Oh my. . . this book was tender aching, lovely loneliness, and finally, quiet confidence. 
 This is a book I think almost anyone can appreciate and relate to. If you're older, you are going to think about your first serious romance and let your mind roll over the nostalgia, good or bad. If you are Ari's age and in a relationship of your own, you might laugh, commiserate and nod in agreement. If you still are waiting for your first 'real' relationship, Ari's story might simultaneously make you want one more and caution that a heart that loves is also a heart that can be crushed. Ari is every girl, and I don't mean that she's a two-dimensional character; I mean that her thoughts, hopes, disappointments and emotions are ones we universally share. It's a rare person who hasn't had almost all the same reactions that Ari has, even the darkest, saddest ones. 
 That being said, there is something more to this book than being a coming-of-age tale about first love. It's about the different types of love we carry, and how the affection and commitment we have for one person affects our relationships that we have with others. In the beginning, I think this is why Ari's yearning for someone to care for her is so acute. Her family does love her, but she lives in the shadow of her sister's life choices and her mother's expectations. Her relationship with her father is a distant one, and it seems that while she certainly is loved, there is little said in words or actions by her family that shows she is truly appreciated. Too often, the family's care over one of the more fragile and selfish members of the family causes them to expect Ari to sacrifice emotionally. Ari gets it, but for a girl who already feels like she is nothing special, it still stings. When how she ought to treat others is at odds with her own desires, Ari also learns that mirrors reflect both ways, and that she, too, is capable of stinging others. 
 It's a wonderfully written story, with hallmarks and benchmarks of growing up being woven through the narrative of everyday living. I think that's what I appreciated most. So often in these stories, the self-analysis and introspection that the protagonist takes us through is very involved and detailed. Ari has her depressing moments, but I'd say for about a good two-thirds of the book, it's almost as if she won't admit to herself how she really feels, or she'll briefly acknowledge the truth of her emotions without actually feeling them. Very often, Ari's fixes her own self-assessment onto the Saint Anne statue that the previous homeowners left behind. There is also a true honesty and authenticity in Ari's family, and the way they treat each other continuously moves the story along. I don't usually see each individual's personal characteristics come out, and I think the author really nailed this. 
 Other Words for Love: I don't think the title is so much about the actual 'other' words so much as the actions we hope convey our affections. Sometimes we fall short, and sometimes we have to choose between the different types of love we have among those we care for. The book is a reminder that emotions ebb and flow, and sometimes people grow out of relationships the same way they grow into them. True love, did Ari have it? No, but I think she did love Blake, and the first time you care for someone like that, it changes your world to realize you can feel that deeply. Ari learned hard lessons from it, but they are ones she can carry forward for the rest of her life. Towards the end my mind drifted a little bit, but I loved the resolution. It's certainly not a Hollywood ending, but part of me feels very proud of Ari. I hope you will, too.