Published by Text Publishing on August 6, 2019
Source: Publisher
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
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When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting or at least mildly upset. Then her two best friends hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward. And when an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up further, Natalie has to figure out where she fits in this new and confusing world.
It Sounded Better in My Head is an incredibly relatable Australian YA coming of age story that I would have loved as a teen. It has a slice of life vibe to it and the book is just everything that I was thinking as a teen and was too scared to say out loud.
The novel follows Natalie who has just found out that her parents are splitting up and it seems like the end of the world. Her parents were her only true friends until she met her best friends Zach and Lucy three years ago. But now with Zach and Lucy being a couple and her parents splitting up, she feels as though she’s lost in the world. Until she has her own little romantic journey, which helps her to open up and not be scared to show the world who she is.
I connected with Natalie soooo much. Though I never had bad skin as a teenager, I had other insecurities that I thought were explored so well by Nina Kenwood in this book. The feelings of being self-conscious about your physical appearance, your school grades, your life experience, your popularity were all captured amazingly well in this short novel. It Sounded Better in My Head captures all of the awkward moments of adolescence and puberty but also highlights that it’s just a natural part of life and the awkwardness and imperfections don’t necessarily end when you become an adult.
The relationships in this novel really made it for me. The snarky relationship that you have with your parents when you’re a teenager were portrayed so well in the book, and I highly enjoyed the large presence of parents and family. I also loved that the book starts and ends with family, which is something I’m always looking for in a YA novel. I also really enjoyed the friendships in the book, though there were some moments that were kind of infuriating. But the steadfast friendships and the support that the characters showed each other were really nice to see.
The romance in the book was really cute but realistic as well. I liked that it was kind of awkward but also really sweet. I particularly appreciated the message that things don’t always work out as planned, and people in relationships aren’t perfect, but things can still work out in the end.
I highly enjoyed It Sounded Better in My Head. It was a quick read that was relatable, cute, and an incredible depiction of the awkwardness that comes with being a teenager who isn’t yet comfortable in their own skin.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Thank you to Text Publishing for providing a review copy.
It Sounded Better in My Head is available at all Australian retailers for $19.99 RRP.
Jenna
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I’ve heard so much raving about this novel and it looks like it captured so much about being a teen really well! I’m really looking forward to reading it, great review Jenna!
Thanks Jeann! It was short and sweet and I’m pretty excited to read Nina’s next novel now! Thanks for sending this my way.
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I love relatable YA. There’s just so much to connect with and enjoy in a solid coming-of-age story!
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I definitely agree and this one just nails it! I hope you get a chance to pick it up!
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Ahh this is a fantastic review! This book is on my most anticipated reads list, it sounds exactly like the kind of contemporary I’d adore and yay for the big family presence and, awkward realistic relationships. I can’t wait to read it 🙂
Thanks Marie! I think that you’ll absolutely love this one. It’s got everything that you want in a great contemporary!
Jenna recently posted…American Royals Review: The Crown Meets Gossip Girl
Stories with parents breaking up always get to me. Ugh. I don’t know why. I find that I look for ways to dislike them both. Lol. Honestly, it detracts from the actual story. Anyway, this sounds good. The stress of Natalie’s home is projecting on her skin. Which is totally relatable no matter what age you belong to. Sigh.
I totally agree, Joy. I get that divorce is a part of people’s lives and should be represented but it’s almost become a trend. It’s so difficult to find a contemporary novel that doesn’t have fractured families these days and often the book doesn’t even focus on family as a theme… which makes it disappointing sometimes. This one did really well on the familial relationships though!
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I love the titles. This sounds really fantastic. I’m definitely being shallow here and judging it by its cover and SWOONING because it’s so beautiful. But, I definitely trust your judgment/taste and think I’ll enjoy this one! Adding to my TBR. Great review!
Thanks Jessica! This was honestly such an amazing read and quite a short one too. I powered through it and am so excited to read her next book!
Jenna recently posted…American Royals Review: The Crown Meets Gossip Girl