Have you ever come across one of those books that are, at best, ordinary? Sure, it has a pretty cover with a nice title; even the summary seems all right. You start reading it and at first, you think, "Well, this is an 'all right' book. Not too bad." But soon, you get pulled in. The book and the characters' unassuming strength slowly amaze you. The beauty of the prose renders you speechless and you go, "Wow". Just wow. 
 Other Words for Love was that book for me. Very quickly, I found myself so in tuned, so 'together' with protagonist Ari Mitchell that it didn't feel like I was reading a novel. Lorraine Rosenthal has a way of writing that is so honest, sincere; it's almost intimate. It truly was like reading Ari's diary, only better because it was written with such beautiful and polished prose that readers will no doubt, fall in love with it. 
 Other Words for Love is the story of Ari Mitchell, who is very much an ordinary girl. She has one best friend, Summer, who is pretty much her only friend. She has complicated relationships with her family members, has a major crush on her brother-in-law, and has never been kissed. Everything changes when she receives an inheritance from a deceased uncle and with that money, she is able to transfer to Hollister Prep, a school where her best friend, Summer, had earlier transferred to. She meets Leigh, a girl who has troubles of her own, and Blake, Leigh's cousin. She soon falls in love with Blake but when a family tragedy strikes, Blake pulls away from her and Ari is left all alone. 
 This novel isn't perfect, but honestly, I personally couldn't find anything I didn't like about it. Ari is an extremely relatable character. She is an ordinary girl whose kindness is often taken advantage of. Her parents, especially her mother, want her to excel where her sister couldn't. Ari's older sister, Evelyn, was a teenage mother and suffering from postpartum depression, has terrible mood swings and likes to take out her frustrations on Ari. They want her to excel in her studies and be the responsible and accomplished daughter Evelyn wasn't. 
 Readers will also see that Summer, Ari's best friend, isn't a very good friend or person really. I supposed it was due to Summer's immaturity but I was glad that in contrast, readers would see Ari grow from a shy, insecure girl to a girl who was sure of what she wanted in life and just generally, a more confident young woman. 
 The romance between Ari and Leigh's cousin, Blake, doesn't come in until halfway through the book and I liked how Ari's first love was handled. It was done delicately, intimately and it was simply beautiful. It was very real and I could definitely see such a romance happening in real life. 
 Other Words for Love is set in New York during the late 80s, and this is the perfect example of Rosenthal's wonderful writing skills. You won't even feel like the story is set in the late 80s. It could be in the 80s, current times like 2011, and you won't tell the difference because her writing is so interchangeable and so relatable. 
 The story ends on a bittersweet note and for that, I am glad because it makes it all the more real and believable. Other Words for Love is an amazing story and one that I highly recommend it to all. Well done, Lorraine Rosenthal, well done! I will most definitely be keeping an eye on her future releases.