The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt

Title: The Distance From A to Z
Author: Natalie Blitt
Length: 316 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (Epic Reads Impulse)
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: January 12, 2016
Source: e-book
Read: January 2016

This full-length novel by debut author Natalie Blitt is a pitch-perfect blend of Stephanie Perkins and Miranda Kenneally that proves the age-old adage: opposites attract.
Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.
That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.
But Zeke in French is a different person than Zeke in English. And Abby can’t help but fall for him, hard. As Abby begins to suspect that Zeke is hiding something, she has to decide if bridging the gap between the distance between who she is and who he is, is worth the risk. 

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I have been excited for The Distance From A to Z since I saw it on a 2016 Debut Author list and looked it up. Not only is it recommended for fans of Stephanie Perkins (love!) but the synopsis sounded like something I would love to read. I started reading The Distance From A to Z before going to bed (pretty much as soon as it was sent to my Kindle from pre-ordering it). I thought to myself, "I'll just read a couple chapters and pick it back up tomorrow". A couple hours later it was 3 am and I was like 85% done with the book. I had to force myself to put it down and sleep. (I really did consider staying up the extra 20 to 30 minutes to finish, but I was so sleepy. The first thing I did the next morning was reading the rest of the book. 

I loved this book. It was cute and very entertaining. I was instantly pulled into the book and didn't want to stop reading. And when I finished reading it, I wanted more. The Distance From A to Z is a wonderful debut, it has the perfect amount of cuteness, drama, and swoon. The story and characters made me smile and laugh.  The story line is interesting and has a good pace. I also really like the added French mixed into the story, it is a good balance. Plus, there is a baseball element to the story. I grew up watching and going to baseball games. So I enjoyed all the little baseball parts and was able to connect with that aspect of the story. 

The characters are awesome! I think all of the main characters are well-developed. I really loved all the characters and their interactions in the book. 

Abby is a driven  and determined character. She knows what she wants and will work hard to achieve her goal. I love her passion for all things French. She also has her flaws, like being judgmental. Which makes her a realistic and well-developed character. 

I loved her friendship with Alice and how it evolved throughout the story. Alice and Abby hit it off right away and have a lot of things in common. It was a lot of fun seeing their friendship blossom. They have ups and downs and wonderful friendship moments. Definitely one of my favorite things about this story is their friendship.

I also loved Zeke. He is a bit of a mysterious character. I like that they are opposites and were able to connect through their French class. It is pretty clear that there is something else going on in his life and I was left wondering what it was. I love that the romance aspect wasn't rushed and grew over time. I think Zeke is sweet and definitely a swoon-worthy character. 

My Recommendation:

READ IT! I loved the story and the characters. It is a great contemporary romance. It has the right amount of cuteness, drama, and swoon. I couldn't get enough. I definitely recommend reading The Distance From A to Z if you like cute young adult romances and/or a fan of Stephanie Perkins. I am so glad I read this book and I can't wait to read what Natalie Blitt writes next!

My Rating: