Review: Teenage love
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2014
There are some heartfelt moments in Love's Intensity as teenagers Brad and Kressa meet and become involved in a romance that develops slowly over the course of this lengthy novel. Brad's father was in love long ago with Kressa's mother, but they were divided by class and ethnic differences (Kressa's family is from Mexico). When Kressa's family returns to the US to take up residence as servants in Brad's father's household, the scene is set for a second generation repeat of a seemingly doomed romance. Both sets of adults are opposed to the teens' romance, urging them to keep their physical relationship strictly chaste.Although there are things to admire in this story, there are also a few too many contrived moments. Kressa is targeted twice in the novel, at length, by vicious bullies who hassle, abuse and attempt to rape her. I didn't feel that I got to know or understand either of these characters. Brad's stepmother is also cruel and vindictive without clear motivation. I had more sympathy for Kressa's father, a more fully-realized character who is uncomfortable about being uprooted from his life in Mexico and disturbed by his daughter's adoption of American customs and values.The novel does a good job at exploring the concerns and emotions of teenagers as they are making the difficult transition to adulthood. It ends in a manner that suggests a continuation of the story, leaving some plot threads unresolved. Recommended for those who enjoy clean teenage romance.