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Going Bicoastal
A queer Sliding Doors YA rom-com in which a girl must choose between summer in NYC with her dad (and the girl she's always wanted) or LA with her estranged mom (and the guy she never saw coming).
In Dahlia Adler’s Going Bicoastal, there’s more than one path to happily ever after.
Natalya Fox has twenty-hours to make the biggest choice of her stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally screw up the courage to talk to the girl she's been crushing on), or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?)
How's a girl supposed to choose?
She can't, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines - one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she's always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.
In Dahlia Adler’s Going Bicoastal, there’s more than one path to happily ever after.
Natalya Fox has twenty-hours to make the biggest choice of her stay home in NYC for the summer with her dad (and finally screw up the courage to talk to the girl she's been crushing on), or spend it with her basically estranged mom in LA (knowing this is the best chance she has to fix their relationship, if she even wants to.) (Does she want to?)
How's a girl supposed to choose?
She can't, and so both summers play out in alternating timelines - one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the girl she's always wanted. And one in which Natalya explores the city, tries to repair things with her mom, works on figuring out her future, and goes for the guy she never saw coming.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
192 people are currently reading
22926 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Adler
21 books2,816 followersDahlia Adler is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, editor of five young adult anthologies, and founder of the website LGBTQReads. As a book blogger, her byline has appeared on Buzzfeed, B&N Reads, Reactor, Parents.com, and more. She enjoys ’90s rock, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, finding great cover songs, crying at commercials, and extremely short walks on the beach. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her family.
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November 22, 2022Now that Going Bicoastal is up on Edelweiss, I just wanted to mention that besides obviously being partly about divorce, there is a mention of past self-harm and scars in one scene. It's not graphic or detailed, but do proceed with caution if this is a trigger for you.
***
Five fun things I shared about that book that I'll leave here:
1) This is my first YA book where the MC is already out, and there is zero angst on that front for her or any of the other queer and/or trans characters.
2) Guess I wasn't done writing Shabbat dinner after Cool for the Summer, because they appear a lot in this book, in both timelines.
3) The NYC chapters are very music-centric, while the LA chapters are very food-centric - when you meet Elly and Adam, you'll see why!
4) There are some really good Poe puns in this book, if I may say so myself.
5) Yes, that's something of a nod to His Hideous Heart, and a few other books of mine are alluded to as well, but the most significant callback is to Cool for the Summer: Lara and especially Jasmine appear repeatedly (so if you're someone who's been asking for a sequel, this is the book you're looking for!)
***
Five fun things I shared about that book that I'll leave here:
1) This is my first YA book where the MC is already out, and there is zero angst on that front for her or any of the other queer and/or trans characters.
2) Guess I wasn't done writing Shabbat dinner after Cool for the Summer, because they appear a lot in this book, in both timelines.
3) The NYC chapters are very music-centric, while the LA chapters are very food-centric - when you meet Elly and Adam, you'll see why!
4) There are some really good Poe puns in this book, if I may say so myself.
5) Yes, that's something of a nod to His Hideous Heart, and a few other books of mine are alluded to as well, but the most significant callback is to Cool for the Summer: Lara and especially Jasmine appear repeatedly (so if you're someone who's been asking for a sequel, this is the book you're looking for!)
June 5, 2025
Going Bicoastal is the must-read Queer YA Contemporary Romance of the summer! It made me giddy. I loved it!
That may seem like a bold proclamation, but I mean it from the depths of my soul. I absolutely adored it, from the first chapter to the last.
In this story, our main character is Natalya, a bi Jewish girl, who lives with her Dad, a mathematics Professor in NYC. Her estranged Mom works in advertising and lives in L.A.
With summer approaching, Natalya needs to make a big decision. Her Mom wants her to go to L.A. to live with her for the summer.
They've barely spoken in years and going to stay with her Mom, means leaving everything she knows and loves behind; including her Dad and the red-headed girl she's been crushing on.
Natalya can see the other side too though. It could be a chance to repair her relationship with her Mom. Does she want that? And the opportunity to explore new interests and opportunities; to get out of her comfort zone.
It's such an important choice. How will she ever be able to make it? She has a tough time making regular impact choices on a regular day...
She can't choose. So then, in the best use of the Sliding Doors plot device since, well, Sliding Doors, we the Reader, get to watch both choices playing out parallel to one another via alternating chapters.
We see Tal in NYC, breaking out of her shell, talking to the girl, taking on new interests and potentially healing things with her Mom through a long-distance option.
We see Nat in L.A., living with her Mom for the first time in years, working at her Mom's business, meeting an interesting boy who also is working as an intern at her Mom's office, and befriending others in the L.A. Queer and Foodie communities.
Natalya's learning so much about herself and the plethora of new experiences are helping her understand what she may want for herself in the future.
Y'all, Adler absolutely crushed the construction of this story. While it may sound confusing, it is so seamless, it makes perfect sense as it's unfolding.
I never found myself scratching my head or feeling like I was missing something. It's easy in the moment to just coast along with Natalya on her journey.
It's also fun developing opinions on which situation you would prefer. I was Team NYC from the start, and pretty much stayed that way throughout, although the LA scene definitely grew on me due to the all the delicious sounding food and super friendly people.
The writing is engaging and keeps you wanting to know more. I desperately wanted to know what was going to ultimately happen. As I got closer to the end, I wondered how Adler was going to be able to wrap it up.
I loved the ending. It was such a great choice in my opinion. I feel like this might not be for everyone, but I fully support the direction Adler went with it. My heart fills with joy even thinking about it.
Honestly, I appreciated so much how unapologetically sweet and hopeful this story is. Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I think everyone can find one here.
I definitely recommend this to YA Romance Readers, or anyone looking for a fun and unique Queer story. Be prepared to smile.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. 10-out-of-10 recommend!
That may seem like a bold proclamation, but I mean it from the depths of my soul. I absolutely adored it, from the first chapter to the last.
In this story, our main character is Natalya, a bi Jewish girl, who lives with her Dad, a mathematics Professor in NYC. Her estranged Mom works in advertising and lives in L.A.
With summer approaching, Natalya needs to make a big decision. Her Mom wants her to go to L.A. to live with her for the summer.
They've barely spoken in years and going to stay with her Mom, means leaving everything she knows and loves behind; including her Dad and the red-headed girl she's been crushing on.
Natalya can see the other side too though. It could be a chance to repair her relationship with her Mom. Does she want that? And the opportunity to explore new interests and opportunities; to get out of her comfort zone.
It's such an important choice. How will she ever be able to make it? She has a tough time making regular impact choices on a regular day...
She can't choose. So then, in the best use of the Sliding Doors plot device since, well, Sliding Doors, we the Reader, get to watch both choices playing out parallel to one another via alternating chapters.
We see Tal in NYC, breaking out of her shell, talking to the girl, taking on new interests and potentially healing things with her Mom through a long-distance option.
We see Nat in L.A., living with her Mom for the first time in years, working at her Mom's business, meeting an interesting boy who also is working as an intern at her Mom's office, and befriending others in the L.A. Queer and Foodie communities.
Natalya's learning so much about herself and the plethora of new experiences are helping her understand what she may want for herself in the future.
Y'all, Adler absolutely crushed the construction of this story. While it may sound confusing, it is so seamless, it makes perfect sense as it's unfolding.
I never found myself scratching my head or feeling like I was missing something. It's easy in the moment to just coast along with Natalya on her journey.
It's also fun developing opinions on which situation you would prefer. I was Team NYC from the start, and pretty much stayed that way throughout, although the LA scene definitely grew on me due to the all the delicious sounding food and super friendly people.
The writing is engaging and keeps you wanting to know more. I desperately wanted to know what was going to ultimately happen. As I got closer to the end, I wondered how Adler was going to be able to wrap it up.
I loved the ending. It was such a great choice in my opinion. I feel like this might not be for everyone, but I fully support the direction Adler went with it. My heart fills with joy even thinking about it.
Honestly, I appreciated so much how unapologetically sweet and hopeful this story is. Everyone deserves a happy ending, and I think everyone can find one here.
I definitely recommend this to YA Romance Readers, or anyone looking for a fun and unique Queer story. Be prepared to smile.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. 10-out-of-10 recommend!
January 18, 2023
While I was reading this my boyfriend kept asking me if my bisexual book was bisexual enough and I am pleased to confirm that my bisexual book was indeed bisexual enough.
Things I liked:
- the dual timelines never got confusing!
- there wasn't a love triangle!
- Natalya was a fun character to spend a book with, her voice was distinctive and enjoyable, and her angst about her future felt very relatable despite the fact that I am 31 and have a master's degree and a full-time job!
- side characters were all very interesting and felt like full people!
- two very cute romances with genuinely supportive partners who didn't engage in toxic behaviors to add more drama to the story!
- the namedropped bands are QUALITY!
- the physicality of the Elly/Natalya romance was more overt than the physicality of the Adam/Natalya romance which was super refreshing because usually female pleasure is considered more explicit by default and queer female pleasure is considered especially explicit (regardless of the actual content) so I am here for a book where it's both honored and normalized and I am especially here for a book where an equally-prominent M/F relationship is the one that gets the white gloves with regards to gettin' it on since usually it's the opposite!
- Natalya is still VERY queer when dating Adam and her bisexuality is just as valid in that timeline as it is in the timeline where she dates Elly!
- all of the queer joy!
Things I didn't like:
- Elly was preeeeetty similar to a fling that ended poorly for me which was honestly very rude of this book to remind me about
- the description of the food made me hungry which, again, honestly very rude since this ARC didn't come with tacos
Things I liked:
- the dual timelines never got confusing!
- there wasn't a love triangle!
- Natalya was a fun character to spend a book with, her voice was distinctive and enjoyable, and her angst about her future felt very relatable despite the fact that I am 31 and have a master's degree and a full-time job!
- side characters were all very interesting and felt like full people!
- two very cute romances with genuinely supportive partners who didn't engage in toxic behaviors to add more drama to the story!
- the namedropped bands are QUALITY!
- the physicality of the Elly/Natalya romance was more overt than the physicality of the Adam/Natalya romance which was super refreshing because usually female pleasure is considered more explicit by default and queer female pleasure is considered especially explicit (regardless of the actual content) so I am here for a book where it's both honored and normalized and I am especially here for a book where an equally-prominent M/F relationship is the one that gets the white gloves with regards to gettin' it on since usually it's the opposite!
- Natalya is still VERY queer when dating Adam and her bisexuality is just as valid in that timeline as it is in the timeline where she dates Elly!
- all of the queer joy!
Things I didn't like:
- Elly was preeeeetty similar to a fling that ended poorly for me which was honestly very rude of this book to remind me about
- the description of the food made me hungry which, again, honestly very rude since this ARC didn't come with tacos
June 1, 2023
Going Bicoastal is going to be THE romance novel of summer☀️
It was very very sparkly. It gave me the sparkles? Idk sometimes I just get a certain sparkly, instant classic vibe from YA romances and this is one of those times. I want to be this book.
It’s hard to talk about the book experience without spoilers, so I’m putting my full review under the warning! I don’t think the things I reveal would negatively impact your experience though. They might even alleviate some stress 👀
**SPOILERS BELOW**
For those curious, this absolutely IS a delightfully queer romance, but what it isn’t is a love triangle!! It’s almost a choose your own adventure novel, as there are two HEA tracks at the end. I read it all as I loved both the New York and LA romances, but there’s technically the option to only read a singular HEA between either Natalya/Elly or Natalya/Adam.
Both relationships were simply delightful. Before I knew we were getting both HEAs, I was in PAIN. Genuinely, I don’t think it’s possible for me to choose a favorite. NYC and LA almost felt like main characters, as the relationships seemed to really embody the cities. They were both so different; it really felt like two whole romance novels in one.
New York: I adored the pining between Natalya and Elly; they were both obsessed for ages before making a move. It was such a great demonstration of having a totally brutal crush that may possibly be mutual…aka the most confusing, butterfly-inducing state of being. The summer camp and cute kid content was also a plus. Nat’s relationship with her dad was lovely, and her virtual book club with her mom really melted my heart. (I was so happy to get the mom content in NYC as well, since it was one of my favorite things about LA.)
Los Angeles: I loved how Nat put herself out there and made friends in LA. It was entirely wholesome. I guess I didn’t really clock the taco truck on the cover when I started reading because I was definitely not prepared for the glorious LA food scene 🤤 I especially loved watching Natalya vocalize her religious dietary restrictions (pork, shellfish). It was so HOT when Adam prepared Shabbat dinner for her and her mom!!! And don’t even get me started on the TOWEL SHOPPING. There’s something so deeply sexy about running errands with someone. *I swoon.*
As for the audiobook, I really really loved Mara Wilson’s narration. The concept of the book had the potential to be super confusing via audio, but I actually grasped it pretty well. I do definitely recommend reading the summary for a little background.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
CWs: past self-harm scars (talked about in one scene), divorce
Thanks so much to the publisher for an ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
It was very very sparkly. It gave me the sparkles? Idk sometimes I just get a certain sparkly, instant classic vibe from YA romances and this is one of those times. I want to be this book.
It’s hard to talk about the book experience without spoilers, so I’m putting my full review under the warning! I don’t think the things I reveal would negatively impact your experience though. They might even alleviate some stress 👀
**SPOILERS BELOW**
For those curious, this absolutely IS a delightfully queer romance, but what it isn’t is a love triangle!! It’s almost a choose your own adventure novel, as there are two HEA tracks at the end. I read it all as I loved both the New York and LA romances, but there’s technically the option to only read a singular HEA between either Natalya/Elly or Natalya/Adam.
Both relationships were simply delightful. Before I knew we were getting both HEAs, I was in PAIN. Genuinely, I don’t think it’s possible for me to choose a favorite. NYC and LA almost felt like main characters, as the relationships seemed to really embody the cities. They were both so different; it really felt like two whole romance novels in one.
New York: I adored the pining between Natalya and Elly; they were both obsessed for ages before making a move. It was such a great demonstration of having a totally brutal crush that may possibly be mutual…aka the most confusing, butterfly-inducing state of being. The summer camp and cute kid content was also a plus. Nat’s relationship with her dad was lovely, and her virtual book club with her mom really melted my heart. (I was so happy to get the mom content in NYC as well, since it was one of my favorite things about LA.)
Los Angeles: I loved how Nat put herself out there and made friends in LA. It was entirely wholesome. I guess I didn’t really clock the taco truck on the cover when I started reading because I was definitely not prepared for the glorious LA food scene 🤤 I especially loved watching Natalya vocalize her religious dietary restrictions (pork, shellfish). It was so HOT when Adam prepared Shabbat dinner for her and her mom!!! And don’t even get me started on the TOWEL SHOPPING. There’s something so deeply sexy about running errands with someone. *I swoon.*
As for the audiobook, I really really loved Mara Wilson’s narration. The concept of the book had the potential to be super confusing via audio, but I actually grasped it pretty well. I do definitely recommend reading the summary for a little background.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
CWs: past self-harm scars (talked about in one scene), divorce
Thanks so much to the publisher for an ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
February 6, 2024
Having read another book by Dahlia Adler, I knew going into this book that no matter where the plot took me, I would enjoy it, but wow, this book was even better than I expected. I love Dahlia Adler's fun, yet real writing style, but the unique premise of this book was a stand-out feature. It's quite literally the bisexual dilemma, but it doesn't force you to choose. I love the dual timelines/universes! Overall, this was so much fun, and I highly recommend!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 15, 2023
Natalya Fox has a big choice to make: stay home in New York City for the summer, with her mathematician professor dad and familiar group of friends, or go to LA to stay with her pretty much estranged mom and intern at her mom's company. Natalya is scared of change, but she knows she should fix things with her mom. Unable to decide, her story plays out SLIDING DOORS style: alternating chapters show us her life in NYC and then in LA.
This is an amazing story with tons of bisexual and Jewish rep -- it so awesome to see this book out in the world! It totally cements that I'll read anything Dahlia Adler will write. Once you get into the two timelines, the story flows nearly effortlessly. We see Natalya in LA with her mom, where she meets Adam, a fellow intern struggling to get by. Or she's in NY with her dad, her group of friends, and Elly--the redheaded girl she's long lusted after. Both Adam and Elly are excellent love interests, so we really get two romances in one. Both timelines allow us to see sweet Natalya finding her way and exploring her Jewish identity.
While the two timelines idea could be gimmicky, it's really cute overall and works well here. I loved the Jewish and bisexual representation. This is a fast read with a wonderful cast that will make you smile. 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
This is an amazing story with tons of bisexual and Jewish rep -- it so awesome to see this book out in the world! It totally cements that I'll read anything Dahlia Adler will write. Once you get into the two timelines, the story flows nearly effortlessly. We see Natalya in LA with her mom, where she meets Adam, a fellow intern struggling to get by. Or she's in NY with her dad, her group of friends, and Elly--the redheaded girl she's long lusted after. Both Adam and Elly are excellent love interests, so we really get two romances in one. Both timelines allow us to see sweet Natalya finding her way and exploring her Jewish identity.
While the two timelines idea could be gimmicky, it's really cute overall and works well here. I loved the Jewish and bisexual representation. This is a fast read with a wonderful cast that will make you smile. 4+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
May 21, 2024
so! this book was such a delight to read!! i absolutely loved both timelines almost equally, something i hadn't expected. my main worry was not being able to tell them apart, or getting confused between them, but that was not an issue at all.
the side characters on both coasts were unique (and there were, as promised, lara and jasmine cameos!!). they were surprisingly developed, considering they didn't get a huge amount of page time, since the book is basically split in half. my favorites were probably the parents (loved the little interrogations so much), alllll the friends, and special shoutout to evanandmateoo<33 (ofc my girl was right).
now, the similarities. i loved the parallels. i LIVED for the parallels. it felt a bit similar to when the title of a book is used in it, something that makes me so randomly happy for absolutely no reason! there were phrases said, or realizations she made, in both timelines, which really showed, that while the people around her, and the environment, was different, natalya was still the same person.
on to the love interests! i loved adam and elly! adam and natalya's relationship started with a bit of enmity, which i always lovee, while elly and natalya's was more of a longtime mutual attraction, so also super fun! both relationships were fleshed out and easy to root for, though they were definitely different so it never felt boring or repetitive.
the jewish rep was also super cool to read about! i loved learning about her culture and seeing how their religion was practiced to a different extent on both sides of her family.
after this and cool for the summer (which i also loved, just not as much!), dahlia adler has definitely become one of my instant-add-to-tbr authors!
songs i thought of during this book:
'older' and 'only child' by sasha alex sloan (about the divorce and growing up alone, respectively)
e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books via Netgalley
--
pre-review:
this book is exactly what i wanted and needed rn<3
rtc!
the side characters on both coasts were unique (and there were, as promised, lara and jasmine cameos!!). they were surprisingly developed, considering they didn't get a huge amount of page time, since the book is basically split in half. my favorites were probably the parents (loved the little interrogations so much), alllll the friends, and special shoutout to evanandmateoo<33 (ofc my girl was right).
now, the similarities. i loved the parallels. i LIVED for the parallels. it felt a bit similar to when the title of a book is used in it, something that makes me so randomly happy for absolutely no reason! there were phrases said, or realizations she made, in both timelines, which really showed, that while the people around her, and the environment, was different, natalya was still the same person.
on to the love interests! i loved adam and elly! adam and natalya's relationship started with a bit of enmity, which i always lovee, while elly and natalya's was more of a longtime mutual attraction, so also super fun! both relationships were fleshed out and easy to root for, though they were definitely different so it never felt boring or repetitive.
the jewish rep was also super cool to read about! i loved learning about her culture and seeing how their religion was practiced to a different extent on both sides of her family.
after this and cool for the summer (which i also loved, just not as much!), dahlia adler has definitely become one of my instant-add-to-tbr authors!
songs i thought of during this book:
'older' and 'only child' by sasha alex sloan (about the divorce and growing up alone, respectively)
e-ARC provided by St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books via Netgalley
--
pre-review:
this book is exactly what i wanted and needed rn<3
rtc!
December 13, 2024
Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Reading Going Bicoastal was surreal. Not surreal because it was so outrageous that I was surprised by it — no. What was surreal about this book was that it was so ordinary. It felt like a book I've always had. And in many ways, maybe that's because it's always been there, I've always known this story, I've just never read it written out on a page before.
That's because this story is mine.
Natalya has to make the decision of spending her summer before senior year with her dad at home, or her mom across the country. So should she take that risk of spending time with a mom she barely knows, taking an internship and stepping into a world full of unknowns? Or should she stay in New York, take risks in new ways, try new things and maybe-possibly-somehow-perhaps ask out that cute redhead she's been crushing on for months?
But the real question is: why not read about both?
Natalya is a bisexual Jewish teen, a true child of divorce. She has her close group of friends, she tries her best to have a Shabbat dinner every Friday night, she loves her dad and is slightly estranged from her mom. None of these elements by themselves scream my name. (Besides her mother, whose name I literally share.) But when you put them together, they create an experience that forms the foundations of me.
This review is hard for me to write because I'm struggling to pinpoint what exactly made this book outstanding. I don't have a single negative thing to say about this book. Both storylines were equally engaging and perfectly matched, the dialogue felt right, Natalya's thoughts were authentic, the romances (yes, both of them!) were fantastic and so full of chemistry (and horniness) that it made me laugh and feel warm inside. I loved watching as pieces of dialogue broke through both sides and certain actions and decisions were mutually (but separately) made.
So what made it stand out? Why does it matter? Maybe it's because deep down I know that this book means the world in the most minuscule ways. It won't matter as much to any singular person who does not identify with every single one of Natalya's identities. So as backward as it seems, there's something to that — not meaning as much to other people — that makes it feel more like my story.
This isn't a coming out story or even completely a coming of age. It's not chock-full of angst or ingenious thoughts that have Never Been Done Before. It's a romance, it's a story, and it's one that feels one decision away from being mine.
Going Bicoastal takes that moment where you wonder "what if..." and shows you exactly how you'll end up where you need to be. Not because you made the 'right' decision, but because the journey you're about to take makes any other decision incomprehensible. This book told me that I'll end up where I need to be, whether I fly across the coast or not. Whether I take that chance that's urging me on right in front or find a new leap forward, in a different direction.
Content Warnings: self-harm (past), divorce (past), parental abandonment, mentions of homophobic rhetoric
Reading Going Bicoastal was surreal. Not surreal because it was so outrageous that I was surprised by it — no. What was surreal about this book was that it was so ordinary. It felt like a book I've always had. And in many ways, maybe that's because it's always been there, I've always known this story, I've just never read it written out on a page before.
That's because this story is mine.
Natalya has to make the decision of spending her summer before senior year with her dad at home, or her mom across the country. So should she take that risk of spending time with a mom she barely knows, taking an internship and stepping into a world full of unknowns? Or should she stay in New York, take risks in new ways, try new things and maybe-possibly-somehow-perhaps ask out that cute redhead she's been crushing on for months?
But the real question is: why not read about both?
Natalya is a bisexual Jewish teen, a true child of divorce. She has her close group of friends, she tries her best to have a Shabbat dinner every Friday night, she loves her dad and is slightly estranged from her mom. None of these elements by themselves scream my name. (Besides her mother, whose name I literally share.) But when you put them together, they create an experience that forms the foundations of me.
This review is hard for me to write because I'm struggling to pinpoint what exactly made this book outstanding. I don't have a single negative thing to say about this book. Both storylines were equally engaging and perfectly matched, the dialogue felt right, Natalya's thoughts were authentic, the romances (yes, both of them!) were fantastic and so full of chemistry (and horniness) that it made me laugh and feel warm inside. I loved watching as pieces of dialogue broke through both sides and certain actions and decisions were mutually (but separately) made.
So what made it stand out? Why does it matter? Maybe it's because deep down I know that this book means the world in the most minuscule ways. It won't matter as much to any singular person who does not identify with every single one of Natalya's identities. So as backward as it seems, there's something to that — not meaning as much to other people — that makes it feel more like my story.
This isn't a coming out story or even completely a coming of age. It's not chock-full of angst or ingenious thoughts that have Never Been Done Before. It's a romance, it's a story, and it's one that feels one decision away from being mine.
Going Bicoastal takes that moment where you wonder "what if..." and shows you exactly how you'll end up where you need to be. Not because you made the 'right' decision, but because the journey you're about to take makes any other decision incomprehensible. This book told me that I'll end up where I need to be, whether I fly across the coast or not. Whether I take that chance that's urging me on right in front or find a new leap forward, in a different direction.
Content Warnings: self-harm (past), divorce (past), parental abandonment, mentions of homophobic rhetoric
May 4, 2024
3.5 stars
Going Bicoastal is written in a very clever way. Natalya Fox is a “rising senior” in high school living in Manhattan with her dad. Her parents are divorced and her mother lives in Los Angeles. Natalya has to decide how she’s going to spend her summer - at home in NYC with her dad, working part-time jobs like babysitting, or with her mostly-estranged mother in LA, working as an intern at her mother’s marketing firm. Adler gives us both scenarios! Every other chapter takes place in either NYC or LA. In the NYC chapters, we see Natalya finally get the courage to talk to the girl she’s had a crush on. In the LA chapters, she meets the other intern, a young man who really just wants to be a chef.
I found the bouncing back and forth a bit disconcerting at first, but I got used to it. I loved all the Jewish rep in the story, particularly the lovely and loving Friday night Shabbat dinners Natalya shared with her dad and their neighbors in NYC or the ones in LA, where her new friend/boyfriend Adam learned how to cook the traditional menu items for her and her mother/his boss.
So what does Natalya choose? Adler gives us a version of the “choose your own adventure” with this book.
Aimed at the young adult audience, I am definitely not the intended reader for this book, but I enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Going Bicoastal is written in a very clever way. Natalya Fox is a “rising senior” in high school living in Manhattan with her dad. Her parents are divorced and her mother lives in Los Angeles. Natalya has to decide how she’s going to spend her summer - at home in NYC with her dad, working part-time jobs like babysitting, or with her mostly-estranged mother in LA, working as an intern at her mother’s marketing firm. Adler gives us both scenarios! Every other chapter takes place in either NYC or LA. In the NYC chapters, we see Natalya finally get the courage to talk to the girl she’s had a crush on. In the LA chapters, she meets the other intern, a young man who really just wants to be a chef.
I found the bouncing back and forth a bit disconcerting at first, but I got used to it. I loved all the Jewish rep in the story, particularly the lovely and loving Friday night Shabbat dinners Natalya shared with her dad and their neighbors in NYC or the ones in LA, where her new friend/boyfriend Adam learned how to cook the traditional menu items for her and her mother/his boss.
So what does Natalya choose? Adler gives us a version of the “choose your own adventure” with this book.
Aimed at the young adult audience, I am definitely not the intended reader for this book, but I enjoyed it anyway. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
June 6, 2023
It's the summer before senior year, and Natalya has a decision to make: stay in New York with her father throughout the break, or fly out to LA to reconnect with her mother? Follow up on a longstanding crush on a mysterious redhead, or hurdle toward the unknown?
Natalya has to choose—but the reader doesn't.
I would have read this for the cover alone (I'm shallow like that), or the Sliding Doors scenario (weirdly, this is one of my pet tropes), but also, while I haven't made it through Adler's entire backlist (either because I'm lazy or because my TBR list just never ends as it is), I've loved every one of her books that I've read...and observant readers will find calls back to previous books here. In this case, I'm here for the non-issue bisexuality, Natalya's ability to be both low-key awkward and willing to put herself out there, and the way there are some similarities in the ways things pan out—but also some key differences. Also, it's really nice to see a Jewish main character who...I'm not sure how to say this. She adheres to something of a middle ground of Judaism: keeps kosher, but not to the extent that every kitchen has to be kashered; chooses to make Shabbat dinners a priority; has ties within both her Jewish and non-Jewish communities. I note this because I've read a few books where the main character is Hasidic or similar and keeps to very strict religious laws, not always by choice, and plenty of books where the main character is culturally Jewish (had a bat or bar mitzvah, eats Chinese food on Christmas, the end), but very few where Judaism is an active but relatively casual part of the character's life. It's nice to see.
Now, back to things working out differently in each storyline: I love this aspect. I've read too many books where the "different paths" scenario still comes back to "but she ends up with the same guy at the end because it's Meant to Be!!!" and it always drives me up the wall and around the corner. I keep reading books with this trope precisely because I want something more along the lines of Going Bicoastal—where the character is fundamentally the same person regardless of where things go, but where her choices genuinely take her down different paths and with different people. (If anything, I wanted a tiny bit more difference from Natalya's post-summer choices, but you know...quibbles are my character flaw.) I won't spoil the details of Natalya's summer romance(s), but I think...I think she'll be just fine. And now I'm off to figure out how to make the weirdest thing I learned about in the book, which is a limonana—which somehow, despite the name, does not have banana in it.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Natalya has to choose—but the reader doesn't.
I would have read this for the cover alone (I'm shallow like that), or the Sliding Doors scenario (weirdly, this is one of my pet tropes), but also, while I haven't made it through Adler's entire backlist (either because I'm lazy or because my TBR list just never ends as it is), I've loved every one of her books that I've read...and observant readers will find calls back to previous books here. In this case, I'm here for the non-issue bisexuality, Natalya's ability to be both low-key awkward and willing to put herself out there, and the way there are some similarities in the ways things pan out—but also some key differences. Also, it's really nice to see a Jewish main character who...I'm not sure how to say this. She adheres to something of a middle ground of Judaism: keeps kosher, but not to the extent that every kitchen has to be kashered; chooses to make Shabbat dinners a priority; has ties within both her Jewish and non-Jewish communities. I note this because I've read a few books where the main character is Hasidic or similar and keeps to very strict religious laws, not always by choice, and plenty of books where the main character is culturally Jewish (had a bat or bar mitzvah, eats Chinese food on Christmas, the end), but very few where Judaism is an active but relatively casual part of the character's life. It's nice to see.
Now, back to things working out differently in each storyline: I love this aspect. I've read too many books where the "different paths" scenario still comes back to "but she ends up with the same guy at the end because it's Meant to Be!!!" and it always drives me up the wall and around the corner. I keep reading books with this trope precisely because I want something more along the lines of Going Bicoastal—where the character is fundamentally the same person regardless of where things go, but where her choices genuinely take her down different paths and with different people. (If anything, I wanted a tiny bit more difference from Natalya's post-summer choices, but you know...quibbles are my character flaw.) I won't spoil the details of Natalya's summer romance(s), but I think...I think she'll be just fine. And now I'm off to figure out how to make the weirdest thing I learned about in the book, which is a limonana—which somehow, despite the name, does not have banana in it.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
June 23, 2024
“I love that feeling, you know? When you’re still thinking about the characters after the book ends?”
1 Sentence Summary: Natalya Fox has an impossible decision to make: stay in New York with her dad for the summer, or go to Los Angeles to intern at her mom’s company? Whatever she chooses, it will impact the rest of her life; but, what if we got to see both choices play out?
My Thoughts: This was fun and cute and a perfect lighthearted summer read! The whole dual timeline thing was really cool and I loved how we got to see both paths that could have happened. I especially liked this because with all the choices we have to make in life it can be so stressful, but sometimes there’s no wrong decision and you can create a great life anywhere you are. I also liked the idea of how you can be compatible with multiple people and there’s no “one true love” soulmate of your life. Personally I don’t find the concept of soulmates that romantic, because it’s basically just an arranged marriage but by the universe. It’s choosing someone and continuing to choose that person forever and always that’s more romantic to me.
My biggest complaints were that sometimes the pop culture references got a little too much, and that it was really hard to keep track of all the characters. Probably because there were two stories playing out simultaneously, there were just a lot of characters and names to keep track of.
Overall I really enjoyed this, and the Jewish and bisexual representation was fantastic as well!
(Oh, and also all the descriptions of the food made me so hungry so be prepared for that.)
Recommend to: Fans of cute YA summer romances featuring art, coffee shops, food trucks, music, internships, and bookstores.
(Warnings: swearing; sexual content; parental separation)
Also, I really loved this quote:
“The way I see it, who I'm attracted to doesn't have any bearing on how kind I am to other people or how I pray or how much charity I give or any of the other things that are important in Judaism,” I say, smoothing my thumb over the stitching in the leather seat. “And if I marry a woman someday, there's nothing to stop us from hanging mezuzahs in the doorways of our home or lighting Shabbos candles or having kids the same way any other couple who can't conceive naturally would do it. So I don't have hang-ups about how to reconcile those parts of me, because I don't think they clash.”
***
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review
December 15, 2023
I like the idea of two versions of the protagonist's life on paper but this just. didn't work. For one, the love story between Tal & Elly had no stakes & was picture perfect so I was unfortunately bored whenever the narrative switched to her potential east coast life. While I did love Adam, I think a major problem of this book was that none of the characters were really fleshed out. Now, it makes sense that there was not enough space for this given that the book tells two stories but I feel like the limited space within these two stories was wasted to giving the reader inconsequential information and adding a ton of side characters (between which I couldn't differentiate anymore like. 50 pages in) rather than actually showing how Tal falls in love with these two people, rather than just describing it. I really wanted to like this book but it just had too many issues for me :/
January 26, 2024
Actually 3 1/2 Stars
Review slightly modified 1 month later (I was unduly harsh with original wording)
I was on the fence about this book, maybe we can sort out why. This book is a "sliding doors" concept book, the first two chapters introduce Natalya, and her New York friends, her parents are divorced and the mother moved to L.A. 3 years prior and she only has limited contact with her. She periodically sees a redhead girl she fantasizes about (that she and her friends simply call The Redhead).
There are two chapter 3's. One where Natalya stays in NY, meets and develops a relationship with Elly (the Redhead) and one where she moves to LA for the summer, to take an internship with her Mom's company and meets Adam and a relationship ensues. The book then alternates chapters between the two threads so that you can (as every final exam stated) compare and contrast the differences between the two relationships. Each relationship is a different type (enemies to friends vs what I call the big bang type of relationship), and LA has the beach, food trucks, and a myriad of representational side characters. NY has the park, and clubs, odd jobs and a myriad of representational side characters.
The two threads ultimately share a next to the last final chapter, and then the reader can decide which thread they want to pursue (I of course did both).
The stories were nice, one was actually sweet but I think in the end it didn't resonate with me as much as a single thread book might have. Still the execution was clever and it allowed for two different love stories (MF and FF) to exist with the same main character. If you haven't read Dahlia Adler before or if you want a romance different from what you usually read you could do worse than to start here.
Review slightly modified 1 month later (I was unduly harsh with original wording)
I was on the fence about this book, maybe we can sort out why. This book is a "sliding doors" concept book, the first two chapters introduce Natalya, and her New York friends, her parents are divorced and the mother moved to L.A. 3 years prior and she only has limited contact with her. She periodically sees a redhead girl she fantasizes about (that she and her friends simply call The Redhead).
There are two chapter 3's. One where Natalya stays in NY, meets and develops a relationship with Elly (the Redhead) and one where she moves to LA for the summer, to take an internship with her Mom's company and meets Adam and a relationship ensues. The book then alternates chapters between the two threads so that you can (as every final exam stated) compare and contrast the differences between the two relationships. Each relationship is a different type (enemies to friends vs what I call the big bang type of relationship), and LA has the beach, food trucks, and a myriad of representational side characters. NY has the park, and clubs, odd jobs and a myriad of representational side characters.
The two threads ultimately share a next to the last final chapter, and then the reader can decide which thread they want to pursue (I of course did both).
The stories were nice, one was actually sweet but I think in the end it didn't resonate with me as much as a single thread book might have. Still the execution was clever and it allowed for two different love stories (MF and FF) to exist with the same main character. If you haven't read Dahlia Adler before or if you want a romance different from what you usually read you could do worse than to start here.
June 5, 2023
Natalya Fox has to decide if she wants stay with her dad in New York City or go to Los Angeles with her mom for the summer. The book splits into two timelines, one where she stays in NYC and one where she goes down to LA. I thought this book was just vibes, there was no dilemma or development even. Nothing really happens except of course she gets the man and girl of her dreams in each timeline. I wanted a bit more but I’m also not too mad because it was an easy read. Also the cover is cuteeee!
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
July 2, 2023
Content warnings: self-harm (past, mentioned), parental abandonment, divorce.
Rep: Natalya is bisexual and Jewish.
Christ, can y'all who are tagging this as lesbian not? It is bisexual erasure!! We have had this conversation for fuck's sake.
Review to come.
Rep: Natalya is bisexual and Jewish.
Christ, can y'all who are tagging this as lesbian not? It is bisexual erasure!! We have had this conversation for fuck's sake.
Review to come.
April 21, 2023
Going Bicoastal is my new favorite book from Dahlia Adler! The premise is very fun: Natalya has to decide if she’s going to stay in NYC for the summer with her dad or go to LA and spend the summer with her mom. All of her friends are in NYC, along with The Redhead, a cute punk girl that she keeps seeing everywhere. But LA would allow her to reconnect with her mom who moved away years ago. In alternating chapters you get to see what happens if she stays in New York and what happens if she goes to California.
I had an absolute blast reading this! Both storylines were so fleshed out and engaging. With a dual storyline you can sometimes run the risk of one not being as interesting as the other, but I didn’t feel like that happened here. It was fun to see the different versions of Natalya’s summer, and to see how she came to the same conclusion through different means in the separate storylines. There’s a great sapphic romance in the New York storyline as well as a very cute romance with a boy in the California chapters. I also enjoyed seeing the ways that Natalya grew closer to her mom and worked on figuring out what she wants to do for college.
Food and music are extremely important parts of the book. I loved all of the descriptions of the different meals they were eating and cooking, as well as the discussion of different bands. Natalya being Jewish is also an important part of the story. From her sharing Shabbat dinner with her love interests and explaining how being bisexual interacts with her faith. There are a lot of fun references and callbacks to other books by Dahlia Adler, which was fun to see. Also, Degrassi fans might notice who The Redhead is based on.
I highly recommend this book! Definitely check it out if you love queer contemporary YA books with a little bit of a twist.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had an absolute blast reading this! Both storylines were so fleshed out and engaging. With a dual storyline you can sometimes run the risk of one not being as interesting as the other, but I didn’t feel like that happened here. It was fun to see the different versions of Natalya’s summer, and to see how she came to the same conclusion through different means in the separate storylines. There’s a great sapphic romance in the New York storyline as well as a very cute romance with a boy in the California chapters. I also enjoyed seeing the ways that Natalya grew closer to her mom and worked on figuring out what she wants to do for college.
Food and music are extremely important parts of the book. I loved all of the descriptions of the different meals they were eating and cooking, as well as the discussion of different bands. Natalya being Jewish is also an important part of the story. From her sharing Shabbat dinner with her love interests and explaining how being bisexual interacts with her faith. There are a lot of fun references and callbacks to other books by Dahlia Adler, which was fun to see. Also, Degrassi fans might notice who The Redhead is based on.
I highly recommend this book! Definitely check it out if you love queer contemporary YA books with a little bit of a twist.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 20, 2023
Have you ever read a romance and wondered what would happen if the MC pursued both relationships simultaneously but separately? That’s this book!
I wasn't entirely of this format when I first started reading the book since each chapter alternates between the two possible scenarios that our MC Natalya Fox experiences, but after a few chapters, I was hooked! This book is a choose your own adventure for the bisexual disasters, and I loved every minute of it!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and OrangeSky Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
I wasn't entirely of this format when I first started reading the book since each chapter alternates between the two possible scenarios that our MC Natalya Fox experiences, but after a few chapters, I was hooked! This book is a choose your own adventure for the bisexual disasters, and I loved every minute of it!
Thank you to Wednesday Books and OrangeSky Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
June 8, 2023
I could not get past the first chapter of this book. I couldn’t get myself to focus on it and all of it felt too forced to me and a little bit too cheesy. Just not for me. Thank you to Netgalley for this arc
August 3, 2023
a big thank you to wednesday books for sending me a copy of this book. this one was so fun and I really enjoy it. this is basically two romance books intertwined with alternating timelines based on one choice made at the beginning. one story follows natalya choice to stay in New York for the summer and the other time line where she chooses to spend the summer LA. overall this was very interesting and I liked seeing how one big choice resulted in two very different outcomes. very cute quick read, really enjoyed.
June 1, 2023
This was just a blast all around! “Going Bicoastal” follows the dual storylines of Natalya choosing to either a) stay in NY or b) move to LA for the summer. This was such an engaging way of writing a story and while it definitely was a bit odd at first, I quickly found myself enjoying it! So much so that I’m writing a review right now at 12 am instead of sleeping.
Both of the storylines were fun and fleshed out. I personally enjoyed the LA storyline more but that’s the fun of this book. Both romances are cute and it’s fun to see them both play out instead of potentially being disappointed by a love triangle. The inclusion of food and music in their respective storylines was also a great touch! Seeing adam’s emphasis on food and Elly’s emphasis on music make their way into the story was super fun.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining queer summer read, definitely check this out! Thank you so much to Wednesday books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Both of the storylines were fun and fleshed out. I personally enjoyed the LA storyline more but that’s the fun of this book. Both romances are cute and it’s fun to see them both play out instead of potentially being disappointed by a love triangle. The inclusion of food and music in their respective storylines was also a great touch! Seeing adam’s emphasis on food and Elly’s emphasis on music make their way into the story was super fun.
Overall, if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining queer summer read, definitely check this out! Thank you so much to Wednesday books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 1, 2024
Adam is my dream man (I’m a lesbian)
June 12, 2023
Natalya Fox (17) faces a decision: to spend the upcoming summer in New York City with her mathematician father and friends, or to head to LA to spend time with her estranged mother while interning at her company.
Instead of the reader just following one choice - we are lucky and get to follow her in both cities. I really liked the use of the dual narrative approach to show both possible outcomes of Natalya's decision, alternating between her potential lives in NYC and LA. The narrative shows us Natalya's journey, whether in LA with her fellow intern Adam, or in NYC with her friends and Elly, the girl she's crushed on for ages and just starts to date. Both romances are also really sweet. I loved the movie Sliding Doors and always wonder about 'fork in the road' decisions. Throughout the story, we get to see the impact of Natalya's decision for her summer.
One aspect I particularly loved was the representation of bisexuality and Jewish culture within this story. It was refreshing reading a YA novel where the protagonist is confident in her religion and sexuality, as well as the way both of those aspects work together in harmony.
The two-timeline concept, while it could have been a gimmick, works really well. I was worried about half way through how Adler was going to conclude this book, but she did it in a way that felt quite organic and natural.
I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed Mara Wilson's narration of the story.
Many thanks to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Instead of the reader just following one choice - we are lucky and get to follow her in both cities. I really liked the use of the dual narrative approach to show both possible outcomes of Natalya's decision, alternating between her potential lives in NYC and LA. The narrative shows us Natalya's journey, whether in LA with her fellow intern Adam, or in NYC with her friends and Elly, the girl she's crushed on for ages and just starts to date. Both romances are also really sweet. I loved the movie Sliding Doors and always wonder about 'fork in the road' decisions. Throughout the story, we get to see the impact of Natalya's decision for her summer.
One aspect I particularly loved was the representation of bisexuality and Jewish culture within this story. It was refreshing reading a YA novel where the protagonist is confident in her religion and sexuality, as well as the way both of those aspects work together in harmony.
The two-timeline concept, while it could have been a gimmick, works really well. I was worried about half way through how Adler was going to conclude this book, but she did it in a way that felt quite organic and natural.
I listened to the audiobook version and really enjoyed Mara Wilson's narration of the story.
Many thanks to OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 13, 2025
2.5 stars
While I didn’t enjoy this as much as other books by this author, such as Cool for the Summer, Going Bicoastal was still an entertaining read for the most part. I liked both love interests and that the mc was openly and unapologetically bi, as well as her religious devotion. The relationship she had with her parents (more so her father) was a nice addition. I feel that a lot of newer YA releases don’t always have great familial relationships. I also liked how the last 2 chapters were written; reminded me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I grew up with.
With all that being said, the main reason for my low rating of this book is because of the mc herself, Natalya. I found her to be immature and lacking self awareness. There were many times where I rolled my eyes in response to her dialogue. I greatly struggled with my annoyance for her and solely finished this book because I was curious how the other characters turned out. There were also several conversations that became too heavy handed and took me out of the story. The book finished with enough closure that I’m satisfied it does not need a sequel.
I would consider reading another book from this author in the future. The story was overall not bad, but between the irritating mc and heavy handed subplots, I cannot rate this higher and will be unhauling from my bookshelf.
While I didn’t enjoy this as much as other books by this author, such as Cool for the Summer, Going Bicoastal was still an entertaining read for the most part. I liked both love interests and that the mc was openly and unapologetically bi, as well as her religious devotion. The relationship she had with her parents (more so her father) was a nice addition. I feel that a lot of newer YA releases don’t always have great familial relationships. I also liked how the last 2 chapters were written; reminded me of the Choose Your Own Adventure books I grew up with.
With all that being said, the main reason for my low rating of this book is because of the mc herself, Natalya. I found her to be immature and lacking self awareness. There were many times where I rolled my eyes in response to her dialogue. I greatly struggled with my annoyance for her and solely finished this book because I was curious how the other characters turned out. There were also several conversations that became too heavy handed and took me out of the story. The book finished with enough closure that I’m satisfied it does not need a sequel.
I would consider reading another book from this author in the future. The story was overall not bad, but between the irritating mc and heavy handed subplots, I cannot rate this higher and will be unhauling from my bookshelf.
September 19, 2023
Really ambitious premise and I really liked both sides of the non-love triangle. I particularly liked the places where yes, Natalya's life changes if she makes once choice or the other, but pieces of it stay the same too because she's the same person. And the cover on this book is just so, so good.
June 30, 2023
OKAY IT'S OFFICIAL. Dahlia Adler is a genius in queer YA romcoms 😭😂
This book is so so good. The two alternate timelines shouldn't have worked, but it did, and it's an incredible thing to witness. Both timelines connected with the MCs character arc well, and the parallels in specific pivotal scenes are so good! In one timeline music is a big part of her life, in the other, it's food. In both timelines we see her fixing her relationship with her mother, and we see her struggle and realize her passion. In both timelines we see her fall in love and discover two different kinds of romance. The author aced the writing styles in both timelines for sure.
Also loved how this book navigated through being queer and religious at the same time. I also learned a lot about Jewish customs and practices here, which I really appreciated!
Overall this book was just fun and wildly entertaining. Did I hope for some magical twist at the end? Maybe?? Like all of it was a dream and only one timeline is real 😂 But if there's anything this book has taught me is that we make our choices and those choices lead us to exactly where we need to be. This book showed that perfectly well.
ALSO WAS THAT A CAMEO WITH AMBER AND JACK FROM HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
This book is so so good. The two alternate timelines shouldn't have worked, but it did, and it's an incredible thing to witness. Both timelines connected with the MCs character arc well, and the parallels in specific pivotal scenes are so good! In one timeline music is a big part of her life, in the other, it's food. In both timelines we see her fixing her relationship with her mother, and we see her struggle and realize her passion. In both timelines we see her fall in love and discover two different kinds of romance. The author aced the writing styles in both timelines for sure.
Also loved how this book navigated through being queer and religious at the same time. I also learned a lot about Jewish customs and practices here, which I really appreciated!
Overall this book was just fun and wildly entertaining. Did I hope for some magical twist at the end? Maybe?? Like all of it was a dream and only one timeline is real 😂 But if there's anything this book has taught me is that we make our choices and those choices lead us to exactly where we need to be. This book showed that perfectly well.
ALSO WAS THAT A CAMEO WITH AMBER AND JACK FROM HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?!
Find me elsewhere: Instagram | Twitter | Blog
Marking this book as part of reading challenge: #ReadQueerly2023.
January 5, 2023
What I was looking for was a cute, fun queer YA romance to get me through a migraine, and this DEFINITELY delivered. It's almost like a choose your own adventure game, or two books for the price of one, it's such a great format.
Essentially the MC has to decide between spending the summer at home with her dad in New York, or with her mother in LA, and from that point on, the story splits up in two alternate storylines: one where she decided to stay in New York, and one where she decided to travel to LA.
In the New York storyline, a sapphic romance unfolds with the cute punk girl the MC keeps meeting in the city, and in the LA storyline, a romance with the boy who's her fellow intern at her mum's job develops. I personally had a preference for the sapphic storyline, just because I loved Elly so so much, but both were very cute!
The LA storyline revolves in large part around food, and the NY storyline is largely focused on music: two of my favourite things to read about in one story! It was great to read about all the delicious-sounding Shabbos meals, to read all of the discussions about music, and mostly to see the MC crawl out of her shell in different ways and make new friends.
Essentially the MC has to decide between spending the summer at home with her dad in New York, or with her mother in LA, and from that point on, the story splits up in two alternate storylines: one where she decided to stay in New York, and one where she decided to travel to LA.
In the New York storyline, a sapphic romance unfolds with the cute punk girl the MC keeps meeting in the city, and in the LA storyline, a romance with the boy who's her fellow intern at her mum's job develops. I personally had a preference for the sapphic storyline, just because I loved Elly so so much, but both were very cute!
The LA storyline revolves in large part around food, and the NY storyline is largely focused on music: two of my favourite things to read about in one story! It was great to read about all the delicious-sounding Shabbos meals, to read all of the discussions about music, and mostly to see the MC crawl out of her shell in different ways and make new friends.
April 29, 2023
I had some hope when I first saw this, but for some reason I was expecting it to be structured as a choose your own adventure kind of story. It might be my own fault that I couldn't enjoy this book but it was very difficult to read.
The switching perspectives being read one after another made them lose some sense of their impact. I felt cheated, almost, when paragraphs from one chapter were repeated in the alternate timeline. Though I think both stories would have been good on their own, the formatting was extremely off-putting and completely ruined both narratives for me.
Unfortunately, I could not appreciate what Adler was trying to do here, though that might be my own fault. I think if I had read each timeline separately I could have appreciated them more and that's how I would personally recommend this be read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Dahlia Adler for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The switching perspectives being read one after another made them lose some sense of their impact. I felt cheated, almost, when paragraphs from one chapter were repeated in the alternate timeline. Though I think both stories would have been good on their own, the formatting was extremely off-putting and completely ruined both narratives for me.
Unfortunately, I could not appreciate what Adler was trying to do here, though that might be my own fault. I think if I had read each timeline separately I could have appreciated them more and that's how I would personally recommend this be read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Dahlia Adler for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 16, 2023
DNF. I got to 57% before I just could not keep going. Everything was resolved and she had already gotten with both of her love interests in both of her different realities, and I saw no reason to go on. I had no interest in going on either, none of the characters were particularly interesting. Honestly, I much preferred Adam over Elly. I feel like he was more developed than she was. But I really liked the bi rep. Everyone else seemed to have loved this book, did I miss something? I much preferred the author’s other book, Cool for the Summer.
August 23, 2023
This was so much fun! What a fantastic book. I love parallel timeline stories, and Adler does such an excellent job with the dual timelines here. It was so fun to see repeating actions and dialogue across both, as some things simply don't change.
I loved every character in this novel. Adler does a tremendous job with character development--even though Natalya has multiple friends across the two cities, some of which only appear in a single timeline, I was never lost or confused as to characters' identities. I consider that a major feat in balancing so many minor characters as well as she does here. I also loved how different both Elly and Adam are as love interests to Natalya. They are both equally swoon-worthy once we learn more about them, and there was nothing that really made me love one more than the other. I love how the dual timeline also skirts around the potential issue of a love triangle. Finally, the bisexual and Jewish representation in this novel were fantastic. Despite Natalya's hesitance about her future, these are two aspects of her identity that she never wavers from and if anything she comes to embrace more as the novel progresses. Truly love to see it.
Anyways, this was just a pure delight to read, and Adler is 100% on my authors-to-watch list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance copy.
I loved every character in this novel. Adler does a tremendous job with character development--even though Natalya has multiple friends across the two cities, some of which only appear in a single timeline, I was never lost or confused as to characters' identities. I consider that a major feat in balancing so many minor characters as well as she does here. I also loved how different both Elly and Adam are as love interests to Natalya. They are both equally swoon-worthy once we learn more about them, and there was nothing that really made me love one more than the other. I love how the dual timeline also skirts around the potential issue of a love triangle. Finally, the bisexual and Jewish representation in this novel were fantastic. Despite Natalya's hesitance about her future, these are two aspects of her identity that she never wavers from and if anything she comes to embrace more as the novel progresses. Truly love to see it.
Anyways, this was just a pure delight to read, and Adler is 100% on my authors-to-watch list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advance copy.
June 13, 2023
What's a better summer read than book with a happy ending? A book with TWO happy endings! This was so much fun! I loved both timelines (although it took me a little longer to get into the LA one), and while I was originally apprehensive that they'd both have enough room to feel complete in what's already a relatively short book, they both do.
It was really meaningful to me to see a more observant Jewish main character in a book like this. Shabbat dinners make regular appearances in both timelines, and Natalya keeps kosher. There's also such a variety in observance across the supporting characters who are Jewish, which was also wonderful to see!
CW: divorce, mention of past self-harm
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
It was really meaningful to me to see a more observant Jewish main character in a book like this. Shabbat dinners make regular appearances in both timelines, and Natalya keeps kosher. There's also such a variety in observance across the supporting characters who are Jewish, which was also wonderful to see!
CW: divorce, mention of past self-harm
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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