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Emery Lord’s The Names They Gave Us Will Seize Your Heartstrings
When you see Emery Lord’s name on the cover of a book you’re about to read, you know a few things are likely to happen: 1) You’re about to fall in love with the perfect boyfriend, 2) You’re about to wish you were best friends with fictional characters, and 3) You’re gonna feel a little ache in the general area of your heart for pretty much the entire ride. Oh, and you’re probably gonna say something like, “How do I love this even more than the last book?” Really, anything’s on the table, and no holds are barred in her newest, The Names They Gave Us, about a girl whose summer plans change from Christian camp to a camp for troubled youths after her mother is diagnosed with cancer.
Just to clarify, this is not A Cancer Book, and nor is it A Christian Book. But it is a book about letting new people and experiences into your life to comfort you, and the shakiness of faith in hard times, and the importance of friends when you desperately need a safety net, and dealing with the fears and hardship of losing staples of your very existence. And if those sound like tricky things to nail, it’s because they are, which is what makes Emery Lord’s entire catalog such a must read. Add all four of her books to your list.
Open Road Summer
Lord’s debut contains one of my favorite friendships and book boyfriends in YA. When Reagan needs a break from her life, she finds the perfect opportunity in an invitation to join her best friend, Dee (aka Lilah Montgomery), on tour for the summer. But in addition to the expected respite, she gets an unexpected surprise in the sparks that fly between her and Dee’s opening act-slash-media boyfriend, sweet and talented Matt Finch. He’s not quite who Reagan ever saw herself wanting, but the closer they get, the clearer it becomes he’s just what she needs.
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The Start of Me and You
In her sophomore novel, Lord introduces us to Paige, who’s starting her junior year under the cloud of her boyfriend’s death. Though she and Aaron had barely even been together, there’s no escaping her role as The Girl Who Was Dating Him When He Died. But Paige is determined to change that by getting a boyfriend and moving forward. Her plan hits a bit of a snag when she joins QuizBowl and realizes the guy she thought was the answer to her problems is no longer the one she’s interested in; his cute, nerdy cousin, Max, is. This was the book that, for me, cemented Lord as both a master of writing friend groups (a la Melina Marchetta) and an absolute necessity for fans of Sarah Dessen.
When We Collided
Mental health is at the heart of Lord’s third novel, which alternates between passionate artist Vivi, who’s struggling to manage her bipolar disorder, and down-to-earth family man Jonah. Vivi’s a most welcome new addition to town just as Jonah’s feeling buried under work and expectations following the death of his father; her zest for life is irresistible to a guy who’s just barely slogging through it. But the closer Vivi gets to Jonah’s family, the clearer the cracks in her veneer become, until Jonah realizes that while she’s been taking care of him and his siblings, she hasn’t been taking nearly as good care of herself.
The Names They Gave Us
The themes of great friendships, parental mortality, and healing relationships continue in her newest. Lucy was all set for the summer, complete with a boyfriend and a job at her parents’ Christian summer camp. Then her mom’s diagnosed with cancer, and her parents decide the best thing for her is to get some distance by working at the camp across the lake instead. The camp is for kids with troubled home lives, and being around them brings Lucy both perspective and distraction. But the best thing of all is the diverse staff she befriends, and, of course, The Boy, all of whom she’ll need for support when things seriously hit the fan.