#AmReading YA

Cracked Up to Be
Courtney Summers
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

Parker was  practically perfect in every way. Straight As, top of her class, cheer captain, and dating the most popular boy in school - she appeared to have it all. But, that was before the party, before what happened.

I put this book on my TBR, because I was so impressed with Sadie, and vowed to read Summers' backlist. Not only did I like this book, I LOVED this book.

Summers wrote a foreword about how Parker was this unlikable character, but I didn't find her unlikable. Yes, she did many things I did not like, but it was easy to see that this was a young woman having some sort of crisis. She was intentionally alienating any and all people, who cared for her, and she was sabotaging herself, left and right. The whole time I kept wondering WHY? Why was she pushing people away? Why did she break up with a boy, who obviously still loved her? Why wouldn't she let herself enjoy anything? Why was she setting fire to her life?

Well, that answer was slowly revealed to me, and it was heartbreaking. I knew she was dealing with an immense amount of guilt about what transpired, because I did get to spend time in her head. That time was well used by Summers, because it was one of the main reasons why I didn't hate Parker. Those glimpses into her thoughts showed me that she still wanted to live and succeed, and she still cared about things, even if her outward actions didn't reflect those desires. I also saw flashes of her good nature and humor, and though brief, they made me care for her.

I also ached for Parker. Her pain was palpable, and it was easy to see through the mask of indifference she wore. But, she was fortunate to be surrounded by some people, who didn't give up on her. The most surprising of her supporters was her ex-boyfriend, Chris, who she had abruptly broken up with. She pushed him away, time and time again, and he kept coming back for more. Even when she sent another girl to fill the void she left in his life, he still was there for her. I found their relationship odd, but comforting.

I lost myself in Parker's problems, and was fully invested in her working through them. This book was emotional, but had many beautiful and even lighthearted moments, and I was glad that it ended on a hopeful note. I enjoyed these characters so much, and would love a follow up with them. It would be a treat to see how things worked out for Parker, but until then, I can rest easy with the ending Summers gave her.

Anna K.: A Love Story
Jenny Lee
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Retelling
Publisher: Flatiron
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.

As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.

Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

Anna K. was the it girl, the one to emulate in her social circles. From the outside, she seemed like the girl, who had it all - the perfect boyfriend, drama-free relationship, and status. She thought she had it all too, until she met Vronsky, who ignited a fire within her, the likes of which she had never before experienced. But, because the universe is all about balance, Anna K. wasn't allowed to have it all, but maybe, she didn't really want it all.

I may have mentioned this before, but when I read a retelling of a book I have not previously read, I tend to consult the Cliff's Notes, just to get a feel for the source material. It was easy to find the three couples chronicled in Tolstoy's original, as well as the themes of family, but Lee modernized many of the other themes. Anna K. took on racism, classism, privilege, sexism, mental health, and even opioid addiction, and I thought the inclusion of these issues was incorporated well into the story, and kept it from being just a basic rich kid romp.

Now that I said it, this book was replete with all the rich kid shenanigans we have grown to expect a la Gossip Girl, The OC, and The Hills. Lots of sex, drugs, and jet setting, but for me, that was part of the fun. I loved the over the top lifestyles and all the soapy drama.

However, what I really loved was the romance and the relationships within the story. Anna and Vronsky's romance was the central focus of the story, and it was also my central focus. I found myself swept up in their passion and desire. Even though it seemed like Anna was throwing it all away for him, I didn't care, because I wanted her to follow her heart, and experience her epic love story.

I also loved the relationship between Anna and her brother, Steven. When I first met Steven, he was in a heap of hot water. Caught cheating on his girlfriend, Lolly, he called Anna in to save the day. I cannot say I loved Steven then, but Lee gave him a story arc, which allowed him to grow. He began to see things in a different light, and grew to value certain things a lot more. I was truly pleased with his evolution, and with the affection he had for his sister. The two may not have seen eye to eye on things, but they were always looking out for one another, and let's face it, I am a sucker for those sibling bonds.

Though Lee softened the blow of the ending for us, this was still a tragic love story. I will admit, there were tears, but I thought the feelings of love and loss were captured quite well.

P.S. If you read this book, be sure to read the author's note, because it was really wonderful.

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Have you read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina?
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