One Old, One New: The Facing Your Fears Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. I originally thought I was just sticking two library books together, but when I was thinking about the talking points for my reviews, I realize both the main characters in these books had to face some of their biggest fears at some point in the stories. These were pivotal times for each character, and it was something that really hit me as I read these books.

Moment of Truth
Kasie West
Series: Love, Life, and the List, #3
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

At sixteen, Hadley Moore knows exactly who she is—a swimmer who will earn a scholarship to college. Totally worth all the hard work, even if her aching shoulders don’t agree. So when a guy dressed as Hollywood’s latest action hero, Heath Hall, crashes her swim meet, she isn’t amused. Instead, she’s determined to make sure he doesn’t bother her again. Only she’s not sure exactly who he is.

The swim meet isn’t the first event the imposter has interrupted, but a little digging turns up a surprising number of people who could be Heath Hall, including Hadley's ex-boyfriend and her best friend’s crush. She soon finds herself getting caught up in the mysterious world of the fake Heath Hall.

As Hadley gets closer to uncovering the masked boy’s identity she also discovers some uncomfortable truths about herself—like she might resent the long shadow her late brother has cast over her family, that she isn’t as happy as she pretends to be with her life choices… and that she is falling for the last guy she ever thought she would like.

Hadley was laser focused on her goals, and wouldn't let anything or anyone get in her way. When fake Heath Hall disrupts her swim meet, and she loses the race, she sets her sights on unmasking him. As she searches for the culprit, she uncovers some hard truths about herself, and is forced to face her fears.

The state of the world is pretty intense right now, and it was a pleasure to lose myself in this wonderful book. It was cute and sweet and touching, and it was exactly what I needed at that moment.

I won't lie, I picked up this book solely based on the fact, that Kasie West wrote it. I have had great success with her books, and therefore, don't even hesitate to add them to my TBR. I saw many things in this synopsis, which also drew my attention. It eludes to this fun little mystery, and yes, that was a big part of the story, but I found myself more drawn to the family drama.

Hadley was known for her drive and ambition to be the best. She excelled in school and in the pool, though it was not totally due to intrinsic motivation. Hadley pushed herself to her limits, because she was competing with the ghost of her late brother. This was such a tricky situation for her, as she struggled with the sadness of having lost the opportunity to know her brother, while feeling some resentment for playing second fiddle to him. No matter how many perfect grades she earned or how many medals she won, her parents continued to choose him. This was heartbreaking to me, and like Hadley, I struggle with conflicting emotions. I could only imagine how devastating the lose of a child could be, and I understood her parents' grief, but at the same time, I was frustrated with them for putting their living child's needs on the back burner, while they continued to drown in their grief. I definitely had a keen interest in this part of the story, and was happy with the way it played out. It was an important part of Hadley's personal journey, and I thought West did a great job guiding her through it.

But, this is a Kasie West book, so as expected, there was also fun, friendship, and romance. It was a delight chasing Heath Hall all over the place. He engaged in some interesting activities, which forced Hadley out of the pool. Though the search resulted in some great moments, I really like who Heath Hall ended up being. There was a lot more to him, and I liked how he pushed Hadley to examine herself, and how he fit into the book as a whole.

Not only did Hadley deviate from her norm in her search, she also made some new friends. One of those friends was Jackson. Hadley was not a Jackson fan, because she thought he just coasted along, while she worked her tail off. She saw him as a clown, but there was a lot more to him, than met the eye. I found him quite charming, and liked how he never gave up trying to push Hadley out of her comfort zone. As she began to see him differently, she also began to view many other things in a different light.

In her search for Heath Hall, Hadley found so much more, and I loved every second of her journey.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies
Louise Gornall
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Clarion Books
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.

But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.

Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?

Four years ago, Norah's life came to a standstill. She was once a "normal girl". She went to school, and had friends, but that was then. Now, her life was ruled by her fears and her OCD, and her only friend was her mother. Enter Luke, handsome, kind, and wonderful, Luke. The boy next door, and a person, who has the patience to see the funny and witty young woman, who is more than her illness.

I know what you're thinking! You think this is the boy-cures-her kind of book, but it isn't. UNDER ROSE-TAINTED SKIES is a wonderful examination of what it's like to live with mental illness, and a good reminder that people are more than their diagnoses.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so good, that I simply swallowed it whole. From the very first page, I was #TeamNorah. There was just something so magnetic about her, which took hold of me and didn't let go. First of all, I loved her sense of humor. Her observations and musings often had me laughing, and there were these moments, where the grip of her OCD loosened up, and she was just funny. Since the story was told exclusively from her point of view, I got to bear witness to all of Norah's thoughts, good and bad. Seeing these intimate pieces of her, made me want her to win those battles, big and small. I was rooting for her, and celebrating her successes, no matter what they were.

I also adored her relationship with her mom. It had pretty much been just the two of them against the world, and they had a rather beautiful relationship. You could tell, that Norah's illness was tough on her mom, but the woman loved her unconditionally, and made any and all sacrifices without complaint.

Luke was such a wonderful part of this story, too. I didn't only love him, because I adore a good romance, but I loved the way he saw past the illness. He accepted Norah whole, including all her limitations and boundaries, and he didn't try to change her. He was patient and kind, and just the sweetest unicorn of a boy.

I have read some rumblings about the ending, but I don't quite understand why. There is no "I'm cured!" moment, or anything like that. I had no problem thinking it was plausible given my experience with agoraphobics and those with OCD, and also the fact that this is an OwnVoices novel. I actually thought the exploration of mental illness was really well done.

Regardless, I found this to be quite an lovely and uplifting read. It was about facing those challenges, that life throws at you, digging deep to find the strength that you always possessed, and it left me in a state of utter happiness.

Have you faced your biggest fear?
Let us know in the comments!