Review: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler
Release Date: April 23rd, 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire (that's today!)
Details: 320 pages, paperback
Genre: Young Adult > Contemporary
Source: NetGalley (Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire!)
Find It: Amazon || Goodreads || B&N
Summary:

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.

So I've realized that I don't really like books about friendship break ups. They annoy me. It's always the same thing --- there's the push over friend who always takes the heat and there's the friend who doesn't know how to stop fuckin up. But I guess that's what it's like in real life, right? We've all been there (and if you haven't, consider yourself lucky), we care too much about someone and don't mind covering for them. Even when it hits that point where you know deep down inside enough is enough and then that inevitable moment where it all blows up in your face and you realize you wasted all this time on someone who doesn't give a shit about you. Sorry, got a little mad there. Whew, moving on...

Grace and Kya are Buds Before Studs (which goes beyond BFF). They even have a secret handshake type thing going on, that's when you know it's legit! They're a package deal, on the paintball field and off. We catch a glimpse of just how close these two are together, the intense loyalty that Grace has for Kya no matter what and slowly we start to see Kya pull away from Grace and into self destruction. Throw in a male best friend and you've got some awkward stuff goin on that isn't reveled until pretty much the end. 

I got Grace's loyalty, I did. I obviously have been in her position (multiple times in fact to the point where trusting females is now a challenge for me) but Kya did some pretty messed up things that would had me call it quits right there. Kya had not self control, no self respect and no respect for her best friend. You wanna be reckless? By all means but not when you're somewhere with your best friends MOM and your best friends future is on the line! Have some damn common sense! I kinda liked James, he was (as Grace put it) unapologetic for his nerdyness and it was cute. You don't see that too often in high school!

I also really liked Levi. I didn't at first but the more we got to know him and the more the romance between him and Grace grew, the more I liked him. I liked how the book had romance in it, but Levi and Grace weren't the main aspect of the book. It was more about Grace and Kya. I think Janet did a great job of pulling that off. 

Overall I really enjoyed this read! I also LOVED Grace's family. Her mom is hilarious ! They sort of reminded me of Olive's family in Easy A how they were embarrassing and silly haha.

James trotted closer. "Hey, Grace." He put the mike down on the counter.
"What's the matter, James, I don't get a hello?" Kya said without taking her eyes off the linebacker.
James glanced at him and then Kya.
"She writing a book on how to flirt using only her eyeballs?" He asked me.
Kya lifted her middle finger but didn't look at him.




"Ice cream with breakfast might be good," I said.
"I am here to make these sorts of sacrifices for my family," Dad said, jumping up. "Red Velvet, Chunky Monkey, and Vanilla."
Mom swatted his butt as he got up to go on his mission. "Vanilla?" she asked, as if it were as surprise after all these years.
"I like my ice cream the way I like my women," Dad said. "Plain and simple."
"Then why the hell did you marry me?" Mom winked at him.