The Lover's Dictionary, By David Levithan

David Levithan is one of my all time favourite authors, so I immediately had high expectations of this book. The premise of the novel is one of the most interesting I've come across; each page is as if it were an entry within a dictionary. The story is told through the alphabetical progression of the dictionary.

The book is, as the title would suggest, a story about love. When I first saw the title i was a little apprehensive and was expecting a mushy, gushy love story, but this book is like no other romance I've read - to some it up in a word, it's very real.

The story portrays love in a difficult but realistic way, the characters are flawed, the relationship isn't perfect even before the disequilibrium, and Levithan is truthful about every aspect. Perhaps because the plot line isn't linear, from the offset the narrator somewhat confesses the troubles within the relationship and with his partner in such a relatable way, a way in which I'm sure anybody that has been in love has experienced.

Although the book is full of heartache, trials & tribulation, I think it's this aspect of truthfulness and realism that makes Levithans words and thoughts about love as a progression so moving.

One of my favourite novels so far this year, I can't wait to re-read it.
*****