A review by elliott_the_clementine
Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

I wanted to love this book so badly! Besides having a dreamy, bookish hero named Elliot (though his name ought to have had two T’s), Love and Other Words did an excellent job of telling a story across time and space. Despite pacing issues, Macy and Elliot fall in love so sweetly and believably that it is impossible not to root for them. Until the end, I thought that this book would receive a rave review from me.  

However, a significant issue in plot, explained briefly in the spoiler below, significantly upset me, and it may upset others. More seriously, it would have been easily rectifiable. 

I do not recommend this book. 

Trigger warning for sexual assault and rape. I could not love the book because of a horrible error (though that may be too small of a word) on behalf of the authors. It is revealed that Elliot experienced sexual assault
(a young woman who may or may not have been inebriated raped him while he was so drunk he thought that she was Macy)
which ultimately ended his and Macy’s relationship because Macy thought that Elliot had cheated, and it is not discussed thoughtfully or treated as sexual assault. 

For a book that is so emotional and thoughtful in many ways, this “storyline” was wildly upsetting. It could have been treated or discussed meaningfully, as assault, but instead the blame is still placed on Elliot. Victim-blaming is NEVER okay. Moreover, Elliot experienced a significant trauma that was brushed off as a step towards romance. Not. Okay. Assault is not a plot device for character growth. It doesn’t make a person more interesting or their love for another person stronger (especially since it is sort of portrayed like Elliot is only able to be touched by Macy, who he loves so much, which is super weird in context of the assault, as other reviewers have explained much more eloquently). I am extremely disappointed and angry. Elliot deserves better. We deserve better.
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