The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Genre: Contemporary

Release Date: 1/1/11

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About the Book: When June and Wes first meet, Wes thinks June looks like a fish girl. June thinks Wes is weird. June starts to date Wes's friend Jerry, but she's not really interested in him. June and Wes start to spend time together and they realize that a romance might be developing. But then June's Dad gets another new job and they have to move. Will June and Wes stay together and can first love really last?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Thank you Pete Hautman for writing a fantastic look at contemporary romance and first love! No vampires, no love triangles, no major family drama or issue driven plots. This is just a contemporary love story about meeting someone, falling in love, falling out of love, and wondering where it all leads.

Pete Hautman evokes the feelings of first love so perfectly. How at first June and Wes aren't sure about each other, then they want to spend time together, then they can't live with out each other. The ups and downs of teen relationships are played out throughout the course of the year that the book takes place. It's not a fairy tale and it's not a perfect romance, but it's realistic.

I've seen it compared to When Harry Met Sally and in some ways I can see that. The book advertises itself as a book that's not a romance yet is romantic and I think that describes it perfectly. This isn't a love at first sight with lots of swooning and sweeping romance. Instead this is a romantic story about two teens who eventually collide into each other's lives and figuring out what exactly they mean to each and how to make their relationship work.

I would have liked a few more things fleshed out a bit more, like Wes and June's relationship first taking off which seemed a bit sudden to me. And after they're together awhile, they're debating on if and when they should have sex, but that seemed a little out of place because it's mentioned here and there and then forgotten. But maybe that adds a more realistic feel to it because they don't have everything figured out and they are navigating things together. It's not tied up in a pretty bow either, which I really enjoyed.

Overall it's a great read and great for anyone looking for a break from the paranormal romances and instead looking for a good romantic story.

Book Pairings: The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott, An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Forever by Judy Blume