BOOK REVIEW: An Authentic Experience

17:15:00 Neona 2 Comments

Hello everyone! I can't believe I'm writing from the other side, and by that I mean I've finally completed my first year of university! It's crazy to think that just a few months ago, I had no idea what I was in store for, the amazing people I was to meet and the fantastic experiences I'd have. I'm almost jealous of September 2017 me, she had no idea at all.
Now that I've got my exams out of the way and I've got some free time, I've managed to plan out a few blog posts that I'll be rolling out a lot more frequently.
But on with this week's post, the lovely Kelly Wittmann reached out to me a while ago asking me to review her newest book- 'An Authentic Experience' which I have been so excited to do. Unfortunately however I had to get my exams out of the way first, but here I am ready to share with you my thoughts and feelings on this young adult novel!

"Fifteen-year-old Silver Abelli’s life has been as tumultuous as the punk rock she was raised on. Her divorced parents just don’t get along, even though they’re both musicians who stubbornly spurn the mainstream but secretly crave the limelight. Silver has always lived with her mom, Nicola, but when Nicola is diagnosed with a brain tumor, she must go to live with her obnoxious, hard-partying father, Renz. It’s a really bad time to fall in love, so you can pretty much bet that Silver will. Enter Jake Sullivan…"

When I first read the synopsis of the book I was skeptical- not because of what was portrayed but more so because I felt that as a girl a bit older than fifteen I wouldn't really relate to the book or any of the characters. However, what I actually found was that Silver was much more relatable than I expected and she really reminded me of myself when I was 15, which was not that long ago might I add. The issues she was facing were parallel to the ones I had, for example wanting to 'fit in' and have the 'authentic teenage experience'. Even now that I'm at uni there's an element of this that still resonates with me but it is quite nice to also recognise that I have grown since then and these things don't bother me as much as they used to.

What I loved about this book is that it did cover a range of topics that some young adult novels don't often do. Silver's mother is recovering from a serious illness and Wittmann portrays how, although there is joy in the fact a loved one is getting better, there are still many major complications that ensue and they can be almost as difficult as the initial illness to deal with. Silver is not only worried about her mother, but she's also had to change her comfortable routine for a very uncomfortable situation with her father. This is plenty stress for anyone, but along comes Jake Sullivan and gives Silver and additional plate to juggle! Boys are just super important and of course every teenager is determined to make sure their first relationship goes perfectly right, but Silver soon learns that relationships are different for everybody, there is no set pattern or sequence.

Each character in this novel has so much depth, and over the course of the book it was nice to see them from all sorts of angles. What I found from getting to know Silver's parents for example is that at times it was difficult to distinguish parent from child. Renz especially had very immature tendencies and really failed Silver in many ways when it came to being a strong paternal figure, this made it easy for the reader to sympathise with young Silver and understand why she found it so difficult to warm up to her father.

Silver craves the 'normalcy' she assumes every teenager but herself to have but realistically, and 'authentic experience' is only truly authentic if it's unique; from her name to her experiences, Silver is really living a unique life.

I really did enjoy reading this book and I'm so glad that it did really subvert my initial expectations by not having the typical plot of many novels of the same genre. Such a good read and I do recommend you pick up this book!

Kelly was also kind enough to also answer some questions I had and I've included them below:

Q) Which character(s) did you relate to the most and why?

A) While they are fictional characters in a family that is very different from my own, I think that in some ways, Nicola is "old me" and Silver is "young me." When I was young, I was optimistic to the point of naivete. Living with a brain tumor long term wears you down over time. It's rough. But like Nicola, I try to fight becoming hard and cynical, because that's a really unhealthy way to live. The tumor is gone now, and I have to accept that gift and be grateful for it.

Q) When starting to write a book, how do you lay the foundations? For example do you start with the title? Or a rough outline of the plot?

A) I always start by writing very detailed descriptions of the five or six most important characters. For me, everything flows out of them, so I have to know them well before I even start writing Chapter One. Then I write the first eight or nine chapters before writing an outline of the whole book, like what will be in each chapter. Everything gets easier after that. As for the title, it usually comes to me pretty early on, and I rarely change it.

Q) What advice do you have for budding writers? I'm really interested in writing and have done in the past however I've never completed a project!

A) Don't worry about when you will finish a project (if you don't have a deadline). Rushing through it will only make you miserable and it certainly won't do any favors for the quality of your writing. Take your time and know that it will be ready when it's ready.

Q) Did you consider alternate endings for 'An Authentic Experience' or did you stick with the one you published?

A) I did consider something more romantic and "happily ever after," but that just seemed cliched and not right for Silver. She is a teenager who needs a lot of space to process what she's been though, a lot of room to grow.

Q) There are lots of things I love about Silver, when creating her character, what did you find you loved most about her?

A) I'm so glad you love her! I said above that she was like the "young me" in some ways, but in other ways, she's much stronger than I was. I don't beat myself up for that, but I do wish I would have had a better idea of where I was going in life from a younger age. I wish I would have started writing earlier than I did. But... what happened happened. You live and learn. I'd like to thank Kelly for giving me the opportunity to read and review her amazing book and I wish her all the best on her future projects.

You can find the link to her book on amazon here, where it is free for kindle unlimited members!

I'll be back soon with another blog post for you all so stay tuned :)

❣

First Semester, a reflection...

12:00:00 Neona 2 Comments

Now I'm back to Uni (oh how I miss thee, Christmas), I've really had time to reflect on how much my life has changed since I first shipped myself here. I say shipped 'myself' as if my entire family didn't squeeze themselves into the car I'd packed my entire life into and come along with me, honestly one thing you never think of as you pack for this distant room you've never been in is how exactly you're to transport about 3000 clothes and shoes you'll probably never wear. First semester was honestly a rollercoaster, from the first day of term to the last something was always going on and I found myself too busy to ever have a spare moment (hence the lack of post until now, sorry). So, I bring to you, a little reflection of my firsts at uni

FIRST WEEK

Alas, the morning of the biggest day of my life thus far arrived with great speed and before I knew it I was pressed up against the car window travelling further and further away from home. Arriving at Uni was extremely nerve wracking, knowing not only that I was in a completely new place, but also I was going to have to live with new people. I introduced myself to my flatmates briefly and all seemed well so I took myself to my new room, I was at home, as strange as that seemed. My family happily helped me unpack once we arrived which I was so grateful for as I 100% would have been at a loss doing it myself. Once my parents left, I was then left to properly socialise with my flatmates and I quickly realised this Uni thing wasn't as bad as I'd thought! I got on well with my flatmates and with Freshers week starting, there was a lot to look forward to. Lots of going out and very very little sleep was had in the first week. I grew to appreciate mum's cooking and the fact she cooked every. single. day. because quite honestly, I struggled with the urge to just have noodles like every other student ever (meal prep is your best friend just for future reference). Freshers week brought new friends, everyone I met was extremely friendly, we're all in the same boat so it's easy to make friends!

FIRST MONTH

From that point onwards I felt completely settled in and my life became lectures, cooking and socialising. Uni became a fantastic routine and due to literally being on campus 24/7, one week felt like one month, something we like to call the "Love island complex", and by the time a month had gone by I felt as if I really had this whole uni thing down- kinda. In between getting my education on, I was juggling my oh-so hectic nightlife. Believe me, it's hard not to party at every opportunity when your flatmates are as convincing as mine, not to mention that after our flat parties got us quite the reputation we really had to make them a rarity as to not have the whole campus showing up to our small flat as they did on Halloween!

FIRST SEMESTER

As end of term came around the corner at high speed, life picked up also and all of a sudden everything was happening at once! More nights out, assignments, tests and honestly it was so difficult to keep up with everything, not to mention the fact my sleeping pattern was beyond destroyed... I don't really remember what it's like to sleep before 1am anymore, sigh. The last two weeks of term in particular were quite hectic, and as I packed my things in a rush on the last day, I realised that I'd actually survived my first first semester... I felt oddly proud of myself but also reminiscent, I'd absolutely loved Uni so far and although it was a lot to handle at times, there was no way I'd change a single thing about how it had gone. I was so ready for second semester and I hadn't even left Uni yet!