Lauren Miller (1)

"We've all got stuff...we act like we're all okay. But we're not okay, and all the junk we're hiding is right there, right in front of us, right within us." Miller gives a unique view of anxiety disorder through the mind and life of seventeen year old Jessa. With a wealth of baggage, Jessa fights through healing from a car accident, working to tame her dragons and healing her mind in the process.
Miller uses sarcasm and humor within the battle of Jessa sorting through her relationships and show more self, and consistently reminds us that, ..." fear isn't a kind ruler,... darkness isn't all there is. There is also light," and there's power in honesty. This story translates well to anyone who's ever dealt with anxiety disorders, fear of fitting in, and basically all teenage angst and insecurity. Well done and researched, this is a YA book for all, and one I'm certainly going to be passing on.
*I received an arc from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review show less

[A hardback copy was provided by the publisher for review purpose. Thanks HarperCollins!]

"We are more real than real."
—Abby

A truly genius, inventive, and satisfying read.
Intriguing right from the beginning, Parallel was really enjoyable with a complicated yet understandable twist, and totally unpredictable, throwing us surprise at its every page.

Reading this book, I actually needed to pause and rethink everything the moment Abby's world literally collide, connecting and everything before show more I began to read again. My brain really had to work and think, digesting the story little by little and understanding every part. And while it was quite confusing at first and made me go all "what?" because both of Abby's life became a little bit mixed up on my mind, it was really a fun and interesting read once you've understand the whole world of Parallel.

The concept of the parallel world colliding with our world, replacing each other's history and made us life in someone's else memory was really interesting for me. While the topic was somewhat scientific and sounds complicated, the executions was done really well to keep the reader curious.
The plotting and pacing was also perfect, jumping back between here and there at an acceptable rate, and I love how this book was like a literal definition of 'Character-driven plot', because it was, literally.

I also really love how Lauren Miller used current Abby's life—which could always change anytime if her parallel's self took different decision—to present us the theory of Parallel, making the readers understand what was going on, and explaining things to the clueless Abby as well.
And when Abby's life was not certain, unsure about what would change tomorrow because of her past self, I noticed that her feeling of insecurity and uncertainty about her future really reflected on her narration. Her voice was strong and distinct, and it was successful in making me concerned about her, and about whether her life would be changed or not.

I—Although this book really amazed me—unfortunately, am not really fond with the Mary Sue-ish feeling this book had early in the story.
So Abby was the editor in chief if her high school newspaper, the captain of the cross-country team, and on pace to graduate in the top 5 percent of her class.
Her dad was the head of the litigation department at a big Atlanta law firm, and her mom apparently was the 'head curator at the High Museum' and was courted by some bigger museums. And so and so and so on. Because we really have to read a sue-ish character with a grand titles—with a glowing S, mind you—with a head-this-and-head-that parents also.
Please.
We would even love to read about an outcast or whatever as long as his personality was solid and real and likable. Not that Abby was annoying and unbelievable, but her amazing titles and labels, honestly, did absolutely nothing to the story.
On the other hands, aside for the mary sue-ish and useless title, I really love how the two Abby was very different yet similar to each other. They were both unique and easily distinguishable, yet they still both felt totally 'Abby'. And it really added the real feeling of the book, that somewhere out there, the parallel world really did exist.

Abby's best friend, Caitlin, was another of victim of the Mary Sue-ness as well. According to Abby's narration, she was a science-savvy, and a nerd. No problem. Imagine a nerd now, okay?
Then, meet our somewhat-sue-ish-as-well Caitlin : A nerd with an ex-model Mom, great physical appearance that looked like 'she belongs in Teen Vogue', had a runway-worthy wardrobe, popular boy kneeling on her feet, and an average way to talk that was far off from nerd area.
Seriously? That didn't sound nerdy. At all.
Wrong label with a wrong sets of personality, I guess. But once you got past over her 'nerd' label, and just pictured her as the smart best friend, she was actually interesting, and stood out from the rest.

The side characters, such as Marissa, Michael, and Tyler, was shining as well, and although some of them didn't really played an important role on the story, their character were well-developed, distinct, and unique, not just your typical side-character nice and helpful traits. They all had their own life and background story, and I can totally see them doing something outside the story, so yeah, they're all really believable and three-dimensional.

Until the very end, though, we still didn't know what caused Abby to be an anomaly, the only one that was aware of this cosmic collision, and I think this book would become even better if Lauren Miller explained that to us, to get rid the 'this is Abby story so yeah, that must happen' feeling, you know?
The other flaw of this book I also found, was the insta-love between Abby and Michael as well. When they first met each other, they were just like, what, meeting for hours? And then he was already kissing her, sending her a good night text, and casually hugging her and much more? And they liked each other already? Oh my, wasn't it so romantic? No. Big no-no.
And then, after 2 and a half months—yes, an unbelievable two and a half months—she was somewhat really concerned and feared that her parallel self would do something that would change her today's present relationship with Michael, because she really love him and blah.
I, honestly, didn't really care if Abby's relationship with him would sever or not, because I simply couldn't feel any chemistry between them. And if I can't feel it, that what should I be rooting and care for?

Aside from the lack of romantic chemistry between Abby and Michael, overall, this book really had me wowed. The praise on the back cover weren't bluffs, and it really was one of the best debut novel I've ever read. The concept was carefully planned and deeply thought, and although I'm not really a fan of a scientific-feely novel, Parallel really changed my perceptions.
If you're looking for a contemporary romance read with a slight hint of Sci-fi or Fantasy like Forgotten, with a strong and solid character, original concept, as well as brilliant plot and story line, this one is a total must-read. show less

ARC provided via Netgalley.

Jessa has managed to cover-up her panic and anxiety disorder with her beauty, fake smiles, and a handsome, popular boyfriend. When that all comes crashing down around her, changing Jessa's life for the worse and for the better. When a nearly-fatal car accident leaves Jessa's face scarred and her brain damaged her anxiety and panic become impossible to hide. Relocated to Colorado with her dad, Jessa finds that though she cannot stand the idea of seeing her face, show more others welcome her with open arms. There she discovers that no one's life is as easy or as good as they claim it is, that sometimes the outside isn't always reflective of the truth people hold inside.

"'I told you,' Wren says. 'It's complicated.'
'I know, I know. Barbie's unstable.'
The fire creeps down my neck, explodes inside my stomach, a furnace of humiliation that will swallow me whole."

Initially I was attracted to the cover of All Things New, because who doesn't love a good cover? Inside the book though, is a true-to-life novel with challenging situations and tough concepts that main character, Jessa, learns to embrace, accept, and face head on. I cannot tell you how many times I looked up from the pages to exclaim out loud, "this book is so good!" or how often I had to stop to grab tissue as tears streamed down my face. Lauren Miller's writing is excellent, it's emotive and descriptive, and made me so empathetic to Jessa's plight.

"Watching him I'm swept up in sadness. Why do we rip ourselves apart? My throat tightens, and again I feel myself disengaging from this moment, from its sharpness, its sting."

I loved the character development in this novel; Jessa is such a typical teen, but her experience and her natural aging made this novel really stand out for me. Her anger is believable and the way Lauren Miller writes about the anxiety, the scars, and the Aphantasia made me feel like I was experiencing it too. Additionally, there are some really stunning secondary characters in All Things New, with the award for most interesting and complex going to twins, Hannah and Marshall. Though their stories are secondary, their experiences with health issues help the progression of Jessa's story. Plus, both are interesting and bring a level of humanity to this story that wouldn't have been there had Jessa stayed the simple, "Barbie" girlfriend that she had been previously.

"I stare at the space and it seems to materialize. A wall, made of brick and mortar and fear. A wall I'm not ready to get rid of yet."

As far a young adult novels go, All Things New is going to be a love-it or hate-it type of book for readers. It is a character driven novel, but readers only read from the perspective of Jessa, a teen with an anxiety and panic disorder, which is very apparent in her thoughts and interactions. She's like many teens; she's angry at her family, she's angry about her situation, and on top of that she's dealing with a disorder that she's embarrassed of. I felt that the entire novel was very accurate, Lauren Miller makes you feel everything Jessa feels, but also includes true facts that allow us to understand her situation even more. Some readers will find that Jessa's thoughts regarding mental illnesses, modern medicine, angels, and God are something that should've been left out, but I think that many will also connect to those thoughts and the book shouldn't be rated negatively if one does not agree with her beliefs.

"But what if we could see them? How might a soul look if we could stare it in the face?"

All Things New is an original novel with thought-provoking writing, a hint of philosophy, and a very authentic story line. Young adult readers of any age will connect with Jessa, regardless of their own personal experiences with anxiety, because of Lauren Miller's story telling abilities. The novel is focused on Jessa's growth, with family, friendship, religion, and romance helping her to face her struggles, but not ruling the story. Jessa's healing makes for an addicting read that readers will find complex and realistic. It's humorous, but hopeful, with a strong message about acceptance.

"We play along, we act like we're all okay. But we're not okay. All the junk we're hiding is right there, right in front of us, right within us." show less

Abby had her life all planned out. Senior year was going to be a piece of cake. She would graduate with top marks, get accepted to a prestigious journalism school and be a top reporter upon graduation. But a small snafu in her schedule (her music class was cancelled) leads to Abby with having to choose between an Astronomy class (she’s so not into science) or a drama class (she had no desire to act). She chooses drama, gets cast as the lead in the school play and soon finds herself cast in show more a high-octane summer blockbuster movie. Now, due to an extended shooting schedule, Abby had to postpone college, which was so not part of the plan.

Then, the night of her eighteenth birthday, Abby falls asleep in L.A., but wakes up a year earlier back in her hometown in Georgia on the day when she made the choice to take drama. Since she’s late to school, she’s stuck taking Astronomy and this takes her life in a completely different direction. There was an earthquake that day, and the earthquake may have had something to do with parallel universes colliding. Now the real Abby’s life is dictated by the choices her parallel self makes, and control freak Abby will find her life going in a completely different direction than what she’d planned.

What a crazy, mind-trippy ride this book was! I love the idea of parallel universes. Mainly because I’d like to think that in some other universe, I am crazy rich, smoking hot and somewhat famous. (Hey — I can dream!) This book had me glued to the pages, and while there were times that the time/place shifts left me feeling a bit disoriented, I was able to follow along pretty closely. Crafting the plot of this book had to have been a challenge, but Ms. Miller handles it well. It moves at a very fast pace and kept me engaged the entire time. Ms. Miller is definitely an author I look forward to seeing more from.

I loved the characters in this book. Abby really grows and I loved the changes she went through. She’s a bit of a control freak in the beginning, and I will admit, I wasn’t totally fond of her in the first few chapters. As her life spirals out of control, she became a lot more relatable, though. I really liked some of the problems she faced and I could feel her frustration as she felt her life was slipping out of her control.

Her best friend, Caitlin, was another fave. I liked that she wasn’t your typical, cliche pretty girl. Caitlin was supermodel hot, but was a total science geek, and a loyal and lovable best friend to Abby.

I also really liked how the relationship with the two boys played out. This isn’t a typical love triangle. There are two boys, but each of them exists in one of Abby’s lives — each of them with their own strengths and weaknesses. You know that in the end, Abby will end up with either Michael or Josh, but it all depends on which path her life ends up taking. (For the record, I was all for an Abby and Josh connection).

Smart, original and totally engaging, I highly recommend Parallel. It is a combination of contemporary, romance and science fiction without getting too weighed down in any one category. This is one of my favorite reads of 2013 so far! show less