Review: But I Love Him

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace

Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: May 8th 2011
Pages: 245
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Genre: Relationships, Contemporary
Goodreads
Cover Picture Location

Ann was a smiling straight-A student and track star. But after she meets Connor, it all changes. She surrenders everything to be with him, and by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high-wire act. One mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything--and everyone--in its path.

This is a completely heartbreaking story of a girl who is in an abusive relationship with a boy who grew up with an abusive father. I quickly became sucked into this story by how incredibly informing and life like it seemed. Amanda Grace's writing in the story seems so utterly life like that I wanted to jump into the story and to help poor Ann and set everything right.

Before I read this story I didn't know much about abusive relationships outside of what is taught it schools and told on the new. With everything I knew before reading this story I really didn't understand why a victim would continue a relation ship with an abusive partner, but after reading this story it really makes a bystander understand and know that the victim really thinks that they should stay for many reasons, some just boiling down to thinking that the abuser can change.

This story is told backwards- from the conclusion to when Ann and Connor meet. At fist this might not seem all that appealing, but the story really wouldn't be that powerful if it wasn't written in this way. From the beginning you see the abusive side of Connor and then slowly you begin to understand why Ann was with him in the first place.

This is a must read for every reader.