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A review by the_true_monroe
Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The concept of forking paths has been fascinating to me ever since I saw the musical If/Then and I actually had no idea this book would be about two different paths a single decision can take you, as I had assumed it would be about a bi girl spending half the summer in NYC and the other in LA. So while I am sure that could have been exciting, I absolutely loved everything about this book!
Natalya is a queer and Jewish (sameeee) teen living in NYC with her dad, and does not have much of a relationship with her mom who lives in California.
I HATE making decisions so when I saw Natalya struggling to decide if she should venture out and stay with her mom in LA or stay where she is with her dad in NYC, I related a whole lot. But while we do get the story of her summer in NYC, we ALSO get the story of her summer in LA as some other version of herself indeed did make that decision.
Both paths have so many different experiences but also the author seamlessly incorporates some of the same core moments into both timelines which was super impressive and made me appreciate this writing style even more.
Also, in terms of queer joy and living authentically, this book has plenty, in both versions of Natalya’s summer!!
Natalya is a queer and Jewish (sameeee) teen living in NYC with her dad, and does not have much of a relationship with her mom who lives in California.
I HATE making decisions so when I saw Natalya struggling to decide if she should venture out and stay with her mom in LA or stay where she is with her dad in NYC, I related a whole lot. But while we do get the story of her summer in NYC, we ALSO get the story of her summer in LA as some other version of herself indeed did make that decision.
Both paths have so many different experiences but also the author seamlessly incorporates some of the same core moments into both timelines which was super impressive and made me appreciate this writing style even more.
Also, in terms of queer joy and living authentically, this book has plenty, in both versions of Natalya’s summer!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm