While the book is so much better than the movie, Savages has held a special place in my heart from the first day I read it. While I was furious with the movie's ridiculously awful theatrical happily-ever-after ending, the book does the story pure justice. Don Winslow stays true to his characters; to the ending, the life, and the love they embodied and deserved. There’s a lot to be admired in Ben, Chon, and O’s love story. If I need something to cheer me up after a good cry, I will let the movie ending play out, but when I want a reminder of that real, raw, savage love, I'll turn to the words. I found genuine values within Ben, Chon, and O's bond that I don’t see in traditional relationships today. Here’s 10 reasons to love like savages.

1. They never understate the importance of a mental, spiritual, and physical connection.

There's enough passion in their relationship to make a nympho look like a nun. These three people connect on a level so deep it is incomprehensible to others.

2. Their love is full of lazy happiness and laughter.

They enjoy each other. There's no rush, no pressure, and plenty of time to poke fun at each other. Even with a dangerous drug cartel closing in, Ben, Chon, and O take time to relax and connect with one another.

3. Their love is peaceful.

No matter where they are in the world, they know they are blessed with one another, and they are completely at peace with themselves and their place within it.

4. It is protecting.

When sh*t hits the fan, they are ready to protect one another from harm. There's no hesitation. They will drop everything for each other at the first sign of trouble.

5. And understanding.

They are willing to forgive one another, to lean on each other, and to balance the other's crazy when things get out of hand.

6. They love generously and completely.

Whether it's a beer or an orgasm, they're willing to share. They give themselves to one another and expect nothing in return, and that's beautiful.

7. They are uncompromising in their love.

There is no other way than their own. Their love is the one they have created, and they will not compromise its integrity for a half-@ssed threat to its existence. It is too bold for that.

8. Their love is an unconscious, chemical reaction.

It's a visceral, deep-in-your-gut pull to one another. There's something so deep, so strong, that it is ingrained in the very essence of every fiber of their being, in the chemical make-up of their bodies. It sustains something as integral as fighting for the other's life, to initiating something as simple as a caress.

9. Their love makes the ultimate sacrifice, even if it is absolutely terrifying.

They will actually die for each other. They will kill themselves or others, rather than be apart. To lose one of them is to lose everything.

10. Much like the world, their love has a way of changing you at the core, and you’ll never be the same.

Once you've loved like savages, there is no other state of being. You will not settle, for the rest of your life, for anything less.

If there is anything I’ve learned from Ben, Chon, and O’s beautifully bizarre love story, it’s that loving like savages-- truly holding nothing back-- is the only way you find yourself in another person. Anything less is a disservice to yourself, your partner, and your souls. Love-- raw and real-- is savage: primitive and uncivilized.