A review by lizanneyoung
With Love, Echo Park by Laura Taylor Namey

4.0

I received an eARC as part of being on the author's street team and am leaving an honest review. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Life takes an unexpected turn for Clary after a beloved figure in her community passes away. What happens next takes the teen on the summer of her life as she tries to come to terms with new information about her biological mother, tries to protect her neighborhood, and realizes there’s something more between her and the guy next door, Emilio.

Clary is such an interesting character to be in the mind of, not only because of her dedication and commitment to her neighborhood and her people, but because she lets others help her with it. I think everyone struggles with taking help as needed, or reaching out for it, and it was nice to watch a teen character not completely crack under that pressure. It was a breath of fresh air compared to other YA stories I’ve read.

As someone who also has a complicated relationship with my biological mother, I feel for how Clary handles the different information she discovers. Sometimes, just when it feels like you know everything there is to know, another detail emerges, and that’s difficult to come to terms with. Like with other events in the story, it would’ve been incredibly easy for Clary to disappear into herself. I cannot compliment the author enough for showing a teen that deals with her emotions by throwing herself into things she’s passionate about as someone that does the same thing.

Everything I love about a Laura Taylor Namey book was on full display and squeezing my heart while I read With Love, Echo Park. The food, the family, the art, the boy. I now wish I had a bike elf as a child, especially if it was someone as kind and thoughtful as Emilio.