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A review by girlonbooks
Anna K: Away by Jenny Lee
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
πππ(three stars as rated in The Mystery Girl's signature red lipstick)
Once the teen queen of the New York City, Anna K has all but disappeared from the social scene following the tragic death of her boyfriend, Alexia Vronsky. Her father, currently estranged from his own wife, has decided that time away will do the pair of them some good and so it's off to Korea for them both. In their absence, Anna's brother Steven is having troubles of his own. His girlfriend Lolly is preparing for a stint away at drama camp, putting strains on the trust that is still healing from Steven's past infidelity. Steven's best friend Dustin struggles to navigate his own burgeoning relationship with Kimmie, Lolly's younger sister, while simultaneously trying to forge some sort of family unit with his late brother's girlfriend, Natalia. On the other side of country, Beatrice (Vronksy's cousin and BFF), is also reeling from the loss of her partner in crime. She despises Anna K for stealing Alexia from her and has vowed to spend the whole summer drinking and wallowing in misery. That is until a pretty girl working the hotel reception desk catches her eye...
Once the teen queen of the New York City, Anna K has all but disappeared from the social scene following the tragic death of her boyfriend, Alexia Vronsky. Her father, currently estranged from his own wife, has decided that time away will do the pair of them some good and so it's off to Korea for them both. In their absence, Anna's brother Steven is having troubles of his own. His girlfriend Lolly is preparing for a stint away at drama camp, putting strains on the trust that is still healing from Steven's past infidelity. Steven's best friend Dustin struggles to navigate his own burgeoning relationship with Kimmie, Lolly's younger sister, while simultaneously trying to forge some sort of family unit with his late brother's girlfriend, Natalia. On the other side of country, Beatrice (Vronksy's cousin and BFF), is also reeling from the loss of her partner in crime. She despises Anna K for stealing Alexia from her and has vowed to spend the whole summer drinking and wallowing in misery. That is until a pretty girl working the hotel reception desk catches her eye...
"Haters are always gonna hateβ¦but everyone loves a good comeback tour."
If while reading Anna K you thought to yourself, "what that book needs is some more K-pop," then have I got the sequel of your DREAMS! This book is the chunky monkey ice cream of teen dramas. It is just so much stinking fun to DEVOUR in a single sitting. Which, is what I love to do anyway! Full disclosure, Anna K: Away reads a teeny bit slower than its predecessor and a lot of what goes on with some of the characters is clearly set up for book three. Because there is obviously going to be a book three. So. Many. Cliffhangers!
What I think I enjoyed most about this book is how it deals with the fallout of Anna K and Vronsky's relationship as well as Alexia's subsequent death. The whole situation is so horrible traumatizing to everyone and, unlike in Anna Karenina, the reader gets to witness how that all plays out. Even the characters that didn't really know Anna and Alexia discuss how the situation affected them. Everyone carries a small piece of guilt which, is what I like to think would have happened in Anna Karenina had we gotten a bit more at the end there as well. I found this creative decision to be very special and was really pleased with Jenny Lee's choice to use her continuation of the story to give some justice to the memory of Anna K's infamous inspiration. Well done!
"It's like waiting for the big one - the big wave. You gotta just follow your gut to tell you when it's the right wave to go for. As soon as you're up on your board and riding it there's no sense in worrying anymore. You just gotta relax into it and ride the wave."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Vomit
Moderate: Death
Minor: Infidelity