I love contemporary YA and have been loving Brigid Kemmerer’s contemporary books lately. Check out my review of Call It What You Want!

Call it What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

To be published on June 25, 2019 by Bloomsbury

Synopsis from Goodreads: When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care. Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle. When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship…

Review of Call It What You Want

Contemporary YA is probably my favorite YA genre, and Call It What You Want was my favorite kind of contemporary – a story with some life issues, some family issues, a gripping plot, and just a touch of romance.

Rob was once a popular kid, but now he’s got some tough things to deal with – a father in disgrace who is now unable to care for himself. Overachiever Maegan made a big mistake and is keeping a big secret. When these two get paired on a school project, they don’t want anything to do with each other.

Secrets, angst, hate-to-love and some really tough family problems had me gripped throughout. I was especially moved by Rob’s situation, and I really enjoyed the family dynamics of Maegan’s. Often I complain when YA books throw in too many issues, and this one did have a lot: academic cheating, teen pregnancy, suicide, student-teacher romance, class differences and poverty – there may be even more that I’m not thinking of. But I felt that it all worked – all these issues were woven into the story in a way that worked for me and I felt they were all dealt with sensitively and sufficiently.

I’ve been a fan of Brigid Kemmerer since her paranormal Elementals books, and I remain a fan. Definitely try this book and her other contemporary fiction if you have a chance!

Have you read this? Talk to me in comments!

It’s not summer if there isn’t a new Sarah Dessen to read! What did I think of this? Read my review of the Rest of the Story!

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

To be published on June 4, 2019 by Blazer and Bray

Synopsis adapted from Goodreads: Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl. Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

Review of The Rest of the Story

I’ve been reading Sarah Dessen for as long as I can remember. And I guess with all the craziness that was November 2018, I missed the news that Dessen was moving to a new publisher and editor – from Penguin to Balzer + Bray.

For this book, Dessen has created a new part of the Dessenverse – her books thus far have been set in either Lakeview or Colby, but this book is set in a new lake town (though maybe the same lake).

Despite all this newness, this book felt familiar in the best possible way. I loved The Rest of the Story because I felt like it was a Dessen: Greatest Hits album – to me, it encompassed a lot of elements from my favorite Dessens. Here’s a rundown:

A character in transition or a crossroads – well, this is just about every Sarah Dessen, right? This book opens with a wedding, as Emma’s widowed dad is remarrying.

Wedding/remarriage plots are 100% classic Dessen! In Along for the Ride, Auden’s dad is remarried and a new parent. In This Lullaby, Remy’s mom is getting remarried for the third or fourth time. Once and For All is ALL about weddings and in That Summer, both Haven’s sister and father are getting married!

Emma plans to stay with her best friend during her dad and stepmom’s honeymoon. When those plans fall through at the last minute, she goes to stay with her mom’s side of the family who live on the lake- relatives she doesn’t know that well.

Being sent to stay with a family member and/or moving to a new place – another classic Dessen plot! In Along for the Ride, Auden goes to stay in Colby with her dad and stepmom. What Happened to Goodbye is about a character who does nothing but move around. In Keeping the Moon, Colie goes to stay with her eccentric Aunt Mira. And in Lock and Key, Ruby goes to live with her sister Cora and her husband.

The 9 to 5: At the lake, Emma starts working at Calvander’s – her mom’s family’s motel on the lake. I love plots where a teen character has a job – I worked at several different jobs during high school and I loved the camaraderie and life lessons. Whether it’s Macy working at Wish Catering in The Truth About Forever, Auden working at Clementine’s in Along for the Ride, or Colie working at the Last Chance Cafe in Keeping the Moon, Dessen characters have real, ordinary jobs where they meet new people and learn the ropes.

Pregnancy: one of Emma’s cousins is hugely and crankily pregnant. Dessen often features pregnancy or babies, like Scarlett in Someone Like You, Auden’s new stepsister in Along for the Ride, and Ruby’s sister Cora’s fertility struggles in Lock and Key.

The romance in The Rest of the Story was a different spin on the friends-to-lovers story, which I really enjoyed. Did anyone else think that Roo’s long list of odd jobs reminded them of Sumner in That Summer? I’m 99% sure he had a laundry list of wacky jobs.

I think The Rest of the Story is a book you’ll enjoy whether, like me, you’ve read every Dessen or whether Sarah Dessen is a author who is new to you. Her books are the perfect summer reads – filled with everything a good summer should have: romance, new experiences, adventure, and a gamut of emotions!

What’s your favorite Sarah Dessen? Or if you haven’t read any of her books, tell me what kind of plot elements you like and I’ll recommend one.

Looking for other great summer reads? Check out my post on YA that takes place in the summer!

Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E. Smith

Published on March 5, 2019 by Delacorte

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Having just been dumped by his girlfriend, British-born Hugo is still determined to take his last-hurrah-before-college train trip across the United States. One snag: the companion ticket is already booked under the name of his ex, Margaret Campbell. Nontransferable, no exceptions. Enter the new Margaret C. (Mae for short), an aspiring filmmaker with big dreams. After finding Hugo’s spare ticket offer online, she’s convinced it’s the perfect opportunity to expand her horizons.When the two meet, the attraction is undeniable, and both find more than they bargained for. As Mae pushes Hugo to explore his dreams for his future, he’ll encourage her to channel a new, vulnerable side of her art. But when life off the train threatens the bubble they’ve created for themselves, will they manage to keep their love on track? 

Review: Field Notes on Love

I loved Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight but then have to be honest and say that many of this author’s subsequent books were either a little too young or a little too quiet for me. I was thinking that maybe she and I just weren’t meant to be 🙁

But I read Field Notes on Love and fell in love all over again. This book was (I think) inspired by a 2014 true story of a guy seeking a woman to use his ex-girlfriend’s non-refundable travel tickets. And I remember thinking at the time, “that would be an amazing rom-com” and was so excited when I saw this book.

Hugo is British, biracial and one of sextuplets. Suffocated by being one of a set and recently dumped, he needs to find a new Margaret to use his ex’s train tickets. New Yorker Mae was rejected by USC film school (resisting bad jokes saying that she should have photoshopped herself as an athlete etc.) and needs to make a new short film to try to change their mind when she sees Hugo’s ad. They embark on a cross-country train trip and fall in love.

If you loved When Harry Met Sally, you’ll definitely (I think) see echoes of that film as Mae interviews couples on the train. If you love classic movies like It Happened One Night where the couple has to share close quarters, you’ll love this book. If you loved SPoLaFS, Smith’s very popular 2012 book, I think this is its equal – or better. If you loved The Sun is Also a Star, this book gave me similar vibes.

Definitely give this a try if you are looking for a sweet, romantic summer read. Have you read it? Tell me what you thought!