96 Words For Love || Not Your Typical YA Contemporary

Posted on by acouplereads

 

 

Title: 96 Words For Love
Author: Rachel Roy & Ava Dash
Page Count: 320 pages
Genre: Contemporary // Young Adult
Rating: ★ ★ ★ 
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Release Date: January 19, 2019
Buy It: Chapters Indigo

 

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

Ever since her acceptance to UCLA, 17-year-old Raya Liston has been quietly freaking out. She feels simultaneously lost and trapped by a future already mapped out for her.

Then her beloved grandmother dies, and Raya jumps at the chance to spend her last free summer at the ashram in India where her grandmother met and fell in love with her grandfather. Raya hopes to find her center and her true path. But she didn’t expect to fall in love… with a country of beautiful contradictions, her fiercely loyal cousin, a local girl with a passion for reading, and a boy who teaches her that in Sanskrit, there are 96 different ways to say the word “love.”

A modern retelling of the classic Indian legend of Shakuntala and Dushyanta.

 

 

MY THOUGHTS

Based on the cover for this one I was expecting something more YA chick-lit than what it ended up being – a journey to self-discovery and coming to terms with great loss in your life. Don’t let the cover fool you!
 
The exploration of spirituality was so well done and I did not expect this book to dive deep and for that to be executed beautifully. This story dealt with real choices, real conflict and real issues while flowing through all of it naturally.
 
I’d say this is a really good book for younger readers as well, the James Patterson imprint I’ve noticed can be extended to younger ages who are stronger readers while simultaenously entertaining older audiences as well. The themes are serioius however in this one so keep that in mind. 
 
I liked learning about Indian culture, Hindu religion and Indian mythology.
 
**Thank you HBG Canada for sending me a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

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