The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord

Title: The Names They Gave Us
Author: Emery Lord
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: Bloomsbury/Raincoast Books
Release Date: May 16, 2017
Buy: Amazon|Chapters Indigo| Kobo
*ARC was provided by Raincoast Books for honest review*

Summary (Goodreads)
When it all falls apart, who can you believe in?

Everything is going right for Lucy Hansson, until her mom’s cancer reappears. Just like that, Lucy breaks with all the constants in her life: her do-good boyfriend, her steady faith, even her longtime summer church camp job.

Instead, Lucy lands at a camp for kids who have been through tough times. As a counselor, Lucy is in over her head and longs to be with her parents across the lake. But that’s before she gets to know her coworkers, who are as loving and unafraid as she so desperately wants to be.

It’s not just new friends that Lucy discovers at camp—more than one old secret is revealed along the way. In fact, maybe there’s much more to her family and her faith than Lucy ever realized. 

Review: 

There are no words about how deep and moving The Names They Gave Us is. I connected with Lucy as a character who also had a parent who has dealt with cancer. It did really make you feel what she was feeling when you are reading the book. Emery Lord is an amazing writer who knows how to engage her readers and this is no different than her past books. She depicted each relationship that Lucy engaged in and made it more special. Also the importance of family. You will definitely want tissues after reading it.

I absolutely love this cover! It plays a key component in the book. Its eye catching! Lucy is the daughter of a Pastor and faith play a part in her life. But then her mother's cancer returns and now Lucy is on her own path. Even a pause relationship with her boyfriend. Eventually, she finds her own voice at a new camp her mother suggests and connecting with a diverse group. The romance between her and Henry was adorable from the beginning. I also loved the strong connection with her mother that it made you cry even more of what she is going through.

The Names They Gave Us is book to definitely pick up. Until the very last page I was emotional and I felt that it could've been more! Reading this book made my heart full and made me think of my father. Even through the smile and tears I was happy by the end. Emery Lord is definitely an auto-buy author for me so I will be anticipating her next book!

5/5