Book Review: The Names They Gave Us

Author: Emery Lord
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 2016, Bloomsbury
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Lucy Hansson's life seems to be heading in the right direction - until she finds out her mom has cancer again. Things change quickly for Lucy after that. Her too-perfect boyfriend puts her relationship on pause, she begins to question her faith, and she goes to work as a counselor for a "troubled kids" camp instead of the church camp she typically helps with. During this tumultuous summer, Lucy forms new friendships and learns there's so much more to her family and even herself than she thought.

This may be one of my new favorite books. If not an all-time favorite, it's definitely a favorite of 2017 so far. I just have a lot of strong feelings about this one. I loved reading this, and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about when I could get back to reading it.

The entire story felt so realistic to me. The characters, the setting, the situations, the dialogue - it was entirely believable. I may have related to Lucy more than any other book character I've ever read. Her faith, her experience as a camp counselor, her relationship with the kids, and her family were all aspects that I could strongly identify with. Thankfully, my mom is healthy, but I found myself getting emotional fairly often when reading about Lucy's mom. There was so much of their relationship that was similar to me and my mother that it was impossible not to picture myself in Lucy's situation.  

The Names They Gave Us is a great example of side and minor characters done right. From the kids at camp, to the counselors and Lucy's classmates, everyone was distinct and memorable. I would read so many more books about these characters. Also, I want the Daybreak counselors as friends.

There is some romance in this book, but it's not the focus. It's such a slow-burning, genuine romance that I wish there were more of it. I checked this book out from my library, but I'm going to buy it eventually. I love it so much that it needs to be on my shelves. If you're looking for a powerful, emotional, entirely enjoyable contemporary, this is the book for you.