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A review by cgreens
Analee, in Real Life by Janelle Milanes
5.0
I really enjoyed this!
I loved Analee as a character and like that it both had some typical cliche YA tropes--the most popular boy in school and social outcast Analee "fake date" to make others jealous--along with more serious issues, such as Analee's heartbreak and trauma from losing her mom and insulting ways her white, lifestyle guru stepmom-to-be attempts to participate in Cuban culture and Analee's family.
I honestly hated the Harris storyline and kept waiting for him to be a creepy pedophile who gets arrested. I enjoyed the Seb storyline a lot and actually didn't find the end to be ambiguous. I loved the ending and thought it was very fitting.
I loved Harlow and Avery as well. I love that, unlike a lot of YA authors, Milanes fleshed out the family members and made them dynamic, interesting characters. I didn't like Raf as much--I did think it was pretty shitty of him to let Harlow move in within a year of dating, change everything in the house, take over the guest room, dictate what they eat, etc., plus if Harlow had Avery at 19 that makes her all of 27 while Raf says he's 47.
I loved Analee as a character and like that it both had some typical cliche YA tropes--the most popular boy in school and social outcast Analee "fake date" to make others jealous--along with more serious issues, such as Analee's heartbreak and trauma from losing her mom and insulting ways her white, lifestyle guru stepmom-to-be attempts to participate in Cuban culture and Analee's family.
I honestly hated the Harris storyline and kept waiting for him to be a creepy pedophile who gets arrested. I enjoyed the Seb storyline a lot and actually didn't find the end to be ambiguous. I loved the ending and thought it was very fitting.
I loved Harlow and Avery as well. I love that, unlike a lot of YA authors, Milanes fleshed out the family members and made them dynamic, interesting characters. I didn't like Raf as much--I did think it was pretty shitty of him to let Harlow move in within a year of dating, change everything in the house, take over the guest room, dictate what they eat, etc., plus if Harlow had Avery at 19 that makes her all of 27 while Raf says he's 47.