Ever since I saw this adorable cover, I'd been pining for this book. Plus, I love parallel universe stories, because who doesn't daydream about where our choices would've led us if we chose differently??

Kennedy is one of those uptight, Type A characters that I usually don't love. I just don't relate to the "Miss Perfect" types. And it's definitely not that I related to Kennedy, but I did like reading her story. That's how I know the book is well-written-- when I can be totally turned off by the main character and STILL really want to read on.

I thought this book was adorably cute and fun to read. It wasn't like I haven't ever read a story like this before, or that I didn't know where it was going-- but I totally have and did-- but that's okay. Not every book has to SHOCK me to entertain me. I valued this book for it's entertainment. It's nice to do some lighter reading every now and again and just not THINK so hard.

There are a few romantic storylines in this book, but they DO NOT take over the book's focus. I'm not the biggest romance fan, and I found nothing annoying about what was involved here. That's usually not the case with most light-hearted YA Contemporary, so big thumbs up to Jessica Brody!!

My fave part: I loved the sciencey geek younger brother, who was the same in both dimensions. Without Frankie, I'm not sure Kennedy would have figured anything out. I know she was going through a confusing experience, but she wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer when it came to putting things together.

Takeaways: This book focused on the pressures that young people can have on them before they're even out of high school (or even younger than that in some cases). Kennedy came to a point where she really had to question if being #1 in her class and having everything be perfect, was worth the toll it was taking on her mental state and all the people in her life.

I also thought it was interesting that in going to Windsor, Kennedy ended up losing the main passion in her life and she had to figure out if it was worth giving that up. Lots of choices in this book, and that's what made it fun to read!

OVERALL: Super cute, fun, light YA Contemporary. If you like movies like The Family Man or other parallel universe stories, you'll like this. Everyone wonders what-if at some point in their life, and this answers that question for Kennedy. This was definitely one of my fave books that came out this summer!!

My Blog:

( )

It was pretty cool that her dad was an eye photographer. ( )

What a great book! Basic info on book, it’s about a girl who gets conked on the head from falling down a flight of stairs. See, that’s the basic info so far. She ends up in a could have, should have, may not be a good idea but wishful thinking alternative universe. That was not as basic but it covers all the points without giving away the story.
I loved all the characters in this book and the writing style, which made it a can’t put down kind of book for me. I enjoyed the anxious moments as well as the tidy neatly wrapped up ending, this book had it all.
Little add info on this book, this is an alternative universe story. We first meet Kennedy in her original life, happy home aspiring journalist for her high school newspaper a father who is a photographer and stay at home dad a mother who is a lawyer and a
brilliant younger brother. Her only desire which she did not take but did receive was to go to attend a prestigious school. This story tells of her alternative universe if she had gone to that prestigious school.
( )

Kennedy Rhodes gets a chance to see what her life would have been if she had made a different choice. Things in the other life are not the perfection she imagined. She realizes there is more than what she saw on the surface and her decision have effects on other people. ( )

Jessica Brody also wrote A Week of Mondays, which is a 2017 Lone Star novel, which is why I asked to read this novel. The committee, including me, chose her novel for the list because it was fun and interesting. I wanted to read something else by her. This novel’s release date is August 8, 2017.

Kennedy Rhodes is driven--she knows exactly who she is and where she is going in life. She will be a journalist after attending Columbia University. A few years ago, she had an opportunity to go to the school of her dreams, the Windsor Academy but chose to stay at her public school because she wanted to stay with her boyfriend. Life has been great--she started a newspaper, the Southwest Star, for Southwest High that is award-winning, she still has her boyfriend, she has a best friend who supports her with everything, and she has a loving family. Despite these wonderful parts of her life, Kennedy cannot stop thinking about Windsor Academy, even following a couple of the popular girls on a social media platform. Had she chosen Windsor, she would be a shoe-in for Columbia!

Everything changes when she finds her best friend kissing her boyfriend. Oddly, she’s not upset with them; she’s more upset that she made the wrong choice. She should have attended Windsor and lived the better life. Low and behold, she falls, hits her head, and awakens to a parallel universe where she did choose Windsor Academy. She’s now the best friend of one of the most popular girls at the school and Kennedy is known as “The Crusher” because she crushes everything she attempts. She ranked #1. This is the life Kennedy was meant to live. It looks great, but is this life really better? As Kennedy navigates this new world, she discovers the costs that choices bring.

I thought there was a great lesson--just like in her other novel--about life. We deal with the choices we make and try to hold on to the identity we have for ourselves--hopefully, an honest identity--and hold on to relationships because we treat people well. Her best friend was really too good to be true, and her boyfriend had no development. Neither of those drawbacks are particularly important because the novel is focused squarely on Kennedy. No one else truly matters because this novel is her transformation. I did like her family, especially her brother. Overall, I enjoyed the novel; if you liked A Week of Mondays, definitely read this novel because you will like it as well. If you haven’t read Ms. Brody before, give her a try. ( )