Emery Lord

A compelling story of love, loss, and faith, as a teen struggles in the wake of her mother's cancer diagnosis.

The Names They Gave Us

From the acclaimed author of When We Collided comes a vibrant, compelling story of love, loss, faith, and friendship. Lucy Hansson was ready for a perfect summer with her boyfriend, working at her childhood Bible camp on the lake and spending quality time with her parents. But when her mom's cancer reappears, Lucy falters--in her faith and in her ability to cope. When her boyfriend "pauses" their relationship and her summer job switches to a different camp--one for troubled kids--Lucy isn't sure how much more she can handle. Attempting to accept a new normal, Lucy slowly regains footing among her vibrant, diverse coworkers, Sundays with her mom, and a crush on a fellow counselor. But when long-hidden family secrets emerge, can Lucy set aside her problems and discover what grace really means? Emotionally-charged and unforgettable, Emery Lord's storytelling shines with the promise of new love and true friendship, even in the face of life's biggest challenges.

Izza

5 stars | Wow, what a beautiful novel. I wasn't too sure about it at first. Religion is something that usually puts me off, but this was just incredible. The family love and friendship in this book are absolutely beautiful. I laughed, I cried happy and sad tears... I'm really happy I gave this a chance.

Emelie

Sven Test

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.
I read my first Emery Lord book in summer of 2015 and I fell hard for her writing and her characters (and the book cover). I don't know why I haven't read any of her other novels, even though I have them on my Kindle. It's safe to say that after reading The Names They Gave Us, I will be reading her other books, especially during this summer season!

[...] I hope for strength. Because as much as I want to be the one crying, I want to be the kind of person someone can hold onto.

Lucy cannot wait for summer. I mean, which teen doesn't, right? She can't wait to be a counselor at Bible camp, be near her family and boyfriend. What Lucy doesn't expect is for her mom's cancer to come back. When it does, Lucy's world stumbles. Lucy's mom wants Lucy to have a good summer so she tells her to go be a counselor at another camp nearby, a camp that is for kids who haven't had an easy life, either by experiencing loss, not having enough care at home, etc. Lucy is dead-set on not going and being with her mom, but her mom throws in the cancer card and tells her that it will make her happy so Lucy agrees to go. The camp isn't what Lucy thought it would be. She ended up making friends and caring for all of her little campers. What she didn't expect was to have so much in common with the campers, but she never shared the why until all of the secrets came to light.

Being a Christian believer, it caught my attention that this book had a religious aspect to it. I was expecting for the book to be degrading to Christians or maybe being overbearing with a load of Christian stuff, but it actually wasn't any of those! Emery Lord handled EVERYTHING with so much respect and grace. Even though Lucy is a pastor's daughter, when cancer hit her family, her faith started to stumble and she ended up having her own beliefs and questioning everything. I related to Lucy in that aspect. Sometimes I question everything when things don't go my way, but like Lucy, I'm learning to let go and let God handle my struggles. Honestly, this aspect was done brilliant and I don't think anybody would be offended by this topic.

And I want to be one of them. I want to be one of them so, so badly—to fit into this balance, their history, the wolf pack way of them.

Let's talk about the amazing group of friends that Lucy made at camp. Each character brought something unique to the story with their own personality. Not only that, they were all so inspiring! They are all dealing with a sad past—loss, anxiety, abuse—but they've learned to move on in healthy ways. It really served as a great way for Lucy to deal with her mom's cancer, even when they don't know it. I loved that they had nights where they would get together and share their highs and lows of their week. They would be extremely open and raw about their lows, which was something I really loved. It shows that they trusted one another to help or give advice on their struggles. And let's not forget about the cute friendship-to-romance between Lucy and Henry *insert a lot of heart eyes emojis*. I loved that Henry didn't fix Lucy and make her be okay with her mom's cancer. Not at all. He was simply there for her when she needed it and served as a guide and a true friend in her healing.

I totally loved the mom! I mean, she did put on a strong front for Lucy, which I wish she hadn't so we could see her be more vulnerable. But despite having cancer, she had a great humor. It was weird because she's throwing these cancer jokes that left me horrified but ended up laughing at just because of how she said them and how carefree she was about saying them.

The ending left me a tiny bit hanging. I guess I wanted a bigger resolution to everything than what I got, but that's just me. I love when a book gives me closure of everything and I felt like I needed closure in some areas. That's pretty much my only complain since I loved and adored everything about this book.

What I love of Emery Lord's writing is the fact that she manages to balance everything: swoon moments, funny moments, sad moments, family moments, friendship moments, etc. One never overshadows the other and each one has their own spotlight and it makes for a feel-good story that stays with you long after you read it. It truly is an emotional roller coaster, but it's a ride you won't want to get out of. The Names They Gave Us is a beautifully written story with flawed yet wonderful characters that warm your heart. It's such a lovely story that I couldn't get enough of.

I received an ARC from the publisher via mail for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Jae Young

It was riveting, game-changing in how I perceive YA reading, my little introduction to the genre. I started a little heavy but I really do think it has a powerful message.  

Mijs Franssen

*finished a little over midnight*

I have mixed feelings now.
I am teary-eyed as I am writing this because this book was very beautiful.) I didn’t like the ending, altough it seemed fitting for this character, it really bugs me, the way it ends. It doesn’t give closure to the other characters, just the protagonist…

I did not really like the romance aspect, but the rest of the book was done very well. In my eyes it doesn’t come close to when we collided, Emery Lord’s other book that I read but it was a beautiful story.

I didn’t relate much to the character on the aspect of her being very religious and it being mentioned a lot. I did decide to push through after reading the reviews and I am glad i did. I am sad however, that I didn’t enjoy this as much as most of the readers did.

Maybe when I re-read it sometime I might enjoy it more, but for now it’s a 3/3.5 stars for me.

Noah Warner

** spoiler alert **
           This is the type of book that does more for you the older you are… I remember reading it in middle school but it’s resonated with me so much more now, the characters, genuinely cute romance, the atmosphere, the struggle with faith, and even the ending just felt right! It really put a perspective on things for me in middle school, and now I’m starting to realize that this book aligns with more of my beliefs than I thought. Read this.

Amanda Kordeliski

Flavia Louise

4.75 stars
What a beautiful and heartbreaking and nice and funny book.
I think I am truly falling in love with Emery Lord’s writing with every book of hers I read.

Becky

When you read an Emery Lord book you know you're in for an excellent read and I cannot dispute the brilliance of this book. It is the perfect summer read even for those of us who didn't go to summer camp. It just brings up those feelings of summer and how so much seems to change and yet stay the same. 

I really like Lucy and how she was a character many can relate to. She has been the good girl her entire life and it's not exactly been a hardship for her. She's liked being good and respected by her parents so when her mother's cancer returns and her parents ask her to go to the hippy summer camp across the lake from their church one she feels hurt and angry and doesn't quite know what is happening in her life. She's struggling to come to terms with the fact she may lose her mother in this second battle with cancer and she's learning that everything she thought she knew may not be entirely true. It's a feeling many of us know and when you add in her struggle with her faith then you have an interesting read.

I really liked the religious element of the book. Lucy was in many ways far more naive than many teenagers as she hasnt had sex or gone to the usual raging high school parties but that made me like her more. Many people can relate to that, though. And the fact that she was struggling to reconcile her faith under the circumstances was great because religion isn't featured too often in books. Not in this way. I mean I'm not religious but I could relate to her struggles because the struggles of all teens figuring out who they are.

I think the reason I didn't rate this 5 stars is the fact that I kind of wanted more which sounds harsh, doesn't it? I just wanted and expected a few more realisations and the discoveries at the end were fantastic but I felt like they were rushed in and I'd figured out some of it already. I feel like they could have been revealed sooner and then they could have been explored more in depth and we could fully have seen how this affected Lucy's own choices

In the end, there can never be any doubt that I enjoyed it because I did and it was definitely a favourite but I feel liked it missed taking advantage of some of the plot points but that's just me.

Aleeya Metro

This was such a good book not because anything really happened (though lots did) but because of the way the author wrote it. If you read this book beware of tears lol because it made me cry. 

laura

I really was captured by this book from page one. I really did not think i would love a book so focused on religion but i really loved the main character and the whole cast of characters. This book handled so many topics including grief, and finding your own self and was a joy to read. It end was came so fast and I just wanted more info about everything. I def am still thinking about this book and these characters and is very powerful. I loved how this book focused so much on friendship and i will def read more by this author in the future.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

When it comes to Emery Lord, I don't even read the synopsis... I just know I want to read it. I've read every one of her books, and I've loved them all. She has this amazing ability to address very sensitive subjects in such a strong and respective manner. The Names They Gave Us was exactly that.

I have to admit that when I started reading, not knowing what this book was about, and I stumbled upon the fact that religion and cancer were going to be topics addressed in this story, I was a bit nervous. I often shy away from books with religion, and some cancer books are just a bit too much for me. But let me tell you, don't let the words "faith" or "cancer" scare you at all in this one! Though Lucy struggling with her faith and a loved once suffering with cancer are very prominent topics in this story, they were handled beautifully and shouldn't be a deal-breaker for those that usually shy away from those topics.

"For the first time in my life, I consider that I am being looked down on by no one, by nothing." 

In classic Emery style, there were highs, lows, and everything in between. So many swoony and outright adorable moments, mixed in with quite a few times where your feels will be hit hard. It's always a bit of an emotional roller-coaster with Emery's books, and that's one of the things I love most about her. This is definitely one I would recommend for your summer reading lists!

 


  


(Thanks to Bloomsbury & Storygram Tours for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

Manon van Heumen

This was an amazing story, and it hit close to home. I love how Lord writes about certain topics. I can recommend this literally to everyone.

Isabella Stocka

This book is really a good read to concentrate on the important things in life. The people we love.
Maybe it is because I was Lucy some years ago and had to go through ll the same fears, but this books is really one to sit down and cry along. Rethink your decisisions and maybe change something.
A beautiful story how important, sad, good nd unexpected life can be.

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.
I read my first Emery Lord book in summer of 2015 and I fell hard for her writing and her characters (and the book cover). I don't know why I haven't read any of her other novels, even though I have them on my Kindle. It's safe to say that after reading The Names They Gave Us, I will be reading her other books, especially during this summer season!


  [...] I hope for strength. Because as much as I want to be the one crying, I want to be the kind of person someone can hold onto.
  

Lucy cannot wait for summer. I mean, which teen doesn't, right? She can't wait to be a counselor at Bible camp, be near her family and boyfriend. What Lucy doesn't expect is for her mom's cancer to come back. When it does, Lucy's world stumbles. Lucy's mom wants Lucy to have a good summer so she tells her to go be a counselor at another camp nearby, a camp that is for kids who haven't had an easy life, either by experiencing loss, not having enough care at home, etc. Lucy is dead-set on not going and being with her mom, but her mom throws in the cancer card and tells her that it will make her happy so Lucy agrees to go. The camp isn't what Lucy thought it would be. She ended up making friends and caring for all of her little campers. What she didn't expect was to have so much in common with the campers, but she never shared the why until all of the secrets came to light.

Being a Christian believer, it caught my attention that this book had a religious aspect to it. I was expecting for the book to be degrading to Christians or maybe being overbearing with a load of Christian stuff, but it actually wasn't any of those! Emery Lord handled EVERYTHING with so much respect and grace. Even though Lucy is a pastor's daughter, when cancer hit her family, her faith started to stumble and she ended up having her own beliefs and questioning everything. I related to Lucy in that aspect. Sometimes I question everything when things don't go my way, but like Lucy, I'm learning to let go and let God handle my struggles. Honestly, this aspect was done brilliant and I don't think anybody would be offended by this topic.

And I want to be one of them. I want to be one of them so, so badly—to fit into this balance, their history, the wolf pack way of them.

Let's talk about the amazing group of friends that Lucy made at camp. Each character brought something unique to the story with their own personality. Not only that, they were all so inspiring! They are all dealing with a sad past—loss, anxiety, abuse—but they've learned to move on in healthy ways. It really served as a great way for Lucy to deal with her mom's cancer, even when they don't know it. I loved that they had nights where they would get together and share their highs and lows of their week. They would be extremely open and raw about their lows, which was something I really loved. It shows that they trusted one another to help or give advice on their struggles. And let's not forget about the cute friendship-to-romance between Lucy and Henry *insert a lot of heart eyes emojis*. I loved that Henry didn't fix Lucy and make her be okay with her mom's cancer. Not at all. He was simply there for her when she needed it and served as a guide and a true friend in her healing.

I totally loved the mom! I mean, she did put on a strong front for Lucy, which I wish she hadn't so we could see her be more vulnerable. But despite having cancer, she had a great humor. It was weird because she's throwing these cancer jokes that left me horrified but ended up laughing at just because of how she said them and how carefree she was about saying them.

The ending left me a tiny bit hanging. I guess I wanted a bigger resolution to everything than what I got, but that's just me. I love when a book gives me closure of everything and I felt like I needed closure in some areas. That's pretty much my only complain since I loved and adored everything about this book.

What I love of Emery Lord's writing is the fact that she manages to balance everything: swoon moments, funny moments, sad moments, family moments, friendship moments, etc. One never overshadows the other and each one has their own spotlight and it makes for a feel-good story that stays with you long after you read it. It truly is an emotional roller coaster, but it's a ride you won't want to get out of. The Names They Gave Us is a beautifully written story with flawed yet wonderful characters that warm your heart. It's such a lovely story that I couldn't get enough of.

I received an ARC from the publisher via mail for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.