Tag: Erin Hahn

Never Saw You Coming Review

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51g-kPXZvBL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_Summary (from the publisher):Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.
While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive – even when he can’t possibly forget.
As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.
In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars 

My Thoughts:

I FINALLY picked up one of my most anticipated YA books of 2021 last week with Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming — and yes, totally my fault for not picking this one up sooner since I ordered it around its September release. I’m a huge fan of Erin Hahn’s first two books, You’d Be Mine and More Than Maybe, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this YA novel following Vada’s best friend, Meg, (Vada is the female lead in More Than Maybe) who is reeling after finding out that her dad isn’t her biological father after all and decides to change her gap year plans by going to Northern Michigan to connect with her biological father’s family. While there, Meg connects with Micah, who is dealing with his own family struggles as his former pastor father has been in prison for the past few years. 

I just also wanted to note before diving into my thoughts that I did reread More Than Maybe before reading Never Saw You Coming, partly because I love that book SO much and that I did want to re-familiarize myself with that world before picking up this book. I don’t necessarily think that you have to read More Than Maybe before picking up Never Saw You Coming, but much of the plot & ending of More Than Maybe is spoiled in the book.

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A 2020 YA FAVORITE: More Than Maybe Review

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Summary (from the publisher):

48672877._SY475_ Growing up under his punk rocker dad’s spotlight, eighteen-year-old Luke Greenly knows fame and wants nothing to do with it. His real love isn’t in front of a crowd, it’s on the page. Hiding his gift and secretly hoarding songs in his bedroom at night, he prefers the anonymous comfort of the locally popular podcast he co-hosts with his outgoing and meddling, far-too-jealousy-inspiringly-happy-with-his-long-term-boyfriend twin brother, Cullen. But that’s not Luke’s only secret. He also has a major un-requited crush on music blogger, Vada Carsewell.

Vada’s got a five year plan: secure a job at the Loud Lizard to learn from local legend (and her mom’s boyfriend) Phil Josephs (check), take over Phil’s music blog (double check), get accepted into Berkeley’s prestigious music journalism program (check, check, check), manage Ann Arbor’s summer concert series and secure a Rolling Stone internship. Luke Greenly is most definitely NOT on the list. So what if his self-deprecating charm and out-of-this-world music knowledge makes her dizzy? Or his brother just released a bootleg recording of Luke singing about some mystery girl on their podcast and she really, really wishes it was her?

 

 My Rating: 5/5 Stars

 My Thoughts:

 More Than Maybe solidified Erin Hahn as one of my favorite YA contemporary authors. This book is easily one of my favorite contemporaries of the year! It had everything I love in my YA contemporaries: personal growth, relationship development (aka romance), family, and friendship. More Than Maybe also stole my heart for its music inspiration and how well music was used in the plot and characters’ personalities.

 Having enjoyed Erin Hahn’s debut novel, You’d Be Mine, last summer, I was really interested in More Than Maybe because its premise sounded like it also had music at its heart (which I can now confirm is true). More Than Maybe and You’d Be Mine have different moods. You’d Be Mine is definitely the darker of the two books. The two main protagonists/country music stars deal with the loss of their loved ones and various pressures and struggles. While More Than Maybe’s characters face come personal stuggles, mostly involving their confidence and family dynamics, it had such a lighter and absolutely swoon-worthy mood surrounding Vada and Luke’s relationship.

 More Than Maybe is told from both Vada and Luke’s perspectives. I can happily report that I loved them both equally! The only time Luke enjoys being in the ‘spotlight’ is when he’s costarring on his podcast with his twin brother, Cullen. The son of a famous punk rock star, Luke loves music and song-writing, but hides away his singing and composition talent. Like Luke, Vada has a love for music no one can understand, especially her father, who refuses to help pay for Vada’s upcoming college tuition bill to study music journalism in California. Vada has a plan: become a night manager at her stepfather’s infamous Michicgan dive bar, go to college at Berkeley next year, and score a dream position at Rolling Stone. What’s not in her plan? Falling for Luke.

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