Common Sense Media Review
By Rachel Sarah
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet contemporary romance about finding yourself.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 kid reviews
Kids say this book is a delightful and clean romance that captivates readers with its fun characters and engaging storyline. Many fans of the author appreciate the sweet, relatable nature of the plot, although some express confusion over character motivations and age representation.
- clean romance
- engaging storyline
- relatable characters
- emotional themes
- age appropriateness
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
LOVE, LIFE, AND THE LIST opens with 17-year-old Abby Turner in the middle of a disappointing summer. She's in love with her best friend, Cooper, who apparently doesn't feel the same way. Abby and Cooper's two best friends are away for the summer, so they're spending a lot of time alone together, while Abby's feelings grow stronger. In the meantime, her mother's anxiety is getting worse (it appears to be agoraphobia, or fear of going outside), and her father's in the Middle East stationed with the military. When Abby gets rejected from an art show because her work "has no heart," she's devastated. Along the way, she realizes that she can't change her art if she's not willing to change herself first.
Is It Any Good?
Some parents will like how tame this story is (no swearing, no sex), and teens will like the protagonist's quick self-deprecation. The scenes are quite light at times with low stakes, so this is definitely a fast and fun read. The best part is seeing Abby's growth as an artist and her process of working through her creative blocks. The love interest, Cooper, sometimes comes across as clueless, but in the end, Abby's sense of humor carries the novel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the romance is portrayed in Love, Life, and the List. Does it seem realistic and relatable? Do young adult romance novels help readers sort out their feelings and learn how to communicate, or do they create false expectations about teen relationships?
What would it be like to grow up with a parent who's mostly absent, like Abby's father who's in the military and stationed in the Middle East?
Have you ever wanted something badly but didn't get it? How did you handle the disappointment?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Adventures , Arts , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperTeen
- Publication date : December 26, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 16
- Number of pages : 384
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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