Analee, in Real Life by Janelle Milanes

Analee, in Real Life

by Janelle Milanes

"Milanes has created authentic characters with family issues that reflect the world we live in...Refreshing." -The New York Times Book Review
"Heartfelt and smart." -Lilliam Rivera, author of The Education of Margot Sanchez
"Funny and affecting, well-balanced, and simply fun." -Kirkus Reviews
"An entertaining novel for all teen collections." -School Library Journal

A Cuban-American teen navigates social anxiety, her father's remarriage, and being torn between two very cute boys in this "genuine and humorous" (Booklist) contemporary novel-perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Kasie West.

Ever since her mom died three years ago, Analee Echevarria has had trouble saying out loud the weird thoughts that sit in her head. With a best friend who hates her and a dad who's marrying a yogi she can't stand, Analee spends most of her time avoiding reality and role-playing as Kiri, the night elf hunter at the center of her favorite online game.

Through Kiri, Analee is able to express everything real-life Analee cannot: her bravery, her strength, her inner warrior. The one thing both Kiri and Analee can't do, though, is work up the nerve to confess her romantic feelings for Kiri's partner-in-crime, Xolkar-a.k.a. a teen boy named Harris whom Analee has never actually met in person.

So when high school heartthrob Seb Matias asks Analee to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to make his ex jealous, Analee agrees. Sure, Seb seems kind of obnoxious, but Analee could use some practice connecting with people in real life. In fact, it'd maybe even help her with Harris.

But the more Seb tries to coax Analee out of her comfort zone, the more she starts to wonder if her anxious, invisible self is even ready for the real world. Can Analee figure it all out without losing herself in the process?

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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As a fan of The Victoria in My Head, I was looking forward to Milanes follow up.

Analee, in Real Life explored some of my favorite things - friendship, family, and grief. It even featured some romance, but this was solidly a book about Analee working through her feelings and finding herself.

As anyone would, Analee took her mother's death quite badly. She cocooned herself in grief, sort of holding most people at arm's length. The only place she found some comfort was when playing her MMORPG. There, she had a friend she could confide in, and was a fierce warrior. In real life, Analee was crippled by her low self-esteem, grieving lost her best friend, mourning the emotional loss of her father, and struggling to accept her new blended family.

I always adore a good fake-dating "showmance", but it was more interesting the way this one was used in the book. It wasn't really about the romance, but rather a catalyst to push Analee in the direction of change. Being with Seb opened her eyes to many things she just wasn't seeing. I enjoyed the friendship and the romance that bloomed between them, but I really appreciated the way his friendship put her on her journey back from grief. It was a long journey, but Analee gained perspective on her friendships, Avery, Harlow, her mom, her dad, and most importantly, herself.

This book was also a lot of fun. The banter between Harrison and Analee, her outings with Seb, and many Harlow's daily doings made me smile. However, I will not lie, that I was sort of sad with the way a few things went down there towards the end. It's not that I don't think Milanes made a big statement for Analee by making those choices. I just would have liked it better if we could have gotten a similar result in a different way.

Overall: I enjoyed this story, which was heartbreaking at times, but also very heartwarming.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 September, 2018: Finished reading
  • 9 September, 2018: Reviewed