Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler

Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler
Published by Spencer Hill on November 17th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, YA, Young Adult, Romance
Goodreads

Reagan Forrester wants out—out of her trailer park, out of reach of her freeloading mother, and out of the shadow of the relationship that made her the pariah of Charytan, Kansas.

Victoria Reyes wants in—in to a fashion design program, in to the arms of a cute guy who doesn't go to Charytan High, and in to a city where she won't stand out for being Mexican.

One thing the polar-opposite best friends do agree on is that wherever they go, they’re staying together. But when they set off on a series of college visits at the start of their senior year, they quickly see that the future doesn’t look quite like they expected. After two years of near-solitude following the betrayal of the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, Reagan falls hard and fast for a Battlestar Galactica-loving, brilliant smile-sporting pre-med prospective... only to learn she's set herself up for heartbreak all over again. Meanwhile, Victoria runs full-speed toward all the things she thinks she wants… only to realize everything she’s looking for might be in the very place they've sworn to leave.

As both Reagan and Victoria struggle to learn who they are and what they want in the present, they discover just how much they don't know about each other's pasts. And when each learns what the other’s been hiding, they'll have to decide whether their friendship has a future.

I received a copy of this book from the author (Thanks Dahlia!), this does not influence my thoughts on the book or my review.

I am always looking for more YA books that deal with female friendship and Just Visiting was exactly what I was looking for. Riveting, romantic, realistic and raw, Just Visiting is a book that you must read.

Victoria and Raegan have been best friends for the past couple of years. Stuck in the middle of small-town Kansas, Raegan can’t wait to leave her unkind town and the trailer park she calls home. Victoria would follow Raegan anywhere, and she can only picture a future with her awesome best friend. When they start visiting colleges and thinking more about their future, each girl has to decide what’s best for her and if their paths really are meant to be entwined in their future.

Victoria and Raegan’s friendship was amazing. While they’re completely different people, and they may not always agree, I loved how supportive they were of each other. At times, they struggle to really understand each other and they get into fights, but what friendships are perfect each and every day? I just loved how realistic their friendship seemed and how they really learned to grow.

The plot of Just Visiting was also pretty great. The beginning was a bit slow but by the end, I could not put the book down. (I may have stayed up until 2AM with a midterm the next day reading it but IT WAS WORTH IT).

The romance was also pretty great. I loved Raegan & Dev (woohoo an Indian love interest) and they were just so adorably cute and confused and it was kind of amazing. I also really liked Victoria’s romantic side-plot, as hers wasn’t as clear-cut and did have some twists and turns, but in the end she made a choice that made her the happiest.

My favourite part of this book is perhaps how realistic it felt. The main character make mistakes, they learn, they move on, they fight and they each learn what it means to be their own person. Teens make mistakes and they don’t know everything. I liked that there was really room for the characters to grow and for them to learn about themselves.

I also liked there were realistic representations of what teens struggle with: working and finding money for college, sex and what that means, finding scholarships, sibling and family relationships, and so much more that can’t be put into a single sentence.

Overall, I really loved Just Visiting and I recommend it to fans of realistic teen portrayals, contemporary fiction, and books that deal with the time in-between high school and university. It reminded me a bit of Roomies (not plot-wise but theme-wise) which is definitely one of my favourites so yay!