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The Someday Daughter
Years before Audrey St. Vrain was born, her mother, Camilla, shot to fame with Letters to My Someday Daughter, a self-help book encouraging women to treat themselves with the same love and care they’d treat their own daughters. While the world considers Audrey lucky to have Camilla for a mother, the truth is that Audrey knows a different side of being the someday daughter. Shipped off to boarding school when she was eleven, she feels more like a promotional tool than a member of Camilla’s family.
Audrey is determined to create her own identity aside from being Camilla’s daughter, and she’s looking forward to a prestigious summer premed program with her boyfriend before heading to college and finally breaking free from her mother’s world. But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the book’s anniversary, Audrey can’t help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each other’s lives—not as the someday daughter and someday mother, but as themselves, just as they are.
What Audrey doesn’t know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staff—including the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silas—will upset everything she’s so carefully planned for her life.
Audrey is determined to create her own identity aside from being Camilla’s daughter, and she’s looking forward to a prestigious summer premed program with her boyfriend before heading to college and finally breaking free from her mother’s world. But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the book’s anniversary, Audrey can’t help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each other’s lives—not as the someday daughter and someday mother, but as themselves, just as they are.
What Audrey doesn’t know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staff—including the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silas—will upset everything she’s so carefully planned for her life.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2024
About the author
Ellen O'Clover
4 books917 followersEllen O’Clover writes stories about love, identity, and belonging for both teens and adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
March 8, 2024
reading this book, a love letter to motherhood, girlhood and the vast, ever-changing relationship girls have with their mothers, on international women’s day while also being personally victimised by the characterisation of Audrey St. Vrain was not on my bingo card today but here we are.
February 8, 2024
This book is a YA contemporary romance. It’s a coming of age story that focuses on a mother-daughter relationship.
The narrator is 18 year old Audrey. She is forced to spend the Summer on a book tour with her controlling mother. In the Fall she will be starting pre-med.
The beginning of the book was fine. But it wasn’t until the second half that I really started to love this book.
There is mental health rep. And the book focuses a lot on the mother-daughter relationship between Audrey and her mother.
I was really surprised by the last few chapters. The last part of this book was my favorite. I really enjoyed the end. What a fun YA read.
Thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for allowing me to read this book.
The narrator is 18 year old Audrey. She is forced to spend the Summer on a book tour with her controlling mother. In the Fall she will be starting pre-med.
The beginning of the book was fine. But it wasn’t until the second half that I really started to love this book.
There is mental health rep. And the book focuses a lot on the mother-daughter relationship between Audrey and her mother.
I was really surprised by the last few chapters. The last part of this book was my favorite. I really enjoyed the end. What a fun YA read.
Thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins Canada for allowing me to read this book.
February 27, 2025
im sorry but i found our main character quite unlikable 😔 i did find certain parts of this book really insightful and the little romance was quite cute! silas is such an absolute sweetie pie 😋 my main problem with the romance in this book is the fact that she had a boyfriend when she met silas and she breaks up with him for silas 😭
April 28, 2024
i need this to be turned into a coming-of-age movie actually
June 8, 2024
Ellen’s books never fail to tear me up in the best way and stitch me back together again. I loved every bit of this read and especially the relationship that bloomed between Audrey and Silas. The concept is so fresh and relevant and really sheds a new light on the whole “momfluencer” age we’re in. I’m already eagerly anticipating whatever Ellen writes next!
February 14, 2024
I want Ellen O’Clover to punch me in the face ❤️
August 10, 2024
my GOD my HEART ellen o’clover’s ART I just cannot
March 6, 2024
thank you to the author and harperteen, and harpercollins children’s books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
going into this book, i knew there was a high chance i was going to like this book. i’d read o’clover’s debut last year and fell in love with her storytelling. what i wasn’t prepared for was just how much more this book would impact me.
audrey feels so personal and real to me, her fears, her hopes and dreams are so like my own. i kin her so much that it probably says a bit too much about me… but uh… let’s ignore that for now!
no, but in all seriousness. after finishing this book, it’s taken me about a week to actually be able to write this review. i’ve had to sit and process through my emotions about audrey’s story. how much i’ve learned from her growth that i *definitely* should apply into my own life. but also, you could easily add her to my list of characters i just want to give the biggest hug. tell her that it will be alright.
a lot of this story focuses on her relationship between her and her mom, processing their estranged relationship through the book her mom wrote all those years ago. but we also see audrey struggle with massive fear of failure. a fear to step outside of her plan. this book gets tough. audrey really struggles the entire way with her internal identity the whole way through. slowly questioning many of her choices. and while i’m not easily one to cry while reading, this one got me close a few times. but hey, i’m a sucker for a sad story about a teen prepping for college, apparently??
and while i know audrey as a MC won’t appeal to so many readers, i do hope it finds its readership. audrey isn’t chatty, or bubbly, or really even nice most of the time. she’s quiet, introspective and doesn’t always make the right choice. but i love her so so dearly. and if i were her, it’d take a lot more for me to forgive her mom, to be honest. so she’s already got that on me.
i’m urging you, if you like a story about complicated, messy familial relationships. a teen girl whose plan gets upturned the summer before her first year at college. please go pick this up. it will be worth your time!!
original review: i keep forgetting to mark this as finished. rtc :)
going into this book, i knew there was a high chance i was going to like this book. i’d read o’clover’s debut last year and fell in love with her storytelling. what i wasn’t prepared for was just how much more this book would impact me.
audrey feels so personal and real to me, her fears, her hopes and dreams are so like my own. i kin her so much that it probably says a bit too much about me… but uh… let’s ignore that for now!
no, but in all seriousness. after finishing this book, it’s taken me about a week to actually be able to write this review. i’ve had to sit and process through my emotions about audrey’s story. how much i’ve learned from her growth that i *definitely* should apply into my own life. but also, you could easily add her to my list of characters i just want to give the biggest hug. tell her that it will be alright.
a lot of this story focuses on her relationship between her and her mom, processing their estranged relationship through the book her mom wrote all those years ago. but we also see audrey struggle with massive fear of failure. a fear to step outside of her plan. this book gets tough. audrey really struggles the entire way with her internal identity the whole way through. slowly questioning many of her choices. and while i’m not easily one to cry while reading, this one got me close a few times. but hey, i’m a sucker for a sad story about a teen prepping for college, apparently??
and while i know audrey as a MC won’t appeal to so many readers, i do hope it finds its readership. audrey isn’t chatty, or bubbly, or really even nice most of the time. she’s quiet, introspective and doesn’t always make the right choice. but i love her so so dearly. and if i were her, it’d take a lot more for me to forgive her mom, to be honest. so she’s already got that on me.
i’m urging you, if you like a story about complicated, messy familial relationships. a teen girl whose plan gets upturned the summer before her first year at college. please go pick this up. it will be worth your time!!
original review: i keep forgetting to mark this as finished. rtc :)
January 2, 2026
what a beautiful book.
a beautiful story.
beautiful characters.
a beautiful message.
i was so caught off guard by this book in all the best ways. i went into it expecting a typical ya read but ellen o’clover had other plans. i felt simultaneously called out and known and it was the best feeling everrr
i connected to audrey and her story on so many levels. the things she struggled with i’ve struggled with and watching her work through it, displayed so authentically and realistically, was the best thing in the world
i don’t know what it is but lately i’ve been reading so many poetic books which i’m LOVING but this one just hit different. i was highlighting left and right because there were so many sentence gems in this story ahhhh
i loved this book so unexpectedly and i don’t think i’ll ever stop recommending it
~All I’ve ever wanted is to impress people, but I never know how to behave when they tell me I’ve done it.~
~It’s just that if I can’t be the best at things like this, I’m not sure who I am.~
~Your heart’s bigger than your fear.~
~We matter to the people who love us just by existing.~
~”You’ve always pushed yourself so hard,” she says. “And your perfectionism, it—it motivates you to excel but it also comes out this way sometimes. It tells you things that are untrue. That certain losses are a reflection on you.”~
~We need each other—it’s in our brains, in our DNA. Needing help from the people around us, and giving that help back to them in turn, isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s what makes us human.~
~I just thought I knew exactly who I was, and now I’m not so sure.~
a beautiful story.
beautiful characters.
a beautiful message.
i was so caught off guard by this book in all the best ways. i went into it expecting a typical ya read but ellen o’clover had other plans. i felt simultaneously called out and known and it was the best feeling everrr
i connected to audrey and her story on so many levels. the things she struggled with i’ve struggled with and watching her work through it, displayed so authentically and realistically, was the best thing in the world
i don’t know what it is but lately i’ve been reading so many poetic books which i’m LOVING but this one just hit different. i was highlighting left and right because there were so many sentence gems in this story ahhhh
i loved this book so unexpectedly and i don’t think i’ll ever stop recommending it
~All I’ve ever wanted is to impress people, but I never know how to behave when they tell me I’ve done it.~
~It’s just that if I can’t be the best at things like this, I’m not sure who I am.~
~Your heart’s bigger than your fear.~
~We matter to the people who love us just by existing.~
~”You’ve always pushed yourself so hard,” she says. “And your perfectionism, it—it motivates you to excel but it also comes out this way sometimes. It tells you things that are untrue. That certain losses are a reflection on you.”~
~We need each other—it’s in our brains, in our DNA. Needing help from the people around us, and giving that help back to them in turn, isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s what makes us human.~
~I just thought I knew exactly who I was, and now I’m not so sure.~
January 20, 2024
The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover is a beautifully written story centred around mother-daughter relationships. Following the daughter of a self-help author, this one contains a main character who transforms throughout the book and a complicated relationship between a mother and a daughter. Fans of more emotional contemporaries with complex characters will enjoy this one.
As the daughter of the author of a bestselling self-help book called Letters to My Someday Daughter that encourages women to treat themselves with kindness--to treat themselves the way they would treat their daughters--Audrey has a lot to live up to. While the book's readers would say she has the perfect mother, in reality, Audrey doesn't feel connected to her mother at all since she has been sent off to boarding school since age 11. However, to celebrate the book's 25th anniversary, Audrey's mom is heading on tour and asks Audrey to abandon her plans and join her for the summer. As the tour progresses, both women must get to know each other again outside of their Letters to My Someday Daughter identities and learn more about themselves along the way.
I really enjoyed Audrey's character and the ways she changes throughout the book. I really felt for her since she feels feels more like a promotional tool than a daughter for her mother who is barely in her life and deals with pressure to live up to the version of herself that her mother has built a career on. At the beginning of the book, Audrey has carefully made plans to become a doctor and land the perfect summer premed program and is determined to separate herself from everything related to her mother's book. However, when she realizes that life doesn't always go according to plan, she must learn to become more flexible, and I enjoyed watching her as she grows.
My favourite part about this book is Audrey's relationship with her mother. It is difficult for Audrey to pretend that her mother is the perfect parent when they're not close at all, and I loved the opportunity the book tour presents for them to finally talk and try and mend their relationship. Both characters deal with their own struggles, and their complicated relationship is well-written.
The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover is a complex story focused on fame and mother-daughter relationships. I enjoyed the main character's growth throughout the book and the way her relationship with her mother develops. This is a thought-provoking read that fans of more character-driven books will enjoy.
As the daughter of the author of a bestselling self-help book called Letters to My Someday Daughter that encourages women to treat themselves with kindness--to treat themselves the way they would treat their daughters--Audrey has a lot to live up to. While the book's readers would say she has the perfect mother, in reality, Audrey doesn't feel connected to her mother at all since she has been sent off to boarding school since age 11. However, to celebrate the book's 25th anniversary, Audrey's mom is heading on tour and asks Audrey to abandon her plans and join her for the summer. As the tour progresses, both women must get to know each other again outside of their Letters to My Someday Daughter identities and learn more about themselves along the way.
I really enjoyed Audrey's character and the ways she changes throughout the book. I really felt for her since she feels feels more like a promotional tool than a daughter for her mother who is barely in her life and deals with pressure to live up to the version of herself that her mother has built a career on. At the beginning of the book, Audrey has carefully made plans to become a doctor and land the perfect summer premed program and is determined to separate herself from everything related to her mother's book. However, when she realizes that life doesn't always go according to plan, she must learn to become more flexible, and I enjoyed watching her as she grows.
My favourite part about this book is Audrey's relationship with her mother. It is difficult for Audrey to pretend that her mother is the perfect parent when they're not close at all, and I loved the opportunity the book tour presents for them to finally talk and try and mend their relationship. Both characters deal with their own struggles, and their complicated relationship is well-written.
The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover is a complex story focused on fame and mother-daughter relationships. I enjoyed the main character's growth throughout the book and the way her relationship with her mother develops. This is a thought-provoking read that fans of more character-driven books will enjoy.
September 2, 2023
The Someday Daughter is a breathtakingly beautiful story for anyone who loved Ellen O'Clover's first book Seven Percent of Ro Devereux or Rachel Lynn Solomon's books. This book explores anxiety and complex mother/daughter relationships in a way that feels painfully and joyfully real. If you read Ro Devereux, you know Ellen writes the best book boyfriends. Also Puddles is the cutest literary dog of all time, and I want to snuggle him. But the best part of Ellen's books is the way they make you feel.
This book feels like grieving the life and relationships you could have had, that you almost had, while simultaneously realizing that the life you created instead is far better and freer.
This book feels like grieving the life and relationships you could have had, that you almost had, while simultaneously realizing that the life you created instead is far better and freer.
August 3, 2026
I didn’t realize this was YA when I got it from the library, which is no big deal but I always forget how irrational and dramatic 18 year olds are.
I absolutely loved the growth of Aubrey the MC and her mother but I really felt there were a lot of misogynistic undertones in the way Aubrey blamed her mother for her childhood and the way she was and how she was shipped off the boarding school but like… the dad also left? Easier to blame the successful mom I guess!!!!
I absolutely loved the growth of Aubrey the MC and her mother but I really felt there were a lot of misogynistic undertones in the way Aubrey blamed her mother for her childhood and the way she was and how she was shipped off the boarding school but like… the dad also left? Easier to blame the successful mom I guess!!!!
March 28, 2025
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
There’s love, anxiety, PLOT TWISTS
this is my kinda book
There’s love, anxiety, PLOT TWISTS
this is my kinda book
February 27, 2024
Wow! This book made me experience so many emotions! It is an incredibly heartfelt read; I don’t have any other way to describe it. Audrey and her plans reminded me of my younger self; I would have loved to have read a book about discovering oneself and the uncertainty that goes along with it when on the cusp of adulthood. There’s such a sweet, slow-burn romantic element to this book as well. Last but definitely not least, the exploration of the intricacies of mother-daughter relationships! This is so well-developed and truly is the heart of the book. O’Clover’s writing is just sublime, and her characters are so emotionally complex. While I rarely read YA, I cannot recommend this book enough!
June 18, 2024
I don't understand how Audrey could ever forgive Camilla or have any kind of relationship with her.
Also, for a book that purports to be about self-acceptance and accepting other people as they are, it is very hypocritical in showing it's ok to be as you are as long as that's how the majority is. The interns and other characters constantly pressure Audrey to be who she is not. Apparently the only way to have fun is to go out clubbing, drinking, letting a dog slobber all over you, and touch food with unwashed hands.
Ethan really got it unfair. From Audrey and from the author. At one point he's called a 60-year old professor in a 18-year-old body. Because you're not 18 if you dedicate yourself to studying and don't drink alcohol, right? What happened to tolerance and acceptance of those who are not like the majority?
Not to mention he's there to go over lectures with Audrey at 1 am, at 3 am, even though he's exhausted, doing all this for her, because she was devastated she couldn't attend those classes and instead had to go with her mom, and she concludes he's just doing it because he wants her to be something she's not. I feel gaslighted. Was she not relieved she would know what's going on at those lectures? Was she not grateful she had his steady reliable presence? She wanted to go there so much in the beginning of the book, this is so inconsistent. And then she's ghosting him so much, pushing him away, not replying to him, not explaining what's going on. I understand not being able to talk about one's anxiety but I don't think that justifies her not telling him absolutely anything and even less justifies blaming him for not understanding her. She never told him a single thing she wanted! The worst thing Ethan did was get up and went to get her a clean fork when she asked him for a bite of lasagna. He didn't say no, he didn't make her do it, he put effort into getting it for her, but it was on his own terms, and that's bad because life is not fun if you don't eat food with dirty hands, apparently.
I'm so tired of these prejudices that there is only one way to be, otherwise your life must be boring and constricted.
Reading time: 8h 29m
Also, for a book that purports to be about self-acceptance and accepting other people as they are, it is very hypocritical in showing it's ok to be as you are as long as that's how the majority is. The interns and other characters constantly pressure Audrey to be who she is not. Apparently the only way to have fun is to go out clubbing, drinking, letting a dog slobber all over you, and touch food with unwashed hands.
Ethan really got it unfair. From Audrey and from the author. At one point he's called a 60-year old professor in a 18-year-old body. Because you're not 18 if you dedicate yourself to studying and don't drink alcohol, right? What happened to tolerance and acceptance of those who are not like the majority?
Not to mention he's there to go over lectures with Audrey at 1 am, at 3 am, even though he's exhausted, doing all this for her, because she was devastated she couldn't attend those classes and instead had to go with her mom, and she concludes he's just doing it because he wants her to be something she's not. I feel gaslighted. Was she not relieved she would know what's going on at those lectures? Was she not grateful she had his steady reliable presence? She wanted to go there so much in the beginning of the book, this is so inconsistent. And then she's ghosting him so much, pushing him away, not replying to him, not explaining what's going on. I understand not being able to talk about one's anxiety but I don't think that justifies her not telling him absolutely anything and even less justifies blaming him for not understanding her. She never told him a single thing she wanted! The worst thing Ethan did was get up and went to get her a clean fork when she asked him for a bite of lasagna. He didn't say no, he didn't make her do it, he put effort into getting it for her, but it was on his own terms, and that's bad because life is not fun if you don't eat food with dirty hands, apparently.
I'm so tired of these prejudices that there is only one way to be, otherwise your life must be boring and constricted.
Reading time: 8h 29m
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October 2, 2023
Thank you so much to HarperTeen for sending me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Excuse me while I attempt to put back the pieces of my heart.
The Someday Daughter is everything I've always felt but could never articulate. I annotated my copy as if my life depended on it. I'm typically an emotional mess when I read, but everything about this book was a punch to the gut.
Do you ever read a book you love so much that you can't rationally talk about it? After reading this book, all I wanted to do was push copies into other people's hands. Even though I read The Someday Daughter last year, I still can't put my love for this book into words, so here's some quotes that touched my heart.
And cue the waterworks.
Bottom line: The Someday Daughter is YA, but I can see this being universally loved.
⸻ᥫ᭡
my blog!
Excuse me while I attempt to put back the pieces of my heart.
The Someday Daughter is everything I've always felt but could never articulate. I annotated my copy as if my life depended on it. I'm typically an emotional mess when I read, but everything about this book was a punch to the gut.
Do you ever read a book you love so much that you can't rationally talk about it? After reading this book, all I wanted to do was push copies into other people's hands. Even though I read The Someday Daughter last year, I still can't put my love for this book into words, so here's some quotes that touched my heart.
When Camilla says "as we are"...she means: let's preach about self-love when we can't even be honest about the broken way we love each other.
"Is that love? When there's a transaction involved?"
And cue the waterworks.
Bottom line: The Someday Daughter is YA, but I can see this being universally loved.
⸻ᥫ᭡
my blog!
August 25, 2023
Is it really an Ellen O’Clover book if I don’t cry my eyes out? The Someday Daughter is full of heart and brimming with emotion. It was my most anticipated read for 2024 and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to read it early!
Yes, there is a romance and, yes, I did ADORE him. However, I would say this book is primarily about Audrey’s complicated relationship with her mother and her own anxiety. I felt so seen when Audrey discussed her anxiety, how she feels tightly wound by the internalized pressure to perform and succeed. I cried with her. As well, it was beautiful to see the family Audrey built for herself on the tour come together. Found family always does it for me.
Still, I would personally have changed a few aspects of this novel, so I’ll be rating it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Yes, there is a romance and, yes, I did ADORE him. However, I would say this book is primarily about Audrey’s complicated relationship with her mother and her own anxiety. I felt so seen when Audrey discussed her anxiety, how she feels tightly wound by the internalized pressure to perform and succeed. I cried with her. As well, it was beautiful to see the family Audrey built for herself on the tour come together. Found family always does it for me.
Still, I would personally have changed a few aspects of this novel, so I’ll be rating it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars. Thank you to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 22, 2024
personally, if the boy i was dating lied to me/concealed a massive life-altering secret about my family from me, i would not speak to him ever again. even more so if i've known him for ~2 months and dated him for a week.
are we gonna talk about audrey emotionally cheating on ethan...? no? okay.
are we gonna talk about audrey emotionally cheating on ethan...? no? okay.
March 9, 2024
So well-written. A beautiful depiction of a mother-daughter relationship, anxiety and depression, the downfalls of perfectionism.
May 2, 2024
This book was pretty good. I related to α few of the lines and it was comforting to see her relationship with her mother mend.
July 9, 2024
ellen o'clover please keep writing about intricate and endless mommy issues
February 13, 2025
3✰
GREAT plot twist at the end. I did guess it, but only right before the big reveal and it really brought this whole book together.
Puddles was the real VIP though, lets be honest.
Will I ever think about this book again? Probably not, but it was fun while it lasted.
GREAT plot twist at the end. I did guess it, but only right before the big reveal and it really brought this whole book together.
Puddles was the real VIP though, lets be honest.
Will I ever think about this book again? Probably not, but it was fun while it lasted.
Did Not Finish
August 16, 2026nothing against this book, just wanna read books the rest of this summer that really mean something to me instead of a filler !!
July 1, 2024
Left it midway. Initially thought that I was getting a hard time understanding the narrative, but as you go on, things get even more confusing. I don’t think so this book was a right pick. Had so much hopes, but it turned out to be a big-fat disappointment. Apparently it has every single element; parental dynamics, past traumas and a romance (which sucks tbh).
The narrator who’s the protagonist seems so confused about exploring her relationship personally and professionally. I hated the recurrence of “The Someday Daughter” throughout the novel because with absolutely nothing happening, this phrase seems bland. Furthermore, the narrative pattern is confusing. One moment you are here and then you are travelling in some other corner of the protagonist’s brain. So overall it’s confusing and disappointing due to the protagonist. Also, it’s not necessary to fill every book with romance. I wanted Audrey as a protagonist who explores her individuality on her own, rather than relying on the helping hands.
The narrator who’s the protagonist seems so confused about exploring her relationship personally and professionally. I hated the recurrence of “The Someday Daughter” throughout the novel because with absolutely nothing happening, this phrase seems bland. Furthermore, the narrative pattern is confusing. One moment you are here and then you are travelling in some other corner of the protagonist’s brain. So overall it’s confusing and disappointing due to the protagonist. Also, it’s not necessary to fill every book with romance. I wanted Audrey as a protagonist who explores her individuality on her own, rather than relying on the helping hands.
June 17, 2024
Its’s clear that Audrey feels her mother is always using her for social media attention and yet she wants to be closer to her so that they can finally have a real relationship - the author embraced the messiness of their dynamic but I felt there was lack of resolution as the Audrey continued to be disappointed and I felt she never stood up for herself and had the redemption I was waiting for.
While I was interested to read this story of a unique mother-daughter relationship, it overall fell flat for me. It was definitely a character driven story rather than plot driven, but I felt all of the characters lacked depth - including Audrey herself, her boyfriend, as well as the intern, Silas, that she takes interest in - which led to lack of chemistry between them.
** thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and chance to read and review **
While I was interested to read this story of a unique mother-daughter relationship, it overall fell flat for me. It was definitely a character driven story rather than plot driven, but I felt all of the characters lacked depth - including Audrey herself, her boyfriend, as well as the intern, Silas, that she takes interest in - which led to lack of chemistry between them.
** thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and chance to read and review **
November 29, 2024
I thought this would book would take a harder look at influencer/family vlog culture and the impacts on the children but it felt like the main character's parents got off somewhat scot-free. A solid 3 star read but not what I had been expecting based on the subject matter.
September 13, 2023
Thank you to Ellen O'Clover and Netgalley for the eARC!
When you read the second book by one of your favorite authors, you feel both elation and terror. What is this next book going to look like? Will I love it? Or...will I not like it as much as the first?
And I am here to tell you... I loved The Someday Daughter. As much as Ro Devereux and for entirely different reasons.
I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to read this book early and to give you a little glimpse of what to expect.
For fans of The Seven Percent of Ro Devereux, I want to give you a little comparison. The Someday Daughter is so much heavier than Ro. Reading about Audrey's anxiety and her strained relationship with her mother hit me in a way I can't explain with words. In all aspects, this book will grab onto your soul and twist your gut. I had so much swimming inside my head during this book that I felt overwhelmed constantly. During some parts, I'd turn all Mama Bear and be super protective of Audrey and in other instances, I would just sit there and sob uncontrollably. Yes, I did bawl for an ENTIRE CHAPTER (thanks for that, Ellen) - so much that my tears soaked my neck. I didn't even know a human could cry that much for a book. ... I'm just weird. And that's okay.
What I love most about Ellen's writing is her thoughtfulness and we see it here in even greater amounts than in Ro. Every word surrounding a person's feelings is intentional. She writes in a way that makes every single person feel valid: Audrey, Camilla, Silas, Mick, Cleo, Sadie, Mags. And I can picture every single character as their own PERSON, not stereotypes or tropes. They're...real. It feels like I stepped out of a found family and as soon as I finished the last word, I wanted to start reading again. And I will - when the book releases in February.
I want to touch base on one more thing and that is the romance. Here, the romance is not as much at the forefront of the book as in Ro. BUT Silas.... Is something else, isn't he? He's not cinnamon roll, Miller. He's a little chiller, a little more outgoing and goofy, less of a planner and I just.... I love him for Audrey. I love Audrey for him. I love Puddles for the both of them. The relationship here is very slow burn and he falls first. It's a gradual opening of feelings for Audrey and I enjoyed seeing it! (And yes, Ellen is also thoughtful with the Ethan thing (Audrey's boyfriend at the beginning) - don't doubt her, because I was scared of that part hahaha)
Also, side note: Ellen proves that you don't need to be solely focused in STEM (I know most of her knowledge comes from others) to write STEM GIRLS WELL. Audrey is magnificent - I LOVE her brain and her ambition and perseverance. GO ELLEN.
If there was one portion of the book that kind of held me up a little, it was the beginning. The book starts with a lot of flashback and some of it is disjointed and jarring. I wasn't sure where I was and when at times. It probably could have been fleshed out a little bit more - BUT that was so minor and once I got to the meat of the book, all of the emotions just POURED out. So if you're hesitant by the first 10%, just please trust me.... keep reading.
All in all... please pick up this book when it releases. Read and review it. Ellen O'Clover is a GEM; she could be the next Sarah Dessen of YA romance if we only just give her a chance and read her books. PLEASE.
When you read the second book by one of your favorite authors, you feel both elation and terror. What is this next book going to look like? Will I love it? Or...will I not like it as much as the first?
And I am here to tell you... I loved The Someday Daughter. As much as Ro Devereux and for entirely different reasons.
I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to read this book early and to give you a little glimpse of what to expect.
For fans of The Seven Percent of Ro Devereux, I want to give you a little comparison. The Someday Daughter is so much heavier than Ro. Reading about Audrey's anxiety and her strained relationship with her mother hit me in a way I can't explain with words. In all aspects, this book will grab onto your soul and twist your gut. I had so much swimming inside my head during this book that I felt overwhelmed constantly. During some parts, I'd turn all Mama Bear and be super protective of Audrey and in other instances, I would just sit there and sob uncontrollably. Yes, I did bawl for an ENTIRE CHAPTER (thanks for that, Ellen) - so much that my tears soaked my neck. I didn't even know a human could cry that much for a book. ... I'm just weird. And that's okay.
What I love most about Ellen's writing is her thoughtfulness and we see it here in even greater amounts than in Ro. Every word surrounding a person's feelings is intentional. She writes in a way that makes every single person feel valid: Audrey, Camilla, Silas, Mick, Cleo, Sadie, Mags. And I can picture every single character as their own PERSON, not stereotypes or tropes. They're...real. It feels like I stepped out of a found family and as soon as I finished the last word, I wanted to start reading again. And I will - when the book releases in February.
I want to touch base on one more thing and that is the romance. Here, the romance is not as much at the forefront of the book as in Ro. BUT Silas.... Is something else, isn't he? He's not cinnamon roll, Miller. He's a little chiller, a little more outgoing and goofy, less of a planner and I just.... I love him for Audrey. I love Audrey for him. I love Puddles for the both of them. The relationship here is very slow burn and he falls first. It's a gradual opening of feelings for Audrey and I enjoyed seeing it! (And yes, Ellen is also thoughtful with the Ethan thing (Audrey's boyfriend at the beginning) - don't doubt her, because I was scared of that part hahaha)
Also, side note: Ellen proves that you don't need to be solely focused in STEM (I know most of her knowledge comes from others) to write STEM GIRLS WELL. Audrey is magnificent - I LOVE her brain and her ambition and perseverance. GO ELLEN.
If there was one portion of the book that kind of held me up a little, it was the beginning. The book starts with a lot of flashback and some of it is disjointed and jarring. I wasn't sure where I was and when at times. It probably could have been fleshed out a little bit more - BUT that was so minor and once I got to the meat of the book, all of the emotions just POURED out. So if you're hesitant by the first 10%, just please trust me.... keep reading.
All in all... please pick up this book when it releases. Read and review it. Ellen O'Clover is a GEM; she could be the next Sarah Dessen of YA romance if we only just give her a chance and read her books. PLEASE.
March 3, 2024
This is a beautifully written book with strong shades of Sarah Dessen—the highest compliment I can give a YA novel! I struggled with the convoluted plot, but the portrayal of anxiety and lovely prose made up for some of my issues.
Characters in O’Clover’s work are never just working in a restaurant or tutoring after school—she’s Sarah Dessen for gen Z high achievers, lol. The protagonist of her debut had developed a viral app, and Someday Daughter’s Audrey is a driven pre-med student who’s spending the summer shadowing doctors while also accompanying her rich, famous mother (another O’Clover motif—bad moms who’ve done something impressive) on a self-help book tour. Audrey was prickly and frustrating at times, but I thought her arc worked well and I enjoyed seeing her grow into someone braver and more flexible. The romance with Silas was sweet—who doesn’t love an uptight logical girl with an artsy, chill guy!—but I did sometimes wonder what attracted him to her, since Audrey was often being an asshole, lol. Again though, I like that Audrey gets the chance to be a full person, who is flawed but still lovable.
Now, the plot…there was a LOT going on here. Audrey’s on tour with her mom, who’s gotten rich and famous off one self-help book and seems to have like, merchandise and stuff. Because she wants to be a doctor, Audrey’s mom hires a doctor to come on the tour and take Audrey to shadowing meetings. It was hard for me to believe any doctor would 1) agree to do this and 2) logistically be able to do it, but that is what happens and we must live with it lol. There are also interns on the tour, and the three people who were hired for what I assume would be a VERY competitive internship are all best friends. Okay sure. There’s a twist involving the interns and the doctor that was so implausible it actually made me mad lol, but maybe it’ll work better for more thriller/mystery inclined readers. For a YA novel about finding oneself and growing up, I thought the plot was doing a bit too much.
But anyway. As I mentioned above, Audrey’s anxiety was depicted really movingly and belongs with Nesta’s self-hatred in A Court of Silver Flames as a portrayal of mental illness that felt very true to me personally. Teens and young readers definitely need books like this and I hope they find a character to love in Audrey.
One thing I might have liked to see explored more was Audrey’s financial privilege—her mom seems to have endless money, and yet Audrey never even has a thought about it aside from resenting how her mom’s success has ruined their relationship. I like a little class tension in a book like this, lol, and I think it’s something that YA readers would enjoy thinking about.
Overall a great book by a very talented author—I hope she’ll try her hand at a book for adults at some point!
Characters in O’Clover’s work are never just working in a restaurant or tutoring after school—she’s Sarah Dessen for gen Z high achievers, lol. The protagonist of her debut had developed a viral app, and Someday Daughter’s Audrey is a driven pre-med student who’s spending the summer shadowing doctors while also accompanying her rich, famous mother (another O’Clover motif—bad moms who’ve done something impressive) on a self-help book tour. Audrey was prickly and frustrating at times, but I thought her arc worked well and I enjoyed seeing her grow into someone braver and more flexible. The romance with Silas was sweet—who doesn’t love an uptight logical girl with an artsy, chill guy!—but I did sometimes wonder what attracted him to her, since Audrey was often being an asshole, lol. Again though, I like that Audrey gets the chance to be a full person, who is flawed but still lovable.
Now, the plot…there was a LOT going on here. Audrey’s on tour with her mom, who’s gotten rich and famous off one self-help book and seems to have like, merchandise and stuff. Because she wants to be a doctor, Audrey’s mom hires a doctor to come on the tour and take Audrey to shadowing meetings. It was hard for me to believe any doctor would 1) agree to do this and 2) logistically be able to do it, but that is what happens and we must live with it lol. There are also interns on the tour, and the three people who were hired for what I assume would be a VERY competitive internship are all best friends. Okay sure. There’s a twist involving the interns and the doctor that was so implausible it actually made me mad lol, but maybe it’ll work better for more thriller/mystery inclined readers. For a YA novel about finding oneself and growing up, I thought the plot was doing a bit too much.
But anyway. As I mentioned above, Audrey’s anxiety was depicted really movingly and belongs with Nesta’s self-hatred in A Court of Silver Flames as a portrayal of mental illness that felt very true to me personally. Teens and young readers definitely need books like this and I hope they find a character to love in Audrey.
One thing I might have liked to see explored more was Audrey’s financial privilege—her mom seems to have endless money, and yet Audrey never even has a thought about it aside from resenting how her mom’s success has ruined their relationship. I like a little class tension in a book like this, lol, and I think it’s something that YA readers would enjoy thinking about.
Overall a great book by a very talented author—I hope she’ll try her hand at a book for adults at some point!
December 19, 2023
Many thanks to Netgalley and Ellen O'Clover for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Audrey is an 18-year-old girl who lives under the shadow of her mother's most famous book: "Letters to my Someday Daughter", written when she was not yet born and which established Camilla as a great public figure.
Now, with the 25th anniversary of the book's release, Audrey finds herself forced to accompany Camilla on a literary tour around the United States for 2 months. As the relationship between the two has never been the best, it is to be expected that Audrey has other things in mind, such as spending the summer interning with her then boyfriend Ethan.
I'll start by saying that, in general, I liked the story. I recently finished a book that also addresses the troubled relationship between mother and daughter, so I bet that this reading would also be enjoyable.
The beginning is a little slow, as Audrey seemed like a somewhat apathetic and emotionless girl, it was difficult to like her right out the gate. Her image improves when we have the perspective of other characters who love her, but very little.
I hoped we could see more glimpses of Camilla throughout the narrative and understand Audrey's reluctance, but unfortunately that didn't happen, at least not until the end of the book, which only contributed to maintaining my dislike towards Audrey.
The story gradually improves with the presence of some secondary characters, including Silas, an intern on Camilla's tour and Audrey's potential love interest. Despite this, the plot is really slow, and perhaps that is what causes some positive surprise with that plot twist in the final chapters.
I was shocked and angered by Audrey, but given the low expectations I placed on the book, the resolution of the conflict was actually well done. The ending was cute, although there were some loose ends about the relationship between her and her mother.
In the end, it's not the best book about maternal issues, I believe the characters lacked depth at various times and issues such as abortion and motherhood were not well addressed. But is it fun, is it cute? Yes, but not that much. What really did it for me was the romance.
Audrey is an 18-year-old girl who lives under the shadow of her mother's most famous book: "Letters to my Someday Daughter", written when she was not yet born and which established Camilla as a great public figure.
Now, with the 25th anniversary of the book's release, Audrey finds herself forced to accompany Camilla on a literary tour around the United States for 2 months. As the relationship between the two has never been the best, it is to be expected that Audrey has other things in mind, such as spending the summer interning with her then boyfriend Ethan.
I'll start by saying that, in general, I liked the story. I recently finished a book that also addresses the troubled relationship between mother and daughter, so I bet that this reading would also be enjoyable.
The beginning is a little slow, as Audrey seemed like a somewhat apathetic and emotionless girl, it was difficult to like her right out the gate. Her image improves when we have the perspective of other characters who love her, but very little.
I hoped we could see more glimpses of Camilla throughout the narrative and understand Audrey's reluctance, but unfortunately that didn't happen, at least not until the end of the book, which only contributed to maintaining my dislike towards Audrey.
The story gradually improves with the presence of some secondary characters, including Silas, an intern on Camilla's tour and Audrey's potential love interest. Despite this, the plot is really slow, and perhaps that is what causes some positive surprise with that plot twist in the final chapters.
I was shocked and angered by Audrey, but given the low expectations I placed on the book, the resolution of the conflict was actually well done. The ending was cute, although there were some loose ends about the relationship between her and her mother.
In the end, it's not the best book about maternal issues, I believe the characters lacked depth at various times and issues such as abortion and motherhood were not well addressed. But is it fun, is it cute? Yes, but not that much. What really did it for me was the romance.
February 20, 2024
4.5*
After loving the author's debut, I was so excited to see what she had in store for us next. Good news, this sophomore offering certainly did not disappoint! The Someday Daughter didn't quite hook me from the start the same way Ro did, but it definitely delivered on the complex relationships and characters, as well as an overall feel-good story that I was very satisfied with by the time I was done.
I loved that quote because it totally summed up Audrey's feelings about her mom when we meet her. Audrey's mother has been pretty much a non-presence in her life, dropping her at boarding school to tour the world as a famous author and self-help guru. Problem is, she now wants Audrey to spend the summer with her, as a spokesperson of sorts for her book, the titular Someday Daughter. But as you can imagine, Audrey feels kind of cheated- her mom is profiting from the concept of Audrey, without actually putting in the work to be a mother.
Audrey, when we meet her, is quite cold, and not all that likable. She has kind of become a perfectionist, and has this idea of what her life has to be. No wiggle room, no room for change. But as the summer forces some changes upon her, Audrey starts to see that maybe she doesn't have to have her life completely mapped out in order to be happy. I love the character growth during this book, and the focus on all kinds of relationships- obviously the parental relationships, but also friendships and romance, even some mentor stuff too. There is also some great commentary on mental health, too.
Bottom Line: Another hit from Ellen O'Clover, cannot wait for whatever's next!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
After loving the author's debut, I was so excited to see what she had in store for us next. Good news, this sophomore offering certainly did not disappoint! The Someday Daughter didn't quite hook me from the start the same way Ro did, but it definitely delivered on the complex relationships and characters, as well as an overall feel-good story that I was very satisfied with by the time I was done.
"I went searching for my mother in the one place I can always find her: the airport bookstore."
I loved that quote because it totally summed up Audrey's feelings about her mom when we meet her. Audrey's mother has been pretty much a non-presence in her life, dropping her at boarding school to tour the world as a famous author and self-help guru. Problem is, she now wants Audrey to spend the summer with her, as a spokesperson of sorts for her book, the titular Someday Daughter. But as you can imagine, Audrey feels kind of cheated- her mom is profiting from the concept of Audrey, without actually putting in the work to be a mother.
Audrey, when we meet her, is quite cold, and not all that likable. She has kind of become a perfectionist, and has this idea of what her life has to be. No wiggle room, no room for change. But as the summer forces some changes upon her, Audrey starts to see that maybe she doesn't have to have her life completely mapped out in order to be happy. I love the character growth during this book, and the focus on all kinds of relationships- obviously the parental relationships, but also friendships and romance, even some mentor stuff too. There is also some great commentary on mental health, too.
Bottom Line: Another hit from Ellen O'Clover, cannot wait for whatever's next!
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
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