Review: Ethan by Ryan Loveless

Carter Stevenson is looking forward to a fresh start in a new high school on the other side of the country. It’ll give him a chance to escape his reputation for twitching and stuttering. He’ll have the summer to himself in his new home in California, and in the fall, he won’t get involved in any activity that puts his Tourette’s center stage. He won’t stand out as different.

But his new neighbor, Ethan, isn’t just going to change his plans. He’s going to change Carter’s life.

Ethan Hart is recovering from a traumatic brain injury, but it doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm or love for life. As soon as he sees Carter, who moves like the music Ethan sees between the clouds and the grass, he’s determined to become his friend, and then his boyfriend. And even if his parents say their romance can’t get physical, Ethan won’t let it stand in the way of falling in love.

Stepping into the spotlight was the last thing Carter ever wanted, but Ethan, along with a group of friends who like him just the way he is—tics and all—starts to change his mind.

Adapted as a YA edition of the award-winning novel Ethan, Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless. 

Ethan is a YA take on Ryan Loveless' novel Ethan, Who Loved Carter. It is pretty much the same with the exception of the MC's ages, and I admit I thoroughly enjoyed both versions of this novel, possibly enjoying this version a tad more than the original. 

I enjoy characters who are not mainstream carbon copies of every other character out there. Carter has Tourette's syndrome and is conscious of his tics. Ethan on the other hand is confident despite his brain injury. I loved him. I loved that he was accepted and had a wide group of loyal friends. It made a change form the concept of jock or nerd or boy-next-door. He was happy in his own skin, even though he does wonder sometimes what he would have been like had he not been injured and carried on the way he used to be. 

I found both families in this book utterly likeable. Accepting and understanding  for the most part, especially the parents. Ethan's brother loved Ethan but we were allowed to see him when he struggled with Ethan's limitations and his less than conventional approach to life. This is real. We can love someone but find the impact they have on our lives difficult at times. Accepting and understanding and learning to deal with this is a valuable lesson. 

This story is thoughtful and well written and I am so glad I have had the pleasure of reading it. There was only one part that I didn't feel crossed from the first novel to this so well, and that is when circumstances meant Carter was left 'looking after' Ethan when his parents had to go away. It didn't work for me. It put their relationship in an uneven position, at this point (and only at this point) did it feel like Carter was in a position of trusted responsibility towards Ethan, which then made the relationship feel a little uncomfortable. I'm not sure I've worded that all correctly, but i hope my meaning is understood.

All in all I highly recommend both these reads, and for those people who have reads Ethan, who loved Carter, I would say read this too, it is a great way to re-look at their relationship.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

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