A review by jennasais_quoi
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

3.0

I want to rate this higher so badly, but lord this book really lost me when they went to Thailand. I get it’s fictional and I shouldn’t get hung up on the unrealistic-ness of it but I can’t reason with making the decision to leave for Thailand on a literal whim with a 9 year old struggling with gender identity who likely didn’t even have a passport because of that fact? And then said 9 year old is just casually missing school all while being thrown into a teaching situation in a country they’re completely unfamiliar with? Like I was just so baffled by the entire thing. And then, upon returning, at the school dance Poppy just casually forgives whole heartedly one of the kids who outed her??? I loved the premise and message of the book but it really fell apart in parts 3 & 4 for me.