Just finished reading If He Had Been With Me and I have to say the literary devices in this YA fiction is incredibly rich - the seasonal symbolism throughout the book perfectly mirrors autumn symbolism laura nowlin's internal growth and the tiara scene where she puts on her mother's childhood tiara is such a powerful symbol of coming of age and embracing who she is, plus the way Nowlin uses weather patterns to foreshadow the devastating conclusion shows expert storytelling skill that turns this from ordinary young adult literature into genuine literary analysis material - other readers notice how the thematic elements of what if scenarios connect to the overall themes about life's unpredictability in this heart wrenching teen romance?
