This is just an all around good teen novel. If you love YA books, then you will really enjoy getting to read this gem. Taking me all the way back to high school and a simpler time. Pick it up as soon as it comes out!

I said I wanted to read more books I usually don’t read this year so I decided to request The Truth About Leaving from NetGalley. To be honest, I haven’t read a lot of YA Contemporaries since I was 14 and hooked on Sarah Dessen books. The last one I read was Tash Hearts Tolstoy. This one was pretty different in some ways from those books however, and similar in others.

First, it starts off with a senior in what seems like a posh high school. Lucy’s boyfriend just dumped her and her college plans hasn’t been panning out the way she hoped it would. Plus, a new boy from Israel recently transferred to their school which was something unheard off.

I’ll be honest, I cringed a lot at the start. Dov was the new kid who was either struggling to fit in or wasn’t even bothering. Meanwhile, Lucy just basically inserts himself into his life and barely a day or a few after meeting him asks inappropriate, insensitive, and frankly offensive questions. Why would you ask if terrorism and violence are part of his everyday life? For that matter, why would you ask if his brother died in combat? It struck me as inappropriate as she barely knows the guy and it just didn’t seem right for her to do that.

Lucy strikes me as a mixed-bag as a character. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it makes her more realistic to have both good qualities and flaws. However, it did strike me as a bit odd how it seemed like she moved on so quickly from her ex who she described as the boy she’s loved her entire life.

One thing that peeved me a lot about her character was her rudeness to her parents. I absolutely hate it when I see it in YA Contemporaries. Sure, some parents are toxic but Lucy’s didn’t strike me as being that way. They’re parents concerned about their daughter. Also, does being 18 somehow magically grant you the license to do whatever you want? I’m 19, about to graduate from college and go to law school but I still have to do what my parents tell me to.

However, I did appreciate her character growth. She has a personality and a life separate from Dov and appreciate that. She likes dancing- ballet to be specific and pursues it. She gets to know what she wants and was able to adapt to changes in her life and make decisions accordingly. I did find her decision-making somewhat hasty but given the circumstances, I suppose I can understand it.

Dov really struck me as being kind of a manic pixie dream guy. He’s not that bad as love interests go but he was really a bit of a manic pixie dream guy in the beginning. He exchanges poems with Lucy then runs hot and cold then it turns out he has a sad, tragic backstory which explains it. The whole song and dance kind of made me roll my eyes a bit. But I do like how he encourages Lucy to follow her dreams and do the things she like. He even encouraged her to dance again which was a pretty good thing.

The plot was really standard YA Contemporary stuff. Boy meets girl, they fall in love but there’s trials and drama and angst along the way. The angst here involves Dov going back to Israel for military service and whatever I may feel about compulsory military service, it was kind of annoying how Lucy can’t seem to understand it at first. She does come around to it and they resolve the conflict. For the most part though, what really made this book shine for me was the inclusion of the Hebrew language and Jewish traditions. Both Lucy and Dov are Jewish and while I can’t speak for the Jewish rep, I enjoyed the parts where it was described. I also liked that Dov speaks Hebrew here because I am a fan of different languages.

Overall, the book was okay. It’s a nice quick read and there may be a lot to appreciate. I did dock a star for the angsty teen stuff and ultimately gave it a 3 because it’s really just mostly okay for me. If you’re a fan of YA Contemporaries and looking for Jewish rep, this may be for you.

I honestly loved this book! It was so cute in so my ways. It was amazing to see the growth in Lucy as th book went on. I would honestly recommend this book.

The Truth About Leaving broke me in all the best ways. Lucy is such a beautiful, caring character who like others, takes care of everyone else's needs before her own. Dov is an immigrant from Israeli who is struggling with his new life. Blitt takes us on a winding journey through the love of two teens whos lives a tearing at the seams, only to be put together again.

It's an engaging and enjoyable story. It's a slow go, and I prefer a faster pace story. Characters are good.

This is not one of those stories that I'll read over and over again. However, I enjoyed the slow pace read I am Lucy-- Lucy is such a caring, open hearted, a girl who , takes care of everyone else’s needs before her own. Lucy has a real life journey I think teens can relate to.

Should Lucy take a chance on love so soon after her betrayal? And why bother investing her time and heart into a relationship with an expiration date? Lucy dealt with these and other questions of the heart during her senior year, which was a year filled with lots of changes, joy, disappointment, and growing up.

• Pro: I adored both Dov and Lucy, which was a good thing, because this was very much a character driven story.

• Pro: Blitt did such a good job conveying the characters' emotions. This was especially true of Dov. His sadness and conviction were so clear. I was really captivated by his desire to serve his country, and Dov reminded me of an Israeli exchange student from my high school, who spoke the same way about her service commitment. I also thought Lucy's unease about her future was well illustrated, and I really appreciated all the different choices Blitt had her explore, because I think those alternatives are often overlooked.

• Pro: Lucy suffered some big changes in her life all at once, but it was great that she had people like her grandmother, her best friend, and her teacher to support her. While Lucy struggled with her loyalty to her family, it was those three who reminded her, that she had rights and needs too.

• Pro: I couldn't even with Lucy's mother, but I thought her father was great. There were these rather honest discussions between them, which were really healthy and productive. I like seeing things like that.

• Pro: I LOVED all the poetry and ballet that was incorporated into the story. Both were such wonderful outlets for the characters and gave them a chance to share their passion with us.

• Pro: I thought the ending was brilliant and meaningful. It wasn't super neat and tidy, if you think about it, but it was a great way to illustrate the tremendous growth Lucy experienced over the course of the book.

Overall: An emotional and heartwarming tale of friends, family, love, growth, and learning to make tough choices.

3.5 stars. Lucy is a senior from a tiny prestigious school who was just dumped by her boyfriend and has a minorly troubling home life. Dov is a sullen teen from Israel with a chip on his shoulder and no desire to make friends. They *literally* crash in to each other during their first meeting. This story was hard to follow at the beginning because it rushed to put a ton of backstory in the first few pages way before we were given a reason to care. The first half of the story doesn’t develop gradually or naturally. It’s like someone has taken a formula for a sad romantic story and simply filled in the blanks, and it doesn’t come off as believable. Why would Dov go from refusing to make eye contact to sharing his deepest secrets and regrets in a matter of hours. How did they turn in to an old married couple in a matter of weeks? How is any of this realistic or healthy?

I liked this story, but couldn’t love it. I still read it in less than a day. I think the story has a lot of potential, it just needed to be slowed down and fleshed out. It needs to decide what it wants to focus on (Selfish absentee parents? Post grad choices and self-discovery? Transcultural romance? Giving up on an old dream? Pressure to have sex in high school?) and give the reader time to love the characters and become invested in their stories. The last half of the book did a much better job at staying in the moment and allowing the reader to get invested in what was happening. In the end though, I didn’t really relate to any of these characters or their struggles. I wanted a happy ending for Lucy and Dov, but I’m still not sure they got one. There’s just too many unknowns.

I did love the scenes about poetry and Lucy and Dov in school. I wish there had been more of those and less scenes of them cooped up alone in bed.

I have been eagerly awaiting a new YA read from Natalie Blitt ever since I fell for The Distance from A to Z. This book was so different from her debut but in a powerful and emotional way. I adored the characters, the story and the heart of The Truth About Leaving.

At the heart of it, The Truth About Leaving is the tale of how two lovely teenagers find each other and grow. It made my poor little ache and swell with emotions and it was all thanks to the characters. Lucy was the shining star of this book. Her voice was fresh and relatable. What struck me was Lucy sense of loyalty to her family. In her senior year, her mom decides to accept a job in a different state, leaving Lucy and her dad to fend off for themselves and for her brothers. Instead of spending her time doing teenage things, she would spend her free time looking after her little brothers and she would do it without complaining. Throughout the book, we see how she discovers new parts of herself and learns to stand up for what she wants. I especially the storyline of her making decisions on where to go to college and what she wanted to do with her life. It was thought-provoking and I think many teens will relate to that.

Dov comes into Lucy's life as a transfer student from Israel. At first, I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. He had this intense quietness to him that took a while to figure out. Soon, we realize the grief that he was going through and it just about broke me. Dov was a sweet boy who deserved nothing but happiness. The friendship that he formed with Lucy was one of the highlights of the book. The two of them discover their shared love for poetry and their Jewish identities. What followed was a friendship that had both its ups and its downs, but that slowly forced them to grow while also falling in love. There was something very peaceful about their relationship that's hard to put into words.

As you can imagine, family is also a big part of The Truth About Leaving and it was executed so perfectly. Lucy's grandmother, especially, was insightful, clever and just the funniest. I loved this woman! I also have to give a shout out to Lucy's best friend who was just one of the most supportive girlfriends I have ever come across in a book.

The Truth About Leaving was a touching tale of love, family, and decisions. This one needs to be on your to-read lists.

Lucy’s boyfriend doesn’t want a long distance relationship, so he breaks up with her and then leaves for college. She is now starting her senior year alone when she meets the new Israeli transfer student entering the school on their first day. It doesn’t help that her world is completely out of control; her mother is teaching in California and her guidance counselor has her questioning her college choices. Will Lucy take a chance on a relationship that may not be long term? Will her post-high school choices be her own or what her parents want?

The Truth About Leaving is a stand-alone novel that explores how choices in high school may affect more than just a teen’s day to day life. Blitt has developed a story and characters that are captivating and simple at the same time. Lucy must struggle with relationship questions, family responsibilities, and college choices while also learning who she wants to become. The Truth About Leaving is a wonderful coming of age story that will please readers without all the tragic angst that seems to be in many young adult novels recently.

I found this novel hard to read, the writing style was great, just struggled with the odd pacing. And the language used between characters.
I feel as though the characters were quite vain, especially the protagonist, I really struggled to like her, to find any common ground, which shocked me a little.

Not my favourite read, but I can see how this book will be popular with the younger readers of the Young Adult Fiction Fans.

Lucy is fresh off two different breakups: a more traditional one with her boyfriend, Scott, and a physical one, in which her mother has left their family in Chicago to pursue a career opportunity in Berkeley. Both required Lucy to give up pieces of herself, from her love of dance to the free time she has now ceded to babysitting her little brothers, but when a new kid named Dov transfers to her small school for senior year, he gives her a little piece back, and even finds a few she never knew were absent. The two are assigned to work together on a poetry assignment, and as they bond over the lyrical language of Yehuda Amichai and e.e. cummings, they also learn there’s still joy out there for them both. But how real can it get and how long can it last when Dov is headed back to Israel next year to begin mandatory army service? This contemporary romance is a great choice for teens who already have or who want a special connection to Israel, or just readers who love reading about swoony love!

One thing that got me hooked on this book (besides the adorable synopsis) right away was how much I could resonate with our main protagonist, Lucy. As someone very acquainted with the struggles of applying to college and trying to determine what exactly I want to do in my life, I could really identify myself within Lucy's everyday challenges. Lucy's a dancer, and so am I. Lucy has younger brothers, and (you guessed it) I do as well! Finding so much of myself in Lucy, I became really attached from the get-go. 

Dov, our male counterpart, was quite someone. In the beginning, his character kind of ticked me off because of how aloof and unresponsive he was. Of course, later, we get a reason for why that was, but it took a while for me to warm up to his character. As someone who knows very little about Jewish culture, everything was so eyeopening to me. Dov and Lucy's Hebrew banter, poetry, and talk was such a nice touch on their relationship, I feel. It made it unlike any other young adult contemporary novel I'd read, but also made it a bit confusing. Sometimes I felt like I couldn't understand the context in which things were being talked about, and I had to research different phrases and words to fully grasp what was happening (lmao). But Dov and Lucy truly shared some extremely cute moments--especially how happy Dov got (!!) whenever Lucy did something she loved or was passionate about. My heart truly melted. 

One thing I found myself really enjoying was Lucy's growth over the novel. Finding herself through these new experiences, but not letting herself be lost or over-dependent on any one person, like how she was before. I also thought it was SO adorable seeing her finding her passions, even though they were obvious to pretty much EVERYONE else except her. I especially loved all the college talk-- knowing and recognizing the colleges she was applying to was so exciting, having had similar conversations with my friends and family as Lucy was. By the end of the novel, I was so proud of her. At the beginning of the book, I would've never guessed at where she would end up, yet it was perfect. If you looked close enough you would've seen me yelling "YES LUCY" at the top of my lungs. she really came SO FAR,, and i can't even begin to tell you how proud i am :''''))) 

One particular thing I felt was kind of off with this book, though, was how intense and dramatic Lucy and Dov's relationship had escalated to in the end. The intensity that they were talking about being together felt so heated and dramatized for an 18 year old couple. I'm eighteen, and I don't think I've ever seen an in-school couple be so serious. Another thing (which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing) was this book turned out to be so much heavier than the light fluffy novel I thought I was getting myself into. It really did make me think a lot, though, about the things I wished to accomplish with my journey, the paths I want to take in life.

Though The Truth About Leaving is definitely not a perfect novel, it deserves a read! Make sure keep an eye out for Jan 22, 2019 ;) 

Rating: 3/5

The Truth About Leaving is a great story about a girl who meets an Israeli boy on the first day of school and how they come together to be friends.
I had a hard time with the the girls mother and how her parents put so much on this girl. I wanted to reach inside this story and slap her mom.
Having said that I did enjoy the story and would definitely read more by this author.

The premise of this book is adorable and I was sucked in by the engaging writing right away. There's a lot of promise here, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. I didn't feel the connection between Lucy and Dov and I lost patience with their "chase" pretty quickly. I felt like I wanted more chemistry between the two of them, and a little less of the "extra" (namely, the poetry). In the end, I just wasn't invested enough to continue with it and it was a DNF at 30% for me.

About: Lucy just started her senior year and their school has a transfer senior for the first time in years- Dov who has come from Israel and plans to go back to join the army by the end of the year. When Lucy and Dov start to develop a relationship, it feels right. But they both know that Dov has to go back when the year ends. This book has the perfect title and story is just about that.

Characters: Lucy is a very relatable character. The way she has to manage her time in respect to others and cancel her plans to babysit her little brothers or fill in for her mom who took up a job miles away is what makes her a submissive character. Dov is a gentleman who is dealing with his own grief. Both characters are very lovable. I found Lucy's mom selfish in many ways. Plus point for having Jewish characters and the Hebrew language.

Feelings: I loved the author's The Distance from A to Z so I was extremely thrilled when I received an ARC of this book becoming my 100th read of the year. This book was based more on reality than romance. It was cute but also dealt with important subjects like grief. It was emotional and adorable at the same time.

Recommendation: Yes. It was a great read with understanding characters and a heartbreaking story.


Favourite Quote:
Sometimes we have to live in a world that is not always ideal.

The Truth about Leaving by Natalie Blitt is a heartwarming young adult novel. I fell in love with Lucy and Dov and I couldn't wait to find out how this one ended. Great read for anyone who loves a good romance.

This book was really good. I particularly enjoyed Dov's story. I knew that Israelis were required to join the army at the age of 18, but I didn't know that it was a 3-year commitment and I certainly didn't know that there were allowances made for families who have already lost a child.

I also really liked the way this book was kind of a role reversal in that the both Dov and Lucy were actually more responsible than their parents. Lucy, in particular, needed to continually remind her parents that she was still a teenager and should get to do fun things and that the reason she had responsibilities to her family was because they chose to put other obligations before the family.

Anyway, I liked the relationship between Lucy and Dov. I liked that they grew closer through their love of poetry. I'm glad she had her grandmother there as her voice of reason, since her parents were so selfish.

My only concern is that they are so young to be discussing a life together. I generally don't like YA books that do think. It's their first real relationship. They're only 18. He's the only guy she's been with and they haven't even gone to college. Slow down.