It’s hard to put this book into words but it really just captures friendship and dating (especially those weird relationships where you care deeply about a person but aren’t actually together). This novel is raw and real and also a little bit political. Connell and Marianne meet in high school. Connell is the popular one; Marianne is the outsider – the weird girl that no one wants to be friends with. They develop a secret romance of sorts; you can tell they both care about each other but don’t want to acknowledge it. The book follows them to college where the dynamics shift – suddenly Marianne is the popular one. Throughout, they try being together and not being together. It’s depressing and sad at times but also so realistic – the characters are so relatable. I really loved it and I won’t spoil the ending but it had me thinking for days afterward.
the stripe
by GRACE ATWOOD
The Stripe is a lifestyle blog for the stylish bookworm. Since its first post in 2010, it has aimed to be a daily source of inspiration for the modern woman. Written by Grace Atwood, The Stripe aims to leave you feeling like you just had coffee with a great girlfriend: savvier, more confident, and always learning something new.