[Review] Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Title: Suffer Love
Author: Ashley Herring Blake
Publication: May 3rd 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Format: ARC

Hadley St. Clair’s life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably “feels like home” to Hadley. Hadley and Sam’s connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

---

Shelf it on Goodreads!

Also, you can buy it on: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

My thoughts:

I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from HMH Kids in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion.

This book unexpectedly tore me into pieces. It’s been a while since I read a book that has a tragic ending, and this one showed me a cry-worthy tragedy. However, I didn’t cry because I have never cried while reading books at all. Teary-eyed, maybe? But that’s still once in a blue moon.

The story follows two characters namely Sam Bennett and Hadley St. Clair with their own problems with their own family, and then they meet at school and get closer to each other. The truth only starts to unfold when they deeply get to know each other and when they were actually in love with each other.

“I guess the world really does end with a whimper. A whole lot of quiet, a million things left unsaid until it’s too late to say them.”

You will definitely ugly-cry when you get to the ending because that’s what I felt. Likewise, reading this book made me emotional because of its beautiful writing. The writing is absolutely the big factor that really made me like – wait, LOVE – this beautiful book.

However, I didn’t much have a connection with the characters. It’s definitely there, but it didn’t fully connect. I still love the characters as they are. I don’t have an issue about not being able to connect as long as the story as a whole is amazingly written. Still, this could’ve been improved.

“We couldn’t not be together, because being together was the only thing that made sense. The only thing that kept us both from disappearing.”

I was supposed to give this book 3 stars until the book finally hooked me and gave me this shocking ending. I know I have to add another star because it deserves it. Again, 4 stars because there’s something lacking in the book that could’ve been better. The start of the book didn’t really capture my attention which is disappointing.

A recommended read for everyone who loves characters with tragic life meeting together not knowing the truth about their own. This is a book that will drive you to insanity. Shocking ending, strong characters and perfect plot combined together make a beautiful story like this one.

4 swords for making me so emotional! *cries*

---

About the author:

Ashley Herring Blake is a poet, teacher, and YA novelist. Her debut novel, SUFFER LOVE, follows two teens as they attempt to wade through an intense relationship complicated by their parents’ infidelities. Ashley lives in Nashville, TN.

---

What’s your favorite YA contemporary debut? Comment below and let’s talk about it.