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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
IndieReader Review, December 21, 2011
Alex is a typical college freshman with a crush on a guy. The only problem is that Seth has been her best friend since high school and, he's gay. Alex Carmichael has been Seth Richard's sidekick, lackey, almost-invisible gossip buddy at all the good parties and his faithful standby through high school, hoping that one day he will feel the same way about her that she feels about him. Even though Seth begins to date cheerleader Cheyenne to keep up appearances, he is not supportive of the time that Alex spends with Dink, the football player interested in her, and Alex is hesitant to accommodate anyone other than Seth into her schedule. Apart from a couple of typos and lack on consistencies in events, author Reena Jacobs Jacob's writing is natural and the story flows. Jacobs' inspiring message about the beauty of accepting yourself and others for whom they really are is perceptive and touching. Alex is a believable heroine, hiding in the shadows of the one she loves, and reluctantly realizes that her best friend is not making the best choices for her, but for himself alone. Alex learns to readjust her priorities so that she is no longer an unappreciated sidekick, but an individual who surrounds herself with people who like her for who she is in her own right. Alex learns that she can be a loyal friend without sacrificing her dignity. Seth is the credible closet homosexual trying to juggle the stereotypical football player image with his sexuality. By releasing his hold over Alex, he not only allows her to flourish, but he is left to reveal the truth of his identity to his friends and loved ones and learn true self-acceptance. I Loved You First is about love, loyalty and acceptance of others, but also of oneself. An encouraging read for young adults. Also by the same author: Shadow Cat (The Striped One) Reviewed by Maya Fleischmann for IndieReader
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful story, September 28, 2011
This review is from: I Loved You First (Kindle Edition)
I Loved You First was a beautiful book about unconditional friendship between a boy and girl, although Seth seemed to be a little more self-centered than Alex. He was the drama queen of the relationship. The book aptly depicted how some friendships keep you confined in a very small place, never allowing "you" to be "you". Seth was, plain and simple - a drama queen. He came across as self-centered person caught up in his masquerade, seeming not to notice that he was suffocating the one person who cared the most for him. Alex, devoted in every way to her BFF, Seth, did not mind being Seth's sidekick until college. After a football/frat boy begins paying attention to her and telling her that she is noticed. She cannot appreciate the attention because she is love with Seth, her gay friend. Alex begins to want the individualism she has denied herself through the years. She begins to explore dating and realizes that she enjoys the male attention. Alex also befriends a girl from one of her classes. Seth has consumed her world and this is all new to her - as many young adults figure out once they begin college. College is a time of discovery, a transition time from childhood into adulthood. It is a time where we discover who we are; a time when new friendships are forged and we begin to blossom into the adults we are meant to become. The book was a good depiction of college life and the growing pains and changes that we go through. It was a good story and I think many people will enjoy the book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
When Two Friends Discover the Truth about Themselves and Each Other, January 12, 2012
This review is from: I Loved You First (Kindle Edition)
This was a read that took me by surprise. I did not know what to expect when I started reading and the whole story was delightful and thought provoking. This is more straight fiction though the characters are trying for romance in their lives. It is a shorter story about two friends who have grown up together and are now in their first year of college with the college campus as the backdrop of the story. As in most coming of age stories, they must learn to meet their issues head on and grow from it. The heroine is secretly in love with her best friend and he is secretly gay and trying to appear before the world as straight. One night, the truth comes out and their lives are radically altered. I know some people have a hang-up about reading first person, but I thought in the case of this story which was about following the internal growth of the heroine, Alex, that it was the proper voice to use. I loved how at the beginning she was a pitiful and sad girl, but by the end, she was someone that even she could be proud of. Recommend!
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