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charmaineac's review
1.0
What a frustrating book! Audrey spent so much time in limbo — indecisive, uncommunicative, and combative. I hated how often she had her head in the clouds, intentionally ignoring reality. I hated how she revealed the weight of these secrets in snippets, to selective individuals. But the cherry on top of that was how she'd then get MAD at all these people for not understanding her. And she had the audacity to tell a friend to communicate more. Do what I say, not what I do, huh?
And then there was the giant showdown in the school hallway. Listen, Audrey had a somewhat valid reason for keeping her secret. And when given a chance to explain, all she says is... "This is different." No! That's not how you win a fight!! She should have said that she had been TRYING to tell this person (because she had), but they wouldn't give her a word in edgewise. That was the real reason, wasn't it?
These dysfunctional friendships were exhausting. I can't imagine having such an intense group of friends. They were people who would drop everything for each other, maybe. But they were also people who would play mind games with each other, make SNARKY comments about each other, and throw each others' secrets in their faces. I don't know about you, but those are not friends I'd want to keep in my life.
Another point of contention (and I think this is just me)... I just was not feeling Julian at all. He was too much of a doormat/puppy dog, and never pushed Audrey like he should have. And the whole "rock god" persona felt so contrived (in my opinion). He was the voice of reason at many times though, which made it so infuriating when Audrey didn't listen to him. I can't even imagine what it would be like in his situation, wanting to talk things through and make decisions before they were made for him. If Audrey wouldn't even TALK about what she wanted to do, Julian's conclusions seemed 100% logical... and also ridiculously scary for him.
Audrey seems like the kind of person you want on your side when the sun is shining. She's a good times person, and knows how to make others happy. But when the storm rolls around... well, let's just say she is NOT the person I'd want in my corner at all.
It became evident what choice Audrey and Julian would make once we got through a certain portion of the book without a resolution. To make that clear: a choice to keep it is a book about the pregnancy journey, a choice to put it up for adoption is a book about family, and a choice to abort it is about the choice itself. Not sure if that's a spoiler or not.
In terms of redeeming qualities, I did like the conclusion though. I liked Coop's party scenes. I liked watching these kids make up, have fun, and live. I just wish we got to see the full letter response (what a cop-out)!
And then there was the giant showdown in the school hallway. Listen, Audrey had a somewhat valid reason for keeping her secret. And when given a chance to explain, all she says is... "This is different." No! That's not how you win a fight!! She should have said that she had been TRYING to tell this person (because she had), but they wouldn't give her a word in edgewise. That was the real reason, wasn't it?
These dysfunctional friendships were exhausting. I can't imagine having such an intense group of friends. They were people who would drop everything for each other, maybe. But they were also people who would play mind games with each other, make SNARKY comments about each other, and throw each others' secrets in their faces. I don't know about you, but those are not friends I'd want to keep in my life.
Another point of contention (and I think this is just me)... I just was not feeling Julian at all. He was too much of a doormat/puppy dog, and never pushed Audrey like he should have. And the whole "rock god" persona felt so contrived (in my opinion). He was the voice of reason at many times though, which made it so infuriating when Audrey didn't listen to him. I can't even imagine what it would be like in his situation, wanting to talk things through and make decisions before they were made for him. If Audrey wouldn't even TALK about what she wanted to do, Julian's conclusions seemed 100% logical... and also ridiculously scary for him.
Audrey seems like the kind of person you want on your side when the sun is shining. She's a good times person, and knows how to make others happy. But when the storm rolls around... well, let's just say she is NOT the person I'd want in my corner at all.
It became evident what choice Audrey and Julian would make once we got through a certain portion of the book without a resolution. To make that clear: a choice to keep it is a book about the pregnancy journey, a choice to put it up for adoption is a book about family, and a choice to abort it is about the choice itself. Not sure if that's a spoiler or not.
In terms of redeeming qualities, I did like the conclusion though. I liked Coop's party scenes. I liked watching these kids make up, have fun, and live. I just wish we got to see the full letter response (what a cop-out)!
taishacasimir's review
2.0
the main character was, in my opinion, a bitch for no reason...i would not recommend this book to anyone
shelovestoread's review
4.0
You Don't Know Me But I Know You by Rebecca Barrow (Review) Blogpost Here
You Don't Know Me but I Know You
This book was really good. I wasn't expecting to be this likeable. This story is about a seventeen years old girl Audrey who finds herself accidentally pregnant. This story revolves around the process of discovery and the decision than she has to make.
I picked this book up this evening and i manged to finish it by tonight. It was a fast paced read. With diverse characters.
This is a beautiful story of a biracial girl. Her adoptive mom is white and a red head. Their relationship was so beautiful and easy going. She is so supportive of Audrey and her decisions.
This story is about love, friendship, loss and just figuring things out. The bestfriends of Audrey; each has her own personalities and quirk. Rose is complex and sometime came out as cruel sometime. But that was also a part of their relationship discovery, figuring out and strengthening of those two together.
The biological mother also had an important role in the story and she help or contributed towards Audrey's decision.
Julian the boyfriend is amazingly so and sometimes was way to perfect. He never panicked or freaked about the situation which i found a bit un realistic, otherwise he was a very nice boyfriend.
The only think I find at fault was the third person narrative perspective of the story like it was being told from the eye of someone else not the mc and i found that weird
The character were very relate able and everyday life like. It was easy to agree with their decisions.
Overall this a very poignant read about an important topic.
The publisher kindly sent me this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are, of course, honest and completely my own.
You Don't Know Me but I Know You
This book was really good. I wasn't expecting to be this likeable. This story is about a seventeen years old girl Audrey who finds herself accidentally pregnant. This story revolves around the process of discovery and the decision than she has to make.
I picked this book up this evening and i manged to finish it by tonight. It was a fast paced read. With diverse characters.
This is a beautiful story of a biracial girl. Her adoptive mom is white and a red head. Their relationship was so beautiful and easy going. She is so supportive of Audrey and her decisions.
This story is about love, friendship, loss and just figuring things out. The bestfriends of Audrey; each has her own personalities and quirk. Rose is complex and sometime came out as cruel sometime. But that was also a part of their relationship discovery, figuring out and strengthening of those two together.
The biological mother also had an important role in the story and she help or contributed towards Audrey's decision.
Julian the boyfriend is amazingly so and sometimes was way to perfect. He never panicked or freaked about the situation which i found a bit un realistic, otherwise he was a very nice boyfriend.
The only think I find at fault was the third person narrative perspective of the story like it was being told from the eye of someone else not the mc and i found that weird
The character were very relate able and everyday life like. It was easy to agree with their decisions.
Overall this a very poignant read about an important topic.
The publisher kindly sent me this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are, of course, honest and completely my own.
letsgolesbians's review
4.0
Lots of things for me to enjoy about this one—sex positivity, adoption and all the emotions that come up when you’re unsure of your heritage, supportive family, friends as family (I’d love more books about this friend group), supportive boyfriend. Audrey’s decision is in no way treated lightly. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for diverse YA that doesn’t really focus on romance.
ifthebook's review
3.0
This was a nuanced, quiet little book that I quite enjoyed. It dealt with adoption, ethnicity, teen pregnancy, relationships, growing up, etc., etc. One of the best things was that it really portrayed positive relationships between the characters. Yes, they fought at times. Yes, there were uncomfortable moments. But overall the characters were good, learned things about themselves, and worked things out.
tiareleine's review
3.0
YDKMBIKY was enjoyable, sweet, and fun. It had good messages about family, friendship, and choices. I really appreciated the dynamics between each of the characters, and also that a couple that existed at the beginning of the story went through something difficult and came out okay on the other side (it seems to me that most of the time, couples that begin apart end together, and couples that begin together end apart. That gets old)
But I ultimately only gave it 3 stars because I don’t imagine it will stick with me very long, unfortunately. I will keep an eye on what the author writes in the future, though. I think she has the potential to write some really great YA contemporary realistic fiction!
But I ultimately only gave it 3 stars because I don’t imagine it will stick with me very long, unfortunately. I will keep an eye on what the author writes in the future, though. I think she has the potential to write some really great YA contemporary realistic fiction!
555purplemonarchs's review
2.0
This book was... okay. Not something I really would’ve chosen, but I was going on a road trip and frantically checked out two or three books from the online library. This just happened to be one I selected randomly. It was a good book, but a little too high-school feeling for me. Drama, messy emotions, unfinished conversations. I would’ve enjoyed this book more a few years ago, I think.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really great book, loved Aubrey's journey, her relationships and her choices, as a pregnant teen. Really enjoyed it!
haleymadd's review
3.0
*I received advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Edelweiss and HarperCollins*
This book is about a young girl making a decision on whether she wants to keep her baby or not. Audrey finds out she's pregnant and she has no idea what to do. Her birth mother gave her up for adoption when she was younger and Audrey finds herself in a happy family now without her. Audrey is faced with all the pros and cons of having a baby at 17. It doesn't help when her best friend-Rose is supposed to be there for her, but rather her best friend and she have gotten into an argument.
The Bad
I feel like I've read a book like this sooo many other times so this is just repetitive. There wasn't anything new in the storyline that I haven't heard before.
The Good
Although this is a repetitive story and I've read ones like this multiple times. It was a cute story and the ending was happy. There was a fast pace which made it so much better and I found the length to be perfect for the story.
Overall
I think Audrey made the right choice in the ending for her future. It was a fun and fast paced read and I did really enjoy the author's reading. I just wish it wasn't like every other book that's out there now.
This book is about a young girl making a decision on whether she wants to keep her baby or not. Audrey finds out she's pregnant and she has no idea what to do. Her birth mother gave her up for adoption when she was younger and Audrey finds herself in a happy family now without her. Audrey is faced with all the pros and cons of having a baby at 17. It doesn't help when her best friend-Rose is supposed to be there for her, but rather her best friend and she have gotten into an argument.
The Bad
I feel like I've read a book like this sooo many other times so this is just repetitive. There wasn't anything new in the storyline that I haven't heard before.
The Good
Although this is a repetitive story and I've read ones like this multiple times. It was a cute story and the ending was happy. There was a fast pace which made it so much better and I found the length to be perfect for the story.
Overall
I think Audrey made the right choice in the ending for her future. It was a fun and fast paced read and I did really enjoy the author's reading. I just wish it wasn't like every other book that's out there now.