Review: First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky

From Inside Jacket: Like his name, Gray is dark and stormy. Dylan, a girl always searching for what’s next, seemingly unable to settle down, is the exact opposite: full of light and life. On the outside, they seem like an unlikely couple. But looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract. What starts as friendship, turns into admiration, respect and caring, until finally these two lone souls find they are truly in love with each other. But staying in love is not as easy as falling in love. If Dylan and Gray want their love to last, they’re going to have to work at it. And learn that sometimes love means having to say you’re sorry.

My Rating: 3.5 hearts  

Thoughts on the Novel: When I saw the synopsis for First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky, I thought it would simply be a story about two very different people falling in love and then experiencing some obstacles that challenge that love. It was that; but, First Comes Love was also a book about two people learning more about themselves by having someone to talk to and confide in.

Told from the perspectives of both Dylan and Gray, First Comes Love allows you to see what the two characters like about each other while simultaneously letting you develop your own opinion about them as individuals. Gray is moody, cynical, and someone who’s very much a loner. Dylan on the other hand is extremely carefree and completely uninhibited with her emotions. She also has this quirky tendency of naming everything she owns. Although I found it easier to connect with Gray than Dylan, what’s nice is that both characters are college-aged – an age range that I find lacking in YA. As such, Dylan and Gray do engage in (frequent) sex; and so First Comes Love may not be appropriate for younger teens.

What I enjoyed the most about First Comes Love though was the setting. As Gray and Dylan develop their fledgling friendship into something more, they visit numerous places in Phoenix, which Kacvinsky describes in detail. I’m terrible at visualizing things and places in my head, but Kacvinsky’s descriptions made me feel as if I had actually visited Phoenix and tagged along with Gray and Dylan like a third wheel.

A short book with a surprising amount of depth, First Comes Love was released in May 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Comments About the Cover: I like that it’s very dark because First Comes Love isn’t one of those cheerful summer romance stories that are perfect for reading at the beach. I did take off the jacket though while reading the book on the bus since it’s kind of embarrassing to be seen in public with it.

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Thomas Allen & Son) for free.