I thought that this book would be different from reading the summary on the back. I thought it would be about a romance between a smart, quiet girl from Vancouver and an Indian from the interior of Canada. It was more about Ellen's growth. I do think that it does show how Ellen grows from being withdrawn to being one to could talk to people. It was very slow. I kept waiting for the romance to build, but then there was something else about Ellen working on herself. It isn't a bad book, but now what I thought from reading the back cover

Doesn't the summary of this book sound awesome? I sure thought it did. I was beyond excited to pick this book up - I was so sure I'd love it.

Well, I'm not sure what the best way to say this is without being mean...but I really wish those characters and that plot had awoken in the head of a more seasoned writer. I feel like the way the story was handled absolutely ruined it. As engaging as it should have been...I never felt connected to anything. I really wanted to be! It just seems like the characters never had established personalities and the plot never felt fluid. I was so disappointed.

The way Indians were treated in the past is a serious issue, and one that I love seeing written about when it is done right. The struggle between the Indians and the other townspeople in this story never took shape in a real way. There were a few instances of tension...but no real fight or resolution. I was very let down by that especially.

Ellen and Tony seemed very interesting to me in the beginning, but throughout the book their personalities never seemed to cement. They would both constantly do things that I didn't think fit the character that the author was trying to establish (especially one scene where Tony acted in a way I didn't think appropriate to his previous personality at all). Those constant contradictions kept me from being as invested in the characters as I would have liked to be.

Overall, I'm not sorry I picked up the book. I'm just sorry it wasn't written more clearly and didn't meet the expectations I had for it! ( )

Don't you just hate it when you read a book and you can't get into it? And then you hope that it'll get better but sadly, it never does? That is my case with The Way It Is. Ellen Manery is different from most girls. She worries about her grades (even though their perfect) and she is determined to be a medical research doctor. It's the 1960's and girls are not expected to accomplish much in the world, let alone take complex science and math courses in High School.

Ellen's parents are tired of the their work cycle, they feel that they have lost themselves during their years of working. As a way to break free, they decide to quit their jobs and buy a resort in Salmon Arm, which forces Ellen to move from Vancouver. She immediately hates the new environment. She's lonely and stands out from the rest of the girls at her new High School, who are dressed in bright colored mini skirts and wear makeup, while she's dressed plainly.

She then meets Tony, the only Indian boy at school. Ellen and Tony develop a friendship in which Ellen soon finds herself developing deep feelings for Tony. Due to the decade that they are living in, their relationship wouldn't be considered "right".

The pacing was very, very slow. I thought that I would never finish this book, I really disliked how much it dragged. Had the story been executed differently, I believe it would have resulted in a good story. The premise is great for a Young Adult book but not the writing. Ellen and Tony weren't great characters either. They seemed flat when they should have had more depth. Now I know I should sympathize with Ellen because she's a loner, but I honestly found her a bit annoying.

In short, this book was just not my cup of tea. ( )

The Way It Is a fantastic book. I read it last year but never got around to writing a review. So here it is. I really really enjoyed this one. I honestly couldn't put it down. It is a bit of a heavy topic and I think that is the biggest reason I liked this book. The characters, plot and writing were amazing as well.

All in all, this was a really great book that I plan on re-reading again sometime in the near future. ( )

The Way It Is was an interesting read. Ellen and Tony, the main characters, are compelling. However, the writing was somewhat simplistic and I thought that some of the themes could have been expanded upon (such as Ellen's realization at the end that she was isolating herself). ( )