Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
Ari had been dealing with her mental health, and was still learning about herself and her depression. I appreciated her struggle, and all the time and effort she put into trying to understand it herself. Her backsliding and self doubts were realistic, and it was great to see her actively working through her issues in an honest way.
I also loved the idea of embracing The Possibility. Crawling out from her depression was not easy, and it was a daily struggle for Ari, but she showed this willingness to take chances and try new things, and there may have been setbacks and failures, but she began to see the positive takeaways from it all. That showed a lot of growth and maturity.
There was also an exploration of complicated family dynamics. Ari was part of a blended family. She had a rather wonderful step-father, a half sister, who was somewhat high maintenance, but adoring, and a mother, who was emotionally distant. The road to understanding her mother was rocky and frustrating, but I did accept that it was an important part of Ari's healing process.
In-between all the healing and family drama, there was cosplay, teen antics, and a rather sweet romance. Don't get me wrong, this union was not without it's bumps. Ari had fallen for the idea of Camden the summer before she ever really spoke to him. She had this idea of him, which was not necessarily congruent with reality. But, getting to know this lonely, complicated boy, who was just looking to be a part of something, was a HUGE part of Ari getting to know herself better. There were some painful moments, but it was all a meaningful part of her journey.
Overall: A thoughtful and sensitive look at depression, first love, and complicated family dynamics.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 29 February, 2020: Finished reading
- 29 February, 2020: Reviewed