Only Love Can Break Your Heart

One day Paul picks Rocky up from school, saving him from certain punishment after getting caught fighting, but the day ends with Paul nearly abandoning Rocky to die in the woods. The next day, Rocky and Leigh disappear. Eight years later, Rocky, now a teenager himself, begins a relationship with the older daughter of the family who lives next door to his, a family that has been in the center of many of the Askews' problems. The relationship, along with several other occurrences, sets a chain of events in motion that will shake both families, and those around them, to the core.

As you might tell from the title, this is a book about love, and the things we are willing to do for it. But it goes beyond romantic love, as the relationship between Paul and Rocky is core to the story as well. It's also the story of how when love goes wrong, it can be the catalyst for many problems.

I really enjoyed this book, and thought Tarkington did a terrific job making you care about the characters. While I wasn't necessarily surprised by anything that happened, I still felt tremendously invested in the story, and wanted to know how or if everything would be resolved.

This is really good, solid, well-written book, and I hope it's just the start of Tarkington's literary career, because he has real talent.

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See all of my reviews at http: View all 12 comments. Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a well written book with great characters about a boy coming of age. The main character, Rocky, tells the story from age 8 to adulthood.

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It is slow at the beginning and there is A LOT going on but the story does come together at end. While at no point did this story offer any great surprises or major aha moments, it did tell a good story of relationships, family, and growing up. View all 4 comments. Jan 05, Judy Collins rated it it was amazing Shelves: Top 50 Books of !

Jammed-packed with everything from Classic Rock, Stones, Beatles, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Mick Jagger, Neal Young, 70s, 80s, Doobie Brothers, Carolina Shag, Camels, Marlboro Lights, Reaganbeer drinking, southern town life, family dysfunction, mental illness, brothers, small town, domestic, affairs, sex, murder, financial loss, arts, culture, literary, religion, cult, hippies, femme fatale, sons and fathers, psychic, community, and loyalty.

Set in upper southern town of Virginia inside the city limits of Spencerville, near the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the turn of the 's. The town was built on tobacco money and the people were willing to plead ignorance as long as the world would let them. The narrator, Richard "Rocky" Askew is eight-years-old and idolizes his older half-brother, Paul, age sixteen. He also has a love for vinyl and music. He invites his little brother in his life his sidekick -- despite the age difference.

She married him for his money, no doubt since her parents were killed in an accident raised by her grandmother. She needed a father figure. Across the grassy knoll in the distance, sat the old white-columned estate house known as Twin Oaks. Twin Oaks had been vacant for many years, and Paul says it is haunted. From its ancestors--tobacco, liquor, poker, gambling, and whores. Then the stock market crash. No one has lived there since. After all, his older brother had broken in and there was some trouble. Her father forbade Leigh to see Paul.

A tragic event occurs, things get crazy, and Paul takes off with his girlfriend Leigh Bowman. Rocky is devastated to lose his best friend.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

As Rocky becomes a teenager, he turns to the rich neighbor ten years older , the Culver's daughter, Patricia--teaching him the ways of the world The Graduate. The mysterious older woman. She hires him to watch the horses, take care of the stables, mowing plus more. In between equestrian activities, there is sex. He knew Paul would be impressed with his affair - the sexy older woman. Compared to Patricia, his own childhood seemed mundane. She had lived all over the world. He misses his brother. There is also a back story of the two families: The Askews and the Culvers.

An investment goes bad. Leigh returns and engaged to Charles, Patricia's older brother. Rocky never forgets his older brother, and then one day when they are experiencing great financial difficulties, he returns. How can Rocky afford to remain at the academy, when they have no money? A hideous brutal crime. Everyone is under suspicion. Then there is Leigh and Paul. Leigh has a mental illness. A new love and life for Rocky? What would a Southern novel be without tragedy, music, love and sadness? Written with passion, reminiscent of earlier times--not so much a plot-driven novel; however, a bold, rich character-driven novel, with vivid settings.

As a reader you are fully invested in it's characters. The focused attention is in their distress, and the possible consequences. They find that elusive peace that, as the other Paul once wrote, passes all understanding. Where would we be without our mistakes? The risk of love. The ties that bind for better or worse; love always comes with the risk of a broken heart. The question for us all: Can we live without it? Is it worth the risk? What really makes the novel: I thoroughly enjoyed the inspiration behind the novel: But when we come to the end of their story, we discover that this was the only way it was ever going to be — all of this had to happen.

I thought that line elegantly captured that conundrum. Fans of Southern authors, John Hart, Pat Conroy, and Wiley Cash will the appreciate intimate relationships between father and sons, a brother's bond, and life in a changing time— At its core, it is a love story. You will be reminded of the works of: In addition to the digital reading copy, I had already pre-ordered the audiobook. Peter Berkrot , is my favorite male narrator, providing an extraordinary performance!

A perfect voice for Rocky--adding icing to the cake. What a powerful collaboration. Highly recommend- cannot wait to see what is next! An author to follow. I have a strong feeling this is only the beginning --to a long line of bestsellers. Read Author's Essay bit. Judy Collins, now 76, is as creatively vigorous as ever, writing, touring worldwide, and nurturing fresh talent.

A product of the 50's, am proud to be named after this extraordinary woman. View all 3 comments. Jan 09, LeAnne rated it it was ok. A very disjointed coming of age novel with way too much going on and with regular name-dropping of various songs the title is taken from a Neil Young ballad.

If three quarters of the plot twists were trimmed, this could have been quite good. So far, this book has gotten an average of 4 stars, so perhaps my expectations were too high. There is some graphic, gratuitous sex tossed in here, maybe to bump this up from an upper middle grade book to YA. Im no prude - the nasty sex in "A Feast of Snak A very disjointed coming of age novel with way too much going on and with regular name-dropping of various songs the title is taken from a Neil Young ballad.

John Irving often features affairs between young boys and older women as part of his story line and does it with class. That just made me annoyed w the author We have an adoring young boy whose older, chain smoking, half-brother Paul goes off his nut when his drunken mother dies, and because his father refuses to attend the funeral of the drunken mother his ex-wife who abandoned their boy years earlier.

Paul is angry with his father for not attending the funeral, so he runs away after half heartedly threatening to abandon his young half-brother in the forest to die. He decides not to leave the little boy out there, but runs away and takes his 20 yr old girlfriend with him. And his cigarettes, of course chain smoking is mentioned repeatedly throughout the book. Girlfriend is made to have sex w guru. When she happens upon the guru making one of the little commune kids fellate him, however, she runs home.

Chain smoking brother does not and stays gone for 7 years. Preggo girlfriend, now back home, has her father force a late term abortion on her. Makes her a bit cuckoo. Goes to a clinic. Comes home on Thorazine. Ends up engaged to an ugly bachelor whose parents bought house next door to the brothers. Are you still with me? Little bro, who was nearly abandoned in the woods, meets new neighbors.

Poorly done by the author. Her goal is to stop her brother from marrying the cuckoo. Why, I dont know. From here, add in: Meanwhile, the school play is presented and is supposed to reflect real life. Of course, most of the characters are in the audience. This play within the novel is described in detail and is supposed to explain why a certain man can only become erect when around horses. The flaming drama teacher makes the boys who represent horses wear skin tight leather pants and go bare-chested.

I kid you not. Of course, the horndog gets away with murder and escapes, chain-smoking half-brother is exonerated, and they live happily ever after. The book was ridiculously convoluted, despite having good promise. This guy's editor should have done a better job View all 11 comments. Jan 14, Liz rated it really liked it.

I had to let this book settle in my brain for a day before I could write a review. Different people are going to take very different things from this book, depending on their own experiences. I think, amazingly enough, this guy has somehow managed to tap into several themes that will reach out to those readers whose lives resonate with them I had to let this book settle in my brain for a day before I could write a review. I think, amazingly enough, this guy has somehow managed to tap into several themes that will reach out to those readers whose lives resonate with them in some way.

Obviously the title theme is rich throughout the book. Truly, the ones that you love are ones who can hurt you the most and to whom you yourself are most vulnerable. Our narrator Rocky is just a kid who adores his older brother Paul, when Paul betrays him and disappears from his life. What stood out to me was the subject of regrets. What would they change if they could? One quote from that scene has stuck with me: For if even a second of my life before them had been different, my perfect beautiful girls might not exist — or else they would be some other people.

That everything you go through in life leads you to where you are right now. If you want to be happy then you must believe that it was all worth it. See where it takes you! View all 8 comments. Jan 18, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: The introduction of a murder towards end of the book was odd. Author was attempting a lot of different circumstances in my opinion. The closure of "who done it" was rushed and didn't make complete sense. I did like the narrator from boy to adult. The small romance was a little awkward around chapter 8.

Unfortunately, I was not familiar with the song references in most cases. Jan 08, Anne Booklady Molinarolo rated it really liked it Recommends it for: And I love me some good Southern tragedies. Tarkington's prose is beautiful, at times the characters' pain and fear jumps out and touches the heart. The characters are deliciously flawed and I found myself falling in love with Rocky, Paul, and the "damaged" Leigh. Even the minor characters were well developed. My GR friend, Susan and I read this together as a buddy read, and she comm 4. It is, but to me, it's much more.

We have the 2 brothers actually half brothers who are about 8 years apart. Rocky adores his big brother, Paul. His "first love" is the same as Paul's - Leigh.

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The two boys boys are wonderful to and with each other, until they're not. Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition. Retrieved October 17, Decade Lucky Thirteen Greatest Hits. Silver and Gold Greendale Neil Young: A Hippie Dream Special Deluxe. The Best of Saint Etienne. Reserection Places to Visit. Discography List of songs recorded by Saint Etienne. Retrieved from " https: Articles needing additional references from June All articles needing additional references Pages using extra track listing with no tracks Pages using extra track listing with unknown parameters Articles with hAudio microformats.

Views Read Edit View history. This page was last edited on 4 December , at It is a refuge from an increasingly claustrophobic life of family pressures and her own secrets. Then she meets Seth, a boy who shares a love of the desert and her yearning for a different kind of life. But Reiko and Seth both want something Sometimes a broken heart is all you need to set you free… Reiko loves the endless sky and electric colours of the Californian desert.

But Reiko and Seth both want something the other can't give them. As summer ends, things begin to fall apart. But the end of love can sometimes be the beginning of you Paperback , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Sep 18, Warda marked it as dnf.

DNF at page As did the writing for me. Her friendship with Seth just came out of nowhere and DNF at page And he seems to be pinning his well-being to her, almost. It was just there, lurking in the background and crept into the story just for the sake of it. As well as me being reluctant to pick it up.

View all 6 comments. May 21, Holly Bourne rated it it was amazing. It sends such a great message that true love starts from within. Not to be missed. Sep 07, Alice-Elizabeth marriedtobooks rated it liked it Shelves: This YA standalone contemporary romance novel caught my interest a while back, but sadly fell a little flat for me. The main character Reiko is Japanese-American and struggling to come to terms with her sister's death.

Walker Books - Only Love Can Break Your Heart

The storyline takes place over the course of a school year in California. Reiko is adventurous and decides to spend time with a fellow classmate called Seth. Their lives change over the course of the year, including applying to Colleges and friendship fall-outs. The pacing at time This YA standalone contemporary romance novel caught my interest a while back, but sadly fell a little flat for me. The pacing at times was a little slow, I disliked Seth as a character.

I found some of his actions towards Reiko to be quite toxic. The romance I also wasn't a huge fan of with one scene in particular quite uncomfortable for me to read. Aug 09, Bookread2day rated it it was amazing. I treasured every minute. My full review www. Apr 30, Femke booksfemme rated it it was amazing. Seriously you guys, this is one of my favourite books I've read so far this year. I've come to love the characters with a fierceness because of how achingly human they are.

And that is what makes this book so special, so relatable. The writing is beautiful, heartbreakingly beautiful.

It made me cry, it ma This book! It made me cry, it made me happy It was if I were right there. It made me storm through this book like a train. I could not put it down. Please read this when it releases. Mar 30, Lauren James rated it it was amazing Shelves: Katherine Webber is a master at capturing the subtle nuances of changing social interactions. I am in awe of her characterisations. Also, I now reaaaaally want to visit a desert.

Jul 12, Becky Blogs of a Bookaholic rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: This review was originally published on Blogs of a Bookaholic. Oh my god guys. It squidged and bruised and punched it, and then turned it into joy confetti. Thank you universe for putting this little miracle of a book in my path. The thing is, it looks like such a sweet little unassuming b This review was originally published on Blogs of a Bookaholic. Inside is hidden treasure folks, shiny awesome desert treasure. The writing is slick and smooth, and so unbelievably emotive.

While the world continues on, and her family seems to be coping, Reiko is unable to let go. Her every step and breath aches. She is so vulnerable and fragile, and when no one is looking, she still confides in the ghost of her dead sister. To cope, Reiko is determined to be the best she can be, she has to live her life for two people now.

She must keep her grades up and go to university because her sister is unable to; she must be popular and hang out with the right people, be seen at all the parties, date the cutest boys, and be prom queen — because her sister has been robbed, stolen too soon. She looks up at the stars and wonders at the beauty of nature. She rock climbs in the moonlight. In the desert, Reiko can be free and alone with her own thoughts.

No pressure, no persona to keep up. Why do we seek it? When is it real? When Reiko and Seth meet in the desert they seem to be kindred souls. Both feel lost and alone, both unable to be who they feel they want to be. When we fall in love or lust, do we fall for the actual person or for the idea of them? Or maybe because of how they make us feel? Also, what do you do when one person in the relationship has more power than the other?

There is also a really poignant scene on consent which was sensitively done, and made me automatically reward the author with 10 bonus points! I want to hang out with them because they are all kinds of ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate sauce on top. Overall, Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a stunningly emotionally charged tale of grief, family, strength and self-discovery with one of the most realistic romantic relationships I have ever read.