Emily Wing Smith

This is a Disney Channel movie masquerading as a book! It's the squeaky clean version of "Amy and Roger's Epic Detour" with less mileage, no sex and alcohol, and with music I actually recognized—unlike Roger’s indie playlists, which my son had to assure me were real. Instead of southern California, there's the town of Haven, Utah, overrun with wholesome Mormon high schoolers that our main character, Joy, mocks despite being Mormon herself. In denial over her boyfriend Zan’s early departure to college, Joy wheedles gorgeous, chaste Noah into a road trip to Pitzer College to see Zan and . . . it all goes horribly wrong! On the way back, Joy has an epiphany of sorts in a Las Vegas lounge watching a Barry Manilow impersonator. Despite being a YA title, you could easily hand this to the 5th graders who read "Twilight.” “Back When You Were Easier to Love” is full of Mormon culture, characters and beliefs so, early on, when Joy advocates for gay rights and Zan drinks mocha lattes, I thought the book might be satirical. Wrong! It’s cloyingly earnest, sweetly humorous and even the angst feels fluffy. The cover is very deceiving—this doesn't take place in a library or a bookstore. Bummer.… (meer)

First off, let me apologize for not updating my blog regularly. I've been working almost 80 hours some weeks and just can't sacrifice the time. I'll try to be better. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.

Aahh, teenage love! Great, right?! Pretty torturous really. Especially if you're Joy. Her boyfriend, Zan abandoned her. To make matters worse, she has no idea why. He only left his best friend Noah to look after her. Noah, who she finds excruciatingly annoying.

I wasn't sure if I could really connect with these characters at first, but I did. I found myself enjoying the story. There were times I wanted to scream at Joy to "wake up".

Noah is a great guy who is more than willing to be roped into whatever Joy chooses. He keeps trying to show her what a nice guy he is. I kept thinking, she had to realize it before he gave up and quit being a nice guy.

Everyone needs closure, right? Go along on the journey and see if Joy ever gets any closure with Zan? And where would that leave Noah anyway?

This is one of the books in the Contemps Challenge also. I'm giving it 4 sweet kisses!… (meer)