Synopsis: Shane has been doing college all wrong. Pre-med, stellar grades, and happy parents...sounds ideal -- but Shane's made zero friends, goes home every weekend, and romance...what's that?
Her life has been dorm, dining hall, class, repeat. Time's a ticking, and she needs a change -- there's nothing like moving to a new country to really mix things up. Shane signs up for a semester abroad in London. She's going to right all her college mistakes: make friends, pursue boys, and find adventure!
Easier said than done. She is soon faced with the complicated realities of living outside her bubble, and when self-doubt sneaks in, her new life starts to fall apart.
Shane comes to find that, with the right amount of courage and determination one can conquer anything. Throw in some fate and a touch of magic - the possibilities are endless.
Review: When I got an ARC of this at YALLFest, I honestly didn't know what the actual story was about. That being said, the title gave me preconceived expectations. I thought this was going to be about a girl who studies abroad, gets swept up in a romance, has things fall apart, but then learns from it all and moves on. In some ways, it was this. In other ways, it wasn't. I'll get into that in a second. First off, let's talk about Shane. I quite liked her as a character. We get so see her when she is inexperienced and really learning how to live on her own. Then we get to see her in a more confident light. Still, while she was inexperienced, we got to see her step out of her comfort zone and try to live her life to the fullest. On the flip side, as the more confident person, she still holds onto some of her reservations. I especially liked seeing the more confident Shane go through her experiences. Christine did a great job of showing that even the most aware and confident people can goof up. Shane makes mistakes despite knowing what it could cost her.
There were some parts of the story that hit me in very personal spots. A large one was Shane's relationship with her family. The expectations they have of her felt shockingly similar to my own experiences with college and conversations with parents. It was nice to see those moments because books I've read about going through college don't often talk about the outcome like job prospects. The reality is that some parents are only supportive if their kids are getting a degree in something that makes them money. It's a sad truth. Christine does will with including the depth of these conversations without them being overwhelming. Christine handles this gracefully.
Without explaining too much, I will say that I was surprised at the format of the story, but it grew on me. This goes back to seeing the story with two perspectives of Shane. The first time, we see her build close friendships with people in her flat, but she struggles to make real connections with Pilot or with her family. The second time, she builds things up with Pilot and reaches out to her family more, but we see the toll it takes on her friendships and her work life. Eventually, we see the toll this takes on herself. Anyone who enjoys books like Before I Fall can see the value in Again, but Better. It allows for the character, and the reader, to take a hard look at their lives and see if they would live with major regrets.
Again, but Better was a great first novel that can be a conversation starter about priorities and honesty.
4 howls
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