Jennifer Castle

I thought this book was wonderful. I can't imagine how tough it would for everyone to feel like they know you. Through two different documentaries, Justine's life was laid bare, first when she was 6 and then again when she was 11.

But, Justine wasn't alone because Nate, Felix, Rory and Keira were there too. Except, ever since they were 11, they haven't been there for each other.

Now, the group is 16 and Leslie and Lance (the documentary couple) are back to do more shooting and film where they show more are. And Justine is not where she thought she would be at 16. She wanted to be in a band, she wanted to be a star, she had dreams and goals and was fiesty and fierce at 11.

At 16, she has only a few friends, no boyfriend (there's a boy that broke her heart and no one since).

How do you show the world your life when you don't feel like you do anything - you didn't even live up to your expectations for yourself?

Justine's story is so well done. I loved the different personalities of each kid, but also of the filming crew and the parents and siblings. I love how heartbreaking the simple misunderstandings, the judgement and the hurt they have dished to each other has defined them in their teenage years. How they've lost contact but not lost each other. I thought it was beautiful. show less

When another butterfly emerges from its chrysalis under a dark enchantment, the magical Wishing Wing sisters call upon the human sisters Addie and Claire to help them. This time the newly eclosed butterfly has gone from sweet to sniping, somehow knowing exactly which biting comment will hurt the listener the most. Can they save her before she causes more harm?

This is the third title in a series, although there is a quick recap at the beginning of the book that brings readers up to the show more current moment in the ongoing story. While reading the previous books is not strictly necessary, it’s great to see the character growth for Addie in particular as she learns to come out of her shell and try new things. We are also introduced to yet another new child in the neighborhood, who ends up playing a crucial role in this installment of the saga. show less

What Happens Now was honestly a much deeper story than I expected it to be, and that's a good thing. When I first met Ari, our main character, I believed that this would be a story that dealt strictly with depression and cutting. While it definitely dealt with those topics, Jennifer Castle manages to wrap up so many other things right along with it. She adds in perfect moments of levity, and of self-discovery. This book isn't nearly as dark as I thought it might be, and I appreciated that.
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Ari was an excellent main character, especially when it came to her battle with depression and anxiety. I really appreciated how Castle dealt with the way that Ari felt, on a daily basis. Her life didn't automatically go back to normal after the big life choice she made, and her relationships were simply perfect again. No, Ari had to fight for normality. She had to battle against people who just expected her to be okay, by explaining that she just didn't work the same way as others. I loved that Castle gave Ari a strong support network, but also added in some barriers for her as well.

In fact, one of my favorite parts of this story was the big focus on relationships. Ari's relationship with her stepfather and mother was interesting. Often, in books like this, the main character isn't a fan of their stepfather. For Ari, her relationship with him was stronger with her mother, and I kind of liked that. It made for an excellent opportunity for self-discovery and growth. Even the relationship between Ari and her best friend Kendall wasn't perfect. They bickered, they got annoyed with one another, but at the end of the day they were always there for one another. Just like real life, which is refreshing to read about in a book.

So why the missing star? Honestly, there are portions of this book that tended to drag a bit, and it made some of it a burden to get through. I loved Ari. I ate up her adorably awkward friendship with Camden and his own group of friends. Still, some of the decisions that Ari made took so long to come to fruition, that it made things slow down. Overall it was a really solid story though, and I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. show less

I loved how Blaire had a cool life with many passions, but it was sometimes a little weird figuring out just what exactly her role was. It seemed like she had chores which got done irregularly, like her family hired a bunch of people for a bunch of businesses, but also ran them. She also managed to create a proposal that looked perfect for an adult and set just the right tone, and then go completely tone-deaf on the wedding planning (and tone deaf in this case meaning that she and an adult show more together were designing a wedding that sounded like something a five year old would want). All the sudden she actually gets it together at the last minute out of nowhere. Also it might have been nice if her parents had stepped in a little more to give her a bit of structure rather than letting her randomly attempt to do everything (including maybe raising two bottle fed animals and writing a blog...) show less