This book was short and sweet, told in verse. At first, it was confusing, trying to figure out whether Clare or Zari was talking , but it got easier as the story unfolded. This was definitely a book I would've recommended to my students if I had finished my TESL degree, as it told a story they would be interested in and might relate to, but was told in easy to understand language.

*A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This poetry collection was addictive. If I hadn't started it at 4 AM, I would've finished it in one sitting.

And We Call It Love is a poetry collection surrounding the themes of friendship, love, growing up, prejudice and abuse. It reads like a diary entry told from the perspectives of Zari, a talented writer, and her best friend Clare, a great guitarist.

Unlike many poems I've read, this was easy to read. You didn't have to think too much, it almost feels like you're reading a novel as it follows a linear timeline. I've never read a poem like this before, and it's extremely memorable.

The two best friends were incredible, and I loved the relationship between Zari's brother and Clare. There were many themes in this poem, and it was just an all-around great read filled with so much friendship and love. Not to mention also anger and disbelief, but mostly great friendship that made me shed some tears. It was a rollercoaster of emotions.

The formatting of the poems is by far the most interesting part of the book. It uses alignment to show the conversation between the characters or their actions and thoughts. It was extremely refreshing.

Three stars for this fast paced novel in verse. This is about a girl and her best friend, who has entered into an abusive relationship. The story was interesting, but I wish there was more. Either the book was longer or it was written in narrative. We got an ending, but I felt like stuff was left out of the middle.

So when I picked this book up I didn't really realize that it was going to be written in prose. I didn't mind it just wasn't expecting it and its definitely not something that I would normally read. Some parts of this book were frustrating to read but I couldn't stop reading it because I had to know how everything worked out. I wish this book was longer because it felt cut a little short so it wasn't as impactful as I was originally expecting.

My daughter liked it but I really didn't just because of the style it was written in. I felt the book was not for me. I've read YA books and loved them but this one seemed to be a bit more middle school for me.

I wasn't a fan. I think it just wasn't something that resonated with me, I couldn't get myself into this collection.

4 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

TW: Abusive relationship, manipulative behaviour, violence against women
I have really been on a poetry kick at the moment and then remembered some of my early netgalley arc's. Such a hard hitting verse novel which alternate's between two best friends Clare and Zari. This is one aspect of the novel that confused me originally, since I didn't re-read the synopsis I didn't realize that there were two p.o.v's until about 20 - 30% of the way in. Clare is developing a crush on Zari's brother and Zari starts dating a boy that is very possessive. For some reason Zari's mom decides that Clare is not someone her children should be hanging around, which Zari's boyfriend uses to his benefit to isolate her from her best friend. It is alluded to that Clare dad at some point in a toxic relationship but not with her mother, that ended badly. Though Wilson (Zari's brother) does end up dating Clare despite their mother's warning, Zari keeps her distance. The two are trying to find a way to remove Zari from her now visibly abusive relationship. While the ending part was uncomfortable I was glad that the author went there, as not a lot of YA stories shy away from the reality of abusive relationships.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was very reminiscent of Ellen Hopkins’ books; written in a prose format and dealing with hard hitting subjects.

I really loved the relationship between Clare and Zari. This was a very real and honest look at relationships between friends as they grow older and grow apart.

Will definitely give more books a try from this author.

And We Call It Love is a powerful story about how a friend helps her friend leave an abusive relationship. The story is written in poetry and I think the way it is written makes its impact stronger. However, there were moments where I struggled in knowing whose perspective was the poem from. Overall, I liked the pacing, the plot, and the characters of the book.

Very unusual storytelling, for me. It's mainly due to the verse style, but also because of the narrator's voice and that made me have to give the book 2 stars. The voice is raw and somewhat naive, and yet very truthful and relatable, but despite being truthful and relatable, the naivety takes me out of the story.

This book felt so real. Just normal things kids go through but with pure friendships that absolutely tug at your heart. I wasnt a fan of 2 characters and roll eyes quite a bit for them but their characters gave a building block for emotional setting.

I initially requested this book to read more poetry styled writing, I am so happy I did. This was done exceptionally well! I need more like this!!!

Love is like an invisible sting.
And no matter
where you go
or what you do
or how long
it is between talks
it never breaks

Wow. i rarely enjoy poetry or poetry like writing-style, but this was raw, beautiful and real. The pages just flew by, and my heart felt so much for Zari, Wilson and Clare...This books touches themes like classisim, depression and abuse and dosen't give much detail, but it's not needed either. It's easy to understand and feel, espesially how the characters felt.

This book seriously needs content warnings so here goes: Domestic Abuse, Family and Friends abuse. Emotional abuse.
Thank you to netgalley for providing this wonderful and different book to me. Clare and Zari are best friends and they do everything together, write music, etc. they know everything about each other in the way only best friends would. They mean so much to each other but then one day Zari starts dating this guy called Dion and that’s when their relationship starts to stand the test. But when Zari comes in to school one day with hidden bruises, Clare knows that something is up and something needs to be done.

This book is written in verse, which is an interesting concept these days. Books and authors always are trying to be innovative and new so this was a cool concept. The plot was compelling and it was full of heartbreak. The narration of this book was so raw. It broke my heart on multiple occasions.

I really enjoyed the book but like I said, it broke my heart and when a book does that, I know, it has pulled my heartstrings.

3 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this arc, I apologise for the late review.

It's a shame that I couldn't fully enjoy this book because I thought it had so much potential.

Personally, I thought the characters were underdeveloped and I couldn't get into the story at all. The narration could have been slightly clearer as to prevent confusion when reading and, personally I felt that the use of prose mixed into the poetic style of the piece could have been considered to provide more impact to some of the scenes, although I assume that was not what the author wished to do and I respect them for their choices.

Very unusual storytelling, for me at least. Mainly due to the verse style, but also because of the narrator's voice. It's raw and somewhat naive, and yet very truthful and relatable. I would recommend it to best friends, siblings, dumped boyfriends, neglected girlfriends, girls and boys of teen ages, everyone who likes to play hide-and-seek (no particular reason), helicopter moms, TV-addicted dads, kids learning a foreign language and everyone else who loves poetry and stories of friendships. This book hit me really hard.

I would rate this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Unfortunately this book just really didn't work for me.

I found the relationship, and particularly the abusive aspects of the relationship, incredibly underdeveloped and it felt very rushed.

I think the ending was way too simplistic and not necessarily realistic at all.

Overall this one just didn't work for me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and West 44 Books for providing a free advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge lover of books in verse and I tend to read all those I can get my hands on. I think those who also enjoy stories written this way will say that some are done magnificently where others are not. This one was done beautifully.
Clare and Zari had been friends for years, always confiding in one another about everything that happened in their lives. Although Zari came from a wealthy family and her parents weren’t that fond of Clare and her meager background Zari had always loved Clare and welcomed her with open arms. That is until Dion entered their lives. Zari becomes enamored with Dion and she is convinced he feels the same even after the first time he hit her.

Although this subject matter is always hard to read about, the story did a good job depicting society’s preconceived notions about abusers. Typically we don’t believe kids from an affluent background would be an abuser. I felt that was why Zari’s parents didn’t see that there was something terrible happening with their daughter (specifically her mother). This book also allows the reader to see the POVs of both the victim and the victim’s friend, which shows a side also often ignored in these relationships. Though Zari denies what is being done to her. Clare also fears losing Zari forever if she tells anyone what is happening to her best friend. This short book in verse is a glimpse into domestic violence. Something we don’t want to consider when it is happening with teenagers but unfortunately it lends itself to a reality that some teenagers are dealing with. Raw yet beautifully written, this is a story that should be read. Recommend.

Written in verse, this quick read tackles a very difficult subject: abuse in a dating relationship. Clare and Zari are best friends who enjoy hanging out and writing music together, even though they come from different socio-economic backgrounds. When Zari meets Dion at her internship and they begin to date, Clare accepts that she won't see Zari as much, but then things get complicated when Zari starts coming to school with bad bruises. The friends will both have important decisions to make as things progressively get worse.
Though this was difficult to read and very short, I think the message was strong and effective. The author conveys the story, the perspectives of the characters, and their emotions in a powerful way through skillful writing. I recommend this book to anyone who might be going through a situation like this and to anyone who might have a chance to help someone going through a similar problem.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is an interesting collection of poetry that tells the story between two friends and how their relationship changes after one of the friends starts dating. It is a strong testament to the power of friendship and how we should help others when in need, especially when the evidence is visible on the body.

Currently rating it 3 stars, but if it lingers a little longer with me I'm rating it 3.5 stars.

Zari Coleman: has parents who want whats best for her, their expectations for perfection burden her. Zari doesn't like debate or writing as much as she loves writing poetry and songs.
Clare: worries about her mum paying the bills, she discovered her dad dead when she was 10 yrs old.
Clare loves playing guitar, and having Zari as her friend.

Told in dual perspective: I sometimes needed to re-read a passage to figure out if it was Zari or Clare who were telling us what's going on.
The things I know I liked about 'And we call it love' is the character of Wilson, he crosses over into both of the girls stories to link them all together. Also the flow and use of each and every word of the story works well, as you need every single word to gain insight about the relationships of Zari and Clare.