Blog Tour | The How & The Why by Cynthia Hand

A heart-wrenching story about family, identity and adoption. This story will grip your heart and make you cry. Keep reading to see my thoughts on The How & the Why.

Title: The How & the Why

Author: Cynthia Hand

Age: Young Adult

Genres: Contemporary

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Hardcover

Purchase: Hardcover | Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Play Store | iBooks | Book Depository 

Synopsis: 
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.

My Rating: 

My Thoughts:
If you do not want a book that will make you cry tears then do not pick up this book. This book is real and heartwarming that you will cry with each turn the page. A YA contemporary that sheds light on adoption and the heart of a teen wanting to know her origin. Cynthia Hand did a phenomenal job at writing this beautiful dual timeline story.

The story follows Cassandra as she has now turned 18 years old. She was adopted as a newborn by loving parents and knows the story of her coming to them. She, however, does not know the story of her birth mother. She goes on a journey to learn more about her mother and as she crosses paths with different people she begins to learn more than she ever thought.

With the present timeline being in play we get chapters in between of the past in which Cassandra's birth mother is writing letters while she was pregnant at 16 years old. The letters are filled with life experiences, personal thoughts and hopes from Cassandra's birth mother. They make you laugh and cry at the different things she writes.

I loved the way this story was heavy on relationships between family and friends. There are many ups and downs, but Cynthia shows these bonds without all the negatives that we normally see in them. I love the way she shows real life problems while still keeping it clean.

Each character was an asset to the story and to Cassandra's growth and understanding of herself. I loved that ending!!!! Oh my, it was amazing to see and I wanted more.

I definitely recommend this.

About the Author
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 novel THE HOW AND THE WHY (Fall 2019). 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 a husband who's addicted to typewriters, two kids, two cats, one crazy dog, and a entourage of imaginary friends.


Giveaway
♥ Ends on November 25, 2019
♥ Giveaway is open to International.
♥ Must be 13+ to Enter
♥ 3 Winners will receive a Copy of THE HOW & THE WHY by Cynthia Hand.

This blog tour is hosted by the awesome JeanBookNerd!!