The Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan

A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entriesbasis, n. There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself. If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face. How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves?


There is something subtly sweet about The Lovers Dictionary. This is David Levithan’s first adult book and I think he did a nice job writing it. The book had the same essence as his Young Adult books. Each line is fluid and concise to the point of it feeling like you’re reading a long piece of poetry. Every few lines I had to stop and process what I had just read, because of how much was said in just a few words.
Despite popular belief, I don’t just love The Lovers Dictionary because David Levithan is my favorite author. It has it’s flaws. I didn’t like how the book was so cryptic. Throughout this whole piece of literature, you don’t know the main characters names or genders (I don’t think it tell you the gender). For some people this may add to the appeal of the book, but I’m one of those people who like to know quite a bit of information when I’m reading.
I loved the format The Lovers Dictionary because it was so original. I have never before seen a book that is written through dictionary entries which made this very refreshing. I highly recommend this book to fans of love and Mr. Levithan!

FTC- Bought.