Love and Other Four-Letter Words

By Carolyn Mackler

With her parents splitting up, 16-year-old Sammie Davis may not want to feel a thing, but feelings happen. For starters, she’s plenty angry. Her dad’s leaving their upstate New York home and moving clear across
the country. Her mother—well, she’s packing up and relocating to New York City with Sammie, who has no say about any of it. Overnight Sammie is forced to deal with change. And one change spawns another: Roles get reversed, old and new friendships tested, and sexual feelings awakened. It’s a scary time. But as Sammie realizes that things can’t stay the same forever, that even the people she loves and trusts the most can disappoint her, she begins to accept that change isn’t always bad. It’s how you cope, jumbled feelings and all, that counts. And as she copes, Sammie’s sense of self emerges proud and strong.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 19, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307487742

Carolyn Mackler

Carolyn Mackler is the author of the award-winning teen novels The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book; The Future of Us, coauthored with Jay Asher; Tangled; Love and Other Four-Letter Words; Vegan Virgin Valentine; and Guyaholic. She lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.

Reviews for Love and Other Four-Letter Words

[pacifickle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This young adult novel, by the prolific Carolyn Mackler, chronicles Samantha Davis' move to New York City after her parents separate. Before the separation, Sammy lived in upstate New York with her professor dad and former-artist mom, and hung out with her gorgeous best friend Kitty. Kitty gladly reports details of her burgeoning sexual exploits to Samantha, to Sammy's dismay. Post-move, Sammy is splitting a Manhattan apartment with her mom, who is severely depressed due to the divorce and discovers moving back to NYC doesn't necessary make her "artist's block" disappear. Samantha finds herself responsible for avoiding parking tickets, paying bills, and getting groceries, while avoiding her father's phone calls. While taking care of the dog, Samantha befriends Phoebe, and realizes perhaps Kitty wasn't the best "friend" a girl should have. The major changes in her life cause Samantha to realize she's growing up, and deals with friendship, her parents, and romantic relationships. The humor of this novel, paired with frequent pop-culture references, and realistic adolescent worries make this another great addition to the Carolyn Mackler line of Young Adult novels.