In Love Wars: Clash of the Parents, I liked the inclusion of the images in the chapters as I felt like the black and white images helped me to get a visual of the people and events as they happened from Matthew’s perspective. Right in chapter one when the parents are fighting over whose turn it was to have Matthew that night, the picture shows the parents as large figures and Matthew as a small figure with his parents pulling on his arms.  The facial expression on young Matthew’s face truly captures the emotion he’s feeling as his parents fight over him as if he was a rag doll. 

 I appreciated the fact that the author included his age, grade, and the year for which each chapter focused on under the chapter title. This helped me to better understand Matthew’s emotional state as I was able to know his age and grade during each chapter, which really drove home the emotions this young child was feeling while stuck between two fighting parents. 

The author did an amazing job of capturing the emotions and thoughts he experienced as a young child dealing with fighting parents. I could not help but love the parts that focused on how the family was before the fighting started and hate what his parents were putting him through with their fighting. His first success at stopping his parents from fighting in front of him by yelling for them to go to their room and how he pictured himself as a Jedi capable of using mind tricks was adorable. I have to say I really came to hate his parents, especially the mother for how much she badmouthed his father in front of him all the while demanding Matthew to listen to her. I felt like I could truly understand what Matthew felt in these moments, and I felt like it gave me a better insight into what children feel when their parents fight or divorce each other. 

Overall, I am glad I decided to read this book as it has given me a true view into what children in splitting households feel and experience. I enjoyed seeing young Matthew develop throughout the chapters as he aged and grew into himself.