The Do Over by Lynn Painter
This is a young-adult (YA) romance in which the main character, Emilie, gets stuck in a time loop, reliving her worst day: Valentine’s Day. She watches her boyfriend cheat on her, her scholarship gets revoked, she learns her family is splitting up, and she crashes her car. Not only that, but she keeps bumping into the mysterious, brooding boy at school in every scenario. With every repeat, she continues to put up a facade of what others want to see and tries not to make a scene.
Although this is a romance book, we get to see Emilie as she begins to act true to herself since no one will remember it. Watching her slowly let go of the expectations she places on herself is both endearing and inspiring. This book might make you question how anyone would act if they knew that no one would remember it the next day.
In my opinion, Lynn Painter writes great romance books, and many of them deal with a form of self-revelation about what you value and what you hide behind a mask. If you love romance, but also want to have a hint of philosophy in a humorous way, this book is for you!
You Asked for Perfect by Laura Silverman
This is a YA contemporary novel about a bisexual Jewish teen named Ariel. Ariel has always wanted to go to Harvard, so he has shaped himself into the perfect candidate: perfect grades, first chair in orchestra, an insane number of AP classes, volunteering at an animal shelter, and future valedictorian. With senior year starting, Ariel knows he needs this final push to get into his dream college. He puts in the work, he studies hard for all his classes, and… he fails his calculus quiz. Now you might be thinking, “he probably got a ninety percent instead of a one hundred.” Nope. Ariel got his very first fifty! Combined with the stress of figuring out his grade, a challenging violin solo, and college applications, Ariel’s world crashes down, and we get to experience it all from his perspective.
We can see how challenging it is for him to ask for help, admit he needs it, and to take down his mask of being perfect all the time. This story is a beautiful portrayal of burnout and the internal expectations we put on ourselves. It shows us that just because someone looks like they have it all together does not mean they aren’t breaking on the inside. For anyone who has ever felt like their grades, accomplishments, or future define you and your worth, you are more than that, and you are not alone!
The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter
This is a touching story that follows a woman named Cassie O’Malley as she navigates life outside the mental institution she has spent the last two and a half years in. This book deals with some heavy topics including mental illness, with brief mentions of suicide, sexual assault, and abusive parents. If you are still interested in this book, it’s the story of Cassie, who leaves for college. She yearns to experience life, make friends and go through the struggle of attempting to earn her mother’s love. I think this story is a good portrayal of anyone needing love and affection, but unfortunately wanting it from the wrong source. As we unravel Cassie’s story alongside her, we can see all the colors, angles, and layers that make up a person. If you want a book that might make you cry, unmasks the facade we put up, and you don’t mind the trigger warning, then give this book a try. Full discretion, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay.
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