e-ARC, 304 pages
Release Date: August 21, 2018Published by: Swoon Reads
Read from: August 21-August 26, 2018Stand-aloneSource: Netgalley (I received a copy of this book from the Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW: Eating Disorders
For fans of: Romance, Realistic Fiction, LOL, Body Positivity, Contemporary Romance, YASavannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she’ll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn’t count on is that her mother’s obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy’s mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats.
Between her mom’s diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.
*MY THOUGHTS* (Small spoilers!)
This book is another testament that sometimes you can indeed judge a book by its cover. When I saw the cover of this one, I just KNEW I would love it. And of course I did. From the characters to the romance, this was just my type of book.
“You can’t quite explain the comfort of knowing your sister is close by.”1%
Savannah has just dropped off her big sister in college and is starting a life with just her weight loss addicted mother, all in time for her senior year. But then she meets her best friend’s cousin, George, and things instantly get more interesting. As they grow closer, both Savannah learns more about herself and what makes her happy.
“Calming down from a panic attack felt like you had run a marathon. When your body freaks itself out so thoroughly that adrenaline pumps through you and all your muscles become tight at the same time, it can seriously kick your ass.”10%
One of my favorite things about this book was Savannah. She had such a great attitude towards everything that was happening and I was impressed. At 17 I don’t think I would have been able to handle all of that happening while still juggling school, my sister leaving, and everything else. This book solidifies my thoughts that teens are some of the strongest people because they deal with so much more than what people think.
“Every family has stuff.”45%
I also liked the way the author handled the fat and anxiety rep. The anxiety attack depicted was enough for me to put the book down for a bit because I felt the realness and rawness of it. I was not expecting have that much of a connection with Savannah and her character. And the fat rep was definitely something I felt. Not really as a teen, but those ideas are still valid now that I’m an adult. It was also interesting to finally see a book that showed a parent with the eating disorder and how being your true self and being who you are is so much more healthy than not. I’m not sure I’ve read anything like that yet and it was definitely a nice surprise.
“Oh no, I’m a big fan of meatballs,” I said. Hannah started snickering from her phone, and George sent her a warning look.”48%
The one thing I didn’t care for, was the story. I loved that Savannah was a journalist and I loved that she found her own way instead of following Ashley throughout the story. I would’ve liked to see what college she picked and more about her journalism career depicted. I also would have loved to see more of the things that happened with her mom afterwards. Had that been more shown in the book I think I would have given this a full five stars.
“I’d never wanted to read someone else’s mind more in my life.”83%
This book was on my radar as soon ass I found out about it. And the cover made me love it more. I can’t wait for more body positivity books to come out. This one is definitely one of my favorites now. You can be sure this is one I will pass along to others.
Overall, I give this
My favorite thing about this book was Savannah. She was a wonderful character, and one I had no trouble rooting for. Great review!