amarisafloria

Older YA ❋ Both character-driven and plot-driven ❋ Hard-hitting

After finding her sister Audrey and boyfriend Mike hooking up at a party, 17-year-old Harley Langston leaves in anger. The two chase after her, with Mike driving drunk, and Audrey ends up in a coma due to a car accident. As Harley pushes Mike to confront his drinking problem, a childhood friend—who also happens to be her neighbor—recovering from addiction comes back into her life.

Content warning: Alcoholism, cheating, drug/substance abuse and addiction

This is an emotional story about the effects of alcoholism and substance abuse. What I found interesting is that we're following a character who isn't dealing with these issues herself, but it's the people she's close to that are struggling with it. I think that's a powerful point-of-view to read from, because it allows us to see things from a different perspective and challenges us to understand and empathize with those who are in these situations. In addition, this is also a story about sisters healing their relationship. There's more to it than just the "cheating," and I like how that was explored.

Younger YA ❋ Character-driven ❋ Light-hearted

 

I'm always hesitant to recommend a "slow" book, but I think it's appropriate for this type of story. The focus is on Tessa's struggle with imposter syndrome, and that's not something that anyone quickly gets over. Being surrounded by other people who also love to write and having to share her work out loud? That’s a scary thing, and I like how we see it play out in the way Tessa interacts with her family, friends, and even the kind boy next door.

Younger YA ❋ Plot-driven ❋ Hard-hitting

Claire, who comes from a well-off family in Shanghai, is sent to Los Angeles by herself for better schooling. While this new school boasts of their international students program, it's revealed that Claire is treated unjustly by both students and teachers alike. The family she lives with also has a daughter, Dani, who attends this school on scholarship. Dani and her mom don't have much, so she's hoping that standing out on the debate team will earn her a ride to college. When the coach offers her private help, it's hard to say no—but things get messy when he begins making passes at her and ignores her requests to stop. Although Claire and Dani are part of two different worlds, they learn to help each other.

Content warning: Predatory behavior by an adult, racism, rape, sexual assault and harassment

Why you should read Parachutes:
Parachutes has been compared to Gossip Girl by the publisher and I can see that, but only regarding the high level of drama. I think that's what makes this book equally consumable and quick to read, but there's so much more to the story than what's on the surface. Kelly Yang tackles a ton of things that teens may encounter—unwanted attention from teachers, mistreatment from peers for being from a different country, the struggle to fit in, unrequited crushes, etc.—and does so in such a straight-forward way. Keep in mind that this book was written for teens, so it may not be incredibly nuanced. It's still a great conversation starter, and something I wish I could've read when I was in high school.

I bring up this book quite often, but for good reason! The Start of Me and You is always my go-to recommendation because it's a comfort story. Emery Lord captures friendship so well, including all its flaws, but ultimately highlights how precious it is to be surrounded by people who care for and support us no matter what we do or what we're going through. We also get a really sweet love interest, and family members who are involved. If I could only describe this book in one word, it would be WHOLESOME.

Due to unfortunate circumstances, estranged sisters Jayne and June are forced back together again in a city away from home. While June is the one dealing with cancer, Jayne is also hiding away her own issues. This slice-of-life story is a real look into sisterhood—flaws and all—as well as how messy life can be.

Content warning: Body dysmorphia, eating disorders, mental illness (anxiety and depression), uterine cancer

Why you should read A Heart in a Body in the World:
(Disclaimer: This section will include light spoilers.) A Heart in a Body in the World is an incredibly heavy and heart-breaking book, but also hopeful. There isn't a lot going on in terms of action—we're basically following Annebelle as she runs from place to place—but bits and pieces of the past are slowly revealed until it all comes crashing together. Deb Caletti did an incredible job with the nuances of toxic masculinity and how it's not always blatantly obvious. What starts off seemingly uncomfortable but "harmless" can snowball into something terrifying and uncontrollable. Annabelle's experience is, unfortunately, not uncommon, so I really believe this should be required reading.

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway ❋ With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Adult Fiction // Categories: Contemporary, Romance

Release Date: May 11, 2021

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin Random House)

Format: e-ARC • 384 pages

Rating: 4 stars

While reading, I realized this book is made up of two things I rank low on my "enjoyment" list. 1) The friends-to-lovers trope, which I don't tend to like because I cannot imagine not being emotionally attached to someone I get close to, and 2) switching between the past and present, because I always prefer one over the other. But with PWMOV, it worked out—and unsurprisingly so because I love Emily Henry's stories, no matter how they're written.

Told from Poppy's perspective, we follow her and Alex as they meet up every summer in a new vacation location. They became best friends in college but since then, Alex moved back to their shared hometown in Ohio, while Poppy works in New York as the travel editor for a magazine. (This is why they're able to go on bougie trips.) Quite a mismatched pair—Poppy is spontaneous and a quirky go-getter, while Alex is reserved and quite particular about many things—but it's worked out well for them, at least up until two summers ago. They haven't spoken since, but Poppy is willing to do whatever it takes to mend their friendship, so she invites Alex on one last "job-sponsored" vacation.

Alex was such an interesting love interest. Very different from what we normally get in romance novels (aka, "overly confident and sexy"). Alex is quiet and would probably blend in among a crowd of people, but that's precisely why I liked him so much. I do have to say, it was a weird reading experience for me because I know two different people named Alex and it was hard not to imagine them as this character BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO 😂 I do feel like that impacted my experience, but that's a personal problem lol. If he was named anything else, I 100% would've fallen in love with him!!!

Like in Emily Henry's first adult rom-com, Beach Read, she delivers on the banter and laugh-out-loud moments. A little different this time with less flirty moments, since Alex and Poppy are friends (or adamantly working on it), but I still loved their conversations and how they dealt with all the unfortunate circumstances (i.e., staying in a Palm Springs rental with no AC 😭) There isn't as many sexy times compared to Beach Read (which I was completely fine with!) but it is just as emotional. Even me, with my cold heart, teared up at the ending 🥲

My only complaint (a small one) is how the story is reliant on the fact that Poppy and Alex hold back on expressing how they feel about each other. There are a couple of "oh, he probably doesn't feel the same way for me so I should let him go" moments from Poppy, but it didn't bother me that much because the reasons they avoided addressing it are explained well.

Okay, I'm curious—how do you feel about authors using names of people you know in real life for their love interests? Does it affect your enjoyment?