julshakespeare 's review for:

Speed of Life by J. M. Kelly

5.0

---

5/5

This is the best YA contemporary I've ever read, period.

I'm both exhausted from the week and emotionally drained from finishing this tonight (basically I read half of the book today) but I need to write this review ASAP because the book is coming out so soon and I just need to share my feelings with prospective readers.

This is probably going to get long and rave-y so here's a quick overview of what made this book such an incredible standout for me:
- Feminist without being preachy
- A stunningly accurate portrayal of living in near-poverty in America
- Also very accurate portrayal of raising a baby
- Complex and realistic familial relationships
- NO FORCED LOVE INTERESTS
- Narration with a relatable but emotionally-stirring voice

So let's discuss in that order. Firstly one of the twins, our narrator, Crystal, works at a gas station. She loves cars and her mustang is her baby. She wants to spend the rest of her life working in automotive restoration. And guess what- not once does any single character in this book question that. I was keeping my eyes peeled, so certain that I would eventually find that line like "You're pretty good with cars, for a girl." or some other trite, sexist line. It never happened. It was like the heavens opened up above this story as I was reading it. And the best part was that it felt like an effortless exclusion. That type of dialogue wouldn't have effected Crystal's choices or passion anyway so it was just irrelevant! Because interests don't have genders. I could keep going about this but honestly it was just so straightforwardly feminist (without Crystal even having to use that word) that I was just blown away. Kudos.

Next I need to discuss their lifestyle. Crystal and Amber do not have easy lives. Their mom has a gambling addiction, their stepdad is pretty much a lazy stoner. The girls both work part-time jobs in order to pay for their own needs, for Natalie's ("their" baby), and also combine their income into a joint bank account so they can save to buy their own apartment in a better neighborhood. How rough is it where they live? Crystal leaves the family dog to sleep in her mustang to prevent carjackings at night, if that helps give you some indication. The issues that they faced, as well as their reactions to small windfalls, were portrayed in an incredibly realistic way. I have family members whose lifestyles and choices are shockingly similar to a lot of what happens in this book, so I know firsthand just how well these topics were dealt with. It's tough to read about but also so important. I also found this point of view incredibly refreshing, seeing as most YA contemporary novels feature protagonists of higher socioeconomic status (think the ever-popular politician's daughter trope).

Similarly, I was very impressed with the lifelike writing in regards to raising a baby. As a nanny and pre-service teacher, it's my personal pet peeve when children are written wildly inappropriately for their stage of development. Kelly handled Natalie's aging and characterization so well and I found many of the small parenting moments in the novel to be super relatable (i.e. "you only wake a sleeping baby once because she's cute, and then you learn your lesson"- too real). Likewise, the struggles Amber and Crystal go through to raise her- coordinating alternating schedules for daycare pickup, endeavoring to provide for her ever-changing needs (such as clothes as she grows), and even simple moments like removing a sleeping baby from a car seat and praying you don't wake her up- are written with an astonishing level of realism.

Furthermore I loved the familial relationships within the novel. Of course Crystal and Amber, being twins, are the standout. I thought their closeness and their differences were both shown well, and some of the most emotionally stirring moments for me were while reading the descriptions of how physically ill it made Crystal feel to lie to her twin sister. I also loved their mothering toward Natalie, as I've touched on. But most surprisingly, I enjoyed learning more and more about the twins' relationship with their mother. Their mom certainly had her fair share of issues- the gambling problem, having to raise twins at a young age- and in the beginning of the book I felt a lot of resentment toward her for Crystal and Amber's upbringing and living condition. However, there were so many small moments we see Crystal share with their mom where... I just sort of got it. Like I didn't suddenly wish she was my own mother, but sometimes you just love your family because they're your family and they usually want what's best for you even if they don't always act that way. There were also some complex and interesting relationships with extended family members, which I enjoyed as well. I also have a great appreciation for Crystal's boss Jimmy, and the bond that they shared.

Okay I'm going to put the love interests bit under a spoilers section because I know some people are real sticklers about this stuff, but I'll first just say that this was one of the saving graces that took this book from "I like it" to "I LOVE IT." Why every contemporary seems obligated to have romance I do not understand. There are a thousand problems that contemporary teenagers have to face and I promise you a relationship is only one of those.

Spoiler

Okay, there were two main guys in this story, either of whom could have been stereotypically roped into a relationship with Crystal. There's David, the handsome, rich nephew of her boss. Can't you just see it? The enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope? He's so different... but they bond over their love of cars and their time studying for the SATs... oh no but what about his girlfriend? HA. NOPE. David stays loyal to his girlfriend, Crystal isn't even interested (though Amber thinks she must be), and their enemies-to-friends thing worked out beautifully. I loved their friendship so much and honestly wanted even more of it. We also have Han, Crystal's friend who kind of has a crush on her, but also kind of had a crush on Amber, and who (REALLY SPOILER-Y NOW) is Natalie's father. Did he get sucked into an insta-romance just because his paternity was revealed? NOPE. And honestly I feel so #blessed to see romance averted not just once but TWICE in the same book. There are so many bigger, more interesting contemporary issues than "how does my new boyfriend affect my life?" and Speed of Life freaking crushed it.

Finally I just want to briefly add that I really loved Crystal as a narrator. Based on perspective alone she seems like a character I wouldn't be able to relate to, but I found her voice to be so frank and real that I not only felt like I understood her but I felt for her. I wish I was exaggerating when I say I lost count of the number of times this book had my eyes welling up with tears. I just loved it and was so moved by the entire story. The lone complaint I have from the entire book is that a Spanish-speaking character said "no problemo" instead of "no problema". That's IT, my friends.

Okay, as per usual I got much too emotionally involved with my review. But this is a young adult contemporary that I think could be enjoyed by fans of the genre and those who avoid it (I'm typically in the latter category). It's so touching, it's so raw, but not without funny moments and a whole lot of heart. I recommend everyone to give this book a chance.

I received an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.