Initial Impressions 1/17/16: 4.5 stars 
 This book was so special. It was beautifully written, full of touching moments, amazing friendships, wonderful humor, and truly a love that was powerful enough to split the world. Emotion levels were high for pretty much the whole book and I was so captivated by Natalie and Beau. I love Emily Henry's ability to bring me into this story, easily convince me that all of this was humanly possible, and even more so, to bring so many emotions into it as well. Every single relationship was wonderful, complicated, and meaningful. From friendships to romances to siblings to parents -- everything was so incredibly well done, realistic, and touching. Even Natalie's own "relationship" with herself (or rather, her own self-discovery) was interesting and beautiful to watch as well as unique. 
 I adored how Emily Henry took this concept of alternate worlds and/or time travel (I won't divulge exactly what is going on there because the reader needs to discover that!) and really blur the lines between science-fiction, reality, and also the expectations of how alternate worlds/time travel occur and/or function. It felt wholly unique and incredibly special. 
 This book was truly special and I just was so involved while reading it. One I will absolutely recommend and hopefully re-read too! 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 2/2/16: As soon as I started reading, I knew that THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD was a special book. Emily Henry's writing immediately hooked me and I was instantly transported into Natalie's world, fully involved in her story. Even after thirty pages, I knew that I would fall in love with this book. With moments that reminded me of childhood favorite WALK TWO MOONS, I was immediately invested (in so many ways, really) and this turned out to be a very special read for me. 
 At first, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD. From the synopsis, it sounded like a book about alternate universes but I couldn't tell if it was going to be more contemporary, more science-fiction, or none of the above. I ended up with a lot of contemporary romance feelings as I read about the epic romance between Natalie and Beau and I easily got swept up in their whirlwind romance. I absolutely loved that there was a sense that these two simply belonged together. There are books that proclaim destiny and connections but Emily Henry's writing truly convinced me that these two souls were irrevocably connected, which left me feeling quite impressed! The way the story was written and how everything fell into place really had me feeling that connection instead of just being told it was there. I become utterly involved in Natalie and Beau's story and couldn't tear my eyes away from the page! 
 The characters were wonderfully developed! Each character had many layers and each of their relationships did as well. Of course I can sing praises of the romance but really one of my favorite relationships in the book was Natalie's friendship with Megan. Their friendship really reminded me of my own with my best friends and it just felt so genuine and true. It was an easy friendship and the two girls also had an incredibly strong bond, able to talk about anything and everything, including some humor that you only experience with a best friend. I instantly connected with their friendship and it really developed their characters even more! 
 I was also pleased to see the relationship that Natalie had with her family. Being adopted, she does struggle at times to feel like she fits in, especially when her siblings are actually biological children, but they do have a special familial bond that also just felt so genuine. I could really feel the hesitation as Natalie tries to find out if and where she fits in but she still has a strong love for every person in her family. 
 Natalie's self-discovery was also incredibly so well-done. Having her hallucinations/visions sets her apart even more, on top of the fact that she's adopted and looks nothing like her family (Natalie being of Native American heritage and her family having pale skin and red hair). She struggles to find out where exactly she belongs and as high school ends, the crisis escalates even further. It was wonderfully subtle and obvious all at the same time and I really felt for Natalie as she tried to figure out exactly who she was and where she fit in. I think we've all been through a similar phase but Natalie faces much bigger questions, especially as her life comes to a major crossroads with her latest "visitation" from a wise figure that she calls Grandmother. 
 As much as the book was partially a love story, it was also quite magical. I loved the Native American traditions and folklore that really set the tone of the novel and tied into Natalie's current timeline. It was just wonderful to read each story and connect it to a specific moment, even if I couldn't make that connection until later on in the book. Natalie learns and and repeats creation myths, tradition origins, and life lessons through each story and I really loved experiencing and learning about each one as I read. I also felt like it offered a little explanation and left clues for what was happening to Natalie and why. 
 I do want to touch on large concept of the book involving the concept of parallel universes and the sci-fi/magical aspect but I don't want to give anything away so all I will really say about that is how much I loved it and how well everything connected. Natalie, Beau, and the readers are really trying to figure out throughout the book why their surroundings keep changing, why their friends are acting differently, and what the deal is with what is happening to them. It was an incredible journey and discovery to witness so I'll leave all of the details inside the pages of the book but I was so impressed with the way it was done, including all of the reveals. The tension and suspense really picks up towards the end and I had a few rushes of emotion as things finally took shape and started to reveal themselves. It felt like a wonderful take on a commonly used concept and I just really loved how original it all felt! 
 Oh wow, clearly I can gush for days on end about this book but when it comes down to it, I can sum it up by repeating how special this book really was. I had feelings on top of feelings with a dash of amazement and a thirst for knowledge. THE LOVE THAT SPLIT THE WORLD was so incredibly well-written and I think it'll appeal to such a wide audience, spanning genres and age ranges alike. Don't miss this book, friends! It's a keeper.