Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jul 2022
368 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
The swoon of Nicola Yoon meets the emotional punch of Elizabeth Acevedo in this breakout debut novel that answers big questions about identity, family, and love.
High school junior Michie is struggling to define who she is for her scholarship essays, her big shot at making it into Brown as a first-generation college student. The prompts would be hard for anyone, but Michie's been estranged from her mother since she was seven and her concept of family has long felt murky.
Enter new kid and basketball superstar Derek de la Rosa. He is very cute, very talented, and very much has his eye on Michie, no matter how invisible she believes herself to be. When Michie's mother unexpectedly reaches out to make amends, and with her scholarship deadlines looming, Michie must choose whether to reopen old wounds or close the door on her past. And as she spends more time with Derek, she'll have to decide how much of her heart she is willing to share. Because while Michie may not know who she is, she's starting to realize who she wants to become, if only she can take a chance on Derek, on herself, and on her future.
"Black 17-year-old Michelle Cooper, who was born of sexual assault, struggles with her self-worth in the lead-up to adulthood in Clarke's emotionally layered debut...Michie's encouraging support systems, healthy relationship with therapy, and heart-wrenching journey toward self-acceptance depicts a story overflowing with kindness and healing." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Michie's grief, self-hatred, and feelings of not being enough are presented in ways that show readers the full facets of her emotions and allow them to empathize with and relate to what she's going through. The inclusion of her mom's perspective, while short, is well written and reveals her to be not Michie's antagonist but a complicated person in her own right...A compelling mix of romance and raw emotion." - Kirkus Reviews
"Come for the sweet-as-sugar romance; stay for the gorgeous prose, nuanced characters, and a deeply satisfying read. Believe me: you want this charming, beautiful story to warm and fill your heart." - Ashley Woodfolk, author of Nothing Burns as Bright as You
"A moving reminder to love—and allow ourselves to be loved—without measure." - Daniel Aleman, author of Indivisible
"Lane Clarke's one-of-a-kind voice had me hooked from the very first page...This book is truly something special." - Elise Bryant, author of Happily Ever After
This information about Love Times Infinity was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Lane Clarke lives in Northern Virginia and practices law in Washington D.C. Love Times Infinity is her debut novel.
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