This month I read Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch.
This book is about a girl named Carolina who goes to live with her dad, Howard, in Florence, Italy. Lina and her dad live on a World War II cemetery. She goes to parties and visits famous statues with her new friends. Her dad’s friend, Sonia, gives her a journal that belonged to her mom when she was pregnant with Lina. She goes on an adventure with her friend, Lorenzo, to figure out why she left Florence and Howard to live in Seattle with her mom.
There are many reasons why I think this book is good. One reason is the shocking twists and dramatic relationships Lina creates. For example, in the beginning Lina thinks living with Howard is only for a couple of months, but overtime she realizes how much she means to him and wonders what her mom was so afraid of all this time. Another reason why I like this book is because of how determined Lina is. When she builds up the courage to actually read the journal, she believes that her mom is hiding someone from her, so Lina invites Lorenzo on this crazy adventure to figure out who it is. One last reason why is because of how detailed her descriptions are. When Howard brings Lina to his favorite pizza place the description of the pizza makes my mouth water.
My favorite character from the book is Lina. Lina is my favorite because she is confident. One quote to prove she is confident is “I couldn’t let you beat me. It’s my competitive nature.” Lina’s faith in herself and her belief that she can accomplish anything she wants to is something I admire. She has been through a lot in her life, such as losing her mom, growing up without her dad, and losing her best friend. After everything she stays positive and perseveres.
My favorite quote from this book is ‘Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.’ This quote is meaningful to me because it reminds me that once something ends it doesn’t mean it will never come back. People often give up on things they aren’t hopeful about but when people keep their hope then there is a chance for a new beginning. There can be false hope but at least it is still hope.
