The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

Razorbill, 2016

What would you be willing to sacrifice in order to save the one you love, even if the one you love may not be real?

This is the question Natalie Clearly must answer.  Along with Megan, her best friend, and Matty, her recent ex-boyfriend, Natalie has just graduated from high school in her small Kentucky hometown and has just a few weeks of summer left before leaving for college.  Parades, parties, and dances for the graduates are just a few things they are enjoying until Natalie starts to experience peculiar phenomena.  Natalie sees things and people in places and times they shouldn’t be.  Is it just hallucinations brought on by the stress of separation she and Megan are about to face?  Is it the pressure she feels from Matty to rekindle their high school romance into something more?  Her still deep feelings for Matty become further confused when she meets the mysterious Beau, an attractive but troubled boy with whom she shares an instant connection.  But is he real or just another unexplained vision?  Stranger yet, Natalie starts to receive nighttime visits from “Grandmother”.  Grandmother has visited Natalie before when she was younger, only at night, and only Natalie could see her.  When she was younger, Grandmother told her stories.  Now, Grandmother comes with a warning, “You have three months to save him.”   Save who?  Matty, the sweet boy she has loved for so long, yet who wants more than she can give?  Or Beau? But what if he’s not real, how can you save someone that may not exist?

Emily Henry’s skill in storytelling is without question.  She uses issues such as adoption, Native American legends, and family relationships to deftly craft her first book.  Grandmother’s stories help Natalie find the truth about who she is, just as stories help all of us learn about ourselves.  And this is one great story.

Recommended for HS