Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Our Year of Maybe

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

“Emotionally resonant and deeply characterized.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

From the author of You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone comes a stunning contemporary novel, perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart, that examines the complicated aftermath of unrequited love between best friends.

Aspiring choreographer Sophie Orenstein would do anything for Peter Rosenthal-Porter, who’s been on the kidney transplant list as long as she’s known him. Peter, a gifted pianist, is everything to Sophie: best friend, musical collaborator, secret crush. When she learns she’s a match, donating a kidney is an easy, obvious choice. She can’t help wondering if after the transplant, he’ll love her back the way she’s always wanted.

But Peter’s life post-transplant isn’t what either of them expected. Though he once had feelings for Sophie, too, he’s now drawn to Chase, the guitarist in a band that happens to be looking for a keyboardist. And while neglected parts of Sophie’s world are calling to her—dance opportunities, new friends, a sister and niece she barely knows—she longs for a now-distant Peter more than ever, growing increasingly bitter he doesn’t seem to feel the same connection.

Peter fears he’ll forever be indebted to her. Sophie isn’t sure who she is without him. Then one heartbreaking night twists their relationship into something neither of them recognizes, leading them to question their past, their future, and whether their friendship is even worth fighting for.

Reviewed by layawaydragon on

5 of 5 stars

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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Rachel Lynn Solomon who debuted with You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone just last year is back already with another book release! (And there's another coming next year too!)



I was lucky enough to be chosen for this tour and I'm so excited to finally share this with everyone!

 

About Our year of maybe:



About the Author:



imho: our year of maybe;




Once I started reading Our Year of Maybe, I couldn't put it down. It starts with Sophie with her dance team at the last practice before summer break after junior year. She's giving a kidney to her best friend and crush Peter. Her fam isn't as happy about this as Peter's and things are tense. Peter now has the health and energy to to back to public school, and stand up to his parents while Sophie's feeling the pain in different ways.

I totally get Sophie's adaptation and camouflage around people. I connected with Sophie's personality struggles more while Peter's new life and romance were achingly adorable. Their families are dynamic and flawed and you'll have no problem keeping them and all the friends straight. There's dance team girls and a band. I like how unrequited love doesn't get solved with another romance. It's...tricky.

 

My favorite Sophie quotes:


Sophie Orenstein: perennial maybe.

 
Now that he's in school with me, he'll know what I really am when he's not around: a burnt-out light of a person.

 
"I didn't know you were capable of that, " Corrie says. The truth is that neither did I.

Favorite Peter Quotes:


I'm the miracle, but Sophie...Sophie is the hero.

In the past, I always envied groups like this, who were loud in public and laughed too much. Now I'm too loud. I laugh too much.

The terrible truth: Sophie is both a reminder of everything I went through and everything I can do now.

These are all quotes from early on in the book to introduce you to them. My absolute favorites are towards the very end and would be spoilers. Their journey together and apart is amazing. I can't really find the words to go into detail without giving away anything. It's....AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Things I Love About Our Year of Maybe:



  • Teen Mom Making it Work. YES! I love her sister Tabby, her niece Luna, and the baby daddy. Very honest and decent portrayal about how having a child while a teen changes everything and makes some things so much harder.

  • Reality of chronic kidney disease, dialysis,  and catheters.

  • Sophie has dyslexia

  • Girl masturbation with a vibrator

  • Sophie and her dad connect ad introverts hanging out in silence.

  • Sophie, Peter, Tabby and the girl's dad all have passions for sound and music but in different ways, together similar but not.

  • Picking quotes was so hard because I swear there's a highlight every couple of pages.

  • It explores toxicity in relationships with family, friends, and romance.


For me, the best books keep me reading to through the acknowledgements. Teary eyed and clutching my chest, I read Solomon's acknowledgements thankfully for everyone she mentioned. It moved me enough to clarify what I would be proud of as an accomplishment and what I want to do going forward. Which sounds simple and stupid, but I've been struggling with where to go in my life for awhile.

I love this book. I think about it weeks after finishing and I have no doubt I'll continue to do so. This book set my year off with the best kind of start.

Giveaway:


Prize: Win a signed copy of OUR YEAR OF MAYBE by Rachel Lynn Solomon (US Only)

Starting date: 9th January 2019 - Ending date: 20th January 2019

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:




 

 

 This review was originally posted on The Layaway Dragon

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  • 11 November, 2018: Reviewed