Blog Tour: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler Review and Giveaway

Thanks so much to Jean at Jean Booknerd and Janet Gurtler, for providing me with an ARC of How I Lost You and allowing me to be a part of this great tour! I really look forward to reading more books from this wonderful author!

Synopsis

There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

My Review- 4/5 Friendly Stars

First of all, thanks for the ARC and allowing me to be a part of this tour! I was very excited about reading this book when I read the synopsis. I love books about best friends and the trials and tribulations that come with friendships. I read so much about relationships involving the opposite sex, so to read a book like this was a breath of fresh air.

This is my first Janet Gurtler novel and I have to say, I was highly impressed. This book hit home for me. It made me think of how things in life really is or could be involving friendships. It's realistic and easily relatable. I've been in a similar sitation, maybe more than once (different circumstance each time) and it made me relive my adolescent years which wasn't my favorite time in my life. However, I really felt absorbed and gripped throughout the whole story.

Grace Anderson and her BFF Kya have been through everything together. They do everything and share all their secrets and will always put one another first before everything...including boys. They're both on the same paintball team, trying to get into a big league for college. The summer before their senior year, everything changes. Secrets are revealed and their true friendship is tested. Can they forget all that was lost and remain as close as they've ever been? Or is it too late for them?

I enjoyed this book very much. It was really well written and the characters were so realistic, I felt like I was there watching the scenes unfold. It reminded me of a time one of my best friends and I went through our problems in high school. Things change. People change and ultimately you can't stop it. Sometimes when you're so focused on the friendship and saving it from breaking apart, you forget who you are and what you want in life. I was saddened to see how things happened. I loved Grace's character. She was a true friend. She was giving, caring and always sacrificed her happiness to keep her friendship with Kya together, even when it was truly falling apart. I didn't like Kya one bit. To me, she reminded me too much of someone I used to know. She was rude and bitter and very selfish. She was lucky to have a friend like Grace. But she was too blind to see it. Also, I enjoyed James. He was sweet and kind and I felt bad for him when he had to deal with Kya's crappy attitude. I was sad when he revealed what happened between them and was a little pissed off at Kya for what she put him through. She was always so disrespectful to him too. I can't stand people like that. Get over yourself and quit thinking the world owes you something. I understand she was dealing with some stuff that happened to her. But really, it was time for her to grow up and face reality and try to be a better person. I'm not saying she had it easy, but she was just too whiny for my liking. Sorry, I don't like bad talking people, but I really didn't like her. Thank God for Grace. That girl kicked ass and when she finally stood up for herself, I was proud. I've been in her shoes, trying to do everything to make the other person happy regardless if I'm miserable. I hated that. I'm just a people pleaser and it seems she's like me in that respect. I think that's why I can relate to her so easily and felt bad for her. I've been there.

I loved Levi and Lucas. They really made this book for me. Well, Levi moreso than Lucas. He was so sweet. I loved how he was there for Grace. He was her rock and she was lucky to have him to lean on when all the crap went down with Kya. I could tell he really cared about her. Every scene he had popped in, I smiled like a dork. *sigh*

The end was wonderful. I felt sad but ultimately, it ended the way it needed to end. I was glad Grace finally came around and put herself first for once. It needed to be done, regardless how it might have hurt. But that's life. You live, you learn, and you move on. Life is too short to put up with nonsense.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It shows how life can change over time. We are not the same people, we change, we grow. And sometimes, friends outgrow each other and choose different paths. But that's why you make new friends, new memories. I went through this alot. I thought I would be BFF's with my friend from middle school that I grew up with. But over time, we changed and went our separate ways. It's just life. I've made new friends in high school and even beyond that. I do have one friend that I've been really close with since middle school (around the same time as my other one). We had a falling out during high school but years later, we reunited and we're close as we've ever been. Life just works in the funniest ways sometimes. Anyway, I think the point of this book is to show how girls can be petty about things and how some circumstances can change you for the worst. But then for some people, it can make you grow up. I highly recommend this book to teens and young adult that's ever had a best friend in high school that they lost touch with or are still friends with to this day. Either way, you're bound to learn something from it. It's realistic and I'm sure most will easily relate to it. Great story and great characters. Thank you for writing a refreshing book about growth, sacrifices and friendship. 

Meet Janet Gurtler

Janet lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a little dog named Bruce. She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot. 

Janet only gives 5 stars to the books she reviews because she is an author herself and knows that no book can appeal to everyone, but like a child, it is very special to the creator.

I'M NOT HER was published by Sourcebooks Teen Fire in May 2011. 

IF I TELL released Oct 1, 2011 from Sourcebooks Teen Fire.

WHO I KISSED Sourcebooks Fire 2012.

Janet's work will also appear in the THE FIRST TIME anthology, DEAR TEEN ME anthology and WHO DONE IT anthology.

https://twitter.com/janetgurtler

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