Refreshingly Cute // REVIEW: The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Title: The Names They Gave Us
Author: Emery Lord
Publication Date: June 1st 2017
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Bloomsbury India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon US || Amazon UK || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Books A Million || Chapters Indigo || Google Books
Blurb Description: From acclaimed author Emery Lord comes a vibrant, compelling story of love, loss, faith, and friendship.
Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake. But when her mom’s cancer reappears, Lucy falters—in faith, in love, and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend “pauses” their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp—one for troubled kids—Lucy isn’t sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means?
Emotionally-charged and unforgettable, Emery Lord’s storytelling shines with the promise of new love and true friendship, even in the face of life’s biggest challenges.
Thoughts/ Opinions before Reading:

   1)      This is only my second Emery Lord book – the first being When We Collided that was NICE, but not all I expected it to be
   2)      I’m a little wary to be reading a book about faith and Christianity (I’m agnostic, and books that incorporate a lot of religion aren’t necessarily my favourite)
3)      THIS COVER IS SO SO BEAUTIFUL THAT I HAVE TO OWN IT.

Thoughts after reading the book:

Short and Sweet: The Names They Gave Us surprised me in the best way – it had all the goodness of a summer romance, had just the right amount of family and faith, it handled all the issues it took on perfectly and was so real I couldn’t help but fall in love.

·         Lucy Esther had one of the best character growths I’ve seen in a while. She started off as your standard good girl, a little naïve, a little set in her ways (cue terms like *hippie camp* and *heathens*) but by the end of it, she’d definitely grown as a person and I loved witnessing it.

·         I LOVED LUCY’S FAMILY. I’m ALWAYS, ALWAYS complaining about how families just aren’t portrayed enough in YA contemporaries and how that makes them so unbelievable because HELLO – minors and high school? Lucy’s family was just the right amount of present, they were constantly in her thoughts and well, THEY MATTERED IN THIS BOOK. Thank you, Emery for bringing the perfect amount of family life to a YA Book.

·         SUMMER CAMP! I’ve never been at a month long camp, and I haven’t really thought about what it would be like, but I really truly loved the atmosphere of this camp. It had a bunch of kids with difficult lives trying to be kids and I loved everything about it! I loved the counselors and the banter they had among themselves, and the fact that these humans were real friends

·         FAITH. Or, more specifically, the way faith was handled. Like I said in my ‘before’ thoughts, I’m agnostic (not an atheist, not religious) and so books with their content as religion aren’t my favourite. For the first time, I not only didn’t mind it, I felt like it really tied the whole book together, making Lucy a character that was so much more life-like.


A cute, refreshing, swoon-worthy, family filled summer read from one of the masters of contemporary young adult literature! 5 stars!
Emery LordHi! I'm Emery. I'm the author of four novels about teenage girls: OPEN ROAD SUMMER, THE START OF ME & YOU, WHEN WE COLLIDED, and THE NAMES THEY GAVE US. 
I was born near a harbor on the East coast and raised near a beach, an ocean, a great lake, and the Ohio River. I'm a longtime Cincinnatian, where we love good beer, good music, and our public library. 
I'm married to a scientist who shuts down every wedding dance floor, and we are owned by two rescue dogs. I believe in the magic of storytelling, Ferris wheels, and you.  
Have you read any of Emery Lord's other books? What did you think of them? 
What are some of your favourite contemporary novels? 
Who are some of your favourite teen protagonists? I can't wait to hear from you!

No comments:

Post a Comment