Book Review: How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler

How I Lost You

By Janet Gurtler

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: There are a few things Grace Anderson knows for sure. One is that nothing will ever come between her and her best friend, Kya Kessler. They have a pact. Buds Before Studs. Sisters Before Misters. But in the summer before senior year, life throws out challenges they never expected. And suddenly the person who's always been there starts to need the favor returned. Grace and Kya are forced to question how much a best friend can forgive. And the answer is not what they expected.

Review: After reading Janet Gurtler's I'm Not Her, I wasn't all that impressed with her book. I found the characters annoying and just couldn't get into the story. Despite that experience, I read the summary of How I Lost You and decided to give Janet's books another try. And I'm so happy to say this one ended up being fantastic!

Grace and Kya have been best friends ever since Grace moved in next door, and absolutely nothing can change that. Even when Kya acts out and seems to only care about herself, Grace is always there to help Kya pick up the pieces of her life. Grace knows Kya is dealing with issues from what had happened to her years before, and she knows Kya needs Grace there for support. How far, though, is Grace willing to let Kya go before finally realizing their friendship may not be as strong and unbreakable as she thought?

The very first thing that got me in this book was all the emotion. You seriously want to hate Kya and punch Grace in the face for putting up with her crap. But what happened to Kya makes you realize exactly why Grace acts the way she does. I love how we aren't even told that secret until well into the book, keeping us in suspense and forcing us to continue reading until we figure out every last secret. 

Grace is such a sweet character and I loved how she was a paintballer who wants to play in college. I don't think I've ever read a book about paintball, let alone with a girl paintball player, so that was a really cool, unique aspect to Grace's character. Her family is great too and I just want to give James, her other best friend, a big hug. My favorite character, though, would have to be Levi. Now there is a guy that knows exactly how to make a girl happy. Grace is definitely one lucky girl.

This book deals with some real issues, but it still has a way of making things relatable and light as you're reading it. I finished this in one day because it was seriously impossible to put down. I had to know what would happen to Grace next and how all of the tension and secrets that were building up were going to turn out in the end. Full of emotion and lovable characters, Janet Gurtler created a book that keeps you hooked. So go out and find yourself a copy! Once you start it, it'll be impossible to put down.