#AmReading YA

Eyes on Me
Rachel Harris
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Look up the word “nerd” and you’ll find Lily Bailey’s picture. She’s got one goal: first stop valedictorian, next stop Harvard. Until a stint in the hospital from too much stress lands her in the last place a klutz like her ever expected to be: salsa dance lessons.

Look up the word “popular” and you’ll find Stone Torres’s picture. His life seems perfect—star of the football team, small-town hero, lots of friends. But his family is struggling to make ends meet, so if pitching in at his mom's dance studio helps, he’ll do it.

When Lily’s dad offers Stone extra cash to volunteer as Lily’s permanent dance partner, he can’t refuse. But with each dip and turn, each moment her hand is in his, his side job starts to feel all too real. Lily shows Stone he's more than his impressive football stats, and he introduces her to a world outside of studying. But with the lines blurred, can their relationship survive the secret he's been hiding.

I picked this book up right after finishing a rather dark and heavy book, and I was so glad I did. Eyes on Me was the fun, cute, and adorable romance I needed to put a smile back on my face.

Who?

• Lily - The straight-A, high achiever, who was working towards early admission to Harvard and securing her position as class valedictorian. 
• Stone - The school's football hero and all around popular guy, who had sworn off women after a messy breakup. 

What?

After she was hospitalized for a stress related illness, Lily's dad made a deal with her to make Saturday a day to do anything BUT schoolwork. He enrolled Lily in ballroom dancing classes at a school, which happened to be owned and run by Stone's family. Good timing and an opportunity paired Stone and Lily together and friendship followed, but could their relationship be able to withstand the weight of Stone's secret?

Why?

I am such a sucker for the nerdy girl-sporty/popular guy pairing, and this one was done really well. One thing that stood out was that there was no making over Lily. She was pretty much her true self throughout the book, and she just infused a little more fun into her life.

You know why Lily didn't get any sort of make over? Because she was fabulous to start with. She may have liked to fly under the radar, but had a lot going for her. Lily was super smart, and had a great sense of humor, as illustrated with her endless supply of witty t-shirts. She was also very generous with her time and kind, as shown via her peer tutoring. I loved how she wanted to help people see the best side of themselves, and worked hard to achieve this. She was just a very positive force, and I adored her for it. Additionally, she grew and healed a lot over the course of the book, and I was happy with the choices she made for herself.

Stone was so much more than a BMOC jock, but he made it a habit to keep those parts of himself hidden. He was a wonderful friend and brother. His adoration for his sister was absolutely precious. In fact, his dedication to his entire family was a beautiful thing, and it endeared him to me. I easily forgave him for a certain transgression, because it was done with the intention of saving his family's business, and his heart was in the right place. He was quiet swoony too. There were so many times I wanted to high five or pat him on the back, because he said or did the exact right thing. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and it was a HUGE and wonderful heart at that.

Stone plus Lily were too cute for words. The interactions between them were so fun and sweet, and I loved how much they encouraged one another. They were able to see through all the armor and the pretense to the real Stone and the real Lily, and that made me ship them even more.

As a former dance mom, who dedicated a LOT of time to my daughter's dancing, I was super excited to see ballroom dance play such a big role in this story. I loved how it bonded Lily and Stone to each other, helped Lily keep her mother's memory alive, brought the community together, gave Lily confidence, and helped her reconnect with her dad. It was great the way Harris utilized dance in this story, and I really enjoyed seeing the characters in action as well.

Other notable things:

• Siblings - The relationship between Stone and Angela was so precious. The love they had for each other was really sweet and touching. 
• Angela - What a wonderful character! I loved her zest for life, love for her family, and fierce friendship. She was a master of movie references too, which always made me laugh. Lots to love about this girl. (And, I hope Rachel Harris sees it in her heart to write a book for Angela and Chase - I'm just saying.)
• Female friendship - Lily may not have had many friends, but the ones she had were high quality. Both Angela and Sydney the the type of friends people strive for. They were steadfast and supportive and there when Lily needed them most. 

Overall: A fun, sweet, and swoony romance showing that not only do opposites attract, they also belong together. 

Unleaving
Melissa Ostrom
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

In a book that is both urgent and timely, Melissa Ostrom explores the intricacies of shame and victim-blaming that accompany the aftermath of assault.

After surviving an assault at an off-campus party, nineteen-year-old Maggie is escaping her college town, and, because her reporting the crime has led to the expulsion of some popular athletes, many people--in particular, the outraged Tigers fans--are happy to see her go.

Maggie moves in with her Aunt Wren, a sculptor who lives in an isolated cabin bordered by nothing but woods and water. Maggie wants to forget, heal, and hide, but her aunt's place harbors secrets and situations that complicate the plan. Worse, the trauma Maggie hoped to leave behind has followed her, haunting her in ways she can't control, including flashbacks, insomnia and a sense of panic. Her troubles intensify when she begins to receive messages from another student who has survived a rape on her old campus. Just when Maggie musters the courage to answer her emails, the young woman goes silent.

Maggie was gang raped. Maggie was brave and fought for justice. Maggie became a social pariah, and was forced to leave her home. What happened to Maggie, before and after her assault, was wrong, but leaving her hometown put her on the path to healing.

This was an emotional read, but hopeful. I really appreciated that Ostrom focused on Maggie's recovery and not the assault. There were flashbacks, which I think were there to help us understand her mental state, but they were not graphic. I didn't feel like I needed all the details to understand, that a grievous crime was committed against Maggie, but I did love getting to watch her take back what was stolen from her.

A big part of Maggie's recovery was the amazing "family" Ostrom assembled. Her own parents were helping her, as best they could, but Maggie really did need to get some distance from where the crime was committed. Being with her Aunt Wren brought so may other people into her life. Sam, Linnie, Caleb, Kate, Ran and the other bookclub girls were all integral to Maggie's healing process. I especially liked that many of the characters were dealing with their own issues, and it was that shared pain that made their interactions so meaningful. Maggie's story was powerful on its own, but coupled with Wren and Linnie's stories, it packed an even bigger emotional punch.

I also adored the setting. My daughter did her undergraduate degree at Syracuse, so I am fairly well acquainted with Central New York. It was fun to see Dinosaur BBQ and Stella's (two awesome eateries) visited in the book. Ostrom also did a wonderful job taking us to the shores of Lake Ontario. She wrapped me in the sounds, the smells, the colors, and the textures, which really rounded out the experience for me.

I had a love/hate relationship with the ending. I loved that everybody seemed to be healing and good things were happening. Linnie, Wren, and Sam all had such wonderful things happening for them. I also thought the decision the author made for Maggie. My problem was that it seemed a little abrupt. I sort of understand why the author ended where she did, but I still kept looking to see if there were some pages missing.

Overall: This was an incredible healing journey, which showed how important love, support, and understanding can be.

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

Do you like to dance or watch dance?

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