Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

“If mom says women are not property how come I want to belong to someone?”

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “vacation” has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you’ve lost it?

Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

Personal Thoughts:

It’s been awhile since the last time I read a story written in verse which reminds me how fun and quick reading books like this. Like most story written in verse, Love and Leftovers used limited words to tell its story. But with a few lines and verse Love and Leftovers manage to provide depths to the characters and a seamless plot.

Love and Leftovers tells the story of Marcie, a teenage girl who suffers the aftermath of her parents separations. One summer she moves to New Hampshire with her Mom who is undergoing a major depression from separation. Marcie left her friends behind including her sweet and emo-rocker boyfriend, Linus. During her stay in New Hampshire she met J.D. whom she had a summer fling, this starts her journey of finding love in a different way.

Marcie as a narrator tells her story in a straight and gut-wrenching manner. Her poetry journal is honest and raw. It never shy the truth and depth of her emotions, fantasies and confusions. But as a character it is hard to sympathise in Marcie. Even I understand where she’s coming from, being in a center of broken family I still don’t like the way she deal with things. I don’t agree with all her decisions especially in how she treat her relationship with Linus when she’s away. But when she finally admit all her faults my heart soften for her.

“I hate you and
everything I’ve ever done
to make you hate me.”

When she hated herself for all the mistakes she did and be brave to tell Linus the truth I respect her. Lies are big deal for me, I’m one of those persons who rather know the truth no matter how painful it is than give me lies I don’t deserve. So when Marcie tell Linus what she had done over summer she gain my respect for being honest. It takes a lot of courage to tell the truth especially when you know you can actually get over it without no one to know.

Linus an emo-rocker boy with a heart of gold. I’m rooting for this guy hoping he’ll get his happy ending even without Marcie. I just love talented and good characters like him. He sings, compose songs and play instruments. He is simply adorable, there’s nothing not to like in him. I love all his songs especially The Dr. Seuss Breakup Song. All his heartache and hatred overflows through that song. Though it is a little over the top singing it in front of the whole student body. Writing songs is his way coping up and releasing all his feelings. And more than his talent I also love how he respect Marcie or any other girl. How he treat them with value, love and care.

J.D. with David Beckham looks and Prince Harry’s smile doesn’t really struck me. The first time he appears in the story I know he is not the right guy for Marcie even I believe that Marcie doesn’t really deserves the best.

Marcie’s bestfriend Katie reminds me of my relationship with my bestfriend. Her relationship with Marcie and Linus is quite familiar to me. Though I am more like Katie who is in the middle of a war between two friends. I also like Marcie’s confident in Katie in the end, even Katie actually failed her once she still believe that her bestfriend will always be on her side.

“Katie would guard my secrets
with an army of anime ninja girls
with shadow-clone jutsu powers
who’d leap into action
if anyone tried to read my poems.”

Love and Leftovers is a quick read, beautifully written in flowing verse that proves that you don’t need a lot of words to tell a good story. A story that deals with some heavy themes like lies, broken family, desires and depression but still manage to stay as a light read. Marcies journey in finding real love is not an easy one, she made a lot of mistakes and do stupid things but in the end she learned, stood up and fight for her love.