#bwws

Before We Were Strangers headers

I cannot recall the particular instance in which I conjured the idea for this wording. I do know I was editing the appearance of my YouTube channel. I also recall what I wanted to articulate in a few, catchy words that would, eventually, hopefully, catch on as a sort of slogan. Community, empathy, and most important of all, interconnectedness. These I do believe are some of the most, if not THE MOST, important factors in sustaining a society. I remember thinking of flag designs. In a sketchbook of mine, I have scribbled out a few meaningful designs for a flag, one that represents these seemingly, forgotten and mocked principals of humanity. The flags, their symbols and their color choices, are meant to represent the undeniable, and crucial connection all human beings have to one another, for being both social creatures--dependent in some way or another to each other, and for being inhabitants of this water planet (this is to acknowledge the often brushed off importance of our mother nature). For the blood---the significator of our humanity on both a physiological and spiritual level, and for the water---the water which by 70% makes up our composition and the water which our countries float upon, connecting us in a most literal sense, and too a significator of our humanity for our collective dependence on the natural resource. The comma just after 'water' in our slogan is very intentional, the sentence is not simply 'for the blood and for the water we share' as if to only emphasize the commonality we share in the literal sense of having both blood and water in common. No---pause just after you say water... For the Blood and for the Water...We Share. This sentence---although the first without it's comma is just as important---this sentence is to say, for the commonality of our humanity, we MUST share. In acknowledgement of our similar state of being human, I share with you---my time, resources, and empathy, just as I do my humanity, even without my realizing. Because we are both human and inhabitants of this earth, I will share with you, my friend. For the blood and for the Water, We Share.

***contains spoilers***

in the spirit of valentines day last month, the gals in the book club wanted to choose a romance novel - and i love a good theme! but i'd like to preface this review with the fact that i do not ever read romance novels. like ever. i find them far too cheesy and unrealistic. and before we were strangers by renee carlino is really no different.

quick synopsis

bwws follows and switches between the pov of two main characters: matt, who is a photography student, and grace, who is a music major/cello player. matt moves into the dorms at their school in the room next to grace, and they become fast friends. soon, they develop a romantic/sexual relationship, though they don't put any labels on it as matt is taking a photography gig with national geographic over the summer in africa. they lose contact during this time, many miscommunications ensue and they don't meet again until 15 years later.

my thoughts

it's so hard for me to enjoy a book when i don't like any of the characters, and i genuinely didn't like any of them in this book. they were so immature and went through almost no growth in the 15 years where they were apart. also, with a book like this, obviously the plot hinges on the miscommunications between the characters. but this one was so frustratingly easy to solve. and i hated a few bits that the author threw in for what i assume was supposed to be a "shock factor" but honestly just ended up being cliche.

rating: 1/5 ⭐️