Here We Are Now: A heartfelt and uplifting novel from the bestselling author of MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES

by Jasmine Warga

'Funny and heartfelt... fans of Sarah Dessen or Rainbow Rowell will adore this novel' - Culturefly

'Fans of High Fidelity and Nick + Nora, get your hands on this book ASAP' - Popsugar

Despite sending him letters ever since she was thirteen, Taliah Abdallat never thought she'd ever really meet Julian Oliver. But one day, while her mother is out of the country, the famed rock star from Staring Into the Abyss shows up on her doorstep. This makes sense - kinda - because it turns out Julian Oliver is Taliah's father...

When Julian asks her to go with him to his hometown to meet the family she has never known, Taliah embarks on a three-day voyage of discovery - of her father, of the past her mother has never shared with her, and of herself.

From the bestselling author of MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES, this is a beautiful and heartwarming novel of music, family, and friendship.

• ISBN10: 1444791788
• ISBN13: 9781444791785
• Publish Date: 16 November 2017 (first published 7 November 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Hodder Paperback
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Bianca]

The problem is that sometimes when we love someone, we see a certain version of them. And we get attached to that version. Convince ourselves that that’s the only version, the true version. But I believe strongly that we all have multiple versions of ourselves. And the true test of love is learning to accept all of those versions, even when it’s messy. Actually, especially when it’s messy.

— Of lingering hopes, fears, and regrets. A surprisingly great read. Though this could’ve been a 5-star one if it were longer and more developed. Everything just happened so fast that I couldn’t really savor the moments, and feel as much as I should have felt.

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Here We Are Now was a light but touching read about a girl who finally got to meet her birth father. I loved getting to know the other side of her family through her eyes and also the impact it had on her growth in such a short period of time.

[Sam@WLABB]

A family focused story, which was quite heartfelt at times, while exploring a myriad of themes. I feel like this is a hybrid story, as half the story is told present day, and half is flashbacks recounting Tal's parents' relationship, which all contribute to Tal learning more about herself.

•Pro: I liked the growth that Taliah experienced over the course of the book. She was living a very insular life, and she was slowly learning to open herself up to new people and new experiences.

•Pro: There was something I really liked about Julian. He was trying to atone for so many things, and all his emotions came across as very real to me.

•Con: The author touched upon some great things, but some ideas seemed underdeveloped.

•Pro: I thought the use of the flashbacks were interesting. I enjoyed learning Julian and Lena's story, as it contributed to who Tal was BUT

•Con: I sometimes thought that Lena and Julian's story overshadowed Taliah's. I saw this as her story, and a huge part of it was dedicated to her parent's, and with the book being short, it left some of Tailah's issues not fully explored.

•Pro: I loved all the family time. Julian had a great family, and I liked getting to know them.

•Pro: I actually liked the ending, which is usually one of my chief complaints, because it fit what I thought the story was about, even if it lost focus every now and again.

Overall: This was an enjoyable coming-of-age story, which focused on family and grabbing the opportunities we have with both hands, not looking to the past, but relishing being here now.

*I would like to thank the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.