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A review by ihugparrish
The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry
4.0
•*⁀➷ the love that
split the world ! ༉‧₊˚
— by emily henry
— 4.5 stars out of 5 ☆
i genuinely don’t even know where to start with this book. it is the very definition of an emotional rollercoaster. the best way i can describe this book is melancholic. there were moments where i, as the reader, felt immense feelings of joy, happiness, and infatuation. however, on the flip side of the coin, i felt emotions like grief, loneliness, relation, and profound sadness. there could be moments where it was exceedingly positive– both natalie and beau were overwhelmingly happy but within the next few sentences it becomes scary and almost devastating. holy hell, this book had me sobbing. (emily henry who gave you the permission to do that to my heart?)
the main couple was quite literally repeatedly ripped away from each other over and over again and disastrous things would occur. it was different from any other book i’ve read and i honestly cannot tell if i loved it or hated it.
in a sense, i feel like the sporadic emotion changes (previously mentioned earlier) can correlate with the chaos within natalie’s mind. natalie is lost, broken, confused, and traumatized. natalie struggles, she rivals with things from her hazy, yet rocky childhood– and that is exactly what the writing portrays.
natalie struggles to find herself in the world. due to her adoption, natalie ultimately struggles with figuring out who she is, her importance in the world, how her difference from her family really does not affect how much she’s loved, et cetera. she’s a uniquely and almost divinely broken character and she is actively trying to pick the pieces back up and put herself back together like a puzzle forgotten long ago. natalie fails to realize that her difference that set her apart from her classmates, her family, and her friends were ultimately the key to (and i cannot make this up) saving the universe.
and i know what you are thinking, reading this review, ‘saving the universe?’ and yes dear reader (taylor swift reference intended) natalie saved the universe, her family, her lover, and reality as she knew it.
before i can even think to analyze, this plot need to be explained so everybody and anybody can understand. unfortunately, there can and potentially will be minor spoilers, so please proceed with caution.
the love that split the world was trippy– that is honestly the only way i can describe the overall plot. as much as it is an emotional rollercoaster, it is a trippy emotional rollercoaster on top of it. before dipping her toes into her unfathomably popular adult contemporary romances, emily henry divulged herself into the world of ya magic and fantasy. this book is her first adventure into that said genre.
the best attempt i can make at explaining the plot is the following: natalie cleary, an adopted native american girl, has struggled with finding her identity in the world for as long as she can remember. when given the chance to go back in time and find out who she truly is, natalie is met with a challenge to save the boy she loves and the worlds they individually come from.
that plot within itself sounds like back to the future and spider-man: into the spider-verse had an emily henry imagined lovechild, doesn’t it? honestly, that assumption does not feel far-fetched.
this novel find itself knee-deep in space and time, so much so that it is truly confusing if you read too fast or accidentally skip a line or two (speaking from personal experience here). i honestly feel like that was my biggest problem with this book, i did not struggle with the character-building or the world-building i ultimately struggled with grasping the bigger, broader concepts in this writing. to be completely honest, that is why the rating is uncharacteristically low for an emily henry book– the characters were lovable, the world was well-built for a debut novel, and i enjoyed the majority of the plot, but when it came to the topics regarding science, psychology, and everything else in between those branches i was utterly lost.
i read in another review that the information dumps in this book were very frequent and confusing and i completely agree. doctor alice chan would nonchalantly drop some information bombs about the space-time continuum and while reading i would be so lost i could not even attempt to process the information. every time natalie said something like “i’m confused” or “i don’t get it” i would hope she would clear up what she meant and re-clarify but it ultimately ended in less understanding. that is truly my only complain about this book– i was confused through over half of the book. thankfully, however, i still understood the ending and its meaning (and yes DID leave me in tears, thank you for asking.) other than my immense confusion and endless emotional whiplash, this is overall a good book.
i have mentioned over and over that i enjoyed the character in this book and i do mean what i said. i have such an emotional attachment to these characters– beau and natalie own me, i’m afraid.
although at their core, beau and natalie do not even come close to saul and june in my heart, they did forge a place of their own– natalie especially.
there has never been a character that i have related to more than i relate to natalie cleary. i am she, and she is me– we are twin flames. reading about her struggles, her aspirations, and her experiences makes me feel so validated. i love the representation she provides, not only through heritage, but the representation of somebody who seems like she has her life put together on the outside but on the inside she is not all too sure what she wants– she does not really know or really grasp who she is. i have constantly struggled with figuring out what my purpose is in life, what i’m ultimately doing here, and how i’m going to live the rest of my life (all while having some aspects of my life still put together) and seeing natalie deal with the same thing and finding herself at a conclusion (although potentially unrealistic and magical, still a peaceful conclusion) it gives me hope for myself.
i also adore the way natalie is hopelessly devoted to everybody and anything– including herself, her beliefs, and her boundaries. natalie, to an extent, really does know what she wants deep down and she is willing to fight for it. she has fountains and fountains of overflowing love for her friends, family, and for beau. she is consistently devoted, loyal, and faithful to everybody who has a piece of her heart. she’s protective, she’s fierce, she’s bold, she tends to speak her mind, and overall she honestly has my heart (and beau has hers too but under lock and key.)
beau wilkes is a himbo angel and i mean this in the sweetest way possible. in the beginning of the book, he is portrayed as a mysterious yet alarmingly friendly football boy who is willing to offer natalie a swig of whiskey from a flask, so right off the bat– a pretty niche character. i adore beau. he is one of the kindest mmcs i have ever read about (okay maybe other than aaron warner, but beau still is pretty high up there.) despite his tumultuous and rough family life, beau is the rock of his relationships. he is there when you need him, he is there when you do not, he is the shoulder to cry on, and he is oftentimes forgotten by the people he’s needed most by. this obviously creates much emotional tension for him, however, it is not a problem with him and natalie. he knows how to be vulnerable and finds himself comfortable in the presence of natalie. he is willing to cry, break-down, and have a rough spot with her and he knows she will not judge. beau is soft– for a football boy, he is gentle and he knows his boundaries. he never finds himself pushing natalie’s buttons or ticking her off, he knows how to treat people right because he has learned how to do so (by learning from bad examples.) whatever part of him seemed like a “bad influence” or for lack of better terms “a bad boy” are washed away by his genuine kindness and his love for others.
the relationship between natalie and beau is so gratifying– they have such a healthy and strong relationship. there were no genuine problems between the two (well obviously other than the fact that natalie needed to save beau before she was shut off from him forever but that is not necessarily caused by beau or natalie) there was not any romanticizing of ill relationships, bad personal characteristics, or anything of the sort once they got to together. this relationship was mature, it was healthy and i adored every single part of it. in every universe, i do solemnly hope that beau and natalie find each other and stay with each other, forever (but i feel like the ending confirms that so we’re good you guys, we’re good– beau x natalie endgame.)
the love that split the world, overall, was a good book for me. it was not exactly as life-changing or life-altering for me as i hoped it would be but i do assume the plot did do some life changing and life altering (this is a terrible joke i am so sorry.) although it is nothing compared to my absolute comfort books a million junes and or beach read i still thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the fact i was immensely confused throughout half of it. additionally, i usually try to steer away from comparing books i’ve already read and adore to books i have not read yet, but after reading i can say i did not like it nearly as much as a million junes or beach read. that, however, it completely okay, my life would not be the same if i had not met beau and natalie and found myself in the midst of their world(s). i still really do recommend this book, i would just read rather closely so you do not fall victim to the confusion yourself.
emily henry does not know how to write a terrible book and after each and every new read, this is continuously confirmed. her writing style will forever mean the absolute world to me. she writes character banter like no other and she KNOWS how to write lines that will absolutely destroy your heart or piece it back together (nothing in between.) i just know she will keep releasing banger novel after banger novel because she is that talented.
and here, one more beau and natalie quote for the road:
split the world ! ༉‧₊˚
— by emily henry
— 4.5 stars out of 5 ☆
“grandmother taught me that eventually–whether with a thousand tiny fissures or one swift split– love will break your heart. my heart is breaking.”
i genuinely don’t even know where to start with this book. it is the very definition of an emotional rollercoaster. the best way i can describe this book is melancholic. there were moments where i, as the reader, felt immense feelings of joy, happiness, and infatuation. however, on the flip side of the coin, i felt emotions like grief, loneliness, relation, and profound sadness. there could be moments where it was exceedingly positive– both natalie and beau were overwhelmingly happy but within the next few sentences it becomes scary and almost devastating. holy hell, this book had me sobbing. (emily henry who gave you the permission to do that to my heart?)
the main couple was quite literally repeatedly ripped away from each other over and over again and disastrous things would occur. it was different from any other book i’ve read and i honestly cannot tell if i loved it or hated it.
in a sense, i feel like the sporadic emotion changes (previously mentioned earlier) can correlate with the chaos within natalie’s mind. natalie is lost, broken, confused, and traumatized. natalie struggles, she rivals with things from her hazy, yet rocky childhood– and that is exactly what the writing portrays.
natalie struggles to find herself in the world. due to her adoption, natalie ultimately struggles with figuring out who she is, her importance in the world, how her difference from her family really does not affect how much she’s loved, et cetera. she’s a uniquely and almost divinely broken character and she is actively trying to pick the pieces back up and put herself back together like a puzzle forgotten long ago. natalie fails to realize that her difference that set her apart from her classmates, her family, and her friends were ultimately the key to (and i cannot make this up) saving the universe.
“funny thing about belonging to two worlds: sometimes you feel like you belong in zero.”
and i know what you are thinking, reading this review, ‘saving the universe?’ and yes dear reader (taylor swift reference intended) natalie saved the universe, her family, her lover, and reality as she knew it.
before i can even think to analyze, this plot need to be explained so everybody and anybody can understand. unfortunately, there can and potentially will be minor spoilers, so please proceed with caution.
the love that split the world was trippy– that is honestly the only way i can describe the overall plot. as much as it is an emotional rollercoaster, it is a trippy emotional rollercoaster on top of it. before dipping her toes into her unfathomably popular adult contemporary romances, emily henry divulged herself into the world of ya magic and fantasy. this book is her first adventure into that said genre.
the best attempt i can make at explaining the plot is the following: natalie cleary, an adopted native american girl, has struggled with finding her identity in the world for as long as she can remember. when given the chance to go back in time and find out who she truly is, natalie is met with a challenge to save the boy she loves and the worlds they individually come from.
that plot within itself sounds like back to the future and spider-man: into the spider-verse had an emily henry imagined lovechild, doesn’t it? honestly, that assumption does not feel far-fetched.
this novel find itself knee-deep in space and time, so much so that it is truly confusing if you read too fast or accidentally skip a line or two (speaking from personal experience here). i honestly feel like that was my biggest problem with this book, i did not struggle with the character-building or the world-building
Spoiler
for both worldsi read in another review that the information dumps in this book were very frequent and confusing and i completely agree. doctor alice chan would nonchalantly drop some information bombs about the space-time continuum and while reading i would be so lost i could not even attempt to process the information. every time natalie said something like “i’m confused” or “i don’t get it” i would hope she would clear up what she meant and re-clarify but it ultimately ended in less understanding. that is truly my only complain about this book– i was confused through over half of the book. thankfully, however, i still understood the ending and its meaning (and yes
Spoiler
the car accident scenei have mentioned over and over that i enjoyed the character in this book and i do mean what i said. i have such an emotional attachment to these characters– beau and natalie own me, i’m afraid.
“i would still want to you here too. in every version of the world, i would.”
although at their core, beau and natalie do not even come close to saul and june in my heart, they did forge a place of their own– natalie especially.
there has never been a character that i have related to more than i relate to natalie cleary. i am she, and she is me– we are twin flames. reading about her struggles, her aspirations, and her experiences makes me feel so validated. i love the representation she provides, not only through heritage, but the representation of somebody who seems like she has her life put together on the outside but on the inside she is not all too sure what she wants– she does not really know or really grasp who she is. i have constantly struggled with figuring out what my purpose is in life, what i’m ultimately doing here, and how i’m going to live the rest of my life (all while having some aspects of my life still put together) and seeing natalie deal with the same thing and finding herself at a conclusion (although potentially unrealistic and magical, still a peaceful conclusion) it gives me hope for myself.
i also adore the way natalie is hopelessly devoted to everybody and anything– including herself, her beliefs, and her boundaries. natalie, to an extent, really does know what she wants deep down and she is willing to fight for it. she has fountains and fountains of overflowing love for her friends, family, and for beau. she is consistently devoted, loyal, and faithful to everybody who has a piece of her heart. she’s protective, she’s fierce, she’s bold, she tends to speak her mind, and overall she honestly has my heart (and beau has hers too but under lock and key.)
“and i need to be held by beau. to make sure he understands how deeply i really do love him. how kind and gentle and soft he is. how safe and cared for he makes people feel, and how much brighter the world is for all he does and gives. how good he is, and what kind of life he deserves despite the one he's been given.”
beau wilkes is a himbo angel and i mean this in the sweetest way possible. in the beginning of the book, he is portrayed as a mysterious yet alarmingly friendly football boy who is willing to offer natalie a swig of whiskey from a flask, so right off the bat– a pretty niche character. i adore beau. he is one of the kindest mmcs i have ever read about (okay maybe other than aaron warner, but beau still is pretty high up there.) despite his tumultuous and rough family life, beau is the rock of his relationships. he is there when you need him, he is there when you do not, he is the shoulder to cry on, and he is oftentimes forgotten by the people he’s needed most by. this obviously creates much emotional tension for him, however, it is not a problem with him and natalie. he knows how to be vulnerable and finds himself comfortable in the presence of natalie. he is willing to cry, break-down, and have a rough spot with her and he knows she will not judge. beau is soft– for a football boy, he is gentle and he knows his boundaries. he never finds himself pushing natalie’s buttons or ticking her off, he knows how to treat people right because he has learned how to do so (by learning from bad examples.) whatever part of him seemed like a “bad influence” or for lack of better terms “a bad boy” are washed away by his genuine kindness and his love for others.
“i need him to know he’s loved. i need him to feel safe, like he makes me feel safe. i need to wrap my love around him and leave it there, even after i’m pulled away from him forever.”
the relationship between natalie and beau is so gratifying– they have such a healthy and strong relationship. there were no genuine problems between the two (well obviously other than the fact that natalie needed to save beau before she was shut off from him forever but that is not necessarily caused by beau or natalie) there was not any romanticizing of ill relationships, bad personal characteristics, or anything of the sort once they got to together. this relationship was mature, it was healthy and i adored every single part of it. in every universe, i do solemnly hope that beau and natalie find each other and stay with each other, forever (but i feel like the ending confirms that so we’re good you guys, we’re good– beau x natalie endgame.)
“and for a moment, i let myself believe it's real. beau restores this house for me. i come home to him every night, fall asleep, and wake up with my legs tangled with his. i go to all the games he coaches, and watch him kiss our kids goodnight, and someday notice his hand is wrinkly in mine. i'm the one who gets to see every part of him and who watches his softness cover the hard world.”
the love that split the world, overall, was a good book for me. it was not exactly as life-changing or life-altering for me as i hoped it would be but i do assume the plot did do some life changing and life altering (this is a terrible joke i am so sorry.) although it is nothing compared to my absolute comfort books a million junes and or beach read i still thoroughly enjoyed this book, despite the fact i was immensely confused throughout half of it. additionally, i usually try to steer away from comparing books i’ve already read and adore to books i have not read yet, but after reading i can say i did not like it nearly as much as a million junes or beach read. that, however, it completely okay, my life would not be the same if i had not met beau and natalie and found myself in the midst of their world(s). i still really do recommend this book, i would just read rather closely so you do not fall victim to the confusion yourself.
emily henry does not know how to write a terrible book and after each and every new read, this is continuously confirmed. her writing style will forever mean the absolute world to me. she writes character banter like no other and she KNOWS how to write lines that will absolutely destroy your heart or piece it back together (nothing in between.) i just know she will keep releasing banger novel after banger novel because she is that talented.
and here, one more beau and natalie quote for the road:
“he hides a grin and runs his thumb over my lips. ‘i'm not sure the world and me are as complicated as you think, natalie. i didn't mean to choose you or anything. i just know if i only get to build one porch in my life, i'd like it to be yours, and if there's one person i never have to hurt or disappoint, i'd want that to be you too.’”