Again, but Better by Christine Riccio

Again, but Better

by Christine Riccio

Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time's a ticking, and she needs a change - there's nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She's going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure!

Easier said than done. She is soon faced with the complicated realities of living outside her bubble, and when self-doubt sneaks in, her new life starts to fall apart.

Shane comes to find that, with the right amount of courage and determination, one can conquer anything. Throw in some fate and a touch of magic - the possibilities are endless.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

4 of 5 stars

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Shane felt like she had done college all wrong, and believed a semester abroad in London would be her second chance at doing college the RIGHT way. All started out well, but things began to fall apart, and ultimately, Shane eschewed her own desires and dreams to follow the path chosen by her parents.

Don't worry folks, this was not where the story ended. In fact, this was where I really became invested in Shane's tale.

I absolutely fell in love with the Shane I met in the second half of the book. She was wiser and making better choices for herself. She became more focused on her dreams, her desires, and her future, and wasn't going to allow herself to get off track, as she had in the past. I loved her determination and her drive, and admired that she learned from her missteps, and made an honest attempt to do it better the second time.

I had a lot of fun with Shane and the gang, and especially loved traveling throughout Europe with them. Riccio included great sites, and did an admirable job taking us along on the trip. The blog posts were a little extra, which I enjoyed and thought helped us get to "see" Shane even clearer.

Other things I enjoyed:

• This was a great entry into YA-goes-to-college. The characters are older (20), but it read YA, and Shane experiences a great deal of growth, as I expect, of any YA protagonist.

• The romance! This romance was up and down, so hold on to your heart. I did adore these two together though, and was hoping it would work out the entire time.

• Do yourself a favor, and beware of spoiler reviews. I had no idea about this BIG thing that happened in this story, and was so pleasantly surprised by it.

• The ending was so, so, so good. My face hurts just thinking about it, because I can't keep the smile off my face.

After an OK start, this book took off for me in the second half, and I am really happy I stuck with it. It was a fun story of following your passion and blazing your own path, which is something I have no problem getting behind.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 April, 2019: Finished reading
  • 25 April, 2019: Reviewed