Review: The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry

The Love That Split the World
by Emily Henry

published January 26th 2016 by Razorbill
young adult | science fiction | romance

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Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start…until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a preschool where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Love is giving the world away, and being loved is having the whole world to give.

The Love That Split the World is such an eloquently written and thought-provoking novel that it’s easy to forget it’s Emily Henry’s debut. Every word serves a purpose, and nothing is out of place or unnecessary.

Since she was a child, Natalie has been able to see “Grandmother,” a mysterious figure who tells her fables and legends. But now Grandmother is missing, and her last words to Natalie were “you have five months to save him.” The next day, Natalie meets a boy named Beau – and suddenly her life turns upside down.

One of the most intriguing parts of the story is trying to piece together who Grandmother is. Is she a spirit? Is she God? Or is she simply a figment of Natalie’s imagination? The ultimate reveal may just surprise you.

Natalie herself is an amazing protagonist. Not only is she diverse (part Native American), but she is one of the most intelligent, rational, and accepting YA protagonists I’ve read about.

My main criticisms about the book are that the romance between Natalie and Beau escalated just a touch too quickly for my liking and that the story is a bit slow in the beginning.

All in all, this is a beautiful, deep, and diverse book with a little something for everyone. I can’t wait to read another book by Emily Henry.

“Why did they have to sacrifice anything?”
“It was a symbol,” Grandmother explains. “Of an innocent dying on behalf of someone else—the greatest act of love. A choice to die so someone else doesn’t have to.”

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About Zoe

Zoe is a critical reviewer. When she’s not reviewing, you can find her performing in plays / musicals, doing gymnastics, or designing websites.

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