I haven’t read a verse-novel in quite a while, so I was really pleased by it being a super quick, straight-to-the-point and easy read. It tackled issues of acceptance and friendship, abuse, not taking things for granted as well as the importance of all living things needing a support system in order to thrive. “It’s difficult for a tree to survive without its support system.”

And We Call It Love was a surprisingly good read. It's written in verse with very short chapters alternating between the perspectives of the two main characters, Clare and Zari. With all of these elements combined, it could have been a disaster, but thankfully it was just the opposite!

There's only been one other novel that I liked in verse, but the author really nailed it in this one as well. Her writing flowed really well and made me want to keep reading.

In my opinion, it was pretty easy to tell which perspective I was reading at any given time. For the first few pages I was confused but then I got used to the writing and I didn't even have to look at the name on the top of the page to know whose perspective I was reading from. I loved how the chapters were short and alternated quickly and was thus never bored.

As far as the characters are concerned, they were fleshed out well and I liked how the author contrasted Clare and Zari. Clare lives in a more lax home with only her mother and likes to play guitar whereas Zari has a brother and a boyfriend and her parents wish for her to drop her hobby of writing for something more 'successful'. The novel explored family, friendship and relationships and did a good job in doing so. I also liked how Zari's abuse was explored in the novel and how Clare realised she had to do something for the sake of her friend's safety.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel! If you're looking for something quick and a little bit different to read, I'd recommend And We Call It Love.

ARC provided from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley.


The book is told in verse. Love poetry just not as a book. Which I am not a fan of. It was hard to read because I couldn’t focus but only the fact of the prose not the narrative. Some of the subject matter is carried out effectively. Good for anyone who doesn’t mind a book written this way.

I liked the idea behind the story better than the actual story? I think it could have been a really good poetry collection, especially because you can tell a story in so much depth with such fewer words with poetry, but this one just didn't hit the mark. The poems were choppy and read a little more like a children's book than what I was expecting.

I did like the idea, and the way Zari and Clare looked out for one another, how Wilson knew something was wrong even when their parents didn't. The characters and the idea and the general story were all great, the execution, not so much.

Thank you netgalley for the arc of And We Call It Love. TW: abuse . My rating: 2.5 stars

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into this book. I’ve never heard of the author nor the title. I thought it was going to be a novel, but to my surprise it was written in a more prose/poetic format. Not sure if it was because it was an arc but there were a lot of editing and formatting issues. Took me awhile to piece words together because it would only be the last letter or two.

Story wise, I felt as though there could have been a little more depth to both main characters and the predator as well.

Trigger warning: Abusive relationship

I didn’t realise when I requested the book that it would be written in verse. I’m not a poetry fan so it was offputting to me at first. But I persevered and I am so glad I did.

The book is about two friends, Zari and Clare. Zari is from a wealthier family and Clare lives with her widowed mum. Zari’s parents are very judgemental and want Zari to have a brilliant job and not waste time hanging out with unsuitable people.
I loved the friendship between the two girls because they didn’t care how different their circumstances were.
I thought the abuse plot was done well but I wish the book had even just 50 more pages because it seemed too short. I think the book could have gone deeper into things if it had been that much longer.

I usually love poetry and verse, however, this book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I think my biggest issue with it, despite the fact that it was written as poetic verse, was that the writing just wasn’t that poetic. I was expecting more lyrical writing with this type of writing format. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Another issue that I had with this book is that it was told in alternating perspectives, and I usually love the dual points of views, however, the way it was written, there was no clear definition between who was Clare or who was Zari. So it made it a little confusing to keep up with the plot because of that.

It saddens me that the execution of the story wasn’t done well because the book explored some very important topics like friendship, self-discovery, and abusive relationships. And I think those are some compelling topics for teens to read about if done well. The characters in this book weren’t very well-developed and this book just fell short.

As a writer, I honestly despise being too critical when it comes to debut authors so I won’t delve too much on the negatives. Also, since I’m not the intended audience, the writing may not resonate with me so much, however, middle-grade readers or tweens may find this books interesting.

This was a disappointing read for me as I was looking forward to it. I found it disjointed and hard to follow. Not an enjoyable read for me.

The characters felt superficial and the plot felt forced through out

I thought this was a very gorgeous book of poetry. It dealt with some really tough situations that were portrayed in a very flowing, beautiful manner. It really told a story in a way that I found similar to Ellen Hopkins who is one of my all-time favorite authors. The story unfolds in this beautifully lyrically written way that makes you not want to put it down until you are done.

I thought that the sensitive topics were really written in a way that helps you understand yet get the full affect of what the author was trying to portray. There were parts that made me extremely uncomfortable but I think that was the point of the whole book. It really made me open my eyes.

If you are new to poetry this is absolutely a wonderful place to get started. This book really made my love for poetically written books surge. This author is extremely talented and I cannot wait to read more by them.

Overall, I liked this book. It was written in prose and done really well. However, I did find it difficult to differentiate between the two main characters in the beginning. There is no clear distinction between the two. The reader had to determine that themselves by sorting through the details of the story, The story itself was heartbreaking. The way that people treat each other is the main theme of the book. The book deals with topics from abuse and isolation to loneliness and companionship. I think this book makes for an interesting and eye-opening read. Trigger warning, there is abuse in this book. Thank you so much to NetGalley and West 44 Books for providing me with a review copy of this book!

The simplicity of the verse was almost too much but the subject matter was extremely relevant. This read almost too young for me to personally enjoy but I would consider purchasing it for younger relatives. I am an avid reader of young adult novels and tend to enjoy this format style. The cover was eye catching though.

And We Call It Love is the story of two best friends who want nothing more than to write music together and navigate through the trials of high school. But outside circumstances – family, opportunities, and romances – quickly become obstacles for them. What starts turning into a rocky relationship is transformed into a real test of character and time as both Clare and Zari come to terms with some harsh realities that neither of them were prepared for.

This book is technically a collection of poetry but if I had to classify it, I would slot it as prose-poetry. I am a huge fan of prose-poetry myself, so when I heard about this book I was very excited. Not only was it a fresh read amidst proper prose format books that I usually read – but it also focused on friendship.

That focus is one of the things I loved most about this book. Friendship, I think, is a severely underestimated trope in a lot of young adult stories . A sad fact, when that is an age when a lot of us make friendships that can have a long-lasting effect on us, regardless of what path they take. Friendships are often a subplot in stories, an afterthought, because a friendship isn’t deemed as vital to the story as a character’s internal struggle with themselves.

And We Call It Love does great work of showing how those go hand in hand – it shows how friendship affects how we see ourselves and our worth, and how the decisions we make for and without our friends force us to question ourselves as people. It is a simply narrated but very powerful book.

Moreover, it discusses abusive relationships and I think this was an important thing to touch on. Abusive relationships in teenage years are very difficult to recognise as so – especially when they’re encouraged by family (something that gains a scary amount of authority since helicopter parents are more critical of dating during those years). Once you have that stamp of approval, it becomes difficult to pinpoint the abuse. There is a denial that takes place, and then fear, and then desperation. All these were emotions that really came through the words, both from the perspective of the victim, and from the perspective of a hapless bystander.

From a technical stand-point, it’s evident that Vink has a lot of potential as a poet. The only thing that stopped me from giving it a full 5-stars is that certain verses didn’t work for me, structurally speaking. Some words and lines could’ve been put differently. There are some moments when the writing leans on cliche – mind you, I am a sucker for tropes and cliches so it’s nothing against that. I simply feel in these instances it took away from the simple rawness and impact the words were going for.

Regardless, I feel like the poetry-prose collection still did an excellent job at showing us the world of Clare and Zari, and how precariously it hangs while their lives spin out of control. I am very glad Vink chose this format of writing because there are some definitive messages behind the words that become debatable in traditional poetry, while purely prose might’ve made it a little bland. This is the perfect format for this story.

I’ve found prose-poetry to be a tricky genre in young adult fiction and with seasoned young adult readers – it receives very mixed responses. That being said, I urge you to give this book a try because it talks of things like love and passion, all in a way that portrays the strength of friendship and companionship in both good times and bad. I wish this book and the author well for when it is published – I have no doubt many others will have the same good things to say that I did!

And We Call It Love by Amanda Vink
I have to say this was the first book of this type and I didn't really enjoy it at all! It was confusing and just seemed like everything was told from one view!
2 stars

Hi-lo isn't what I typically read, and I'll give credit for thr fascinating style. But i really didn't enjoy this...

First, if you're a parent and your own careers success is lifted on the pedastal of your child, you shouldn't have ever been a parent. And the obliviousness to Dions control/abuse of Zari made my skin crawl.

I also found it initially difficult to determine whose passages belonged to which narrator.

What i actually would have loved to see is Dion be the abused individual here, as there are actually studies that young adult females are more physically violent in relationships at that age.

Lastly, i wanted more depth from all of the characters. Their surface was interesting, but more was needed to really make this style and story successful.

at first i was confused and had a hard time following because i wasn't aware it switched between perspectives but once i got a hang of it and fell into the story my heart went out to the characters. it was sad but not as immersive as it could have been, a heavy subject written in a not so detailed way.

Notes taken while reading:
- typo in title “Mom I’ a Sophomore” instead of “I’m”
- wait… is this shifting POV’s? If so, it’s not very clear what poem is from whose perspective
- it’s really hard to figure out who is who…
- DNF’d at 10%
- I just can’t… The story seems like it’s going somewhere, but despite it being written in verse it doesn’t feel like poems at all, and that just keeps confusing me.

I have not read many books in verse, but this one caught my attention because it is being marketed as a hi-lo reader. This is appealing to me because we have many teens that visit my library branch that have a very low reading level. It can be difficult to find suitable reading material that is not only appropriate for their current reading level, but also contains subject matter that is of interest to them.

This book was great because it contained teen characters and teen themes, but did not use overly complicated verbiage. I really liked that the story went full circle and addressed sensitive issues in a relatable and easily comprehensible way. There was also some excellent use of analogy, which I very much appreciate.

I had some difficulty following the formatting, and I am not sure if this is typical of verse style writing or if it was just the formatting on my eReader. It did not prevent me from understanding the material, but it did take some adjustment on my part.

And We Call It Love was a story in the form of verses. It was a story of two best friends and how their friendship stayed strong despite all the people who were trying to keep them apart.

I love this writing form because there's no lenghty descriptions and it keeps "happening". There's not a dull moment.

The story itself was pretty beautiful and sweet. It portrayed Clare and Zari's friendship so nicely. The storyline was believable and something that happens way too often.

And We Call It Love was a story that said that no matter how good your life is, if you can't share it with your best friend, you ARE going to be miserable.

Quoting a few lines from the book, just to give you an idea of how beautiful it was:

"Love is like

an invisible string,
and no matter
where you go
or what you do
or how long
it is between talks,

it never breaks."

This book was received as an ARC from West 44 Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not stop reading this book mostly because I am in love with the layout and writing style Amanda Vink has chosen for this book, it's perfect and correlates with the plot fantastically. Our young adult readers can totally relate to Zari and Clare's story and the dilemma Clare went through in saving Zari from her abusive relationship. I know our readers will be reading this book multiple times and they'll talk about it non-stop. I will also be excited if this book someday turns into a box office hit.

This book will definitely find its home in our YFiction collection and will be loved by our readers. That is why we give this book 5 stars!

Zari and Clare are best friends, they write songs and poetry whilst busking in their spare time until life changes...



Zari has strict parents whom want her to work hard all the time and have a strict career goal in sight to aim for. So when she starts dating Dion her parents are delighted as he's the boss's son.



While Clare has a single mum after her dad passed and struggling to make ends meet she busks on the streets to help her mum out with cash. Zari's brother Wilson starts busking with her too.



However controlling parents and an angry, domineering boyfriend soon try to part Zari and Wilson from seeing Clare and soon everything right once is now very very wrong.


Highlighting the dangers of unstable relationships and raising awareness of unhealthy relationship behaviour this book it was gripping with chilling action but also heart warming in the display of friendship we see.



Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!