I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The How and the Why
by Cynthia Hand
Published by HarperTeen on November 5, 2019
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 464
Format: Hardcover
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A poignant exploration of family and the ties that bind, perfect for fans of Far From the Tree, from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.
Today Melly had us writing letters to our babies…
Cassandra McMurtrey has the best parents a girl could ask for. They’ve given Cass a life she wouldn’t trade for the world. She has everything she needs—except maybe the one thing she wants. Like, to know who she is. Where she came from. Questions her adoptive parents can’t answer, no matter how much they love her.
But eighteen years ago, someone wrote Cass a series of letters. And they may just hold the answers Cass has been searching for.
Alternating between Cass’s search for answers and letters from the pregnant teen who gave her up for adoption, this voice-driven narrative is the perfect read for fans of Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson.
The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand is a story about how an adopted daughter finds her birth mom.
Will Cassandra get the answers that she is seeking?
Cassandra McMurtrey
Cassandra, aka Cass, McMurtrey, is the main character who has had a lot of things happen to her. She has wonderful parents and friends that are there for her when she needs them. Cass loves theatre and loves to act. There are a lot of things that are happening that I don’t want to spoil. I love Cass and how she is as a person. Cass does a lot of things and finds out a lot from the time she turned eighteen to a year later when she’s nineteen. She is a sort of typical teenager, and I can see her and me as friends.
S
We only learn of S and about her situation in letters that she wrote for Cass. Cass doesn’t get these letters until she’s eighteen, but we learn a lot about them. I feel for S and her situation, along with how her relatives deal with her. S is a great character and the perfect sarcastic teenage pregnant girl who knows what she wanted to do once she found out that she is pregnant. I like this character as well.
Five Stars
The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand is a remarkable story that I wasn’t sure if I would like. However, I loved this story and how Ms. Hand wrote this story. Ms. Hand did a fabulous job, and she just got a new fan in me.
I am giving this story a rating of five stars and recommending it to everyone.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
About Cynthia Hand
Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE and MY PLAIN JANE (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, and the upcoming novels THE HOW AND THE WHY and MY CALAMITY JANE (also with Ashton and Meadows). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two cats, one crazy dog, two kids, and a mountain of books.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge
- 2019 New Release Challenge
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