If You're Out There

by Katy Loutzenhiser

[Sam@WLABB]

Zan was beside herself, when her best friend, Priya, moved to California, but they promised to keep in touch, write, text, Skype, and visit on breaks. That was the plan, but then Priya ghosted her. Zan's texts, emails, and phone calls went unanswered. She couldn't believe Priya would do that to her, but she was going to give up on her.

• Pro: Fierce female friendship for the win. Yes! I loved that Pryia and Zan were a bestie-second-generation (their mom's were best friends), and they knew and understood each other on such a deep level, which was obvious throughout the story.

• Pro: Zan might have been feeling slighted by her friends, but she was seriously loved. Her family and her work-family were wonderful! It was great how hands on her mom was, and I also liked the way Loutzenhiser explored Zan's relationship with her dad.

• Pro: The book's progression was rather interesting. It was fairly light and fun and gradually got more serious. The beginning came across as a standard contemporary and then questions started arising concerning Pryia, and from there, a little bit of a mystery, with some drama, began to unfold.

• Pro: And, then there was Logan. I liked him a lot and adored the way he became part of Zan's world. He was also very complicated with a super sticky backstory, but his darkness was contained, and he was also gifted with a fantastic sister and aunt to support him.

• Pro: Logan + Zan = 😍 I was all about these two making a love connection. They had the chemistry and the banter, and when everyone else more or less dismissed her, Logan believe that there was more to the Priya situation than met the eye. A fantastic coupling!

• Pro: Though I wish I got a little bit more at the end, I will say I loved all the things Loutznhiser did for the characters. Everyone's near future was shared with us, and the developments made me warm and fuzzy. I especially liked where Zan ended up, because it fit with what I had learned about her over the course of the story, but it was also surprising.

Overall: An ode to friendship, family, and finding yourself infused with humor, romance, and a little mystery.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS