Review: Changes in Latitudes - Jen Malone

Changes in Latitudes
Jen Malone
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

A "road" trip romance that takes place at sea!
All Cassie wants is to get some solid ground under her feet following the shock of her parents' divorce. So when she learns of her mom's plans to take Cassie and her brother, Drew, on a four-month sailing trip from Oregon to Mexico, she's stunned. There is absolutely nothing solid about the Pacific Ocean.

Cassie is furious. And nervous. It's been hard enough keeping Drew sheltered from what Cassie knows about her mother's role in breaking their family apart, but living in such close quarters threatens to push her anger past its tipping point. Enter Jonah, a whip-smart deckhand who's as gorgeous as he is flirtatious. Cassie tries to keep him at a distance, but the more time they spend together--wandering San Francisco, riding beachside roller coasters, and exploring the California coastline--the harder it is to fight the attraction.

​Cassie wants to let herself go, but her parents' split has left her feeling adrift in a sea of questions she can't even begin to answer. Can she forgive her mom? Will home ever feel the same? Should she take a chance on Jonah? With life's unpredictable tides working against her, Cassie must decide whether to swim against them... or dive right in.

This year had already taken its toll on Cassie due to her parents' divorce, which seemed to come out of nowhere, and she had been having difficulty dealing with the changes in her family dynamic. Her father moved overseas and, she was no longer on good terms with her mother. Cassie was just counting down the days until she would be away from it all on a road trip with her two besties. Then her mother informed her that they would be embarking on a trip of their own, aboard a small sailboat, for four months! Cassie needed space, but her mother had other ideas.

This is the second book I have recently read, that dealt with a broken family in need of healing. I loved that Cassie's mom made such a bold choice to trap them in close quarters for such long period of time. It was a good choice, because Cassie was very angry, and something drastic had to be done in order to try and mend that relationship.

The added bonus of this taking place on a sailboat, is that we got to go on a pretty awesome trip along with the characters. I really felt like I was right there sight-seeing with Cassie and her caravan, and I was delighted by the sights and sounds of the west coast. I also liked that I wasn't really there, because there were some close calls, and those parts must have been written well, because I was scared for all the people aboard the boat.

I previously mentioned that Cassie was pretty angsty, and normally I struggle with this type of character, but Malone fleshed her out and gave her more than one speed. We were shown the angry Cassie, but we also got to see the fun Cassie, the generous Cassie, and the sweet Cassie. Malone also did a good job of putting us in Cassie's head, so I understood where the angst was coming from, and was also privy to the inner battles she was having with all her emotions.

You know how they say it takes a village? Well, it took quite a few people to help Cassie see her way out of this state. She was not accustomed to so many disappointments, nor was she used to them being this major. This was a HUGE thing she had to work through, and it took a while for her to face it all and do the growing up that was necessary to maybe not be at peace with all the changes, but rather to accept that they happened and try to keep moving forward.

I was really feeling all the evolving relationships in this one. This trip was such a plus for so many of the characters. It gave Cassie a chance to bond with her brother, and the whole experience really opened her eyes to how much he had grown up. It gave her a chance to mend her relationship with her mother. The loss that both mother and daughter were experiencing due to this rift was palpable. My heart went out to both of them, and I was really rooting for them, for the whole family to get to a better place, together.

Cassie also got to build a relationship with Jonah. Jonah won me over from his first time on the page. There was just something so special about him, and my goodness, he made me swoon, and swoon, and swoon. I loved the exchanges between him and Cassie. They talked, like really talked, and their connection was so obvious and real. He was a little damaged, but as with almost all our main characters, this trip was beneficial for him too.

I would love to say I got all the closure I needed from the ending, but I did not. *Sad face*. For those of you who have read my reviews before, you know this is a thorn in my side, because I need loose ends tied off. The ending definitely had things going in the right direction, but it was so open, and with this being a stand-alone, I am forced to imagine the perfect ending in my head.

Overall: A lovely story about accepting the hand the universe dealt you and leaning how to sail in.

**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. Quotes are from an ARC and may change upon publication.

The majority of this story takes place on a sailboat. I have been on cruises, but never on a small ship. 

Do you like to sail?

Let us know in the comments!