Here We Are Now

by Jasmine Warga

[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.