Review Detail

What I Liked: From the start of this book your attention is captured through an introduction to the main character, Ivy, and the drama that surrounds her life. From this moment you get to witness the way she is choosing to handle her breakup with her long-time girlfriend, and how she decides to go away to be a counselor at camp rather than go on the yearly family vacation. At the start of each chapter, there is some sort of media post that ties Ally back into the story and reminds you that Ivy is still dealing with the backlash of that breakup. These media pieces show how hard it is for Ivy to move on when the world hasn't moved on from her previous relationship.

This book handled grief from a long-term relationship ending as well as friendship breakups quite well. This captured just how each of those feel and also provides you with a way to get through both of these things or to repair a friendship that shouldn't be broken. Throughout the book, you get to see that so much of what happens is underlined by larger feelings. A lot of the responses that Ivy has along with Rynn have to do more with things that happened in their childhood versus their actual relationship with one another. This book allows you to understand and witness the impact that ignoring feelings has on other parts of your life, and how it's important to share your true feelings with the ones you love.

There are moments in which the campers are annoying but as Ivy has to remind herself, we too have to remember they are middle school children and at that age things are complicated. This book shows the reality of being in middle school, how friendships change during that age, and the things that pressure can cause us to do such as lie.

What Left Me Wanting More: The ending felt a bit rushed and I wanted more time for Ivy and Rynn to work things out. The way things shifted between them felt like they had repaired their friendship but not enough for things to blossom into a romance. While the ending left me wanting more from this book, I was happy with how things wrapped up. In the end, you do get to see closure for each of the storylines that take place in this story, you get to see what happens for Rynn and Ivy, each of the campers, and see a bit of where Fitz and Ben stand.

Final Verdict: I Love You S'more is a sweet and fun summer romance book that young adults will enjoy as they see their relationships reflected in that of Ivys. Fans of enemies to lovers will enjoy this book especially the twist that this is best friends to enemies to lovers.