The Opposite of Love

August 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Rose and Chase are an unlikely pairing, until you compare their home lives. Rose is a wild child, at least according to her strict adoptive parents. She is determined to find her birth mother, no matter the cost or time it takes. Chase comes from an abusive home and fears that his anger will be just as out of control as his father's. Just as Rose and Chase start to trust and open up to each other, they are wrenched apart. Rose retreats from the world and Chase tries to move on. Then, a cryptic email from Rose sends Chase and their mutual friends on a race to find her before things get any worse. This third-person narration alternates between Rose's and Chase's perspectives. The time periods also shift between the present (when Rose sends her email) and the past. There are many themes running throughout the story, including teen pregnancy, truancy, drinking, smoking, and faith, all of which are handled with a gentle touch. The novel is for teens looking for a realistic story with a satisfying if not completely happy ending. Fans of John Green's Paper Towns (Dutton, 2008) will enjoy it.-Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2014
Grades 9-12 If love is defined in part by its obstacles, Chase and Rose should know exactly what love is, because they've got obstacles in abundance. Chase has until recently endured an abusive, alcoholic father and lives with his still-young mother, while Rose, adopted at the age of five, pines for the mother she was taken from and rejects her strict parents, particularly after they forbid her from seeing Chase. But their relationship drives lovingly forward anyway as they share their complex family dynamics and emotional wounds until crisis looms, and they're torn apart. Rose, with her deep hurt and miserable coping mechanisms, is an especially resonant figure. Scheerger's novel is unusual in that all the charactersparents includedhave immense flaws, but they are treated with understanding, patience, and even forgiveness. Faith and Alcoholics Anonymous play significant roles as Rose, Chase, and their families attempt to find peace. Some attitudes about sexuality and pregnancy may prompt some soul-searching among readers, but, overall, this is a thoughtful story of coming to grips with emotional pain.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)