's shrink thinks she should keep a journal but instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia. And as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past holds its own secrets--and that the present deserves a chance.

Review:

I hadn’t read a single book by Elizabeth Scott until just last month and now I am reading through her entire catalog at a rapid pace. So far no two are the same and they are all factastic.

The novel opens with Amy being released from rehab and struggling to deal with the guilt she feels over her the death of her best friend, Julia. She takes the journal she is supposed to be keeping and uses it to write letters to Julia. As she remembers more and more about the final weeks leading up to Julia’s death her emotions change constantly, loving, hating and missing her best friend.

The journal entries are interspersed with the main text and it adds an authentic layer to the text.

Amy’s voice is so honest and sarcastic that she makes a great protagonist, even if she is sometimes unreliable. We see everything through her eyes, through her guilt and her alcohol abuse so sometimes it is hard to know if it is the entire truth or her version but I loved every second of that.

Every character in the book, not just Amy and Julia, are incredibly detailed and well rounded. Amy’s well-meaning but self-indulgent parents and the people Amy connects with (or doesn’t) when she goes back to school are all nuanced and deep and make for a well-rounded world.

The novel is striking, authentic and moving and another great read from Elizabeth Scott.

This book goes toward my Summer Break Reading Challenge