A review by oxtailandcabbage
Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant
4.0
Thoughtful, warm, ecstatic
I want to pick up all three books from this series. I can't believe I waited this long to read it. Shame on me!
Let me give a brief summary. This novel opens up with Tessa entering a new art high school in this new town in California, to pursue her writing. New fancy school, fresh faces, some not so friendly and with the hint of wealth in the air, Tessa isn't really sure this is the environment for her to thrive in. Writing has always been this intimate thing between herself and her keyboard. Her mind is constantly crafting new love stories and her best friend Caroline is the only one who gets to gush over them. No one else. It solidified their bond, added a lot of excitement to their friendship. But Caroline isn't here anymore in this new town, at this new school with Tessa. She's definitely a phone call or text away but not here physically where they can hold hands. Tessa has to figure out how to get her writing groove back because of this, navigate this new creative space, make friends and fit in.
Thoughts:
This book was very cute, and oh so stressful at times my god! Lol . I forget how stressful being a teenager can be wow! I really understood where Tessa was coming from, the frustrations she felt, the jealousies and guilt. I really liked how the author didn't shy away from having our protagonist experience those things. They are important and part of being human. Tessa wasn't made out to be this perfect person. She is a teenager, navigating uncertainty in a lot of areas in her life. The writing scenes were quite lovely, the angst, the fear, the thrill of diving into characters and stories. I felt seen because I used to write fanfiction when I was a kid too! It was nice to know that Tessa did the same when she was starting out. Feeling like an impostor is a common theme in this book, belonging at school , at home. It was very well executed, weaved like a thread, taking us places we never expected the story would go. The aspects of community in this book were very nice and the food descriptions made me hungry for sweets. I blame Sam! His character was very fun to read. I liked how confident and passionate he was, especially with his cooking. He was such an understanding and caring boy, very attentive and always wanting to listen and help where he could.
And of course i couldnt write this review and not talk about Lenore. Lenore was that girl!!!!! I am so excited for book 2 because of her lol. She was sooo cool, eclectic and funny and so honest and so freaking talented, man!
This story was definitely a page turner. I was so immersed in the family dynamics and teen drama, that when act 3 came around and the mood shifted, I was not at all ready for it. I was holding my breath the entire time. I forgot the book was even supposed to end at some point. Such a banger 4 out of 5 stars!
I want to pick up all three books from this series. I can't believe I waited this long to read it. Shame on me!
Let me give a brief summary. This novel opens up with Tessa entering a new art high school in this new town in California, to pursue her writing. New fancy school, fresh faces, some not so friendly and with the hint of wealth in the air, Tessa isn't really sure this is the environment for her to thrive in. Writing has always been this intimate thing between herself and her keyboard. Her mind is constantly crafting new love stories and her best friend Caroline is the only one who gets to gush over them. No one else. It solidified their bond, added a lot of excitement to their friendship. But Caroline isn't here anymore in this new town, at this new school with Tessa. She's definitely a phone call or text away but not here physically where they can hold hands. Tessa has to figure out how to get her writing groove back because of this, navigate this new creative space, make friends and fit in.
Thoughts:
This book was very cute, and oh so stressful at times my god! Lol . I forget how stressful being a teenager can be wow! I really understood where Tessa was coming from, the frustrations she felt, the jealousies and guilt. I really liked how the author didn't shy away from having our protagonist experience those things. They are important and part of being human. Tessa wasn't made out to be this perfect person. She is a teenager, navigating uncertainty in a lot of areas in her life. The writing scenes were quite lovely, the angst, the fear, the thrill of diving into characters and stories. I felt seen because I used to write fanfiction when I was a kid too! It was nice to know that Tessa did the same when she was starting out. Feeling like an impostor is a common theme in this book, belonging at school , at home. It was very well executed, weaved like a thread, taking us places we never expected the story would go. The aspects of community in this book were very nice and the food descriptions made me hungry for sweets. I blame Sam! His character was very fun to read. I liked how confident and passionate he was, especially with his cooking. He was such an understanding and caring boy, very attentive and always wanting to listen and help where he could.
And of course i couldnt write this review and not talk about Lenore. Lenore was that girl!!!!! I am so excited for book 2 because of her lol. She was sooo cool, eclectic and funny and so honest and so freaking talented, man!
This story was definitely a page turner. I was so immersed in the family dynamics and teen drama, that when act 3 came around and the mood shifted, I was not at all ready for it. I was holding my breath the entire time. I forgot the book was even supposed to end at some point. Such a banger 4 out of 5 stars!