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Just Visiting
Reagan Forrester wants out—out of her trailer park, out of reach of her freeloading mother, and out of the shadow of the relationship that made her the pariah of Charytan, Kansas.
Victoria Reyes wants in—in to a fashion design program, in to the arms of a cute guy who doesn’t go to Charytan High, and in to a city where she won’t stand out for being Mexican.
One thing the polar-opposite best friends do agree on is that wherever they go, they’re staying together. But when they set off on a series of college visits at the start of their senior year, they quickly see that the future doesn’t look quite like they expected. After two years of near-solitude following the betrayal of the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, Reagan falls hard and fast for a Battlestar Galactica-loving, brilliant smile-sporting pre-med prospective…only to learn she’s set herself up for heartbreak all over again. Meanwhile, Victoria runs full-speed toward all the things she thinks she wants…only to realize everything she’s looking for might be in the very place they’ve sworn to leave.
As both Reagan and Victoria struggle to learn who they are and what they want in the present, they discover just how much they don’t know about each other’s pasts. And when each learns what the other’s been hiding, they’ll have to decide whether their friendship has a future.
Victoria Reyes wants in—in to a fashion design program, in to the arms of a cute guy who doesn’t go to Charytan High, and in to a city where she won’t stand out for being Mexican.
One thing the polar-opposite best friends do agree on is that wherever they go, they’re staying together. But when they set off on a series of college visits at the start of their senior year, they quickly see that the future doesn’t look quite like they expected. After two years of near-solitude following the betrayal of the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, Reagan falls hard and fast for a Battlestar Galactica-loving, brilliant smile-sporting pre-med prospective…only to learn she’s set herself up for heartbreak all over again. Meanwhile, Victoria runs full-speed toward all the things she thinks she wants…only to realize everything she’s looking for might be in the very place they’ve sworn to leave.
As both Reagan and Victoria struggle to learn who they are and what they want in the present, they discover just how much they don’t know about each other’s pasts. And when each learns what the other’s been hiding, they’ll have to decide whether their friendship has a future.
407 pages, Paperback
First published November 17, 2015
24 people are currently reading
5580 people want to read
About the author
Dahlia Adler
21 books2,811 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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February 15, 2021
Edit 24/11 : FULL RELEASE TODAY (including in Kindle) - Not my favorite but a good book nonetheless :)
"Duh." He reaches out and flips up the one white curl that hangs in my face.
"Rogue, obviously."
"Oh, yes. Her. Obviously."
He gives me a you must be kidding look. "Please tell me you know who Rogue is."
"Hey, I knew 'Frak.'" That has to count for something."
I'm not gonna lie : I spent the first percents bitching about the clichés in Reagan's life. Let's see...
✔ She's a straight-As student (of course she is)
✔ Her parents don't give a damn about her (of course they don't) and she's the one acting like a reasonable adult when it comes to bills, food, well, everything.
✔ She lives in the trailer park of a nowhere town that she can't wait to leave (with reasons)
✔ She works her ass off at a dinner (I'm beginning to think that every teenager works in a dinner)
Perhaps all these facts don't scream clichés for you, but after having read many coming of age stories these past months I can't say that I got an original vibe at first.
But then enters Victoria, the second MC. Victoria, whose parents ... Are you ready? Really? Sure? Okay. You've been warned. They care about her education and about her in general *GASP* I knoooow. Crazy stuff right? I absolutely loved witnessing Vic's close relationship with her mum and the way they communicated every day (using ASL, by the way, because her mum is deaf).
Not to mention the original use of alternative POV between the 2 friends, Reagan and Victoria. It's a nice change from the boy/girl POV we get 99,99% of the time. I say yes to that.
This is probably where Just Visiting stands out from many other young adult novels : indeed Dahlia Adler offers us girl friendship done well : look, Vic and Rae are different in a lot of ways (family, hobbies, boys) but they don't judge each other and the rare times they do, it feels realistic and natural. They don't NEED boys to enjoy their time together and they SUPPORT each other whatever happens. Thank you so much for that, Dahlia.
It's no surprise to me that when Dahlia Adler creates cute boys, they're really adorable, not the "I'm supposed to be cute but in fact I am a stalker/controlling asshole/prick" we often find.
I mean,
✔ He's a (cute) dork and attends parties with a Battlestar Galactica T-shirt.
✔ His dialogues with Reagan often show a oh-my-god-this-is-awkward-but-funny quality I can't help but find incredibly appealing.
✔ He doesn't sugar-coat Reagan's problems and despite being smitten, he's still able to call her on her shit when needed.
✔ His shyness doesn't prevent him for being... driven, let's say. God. He made me smile so much.
He's just so freaking cute, I swear! As for the other one.... I won't say who he is, but awww good guys definitely make for a good change :D
In my opinion Just Visiting handles several issues in a positive way :
✔ First of all, yay to diversity! I really appreciated how Dahlia Adler dealt with Victoria's Mexican origins and what it means to be a minority when living in nowhere town, without never belittling her roots but showing pride over them. Plus, Dev is Indian, what I found really refreshing in all this ocean of golden boys we call YA fiction.
✔ Poverty isn't sugar-coated and all the details in Reagan's life felt realistic to me.
✔ The sex issues brought real and positive vibes to me : there are talks about protection, consent, and not a once of slut-shaming.
Okay, so at this point you're probably wondering why my rating isn't higher. WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED, ANNA? The fact is, I rarely give 3s to books, because most of the time I end despising or loving a story. Truth being told, I kind of hate giving 3s. Is that a thing?
For me, what will draw the line between a book I liked and a book I loved is so personal and linked to my feelings that it's really difficult to assess the exact reasons. What I can say is this : something was missing for me to be truly involved in the characters' life.
It could be the characters' voices that I found pretty juvenile, to be honest, but we're dealing with teenagers, so perhaps I'm not being fair.
It could be the way the characters keep holding back events from their pasts INCLUDING TO THE READER which has a tendency to annoy me. We're in their head, dammit! I always fail to understand how people actually manage to censure themselves. Do you ? Because I definitely don't.
But... To be frank, if this story contains a lot of details that I genuinely liked, I never really cared about the characters, as if they lacked this extra layer to make me interested : in the end, I'm still not sure if I know them enough to understand them and it's a deal breaker for me. This story, how good it is, won't stand out in my mind, and in the end, that's why I can't rate it higher.
This being said, it could be different for you, so don't hesitate to try it^^
*The book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review (thank you so much!). It did not, in any case, influence my opinion.*
For more of my reviews, please visit:
September 23, 2015
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Just Visiting is a perfect illustration of diversity within diversity book.
Just Visiting is terrific, spot on and a book you should absolutely add to your list. We have a very diverse cast, an Indian and Asian - Jew side characters, a Mexican American protagonist, Victoria Reyes, who is fluent in ASL (because her mother is deaf.) Reagan Forrester who lives in the trailer park, who wanted a way out of her town.
Aside from that glaring importance of this story. Adler also brought a lot of relevant topics, we haven’t seen much in YA. I’ll try to sum it up, but I’m sure I’ll forget a handful of details which reminds me this calls for a reread. Stat.
The portrayal of poverty is authentic. Adler smoothly fuses all these little parts how the lack of financial stability shapes someone. This scene truly left a mark on me. You probably would’ve passed it, if you didn’t know what you’re looking for.
Her voice is hollow as she digs her spoon back into the ice cream and leaves it there, sticking up out of the surface like an American flag on the moon. “Let’s go get our stuff and get out of her.” She grabs the cup – she is physically incapable of throwing out food and I’ve learned well enough never to do it in front of her – and we head out, back to the hotel with the horrid wallpaper, back to the old Nissan, back to “that sinking ship” that also happens to be home.
I love the exploration of Vic and Raegan’s friendship. The years of hesitancy and secrets, though despite of that, they’re still fiercely protective of each other.
As expected from Dahlia, there are sex positivity and more. There is always the discussion of consent, which is extremely important. As it should be. Protected sex, morning pill, oral sex. There is also heaps of discussion about abuse, feminism and self-discovery.
I heard this tale quite a few times where a chunk of readers are afraid to commit with books that have a daunting premise. Intersectionality, diversity, feminism, *insert any other social justice topic, we should be having a discussion right now*. Some say, it seems contrite, forced, insincere, the plethora of SJ is too overcrowded for the limited page count. Its nothing new. Is it really because so? Or maybe the majority of people refuse to acknowledge their privilege? I supposed it would truly make a lot of people uncomfortable.
With all these issues finely constructed to the plot, Just Visiting stays very true. It is genuine, hard hitting emotional and fun to read.
Of course a book without flaws is nearly impossible. I didn’t like a thing or two about it which I’ll probably discuss in my full review. But overall it is quite obvious, Just Visiting is a book you need. Pre-order it. You surely won't regret it!
Just Visiting is a perfect illustration of diversity within diversity book.
Just Visiting is terrific, spot on and a book you should absolutely add to your list. We have a very diverse cast, an Indian and Asian - Jew side characters, a Mexican American protagonist, Victoria Reyes, who is fluent in ASL (because her mother is deaf.) Reagan Forrester who lives in the trailer park, who wanted a way out of her town.
Aside from that glaring importance of this story. Adler also brought a lot of relevant topics, we haven’t seen much in YA. I’ll try to sum it up, but I’m sure I’ll forget a handful of details which reminds me this calls for a reread. Stat.
The portrayal of poverty is authentic. Adler smoothly fuses all these little parts how the lack of financial stability shapes someone. This scene truly left a mark on me. You probably would’ve passed it, if you didn’t know what you’re looking for.
Her voice is hollow as she digs her spoon back into the ice cream and leaves it there, sticking up out of the surface like an American flag on the moon. “Let’s go get our stuff and get out of her.” She grabs the cup – she is physically incapable of throwing out food and I’ve learned well enough never to do it in front of her – and we head out, back to the hotel with the horrid wallpaper, back to the old Nissan, back to “that sinking ship” that also happens to be home.
I love the exploration of Vic and Raegan’s friendship. The years of hesitancy and secrets, though despite of that, they’re still fiercely protective of each other.
As expected from Dahlia, there are sex positivity and more. There is always the discussion of consent, which is extremely important. As it should be. Protected sex, morning pill, oral sex. There is also heaps of discussion about abuse, feminism and self-discovery.
I heard this tale quite a few times where a chunk of readers are afraid to commit with books that have a daunting premise. Intersectionality, diversity, feminism, *insert any other social justice topic, we should be having a discussion right now*. Some say, it seems contrite, forced, insincere, the plethora of SJ is too overcrowded for the limited page count. Its nothing new. Is it really because so? Or maybe the majority of people refuse to acknowledge their privilege? I supposed it would truly make a lot of people uncomfortable.
With all these issues finely constructed to the plot, Just Visiting stays very true. It is genuine, hard hitting emotional and fun to read.
Of course a book without flaws is nearly impossible. I didn’t like a thing or two about it which I’ll probably discuss in my full review. But overall it is quite obvious, Just Visiting is a book you need. Pre-order it. You surely won't regret it!
December 29, 2015
Full 4.5 stars (because you know my 5 stars are like the rarest of rare things I hand out)
I really enjoyed Dahlia’s debut Behind The Scenes but Just Visiting blew me away and is definitely one of my most favorite contemporary YA books I’ve read this year! It’s just such an authentic story about friendship and love and that confusing time when that next stage (post-high school) is staring you right in the face. So compelling and so compulsively readable! I really just want to follow the next few years of their lives if I’m honest!
4 things that made this book such a win for me:
1.Exploring the feeling of approaching that “next stage” of your life: I feel like not enough YA books really get into the nitty gritty of the post high school tornado that happens in junior and senior year. When that next stage of your life is right before you and it’s terrifying because there are all these endless possibilities it seems and you don’t want to make the “wrong” one. Through Reagan and Victoria we see how tumultuous this time can be. Who are you? Who do you want to be? What do you want your future to look like? It’s overwhelming and I loved how Dahlia portrayed that through these two most vividly and I almost felt like I was thrown back to 2003/2004 standing on this precipice myself feeling like I’ve been thrown out into the middle of the galaxy without a map. Is college the right choice? Which one? What major? If not college, then what? Stay close? Go far away? ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.
2. The college visit shenanigans: I love road trip books and I really did find the college visits super fun and wished that I did my college visits with friends and not my parents. My own college stay in a dorm was SO not eventful at all (the girl set up me up with movies and left me alone in her room) so I was living vicariously through all their fun mishaps and adventures.
3. The bffship: OMG I loved Reagan and Victoria and how their friendship changed and grew in this book to become even stronger and better friends even if they had to have some hard growing pains in their relationship. It was SO PAINFULLY realistic. I just kept thinking of my own experience feeling like the future was pulling myself and a friend apart and throwing us on different paths and destroying the future we envisioned always. I loved how they learned to balance their own needs and desires with their friendship and also learned that important lesson of how to cope when you both are changing and figuring out who you are.
4. THE SHIP IS THE MOST SHIPPABLE SHIP IN ALL OF SHIPTOWN: Seriously I have not had such flailing shippy feels in a while. Greaaaaat kissing and tension and swoony moments and sexy moments (Oh Dahlia can write the sexy) but also like depth and exploration of serious things that can come up in a relationship. I really liked how Dahlia explored sex in a REAL TALK way in this book.
I really enjoyed Dahlia’s debut Behind The Scenes but Just Visiting blew me away and is definitely one of my most favorite contemporary YA books I’ve read this year! It’s just such an authentic story about friendship and love and that confusing time when that next stage (post-high school) is staring you right in the face. So compelling and so compulsively readable! I really just want to follow the next few years of their lives if I’m honest!
4 things that made this book such a win for me:
1.Exploring the feeling of approaching that “next stage” of your life: I feel like not enough YA books really get into the nitty gritty of the post high school tornado that happens in junior and senior year. When that next stage of your life is right before you and it’s terrifying because there are all these endless possibilities it seems and you don’t want to make the “wrong” one. Through Reagan and Victoria we see how tumultuous this time can be. Who are you? Who do you want to be? What do you want your future to look like? It’s overwhelming and I loved how Dahlia portrayed that through these two most vividly and I almost felt like I was thrown back to 2003/2004 standing on this precipice myself feeling like I’ve been thrown out into the middle of the galaxy without a map. Is college the right choice? Which one? What major? If not college, then what? Stay close? Go far away? ALL THE POSSIBILITIES.
2. The college visit shenanigans: I love road trip books and I really did find the college visits super fun and wished that I did my college visits with friends and not my parents. My own college stay in a dorm was SO not eventful at all (the girl set up me up with movies and left me alone in her room) so I was living vicariously through all their fun mishaps and adventures.
3. The bffship: OMG I loved Reagan and Victoria and how their friendship changed and grew in this book to become even stronger and better friends even if they had to have some hard growing pains in their relationship. It was SO PAINFULLY realistic. I just kept thinking of my own experience feeling like the future was pulling myself and a friend apart and throwing us on different paths and destroying the future we envisioned always. I loved how they learned to balance their own needs and desires with their friendship and also learned that important lesson of how to cope when you both are changing and figuring out who you are.
4. THE SHIP IS THE MOST SHIPPABLE SHIP IN ALL OF SHIPTOWN: Seriously I have not had such flailing shippy feels in a while. Greaaaaat kissing and tension and swoony moments and sexy moments (Oh Dahlia can write the sexy) but also like depth and exploration of serious things that can come up in a relationship. I really liked how Dahlia explored sex in a REAL TALK way in this book.
Read
July 17, 20157/17/15: Four months to go! With thanks and love to Kelly Fiore for my first blurb!
4/23/15: A little bit of info on the book is in the cover reveal post I did today for BNTeens! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/te...
4/23/15: A little bit of info on the book is in the cover reveal post I did today for BNTeens! http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/te...
July 2, 2016
Just visiting is about two high school seniors, Vic and Reagan that are best friends. The closest friends you could possibly imagine. They decide that they're going to go look for colleges together and have everything planned out. They're going to share a dorm, find cute boys together, etc. But later on, they find out some dirty secrets about each other and start to rethink their planned out future together.
The way Adler put together the whole story, it seemed totally real to me. All the details she used to describe yeh sign language and the different countries mentioned in there made everything seem like it was happening in front of me, and that I could just reach out and touch it. Plus, it was really entertaining and just plain hilarious. I absolutely fell in love with this book and everything in it.
I literally can't even say that anything about this book could've been better. It was pretty much perfect and flawless.
Just Visiting would be good for anyone who's had to face making a really tough decision at all in their lifetime (which I believe is everyone).
The way Adler put together the whole story, it seemed totally real to me. All the details she used to describe yeh sign language and the different countries mentioned in there made everything seem like it was happening in front of me, and that I could just reach out and touch it. Plus, it was really entertaining and just plain hilarious. I absolutely fell in love with this book and everything in it.
I literally can't even say that anything about this book could've been better. It was pretty much perfect and flawless.
Just Visiting would be good for anyone who's had to face making a really tough decision at all in their lifetime (which I believe is everyone).
December 7, 2015
Review originally posted on Mostly YA Lit:
Review:
I've been following Dahlia on Twitter for about two years now, and she is fiercely passionate about young adult literature, diversity, feminism, and many of the things I care about, so I adore her feed. Just Visiting, though, is the first of her books that I've gotten to - but I'm so grateful that this was my first one, because the themes of Just Visiting are ones I care deeply about: teen girl friendship, trying to figure out your life's work, trying to break out of bad circumstances, standing up for yourself, and yeah, okay, REALLY GOOD romance.
There are a ton of things to love about this book, but by far, the friendship between main characters Reagan and Victoria is the best part. It's just...so realistic. They push each other's buttons, they fight a lot, but they also challenge each other, want the best for each other, and are there for each other through EVERYTHING. It completely reminded me of my friendship with my best friend in high school - how much fighting there was, but how much we knew the other person would be there for us in a pinch.
The thing about this book is that I liked the friendship right away - but it took me a long time to really warm up to the characters. I think it's because they were so defensive at the beginning - both Reagan and Victoria were holding back big secrets about their pasts from each other - and the reader. They're both strong but also floundering a bit in their pasts. I don't think it's a coincidence that the first half of the book was harder to get through. Adler sets a very bleak landscape in Charytan, Kansas, the tiny town where Reagan and Victoria live. Charytan is the ultimate in small-town attitudes, with people teasing Victoria because of her ethnicity and jeering at Reagan because of - well, we don't really know at the beginning of the novel, but let's just say Reagan is an outcast for a number of things, one of the biggest being her desire to get out of the town.
What really got me was how desperate Reagan was to leave, and how much the town, her parents, and the people around her push her down. As someone who didn't grow up with a lot of money issues, I can't say from experience whether it was authentic or not, but it absolutely felt like it was (it's also in line with all of the articles on poverty in America I've read). The feeling that Reagan is trying to be "better" than everyone else, the pride in the town and the feeling that by trying to make something of herself, she's shaming the town, the bullying and slut-shaming of Reagan...just WOW. It completely made sense why Reagan closed herself off to other people, why she hid behind snarky remarks, and why she was scared when, for the first time in her life, she met a guy she really liked.
The one person she does open up to is her best friend, Victoria, who has a dream of going off to college with Reagan and studying fashion in a place where her ethnicity isn't the first thing people notice about her. Victoria doesn't have as much of a goal as Reagan at the beginning and I loved how much she changes through the book. While Reagan's journey is mostly emotional, Victoria's is more external, leading to her taking steps to figure out what she really loves. It was just...heartening to see her getting it together, becoming the stronger half of the friendship.
One of my only issues with the book is a writing thing - there were moments when Adler would use a pronoun and I wouldn't know which character she was referring to. For instance, in this scene, I actually got confused by who "she" was:
On paper and out of context, it seems pretty easy to understand that the "her" in the second sentence of the second paragraph would refer to Victoria's mother, but as I was reading, I tripped over that and a few other sentences where I wasn't sure who the pronoun referred to. It just took me out of the reading a bit. That said, it's a pretty small writing thing for a book that definitely exceeded my expectations!
While it took me a LONG time to finish this book - far longer than it probably should have because I was going through a major reading slump while reading - AND this book had the difficult job of making me like it after the longest and most epic book I've read this year - I'm so glad to say that it more than succeeded. It's GOOD, guys.
Bonuses:
Life Choices: I loved how the book explored many different choices for high school seniors - whether that was community college, working in skilled trades, big university, little liberal arts school, the army, travelling...and while there was some judgment from the characters, it was clear that the book and the author condoned ALL of them as valid choices. Even though I went the traditional route to students at my high school (four-year university) and it was the right choice for me, I wish that, as a teen, I had known that so many other options existed and it was okay to explore them and even choose them.
Heart-Squeezing Romance: It's not only heart-squeezing, it's full of banter, it's sassy, it's nerdy...I ended the book completely in love with Reagan's romantic interest.
Road Trip: If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with the road trip YA - this one had, like, five road trips, and most were college visits. It was just awesome to see that side of senior year explored - and how much and little the actual visits/road trips it mattered to the various characters.
Diversity: I mean, in ALL of the characters, their socio-economic backgrounds, their ethnicities, their disabilities and abilities...and how it wasn't a big deal at all. It just was.
The Final Word:
Just Visiting was a really solid read about something I haven't seen much of in YA: the choices that we have to make after high school. While the first half of this book was a harder read for me, pushing me to understand Reagan and Victoria's characters and realize how fully developed they are, the second half of the book...WOW. The pacing stepped up, the characters deepened, and I was completely invested. And Just Visiting was never predictable - it stayed one step ahead of me through the second half, putting me through the wringer and making me work to get to the conclusion. If you're a contemporary reader, this is one you really need to pick up.
Review:
I've been following Dahlia on Twitter for about two years now, and she is fiercely passionate about young adult literature, diversity, feminism, and many of the things I care about, so I adore her feed. Just Visiting, though, is the first of her books that I've gotten to - but I'm so grateful that this was my first one, because the themes of Just Visiting are ones I care deeply about: teen girl friendship, trying to figure out your life's work, trying to break out of bad circumstances, standing up for yourself, and yeah, okay, REALLY GOOD romance.
There are a ton of things to love about this book, but by far, the friendship between main characters Reagan and Victoria is the best part. It's just...so realistic. They push each other's buttons, they fight a lot, but they also challenge each other, want the best for each other, and are there for each other through EVERYTHING. It completely reminded me of my friendship with my best friend in high school - how much fighting there was, but how much we knew the other person would be there for us in a pinch.
The thing about this book is that I liked the friendship right away - but it took me a long time to really warm up to the characters. I think it's because they were so defensive at the beginning - both Reagan and Victoria were holding back big secrets about their pasts from each other - and the reader. They're both strong but also floundering a bit in their pasts. I don't think it's a coincidence that the first half of the book was harder to get through. Adler sets a very bleak landscape in Charytan, Kansas, the tiny town where Reagan and Victoria live. Charytan is the ultimate in small-town attitudes, with people teasing Victoria because of her ethnicity and jeering at Reagan because of - well, we don't really know at the beginning of the novel, but let's just say Reagan is an outcast for a number of things, one of the biggest being her desire to get out of the town.
What really got me was how desperate Reagan was to leave, and how much the town, her parents, and the people around her push her down. As someone who didn't grow up with a lot of money issues, I can't say from experience whether it was authentic or not, but it absolutely felt like it was (it's also in line with all of the articles on poverty in America I've read). The feeling that Reagan is trying to be "better" than everyone else, the pride in the town and the feeling that by trying to make something of herself, she's shaming the town, the bullying and slut-shaming of Reagan...just WOW. It completely made sense why Reagan closed herself off to other people, why she hid behind snarky remarks, and why she was scared when, for the first time in her life, she met a guy she really liked.
The one person she does open up to is her best friend, Victoria, who has a dream of going off to college with Reagan and studying fashion in a place where her ethnicity isn't the first thing people notice about her. Victoria doesn't have as much of a goal as Reagan at the beginning and I loved how much she changes through the book. While Reagan's journey is mostly emotional, Victoria's is more external, leading to her taking steps to figure out what she really loves. It was just...heartening to see her getting it together, becoming the stronger half of the friendship.
One of my only issues with the book is a writing thing - there were moments when Adler would use a pronoun and I wouldn't know which character she was referring to. For instance, in this scene, I actually got confused by who "she" was:
Then I head upstairs to find Rae sprawled on the tile floor of my bathroom. "You don't have to stay here with me," she whimpers, as if I would even think about leaving her alone right now. As if despite all the secrets she's kept from me, I don't at least know her better than that.
"Shh." I hand her a glass of water I've just brought up from the kitchen, where my mother's taking another stab at churros. It's killing me to lie to her, and I think she suspects I am, but she know not to pry right now...
On paper and out of context, it seems pretty easy to understand that the "her" in the second sentence of the second paragraph would refer to Victoria's mother, but as I was reading, I tripped over that and a few other sentences where I wasn't sure who the pronoun referred to. It just took me out of the reading a bit. That said, it's a pretty small writing thing for a book that definitely exceeded my expectations!
While it took me a LONG time to finish this book - far longer than it probably should have because I was going through a major reading slump while reading - AND this book had the difficult job of making me like it after the longest and most epic book I've read this year - I'm so glad to say that it more than succeeded. It's GOOD, guys.
Bonuses:
Life Choices: I loved how the book explored many different choices for high school seniors - whether that was community college, working in skilled trades, big university, little liberal arts school, the army, travelling...and while there was some judgment from the characters, it was clear that the book and the author condoned ALL of them as valid choices. Even though I went the traditional route to students at my high school (four-year university) and it was the right choice for me, I wish that, as a teen, I had known that so many other options existed and it was okay to explore them and even choose them. 
Heart-Squeezing Romance: It's not only heart-squeezing, it's full of banter, it's sassy, it's nerdy...I ended the book completely in love with Reagan's romantic interest. 
Road Trip: If you know me, you know I'm obsessed with the road trip YA - this one had, like, five road trips, and most were college visits. It was just awesome to see that side of senior year explored - and how much and little the actual visits/road trips it mattered to the various characters. 
Diversity: I mean, in ALL of the characters, their socio-economic backgrounds, their ethnicities, their disabilities and abilities...and how it wasn't a big deal at all. It just was.
The Final Word:
Just Visiting was a really solid read about something I haven't seen much of in YA: the choices that we have to make after high school. While the first half of this book was a harder read for me, pushing me to understand Reagan and Victoria's characters and realize how fully developed they are, the second half of the book...WOW. The pacing stepped up, the characters deepened, and I was completely invested. And Just Visiting was never predictable - it stayed one step ahead of me through the second half, putting me through the wringer and making me work to get to the conclusion. If you're a contemporary reader, this is one you really need to pick up.
May 25, 2016
Dahlia Adler is my friend. Yadda yadda yadda. I’ve read all of Dahlia’s books to date, and I’ll probably keep reading all of them because they’re good. With each successive book, I’m pretty sure I’ve commented on how she just keeps improving as an author and stepping up her game. That thing, again. Seriously, Dahlia once again totally surprised me and Just Visiting is my favorite of her novels to date. Honestly, I love it so much that I worry about how on earth she could possibly ever top it.
If you’re reading my blog, I’m assuming that you’re a bit acquainted with Dahlia on Twitter and if you’re not you should be because she’s great. This book is the most like Dahlia on Twitter, if that makes any fucking sense to anyone but me. What I mean is that this book is bantery and funny and silly and shippy and also about serious issues close to Dahlia’s heart. Much as I’ve enjoyed every book Dahlia’s written, THIS is exactly what I wanted without knowing quite exactly what I wanted. Paragraph two and this is already a mess. Oh man.
As everyone knows, I am all about the shippy feels. Most of the books I love, I love for ship because those are the things that tend to REALLY make me feel something. When I’m feeling MORE than just shippy feels, that’s a damn good sign. Just Visiting also hit me in the friendship feels and the family feels and basically I was sort of a mess. I got a bit glassy eyed and had to go yell a bit at one point, and at the end of the book I had a goofy smile on my face and still glassy eyes because I was overrun with emotions okay.
I’m going to try to pull it together and be a bit more serious and critical here. Just Visiting looks at the period in Reagan and Victoria’s lives where they’re visiting colleges to try to decide where they want to go the next year. I am so freaking excited that college is becoming less forbidden in fiction, because it’s such a ripe area for it. Anyway, college visits are such a great topic for a YA novel, because there’s so much planning for the future and it feels like trying on adulthood and the potential to escape.
Rae just wants to get out of her trailer park and away from her parents. Vic dreams of joining a sorority and being somewhere where being Mexican won’t make her “exotic.” I love the little touches like Vic’s temporary determination to go by Tori. Planning for college is, for many (like past me), all about the chance to reinvent yourself after the adolescent shitstorm that was high school. College visits are all about the chance to see the campus and try to find the place that feels right in some magic indefinable way.
That said, Just Visiting very consciously doesn’t put forth college as the one true path for everyone. Vic is torn between a whole lot of different paths. Her brother went to the peace corps after high school let out. Freckles, the sweet boy who works at Joe’s Diner with Rae, attends the local community college. Just Visiting is about finding what works for you, even if it’s not the obvious, traditional path. As you might expect from Dahlia, it’s a very not shamey book. <3
Clearly, Just Visiting is also very much a book about friendship. Vic and Rae are central to each other’s lives and their relationship is the most important one in the whole book. Much as I love ships, a good friendship is so much more important. At the start, Rae and Vic seem friends by necessity more than any real commonality or closeness. They’re best friends, but there’s a reserve there. They keep so much of themselves secret that they’re not entirely sure of one another. These college visits and plans for the following year will either make or break their friendship and just leave me here with my friendship feels, please.
Though the book mostly remains fluffy feeling, there are some definite real life gut punches. Rae’s been dealt a really crap hand. Her mom seems to be addicted to shopping and appearances, preferring to get a manicure or order As Seen on TV shit instead of paying the electric bill. Rae gets points docked on assignments for school because she doesn’t have a computer to type them out as required. Despite working full time to earn gas money (and money to help with the bills), Rae still maintains top grades. She’s worked so fucking hard for absolutely everything and I want to give her a hug.
Vic’s got a much better family life than Rae. She loves her parents, her grandparents, and her brother. She’s also got some things she’s trying to work through, even though her life is much better on the surface. Everyone’s got shit to deal with. Where Rae is really driven and sure of what to do (which is a problem sometimes because she sometimes doesn’t think she deserves to go where she wants), Vic’s not at all sure what she wants to do with her life. Over the course of the book, she’s obsessed first with being in a sorority and then with fashion design. At the end, she comes up with a new idea. I love this because it’s so realistic and very much that time period.
Okay, I’ve been all serious and focused so now I’m going to yell about the ship and you cannot stop me. At the first college visit, Rae meets this adorable tall Indian boy, Dave, at a campus map while they’re both looking for the library. It is a match made in nerd heaven. They banter like nobody’s business and I ship it so hard even though it is often a ship of pain. (WHY DAHLIA WHY) Rae flirts by insulting him when she’s totally into him and no I totally do not relate to this at all. THEY ARE THE CUTEST AND I LOVE THEM MY PRECIOUSES.
Also, because it’s a Dahlia book, you can bet that it’s sex positive, very much involves consent on both parts for any sexy activities, and totally has sexy bits. There’s also a lot about birth control that is very important. This book stands against a lot of things (slut-shaming, racism, etc), but without feeling preachy.
I fucking love this book. GET IT.
If you’re reading my blog, I’m assuming that you’re a bit acquainted with Dahlia on Twitter and if you’re not you should be because she’s great. This book is the most like Dahlia on Twitter, if that makes any fucking sense to anyone but me. What I mean is that this book is bantery and funny and silly and shippy and also about serious issues close to Dahlia’s heart. Much as I’ve enjoyed every book Dahlia’s written, THIS is exactly what I wanted without knowing quite exactly what I wanted. Paragraph two and this is already a mess. Oh man.
As everyone knows, I am all about the shippy feels. Most of the books I love, I love for ship because those are the things that tend to REALLY make me feel something. When I’m feeling MORE than just shippy feels, that’s a damn good sign. Just Visiting also hit me in the friendship feels and the family feels and basically I was sort of a mess. I got a bit glassy eyed and had to go yell a bit at one point, and at the end of the book I had a goofy smile on my face and still glassy eyes because I was overrun with emotions okay.
I’m going to try to pull it together and be a bit more serious and critical here. Just Visiting looks at the period in Reagan and Victoria’s lives where they’re visiting colleges to try to decide where they want to go the next year. I am so freaking excited that college is becoming less forbidden in fiction, because it’s such a ripe area for it. Anyway, college visits are such a great topic for a YA novel, because there’s so much planning for the future and it feels like trying on adulthood and the potential to escape.
Rae just wants to get out of her trailer park and away from her parents. Vic dreams of joining a sorority and being somewhere where being Mexican won’t make her “exotic.” I love the little touches like Vic’s temporary determination to go by Tori. Planning for college is, for many (like past me), all about the chance to reinvent yourself after the adolescent shitstorm that was high school. College visits are all about the chance to see the campus and try to find the place that feels right in some magic indefinable way.
That said, Just Visiting very consciously doesn’t put forth college as the one true path for everyone. Vic is torn between a whole lot of different paths. Her brother went to the peace corps after high school let out. Freckles, the sweet boy who works at Joe’s Diner with Rae, attends the local community college. Just Visiting is about finding what works for you, even if it’s not the obvious, traditional path. As you might expect from Dahlia, it’s a very not shamey book. <3
Clearly, Just Visiting is also very much a book about friendship. Vic and Rae are central to each other’s lives and their relationship is the most important one in the whole book. Much as I love ships, a good friendship is so much more important. At the start, Rae and Vic seem friends by necessity more than any real commonality or closeness. They’re best friends, but there’s a reserve there. They keep so much of themselves secret that they’re not entirely sure of one another. These college visits and plans for the following year will either make or break their friendship and just leave me here with my friendship feels, please.
Though the book mostly remains fluffy feeling, there are some definite real life gut punches. Rae’s been dealt a really crap hand. Her mom seems to be addicted to shopping and appearances, preferring to get a manicure or order As Seen on TV shit instead of paying the electric bill. Rae gets points docked on assignments for school because she doesn’t have a computer to type them out as required. Despite working full time to earn gas money (and money to help with the bills), Rae still maintains top grades. She’s worked so fucking hard for absolutely everything and I want to give her a hug.
Vic’s got a much better family life than Rae. She loves her parents, her grandparents, and her brother. She’s also got some things she’s trying to work through, even though her life is much better on the surface. Everyone’s got shit to deal with. Where Rae is really driven and sure of what to do (which is a problem sometimes because she sometimes doesn’t think she deserves to go where she wants), Vic’s not at all sure what she wants to do with her life. Over the course of the book, she’s obsessed first with being in a sorority and then with fashion design. At the end, she comes up with a new idea. I love this because it’s so realistic and very much that time period.
Okay, I’ve been all serious and focused so now I’m going to yell about the ship and you cannot stop me. At the first college visit, Rae meets this adorable tall Indian boy, Dave, at a campus map while they’re both looking for the library. It is a match made in nerd heaven. They banter like nobody’s business and I ship it so hard even though it is often a ship of pain. (WHY DAHLIA WHY) Rae flirts by insulting him when she’s totally into him and no I totally do not relate to this at all. THEY ARE THE CUTEST AND I LOVE THEM MY PRECIOUSES.
Also, because it’s a Dahlia book, you can bet that it’s sex positive, very much involves consent on both parts for any sexy activities, and totally has sexy bits. There’s also a lot about birth control that is very important. This book stands against a lot of things (slut-shaming, racism, etc), but without feeling preachy.
I fucking love this book. GET IT.
April 26, 2016
I'm a huge fan of anything Dahlia Adler writes, but this may be my favorite Dahlia book yet. It deals with female friendship and finding yourself and reconciling that version of you with the person you are in the friendship, and realizing that both versions of yourself may not be the same at all. Reagan and Victoria are very close, but what I found fascinating were the secrets thrumming under the surface of their friendship. What they didn't tell each other showed as much as what they did, and the way their deepest truths trickled out felt incredibly authentic.
I feel like JUST VISITING perfectly encapsulates that time in your life when you're not sure which direction is best to take, and the people who pull you different ways. It's about friends and family and the friends who are family. This is a book both humorous and heartfelt, smart and poignant, which is what I have come to expect from Dahlia Adler-- and why she'll continue to be an instabuy author for me.
I feel like JUST VISITING perfectly encapsulates that time in your life when you're not sure which direction is best to take, and the people who pull you different ways. It's about friends and family and the friends who are family. This is a book both humorous and heartfelt, smart and poignant, which is what I have come to expect from Dahlia Adler-- and why she'll continue to be an instabuy author for me.
October 8, 2016
I finished this a couple weeks ago but was super conflicted about how to rate it. I LOVED the representation but the writing style was not for me. The narrator's voice was really young (I mean, the characters are young, so done appropriately) and it was dialogue heavy and talked about parties and relationships and navigating high school and the college admission process. I also thought that the characters had only a few facets to them that were reiterated and lacked nuance.
I found myself just wanting it to be over but I do not want to overlook the fact that the representation is greatly appreciated and if you enjoy books narrated by a younger voice with a writing tone to match, then you'd probably enjoy this but I prefer a different writing style (some of my favorites in terms of writing are Burial Rites, Everything I Never Told You, and A Guide to Being Born).
I found myself just wanting it to be over but I do not want to overlook the fact that the representation is greatly appreciated and if you enjoy books narrated by a younger voice with a writing tone to match, then you'd probably enjoy this but I prefer a different writing style (some of my favorites in terms of writing are Burial Rites, Everything I Never Told You, and A Guide to Being Born).
December 29, 2015
Friendship and diverse characters and college visits = enjoyable YA contemp <333
August 8, 2016
This review was also posted on Next Page Please!
I got an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. None of my thoughts are altered by that and all my opinions are honest.
As I was reading this book, I really did not expect to end up liking. I am so glad I kept reading though because things got better and I really ended up enjoying Just Visiting. It was fun, serious, and a really great friendship read. I loved the dynamic Vic and Reagan had and also the story both of them go through. I liked Dhalia's writing and I can't wait to read more from her when I finally get to her other books!
One of the main reasons I questioned my ability to actually finish this book liking it was the fact that I found the main characters really dry and...typical in the beginning. I was actually really bugged by Vic and how annoying she was and how Reagan was kind of a boring person. Over the course of the book though, they definitely get better as characters and by the end, I loved both Vic and Reagan. The character development that Dahlia was able to include was just awesome and saved me from not enjoying the main characters! Both of them have such different personalities and interests but are able to get along just fine. Sure, they got into disagreements every once in awhile (*cough* okay so maybe it was more than once in awhile...) but they always got through them so maturely and that is one of the reasons why I love their friendship.
I really enjoyed the plot and how much fun it was to read. I appreciate the fact that it didn't take place in one small city but also had a mix of different colleges. Reagan and Vic had such great adventures while they were visiting colleges and I had a such a fun time reading about that because not only were they great adventures, but I also got to learn more about Reagan and Vic. All the fun was definitely contrasted with the normal life they had in Charytan, which sounds like a place I would not wait to get out of. Sure, it's a pretty cute town but absolutely nothing went on there. If you were to put me in a while book in that town and not have drama in it, I would probably fall asleep, which is why I really appreciate the college visits and really getting out of& Charytan. The ending was a tiny bit surprising for me. It was really sweet, wrapped up the book very nicely, and really really showed how much these characters had grown. Their intentions had completely changed and at the point I could see that there was no doubt both characters had developed beautifully.
And one more thing I must mention before ending this review: I loved the diversity that went on with this book, race wise. Vic is Mexican and two characters come in and they are Indian and Chinese. Definitely not a huge ton of different races going on in this book but the fact that there was more color and diversity in Just Visiting let me enjoy the book a bit more.
I gave this book 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it with it's awesome characters and fun plot but the characters did bug me a bit in the beginning.
I got an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. None of my thoughts are altered by that and all my opinions are honest.
As I was reading this book, I really did not expect to end up liking. I am so glad I kept reading though because things got better and I really ended up enjoying Just Visiting. It was fun, serious, and a really great friendship read. I loved the dynamic Vic and Reagan had and also the story both of them go through. I liked Dhalia's writing and I can't wait to read more from her when I finally get to her other books!
One of the main reasons I questioned my ability to actually finish this book liking it was the fact that I found the main characters really dry and...typical in the beginning. I was actually really bugged by Vic and how annoying she was and how Reagan was kind of a boring person. Over the course of the book though, they definitely get better as characters and by the end, I loved both Vic and Reagan. The character development that Dahlia was able to include was just awesome and saved me from not enjoying the main characters! Both of them have such different personalities and interests but are able to get along just fine. Sure, they got into disagreements every once in awhile (*cough* okay so maybe it was more than once in awhile...) but they always got through them so maturely and that is one of the reasons why I love their friendship.
I really enjoyed the plot and how much fun it was to read. I appreciate the fact that it didn't take place in one small city but also had a mix of different colleges. Reagan and Vic had such great adventures while they were visiting colleges and I had a such a fun time reading about that because not only were they great adventures, but I also got to learn more about Reagan and Vic. All the fun was definitely contrasted with the normal life they had in Charytan, which sounds like a place I would not wait to get out of. Sure, it's a pretty cute town but absolutely nothing went on there. If you were to put me in a while book in that town and not have drama in it, I would probably fall asleep, which is why I really appreciate the college visits and really getting out of& Charytan. The ending was a tiny bit surprising for me. It was really sweet, wrapped up the book very nicely, and really really showed how much these characters had grown. Their intentions had completely changed and at the point I could see that there was no doubt both characters had developed beautifully.
And one more thing I must mention before ending this review: I loved the diversity that went on with this book, race wise. Vic is Mexican and two characters come in and they are Indian and Chinese. Definitely not a huge ton of different races going on in this book but the fact that there was more color and diversity in Just Visiting let me enjoy the book a bit more.
I gave this book 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it with it's awesome characters and fun plot but the characters did bug me a bit in the beginning.
August 23, 2016
Just Visiting was a surprising book - both in its strengths and in its weaknesses.
On one hand, it is one of the most delightfully nerdy books I've ever read. It references not only The Lord of the Rings, Harry Poter, and Star Wars, but also Tamora Pierce, Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, and Battlestar Galactica. I was fangirling so hard.
I actually ended up liking Victoria a lot more than I thought I would and Reagan a lot less, but both are complex, interesting characters. Their friendship is realistic with its ups and downs, but it never turns into an unhealthy relationship as so often happens in YA fiction. I also like both of the love interests and appreciate that they aren't controlling "bad boys."
Another thing I like is how well teenage sex is handled. Not only is the book sex positive, including for the girls,
When it comes to the representation of diversity, Just Visiting wins points for one of the MCs being of Mexican descent (and defying the usual stereotypes) and for her mother being deaf and speaking ASL.
Unfortunately, the representation of diversity is also where I have my biggest issues with the book. For one thing, I don't like the portrayal of lower-class America. Reagan is constantly looking down on her parents, her trailer park, her local community college, and her town as a whole. I hate the phrase "white trash," which Reagan uses on multiple occasions.
Even worse is the portrayal of Reagan's love interest, who is of Indian descent. He is repeatedly described as having teeth that are "blindingly white." Is this some sort of stereotype I'm unaware of? It's not one I've heard before, but it was uncomfortable to read every time he made an appearance. Reagan also notes that his face turns "redder than [she] would have thought possible given his natural skin tone." That might not have stuck out to me if I hadn't read over and over again how white his teeth were, but would it not have been enough to just leave it at "impossibly red"? The focus should have been on his having a big smile, not on the color of his teeth. Considering what I know of the author from Twitter, I was not expecting this at all. It really took away from what was otherwise a cute and mostly realistic story.
I also was shocked by
Overall, Just Visiting is a fun read that deals with issues relevant to teenagers, and most YA contemporary fans will enjoy it. However, the things that did bother me are significant enough to bump my rating down to 3.5 stars.
On one hand, it is one of the most delightfully nerdy books I've ever read. It references not only The Lord of the Rings, Harry Poter, and Star Wars, but also Tamora Pierce, Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, and Battlestar Galactica. I was fangirling so hard.
I actually ended up liking Victoria a lot more than I thought I would and Reagan a lot less, but both are complex, interesting characters. Their friendship is realistic with its ups and downs, but it never turns into an unhealthy relationship as so often happens in YA fiction. I also like both of the love interests and appreciate that they aren't controlling "bad boys."
Another thing I like is how well teenage sex is handled. Not only is the book sex positive, including for the girls,
When it comes to the representation of diversity, Just Visiting wins points for one of the MCs being of Mexican descent (and defying the usual stereotypes) and for her mother being deaf and speaking ASL.
Unfortunately, the representation of diversity is also where I have my biggest issues with the book. For one thing, I don't like the portrayal of lower-class America. Reagan is constantly looking down on her parents, her trailer park, her local community college, and her town as a whole. I hate the phrase "white trash," which Reagan uses on multiple occasions.
Even worse is the portrayal of Reagan's love interest, who is of Indian descent. He is repeatedly described as having teeth that are "blindingly white." Is this some sort of stereotype I'm unaware of? It's not one I've heard before, but it was uncomfortable to read every time he made an appearance. Reagan also notes that his face turns "redder than [she] would have thought possible given his natural skin tone." That might not have stuck out to me if I hadn't read over and over again how white his teeth were, but would it not have been enough to just leave it at "impossibly red"? The focus should have been on his having a big smile, not on the color of his teeth. Considering what I know of the author from Twitter, I was not expecting this at all. It really took away from what was otherwise a cute and mostly realistic story.
I also was shocked by
Overall, Just Visiting is a fun read that deals with issues relevant to teenagers, and most YA contemporary fans will enjoy it. However, the things that did bother me are significant enough to bump my rating down to 3.5 stars.
September 19, 2016
“When a friendship crumbles, there are only really two things that can bring it back: a shitload of time, or a sincere apology.”
(3.5) I appreciated so many things about this book, it made me smile so much and also it made me care for the characters and about their respective storylines. It's such a good change to see a dual pov book told from two best friends' perspectives instead of a couple since it made everything so unpredictable (even though I can't say everything was unpredictable). I adored the representation, Vic's mum being deaf and them communicating with ASL was a big plus. I think it's beautiful seeing parents who actually care about their kids and them putting communication as a priority in their house. I can't really say the same thing for Reagan's parents though. Her father was almost non-existent and her mother was there only as an annoyance.
Even though there were a lot of really intense and dramatic moments in this book, it felt really easy to read, it flowed well and there wasn't any sugar coating of the problems talked about. When it was time to talk about poverty, about race, about minorities, they didn't shy away from it. I also loved Dev, he was such a breath of fresh air, a really good guy who cares about his future and who cares about Reagan, who is a total nerd and owns it. The diversity in this book astounded me and was so beautifully handled, it wasn't only racial diversity but socioeconomic diversity as well, which I don't read a lot about and it made me aware of many things about it.
What made me not give this book a higher rating was how it frustrated me that the characters held back information. I mean, I know it makes for better plot development but at the same time, there were things that could have been resolved if they would talk to each other and I don't mean Reagan and Vic only but Reagan and Dev as well. I spent a lot of the book frustrated because of that. Lack of communication is one of my most hated tropes, that's why I appreciated so much that in Vic's house, they actually communicated and didn't hold back the information. But this is a great book overall, it really made me think, I enjoyed my time reading it a lot.
April 16, 2017
Dahlia Adler's Just Visiting filled me with nostalgic feelings about those last months of high school and reminded me how I much likely felt the same as Reagan and Victoria. The anxious, nervous emotions inside you dancing around, waiting for that envelope/mail to arrive - the visits to the college and seeing how life will be for the next years to come, Dahlia Adler depicted it perfectly and I seriously related to them profoundly.
Friendship, escapes, monotone life, choices to make - Just Visiting is a beautiful story that gets to your heart and you suddenly feel like you don't want to say goodbye to the story.
*You can find my review over at The Book Voyagers
The main characters and the two girls that hold a friendship between them so close - Reagan and Victoria - spoke to me in tons. Since the first time they speak/think, I just knew I was going to love them. Their voices are so strong and their goals, feelings - they all went from the pages to my heart.
A list of why Dahlia Adler is amazing at writing:
♡Dahlia doesn't belittle anything and she puts the truth in words and it is real. The world is a cruel place where good people get the bad side of the coin. And sometimes you have to deal with it in the best possible way. We have Reagan, a girl who lives in a trailer park and wants to escape. I have a soft spot in my heart for Victoria but Reagan wants to be heard and she was heard. I heard her. She just wants to go to college and live with her best friend. As I said, Adler doesn't belittle anything - she portrays poverty in a way that she doesn't leave out and beautifies the hard parts.
♡She doesn't black out the sex scenes and she shows us (in a non-explicit way). People shouldn't be afraid of reading about sex. It happens. It's important that the young audiences know about this.
♡Reagan and Victoria's friendship made my day/night/month. It makes you think (if you don't have one) that YOU WANT ONE. A person who gets up in the morning to go help you out if you need it. A person who tells you your truths. A person who will love you even in the hardest times.
♡Victoria Reyes. This girl has probably become one of my favorite female characters...ever. She is a Latina and I don't read a lot of books with Latinas as their main characters. Her character filled me with joy because she practically voices out everything wrong in the country when it comes to the treatment Latinxs get from the people around them.
♡And not only does Victoria voice it out, but also Reagan - when Dev is in her trailer and her family just arrived:
Finally I want to say that I was very excited for this book to come out. And after reading I've come to the conclusion that everyone needs a Victoria or a Reagan in their lives. That friendship that you just know it's going to last until the end of times. Thank you Dahlia! This book is going to my list and it's never going to disappear.
Friendship, escapes, monotone life, choices to make - Just Visiting is a beautiful story that gets to your heart and you suddenly feel like you don't want to say goodbye to the story.
*You can find my review over at The Book Voyagers
The main characters and the two girls that hold a friendship between them so close - Reagan and Victoria - spoke to me in tons. Since the first time they speak/think, I just knew I was going to love them. Their voices are so strong and their goals, feelings - they all went from the pages to my heart.
A list of why Dahlia Adler is amazing at writing:
♡Dahlia doesn't belittle anything and she puts the truth in words and it is real. The world is a cruel place where good people get the bad side of the coin. And sometimes you have to deal with it in the best possible way. We have Reagan, a girl who lives in a trailer park and wants to escape. I have a soft spot in my heart for Victoria but Reagan wants to be heard and she was heard. I heard her. She just wants to go to college and live with her best friend. As I said, Adler doesn't belittle anything - she portrays poverty in a way that she doesn't leave out and beautifies the hard parts.
♡She doesn't black out the sex scenes and she shows us (in a non-explicit way). People shouldn't be afraid of reading about sex. It happens. It's important that the young audiences know about this.
♡Reagan and Victoria's friendship made my day/night/month. It makes you think (if you don't have one) that YOU WANT ONE. A person who gets up in the morning to go help you out if you need it. A person who tells you your truths. A person who will love you even in the hardest times.
♡Victoria Reyes. This girl has probably become one of my favorite female characters...ever. She is a Latina and I don't read a lot of books with Latinas as their main characters. Her character filled me with joy because she practically voices out everything wrong in the country when it comes to the treatment Latinxs get from the people around them.
"I mean, maybe it's fun if you have a boyfriend or whatever, but considering every guy in this town is either scared of my skin color or thinks I'm hot because I'm "exotic," I'd rather spend every weekend playing Scrabble with my mother or giving myself and Reagan manicures."
♡And not only does Victoria voice it out, but also Reagan - when Dev is in her trailer and her family just arrived:
"I know several things he doesn't, like my parents will instantly be suspicious of his brown skin, and it will be glaringly obvious in their expressions and in every word they say."
Finally I want to say that I was very excited for this book to come out. And after reading I've come to the conclusion that everyone needs a Victoria or a Reagan in their lives. That friendship that you just know it's going to last until the end of times. Thank you Dahlia! This book is going to my list and it's never going to disappear.
July 4, 2018
This book wasn't horrible, but it wasn't that good either. I like character-driven books so I'm not usually phased by a lack of plot, but this book was lacking in both plot and unique characters. It was hard to tell which character was 'speaking' because both narrative voices were really similar. The slow reveal of each character's backstory left me confused and having to flip back through several chapters to remind myself what the previous piece of the puzzle was - for instance Victoria casually mentions Ashley in a later chapter and I had no clue who Ashley was.
It could have been a really sweet coming-of-age story about two friends, but I just didn't feel invested in the characters and their friendship was confusing. One minute they seemed like BFFs for life, with a real deep love for each other, but they kept so many secrets from each other that their apparent close friendship was completely undermined. Also, I don't understand how they managed to keep those secrets over the years that they had known each other. They met in 10th grade and are now High School juniors (which some basic googling tells me is the same as 12th grade) so it's hard to believe that, in two years of friendship, Reagan never bothered to ask why Victoria left her old school, or that Victoria never overheard people gossiping about Reagan's past - especially as it was apparently the talk of the town.
The book did have some good points though, such as an honest depiction of female sexuality and a very frank discussion of contraception. Also, unusually for most YAs, Victoria's parents, particularly her mum, was very present in the book and was actually involved in her daughter's life, but without being a helicopter parent. I also thought it was refreshing to have two female MCs and lots of boy drama without having a love triangle - there is a subtle hint of one () but it quickly emerges that it's a misunderstanding.
But unfortunately the good points weren't quite enough for me. In addition, the story ends abruptly with an epilogue that ties up about a dozen loose ends at the same time in a way that didn't feel very satisfactory.
It could have been a really sweet coming-of-age story about two friends, but I just didn't feel invested in the characters and their friendship was confusing. One minute they seemed like BFFs for life, with a real deep love for each other, but they kept so many secrets from each other that their apparent close friendship was completely undermined. Also, I don't understand how they managed to keep those secrets over the years that they had known each other. They met in 10th grade and are now High School juniors (which some basic googling tells me is the same as 12th grade) so it's hard to believe that, in two years of friendship, Reagan never bothered to ask why Victoria left her old school, or that Victoria never overheard people gossiping about Reagan's past - especially as it was apparently the talk of the town.
The book did have some good points though, such as an honest depiction of female sexuality and a very frank discussion of contraception. Also, unusually for most YAs, Victoria's parents, particularly her mum, was very present in the book and was actually involved in her daughter's life, but without being a helicopter parent. I also thought it was refreshing to have two female MCs and lots of boy drama without having a love triangle - there is a subtle hint of one () but it quickly emerges that it's a misunderstanding.
But unfortunately the good points weren't quite enough for me. In addition, the story ends abruptly with an epilogue that ties up about a dozen loose ends at the same time in a way that didn't feel very satisfactory.
November 25, 2015
Review on blog: http://www.bookbaristas.org/2015/11/r...
I wish I could have read this story four years ago when I was deciding what college to go to and what to expect when I was planning on leaving my comfort zone. I think that’s what I loved most about JUST VISITING; the characters find that the hardest part about leaving home is not knowing where you’re going, but it’s also the most exciting part about moving on to the next step in your life.
“It’s time to figure out what makes you happy and just do it. Worst comes to worst, you make a mistake and then you change paths. That's the best freaking part of being a teenager.”
Reagan and Vic are the real kind of best friends. They aren’t afraid to be honest with each other yet can’t help but have some secrets that they keep hidden. Reagan wants to leave her small town and just become something bigger; she needs an out and college can give her that. Vic wants the fun that comes with college – the parties, the people, and the independence. Together they decide to go on a series of road trips to find the best college for the both of them. The trips become more enlightening than they both expected. They grow and learn that maybe your next step isn’t the same step as the person beside you.
There are bits of this story that will make you swoon (because there is love, it’s just not a major character in the story) and there are other bits that will have you tearing up. It’s both equal parts lovely as it is real.
Adler gives you a story filled with road trips, hardships, unanticipated love, and a pair of best friends who want to find the perfect college to escape their disruptive pasts. You will laugh, cry, and feel utterly torn in two, all at the same time. A fascinating and authentic take on friendship and following your dreams, however far-fetched they may seem.
I wish I could have read this story four years ago when I was deciding what college to go to and what to expect when I was planning on leaving my comfort zone. I think that’s what I loved most about JUST VISITING; the characters find that the hardest part about leaving home is not knowing where you’re going, but it’s also the most exciting part about moving on to the next step in your life.
“It’s time to figure out what makes you happy and just do it. Worst comes to worst, you make a mistake and then you change paths. That's the best freaking part of being a teenager.”
Reagan and Vic are the real kind of best friends. They aren’t afraid to be honest with each other yet can’t help but have some secrets that they keep hidden. Reagan wants to leave her small town and just become something bigger; she needs an out and college can give her that. Vic wants the fun that comes with college – the parties, the people, and the independence. Together they decide to go on a series of road trips to find the best college for the both of them. The trips become more enlightening than they both expected. They grow and learn that maybe your next step isn’t the same step as the person beside you.
There are bits of this story that will make you swoon (because there is love, it’s just not a major character in the story) and there are other bits that will have you tearing up. It’s both equal parts lovely as it is real.
Adler gives you a story filled with road trips, hardships, unanticipated love, and a pair of best friends who want to find the perfect college to escape their disruptive pasts. You will laugh, cry, and feel utterly torn in two, all at the same time. A fascinating and authentic take on friendship and following your dreams, however far-fetched they may seem.
September 19, 2016
4.5 stars.
I LOVED this. I'm actually kind of curious to know how different my rating and feelings would have been if I hadn't read it at the end of the DiverseAThon, a week in which I read four important and beautiful but depressing books about Indigenous societies in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, one depressing book about eating disorders and self harm, and one depressing book featuring a racebent society. This was straight up contemporary territory, with characters that I loved, cute romantic relationships, and just a general feel-good nature.
I read it in two sittings over the course of one day. I had a lot of feelings for Rae and her shitty homelife and her desire to get out of her small town. Her backstory was both horrifying and heartbreaking. I also had a lot of feelings for Victoria and her sense of uncertainty about the future. It's definitely the upper end of the YA spectrum, but I loved that it's not only a book that's sex positive but it very clearly advocates for safe sex and clear consent.
There's also a lot of great stuff in here about female friendship and how you can feel like you know absolutely everything about a person only to discover that you don't know their past at all. It's about how female friendships in your teen years can seem like your entire world, how you can make all kinds of plans together only to have things not turn out the way you think they will.
So yes, it was slightly predictable. And yes, I had a couple of issues with how Fiji and Australia were represented (kangaroos in downtown Sydney?!). And yes, my rating may have been lower had I read this at a different point in my life. But on this day and after this reading week? It was a wonderfully diverse book full of fun moments and great characters.
I LOVED this. I'm actually kind of curious to know how different my rating and feelings would have been if I hadn't read it at the end of the DiverseAThon, a week in which I read four important and beautiful but depressing books about Indigenous societies in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, one depressing book about eating disorders and self harm, and one depressing book featuring a racebent society. This was straight up contemporary territory, with characters that I loved, cute romantic relationships, and just a general feel-good nature.
I read it in two sittings over the course of one day. I had a lot of feelings for Rae and her shitty homelife and her desire to get out of her small town. Her backstory was both horrifying and heartbreaking. I also had a lot of feelings for Victoria and her sense of uncertainty about the future. It's definitely the upper end of the YA spectrum, but I loved that it's not only a book that's sex positive but it very clearly advocates for safe sex and clear consent.
There's also a lot of great stuff in here about female friendship and how you can feel like you know absolutely everything about a person only to discover that you don't know their past at all. It's about how female friendships in your teen years can seem like your entire world, how you can make all kinds of plans together only to have things not turn out the way you think they will.
So yes, it was slightly predictable. And yes, I had a couple of issues with how Fiji and Australia were represented (kangaroos in downtown Sydney?!). And yes, my rating may have been lower had I read this at a different point in my life. But on this day and after this reading week? It was a wonderfully diverse book full of fun moments and great characters.
July 17, 2016
This book sits comfortably on the bridge between YA and NA, it's passes during senior year but it deals with NA problems like finding one self and it has a more mature tone I think, than YA usually has. I'm a very character driven reader so the strength of this story, for me, lies on both girls, Reagan and Victoria, they are so different from each other and from myself that it could be a con but it isn't, is easy to fall for them, this book awakened in me I feeling, I care about them so much and believe in them and I'll fiercely fight anyone that dare hurts them, fictional or not, they are such strong characters that it took me only a few chapters for me to get to this point. As I said, they are also very different and instead of these differences weakness their friendship, it strengthens it, of course there is ups and downs since they are 17 and finding themselves but they truly love each other and have such a fiercely loyalty, let's just say they gave a lot of feelings.
The romance also gave me a lot of feelings, good and bad, I was 100% aboard with the ship right from the first interaction of Rae and Dev, they have an amazing banter, and are so funny, and their chemistry like seriously, I don't care if it was basically instalove/crush, this is the way to do this and since I was so invested on them I obviously suffered because of things, let's just say there was crying involved. The families also gave me a lot of feelings, good and bad, basically this book made me a big mess of feelings, I laughed and I cried and it was amazing, you should definitely read it.
The romance also gave me a lot of feelings, good and bad, I was 100% aboard with the ship right from the first interaction of Rae and Dev, they have an amazing banter, and are so funny, and their chemistry like seriously, I don't care if it was basically instalove/crush, this is the way to do this and since I was so invested on them I obviously suffered because of things, let's just say there was crying involved. The families also gave me a lot of feelings, good and bad, basically this book made me a big mess of feelings, I laughed and I cried and it was amazing, you should definitely read it.
May 12, 2016
I loved every little bit of it. Every. Bit.
I feel like I want to convince YOU to read it so I will just say slightly some things that I loved.
1. This book had topics that aren't in the usual YA spectrum.
2. Diversity.
3. Friendship was the most important thing and I'm finally glad I read about friendship in a way I've been waiting for for ages to be in a book.
4. Sex posivity. Among some other sexual important topics.
5. Some very nice banter.
This book was just so damn cute. Lately YA books have been annoying me but not this one!
I feel like I want to convince YOU to read it so I will just say slightly some things that I loved.
1. This book had topics that aren't in the usual YA spectrum.
2. Diversity.
3. Friendship was the most important thing and I'm finally glad I read about friendship in a way I've been waiting for for ages to be in a book.
4. Sex posivity. Among some other sexual important topics.
5. Some very nice banter.
This book was just so damn cute. Lately YA books have been annoying me but not this one!
February 29, 2016
I feel like this is the book that Dahlia wrote for me even though she did not. But it is a Rachel book. Lady friendship! Road trip! Colleges! Possibly Cute Boys (???)!
ETA: I was just informed there are cute boys. No possibility. There ARE.
ETA: I was just informed there are cute boys. No possibility. There ARE.
March 6, 2016
Dahlia can do no wrong.
November 22, 2015
When I first read the synopsis for Just Visiting, my initial thought was ROAD TRIP!!! I adore road trip books of all kinds. The thought of getting to travel with these two besties to different schools made me all kinds of giddy inside. I was ecstatic when the eARC arrived in my email, and I immediately dove right in.
Reagan and Vic couldn't be more different. Reagan, who has a pretty horrific family and home situation, spends most of her time at Vic's loving home where she gets nice conversation, a warm shower, and peace and quiet. Reagan's trailer park home would be fine IF she had electricity... and parents that gave a darn about her. The parental involvement in this book are shown at two extremes: one set totally absent, the other with a very close and personal relationship with their daughter.
Okay... so you're probably thinking this story is full of cliches. And at first, I thought that was going to be the case. Let's face it, the first few chapters weren't exactly screaming "unique and original". But the good news is that the good definitely outweighed the bad in this case. And though it was rather cliche, there was so much going for it that I was able to completely accept that and move on with the story.
Reagan may be our stereotypical YA character, but Vic was her own form of creative and quirky. I loved how she had a wonderful sense of style all her own, that she had dreams of being a clothing designer to share those visions with the world. But it gets better... her parents were actually interested in her life!! Yes, that's right... we have present parents here, people!! *cheers from the crowd* Yup, that's right. A mother who was very much a mother, yet also trusting and affectionate enough that Vic actually wanted to confide in her. Her mother and father actually worked together, which we rarely see in YA, and her entire family dynamic was pretty admirable. I also appreciated the fact that Vic's mother was deaf, so ASL was used throughout the story... yet this fact never became a crutch to further the story along, it just WAS. Gotta love it!
More good stuff, you ask? Well, get ready because there is, in fact, more! I adored the friendship between Vic and Reagan. They had ups, downs, and all the in-betweens of a typical friendship, with none of the hateful mean-girl fights we read about far too often. They really were the epitome of good friends through thick and thin. Both had secrets, past experiences that were holding them back, and a look at the future that was filled with confusion. They didn't always see eye-to-eye on boys, clothing, and even college selection... but through thick and thin, they stuck together. Yay for a positive friendship!!!
Still looking for more reasons to read this story? (Seriously?! You're not convinced yet?!?) The boys were totes adorbs!! I couldn't even handle how adorably awkward and out of place Dev was at times, it made my heart just melt for him. He was the perfect match for Reagan to bring her out of her shell and get her to live a little! And Vic's boy interests... I don't want to give anything away, so let's just say there were a few, some more involved than others, and I enjoyed how different they were and how they brought out Vic's uniqueness throughout the story.
Lastly, I LOVE that this story was told through alternating points of view of these two best friends, NOT a girl and a boy! That's right... no romantic flipping of POVs here. Nope. Just besties at their finest!! Having the two very different perspectives was so enlightening when it came to getting to know these girls. It couldn't haven't been done better.
So to wrap up:
Amazing Friendships ✓
Adorable Book Boyfriends ✓
ROAD TRIPS! ✓
Involved and Successfully-Parenting Parents ✓
Humorous and Fun-tastic Banter ✓
Just Visiting was such a fun and entertaining story. If you're looking for something a little different, this is definitely one to check out.
(Thanks to Dahlia Adler for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
Reagan and Vic couldn't be more different. Reagan, who has a pretty horrific family and home situation, spends most of her time at Vic's loving home where she gets nice conversation, a warm shower, and peace and quiet. Reagan's trailer park home would be fine IF she had electricity... and parents that gave a darn about her. The parental involvement in this book are shown at two extremes: one set totally absent, the other with a very close and personal relationship with their daughter.
Okay... so you're probably thinking this story is full of cliches. And at first, I thought that was going to be the case. Let's face it, the first few chapters weren't exactly screaming "unique and original". But the good news is that the good definitely outweighed the bad in this case. And though it was rather cliche, there was so much going for it that I was able to completely accept that and move on with the story.
Reagan may be our stereotypical YA character, but Vic was her own form of creative and quirky. I loved how she had a wonderful sense of style all her own, that she had dreams of being a clothing designer to share those visions with the world. But it gets better... her parents were actually interested in her life!! Yes, that's right... we have present parents here, people!! *cheers from the crowd* Yup, that's right. A mother who was very much a mother, yet also trusting and affectionate enough that Vic actually wanted to confide in her. Her mother and father actually worked together, which we rarely see in YA, and her entire family dynamic was pretty admirable. I also appreciated the fact that Vic's mother was deaf, so ASL was used throughout the story... yet this fact never became a crutch to further the story along, it just WAS. Gotta love it!
More good stuff, you ask? Well, get ready because there is, in fact, more! I adored the friendship between Vic and Reagan. They had ups, downs, and all the in-betweens of a typical friendship, with none of the hateful mean-girl fights we read about far too often. They really were the epitome of good friends through thick and thin. Both had secrets, past experiences that were holding them back, and a look at the future that was filled with confusion. They didn't always see eye-to-eye on boys, clothing, and even college selection... but through thick and thin, they stuck together. Yay for a positive friendship!!!
Still looking for more reasons to read this story? (Seriously?! You're not convinced yet?!?) The boys were totes adorbs!! I couldn't even handle how adorably awkward and out of place Dev was at times, it made my heart just melt for him. He was the perfect match for Reagan to bring her out of her shell and get her to live a little! And Vic's boy interests... I don't want to give anything away, so let's just say there were a few, some more involved than others, and I enjoyed how different they were and how they brought out Vic's uniqueness throughout the story.
Lastly, I LOVE that this story was told through alternating points of view of these two best friends, NOT a girl and a boy! That's right... no romantic flipping of POVs here. Nope. Just besties at their finest!! Having the two very different perspectives was so enlightening when it came to getting to know these girls. It couldn't haven't been done better.
So to wrap up:
Amazing Friendships ✓
Adorable Book Boyfriends ✓
ROAD TRIPS! ✓
Involved and Successfully-Parenting Parents ✓
Humorous and Fun-tastic Banter ✓
Just Visiting was such a fun and entertaining story. If you're looking for something a little different, this is definitely one to check out.
(Thanks to Dahlia Adler for the review copy!)
Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!
November 18, 2015
5 STARS for this amazing book. Like wow. I think this was a lovely read. B for the Book Hangover I'll inevitably face now. Review to go up tomorrow, 17th.
Just Visiting, out on Nov 17th and I REALLY RECOMMEND YOU GET IT. PRE-ORDER, PURCHASE AND READ THE HELL OUT OF THIS BOOK.
-
Review first posted on booksfeelsandtears.wordpress.com
I received an e-ARC of this book from the author but this did not affect the review in any way.
Hey guys,
Apologies in advance for all the squealing and fangirling you might read in this review. Because Just Visiting is not just a good book, it is a great book. And for me it holds a special importance because I finally saw my culture and my people represented as something other than comedic relief sidekicks, nerds or weirdoes.
So, this book. Wow.
When I started it, I thought the description about the characters and the girls’ lives and stuff was unneeded and we could’ve just jumped directly into the plot and moved forward. But I soon realized that there wasn’t any direct plot. There are two distinct types of books, I’ve come to realize: Plot & Character. This one was a Characters book.
This book explored the extensive character development of Victoria Reyes, our Mexican protagonist and best friend to Raegan Forrester, poor white girl and other protagonist and best friend to aforementioned Victoria – both of whom want to get out of Charytan, their small town. The book takes a look at the smaller journeys in life, the literal ones that shape one’s lives. Rae and Vic visit colleges, it’s their senior year and they’ve got to make hard choices and do what their heart tells them to do.
Now, here’s all the squealing and fangirling. Rae and Vic were perfectly believable as seventeen year old teenage girls and that was my favourite bit of the entire book. One of my problems is when writers portray us as calm, cool, politely-speaking people because to be honest, I’m the completely opposite. And I connected on so many levels with the two MCs, who also threw in the occasional jab at the stereotypes and the ‘normal’ way of life propagated and built by the society we live in.
“The Sun Also Rises? Spoiler alert: it’s more of Papa Reyes’s favourite genre – White Man Lit.” – Raegan, Just Visiting.
“No one ever calls the guy slutty.” – Victoria, Just Visiting.
The book is unafraid and touches upon several key issues such as poverty, education and some others I don’t want to mention as they’ll give away key plot points. But it does it very well and not in a preachy or info-dump kinda way.
Now, the Indian stuff I’m so excited about.
This book, as I mentioned, has a vast array of diverse characters but being an Indian fangirl in Mumbai, what I adored was the fact that the hero, the ‘hot’ male character wasn’t a white jock / popular kid but a nerdy American-Indian guy who was visiting colleges checking out pre-med courses. [Indian guy, had to be pre-med or engineering, you can’t stray too far from the masses.]
Devarajan Shah, or Dev as he goes by in the book is such a cutie. And very gorgeous too. I loved the fact that the book did not make fun of his interest in comic books; in fact it was his USP! From nerdy t-shirts, to him mentioning Indian food which had me drooling when I was reading it at night, I loved every aspect of Dev. He wasn’t flawless, and that was pretty darn cool. He made mistakes and then made the effort to fix them.
“How do you feel about khandvi and samosas?” – Dev, Just Visiting.
For the record, samosas are amazing and I love them. If any of you ever come to Mumbai, feel free to drop by and have some. I can’t cook for nuts but I’ll buy you some delicious ones. I thought it might go the conventional Gujju way and offer Dhoklas and Theplas, but I like the touch of diversity and culture here too.
I also loved Victoria’s interests – fashion, where I’m from, unless you’re really good, it’s not a good choice to pursue but I did relate immensely to the part where she has to make choices – to do what she wants, what her family thinks, her friend, what society thinks etc.
The book is very positive: from the stand on slut-shaming, to the diversity being brought out to the forefront, it is a wonderful book. And I think you should give it a go. If only to meet Dev. Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen an Indian book boyfriend and you’re gonna be hearing about it – a lot. I was so happy, and a Gujju too, one who eats the spicy food I do, watches and reads similar stuff, was probably brought up with the same values and knows the same things I do about my country.
Thank you, Dahlia Adler for creating Dev. Someone said it, we need diverse books so people like me (POC and LGBTQ+) can see ourselves represented in books. It is so important.
Five stars for this book, and a B, because I’m still under a hangover.
Just Visiting, out on Nov 17th and I REALLY RECOMMEND YOU GET IT. PRE-ORDER, PURCHASE AND READ THE HELL OUT OF THIS BOOK.
-
Review first posted on booksfeelsandtears.wordpress.com
I received an e-ARC of this book from the author but this did not affect the review in any way.
Hey guys,
Apologies in advance for all the squealing and fangirling you might read in this review. Because Just Visiting is not just a good book, it is a great book. And for me it holds a special importance because I finally saw my culture and my people represented as something other than comedic relief sidekicks, nerds or weirdoes.
So, this book. Wow.
When I started it, I thought the description about the characters and the girls’ lives and stuff was unneeded and we could’ve just jumped directly into the plot and moved forward. But I soon realized that there wasn’t any direct plot. There are two distinct types of books, I’ve come to realize: Plot & Character. This one was a Characters book.
This book explored the extensive character development of Victoria Reyes, our Mexican protagonist and best friend to Raegan Forrester, poor white girl and other protagonist and best friend to aforementioned Victoria – both of whom want to get out of Charytan, their small town. The book takes a look at the smaller journeys in life, the literal ones that shape one’s lives. Rae and Vic visit colleges, it’s their senior year and they’ve got to make hard choices and do what their heart tells them to do.
Now, here’s all the squealing and fangirling. Rae and Vic were perfectly believable as seventeen year old teenage girls and that was my favourite bit of the entire book. One of my problems is when writers portray us as calm, cool, politely-speaking people because to be honest, I’m the completely opposite. And I connected on so many levels with the two MCs, who also threw in the occasional jab at the stereotypes and the ‘normal’ way of life propagated and built by the society we live in.
“The Sun Also Rises? Spoiler alert: it’s more of Papa Reyes’s favourite genre – White Man Lit.” – Raegan, Just Visiting.
“No one ever calls the guy slutty.” – Victoria, Just Visiting.
The book is unafraid and touches upon several key issues such as poverty, education and some others I don’t want to mention as they’ll give away key plot points. But it does it very well and not in a preachy or info-dump kinda way.
Now, the Indian stuff I’m so excited about.
This book, as I mentioned, has a vast array of diverse characters but being an Indian fangirl in Mumbai, what I adored was the fact that the hero, the ‘hot’ male character wasn’t a white jock / popular kid but a nerdy American-Indian guy who was visiting colleges checking out pre-med courses. [Indian guy, had to be pre-med or engineering, you can’t stray too far from the masses.]
Devarajan Shah, or Dev as he goes by in the book is such a cutie. And very gorgeous too. I loved the fact that the book did not make fun of his interest in comic books; in fact it was his USP! From nerdy t-shirts, to him mentioning Indian food which had me drooling when I was reading it at night, I loved every aspect of Dev. He wasn’t flawless, and that was pretty darn cool. He made mistakes and then made the effort to fix them.
“How do you feel about khandvi and samosas?” – Dev, Just Visiting.
For the record, samosas are amazing and I love them. If any of you ever come to Mumbai, feel free to drop by and have some. I can’t cook for nuts but I’ll buy you some delicious ones. I thought it might go the conventional Gujju way and offer Dhoklas and Theplas, but I like the touch of diversity and culture here too.
I also loved Victoria’s interests – fashion, where I’m from, unless you’re really good, it’s not a good choice to pursue but I did relate immensely to the part where she has to make choices – to do what she wants, what her family thinks, her friend, what society thinks etc.
The book is very positive: from the stand on slut-shaming, to the diversity being brought out to the forefront, it is a wonderful book. And I think you should give it a go. If only to meet Dev. Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen an Indian book boyfriend and you’re gonna be hearing about it – a lot. I was so happy, and a Gujju too, one who eats the spicy food I do, watches and reads similar stuff, was probably brought up with the same values and knows the same things I do about my country.
Thank you, Dahlia Adler for creating Dev. Someone said it, we need diverse books so people like me (POC and LGBTQ+) can see ourselves represented in books. It is so important.
Five stars for this book, and a B, because I’m still under a hangover.
March 13, 2017
"When you're headed where you're supposed to be, you just know."
This was a wonderful story about that tough time of Senior Year. Juggling relationships and applications, jobs and college tours. I really liked Vic and Reagan for different reasons. I liked Reagan's fiery personality, even if it was too fiery at times. I also liked Vic's determination, her "to do" lists, her ability to plan but also her carefree spirit.
And I think this book does a great job of showing the slight madness that is senior year - submitting applications and doing tours, juggling saying goodbye to some friends and letting your childhood life go a little. Realizing that the decisions you make now really are big and life changing.
I think the only thing that kept this from a higher rating was Reagan's issue
This was a wonderful story about that tough time of Senior Year. Juggling relationships and applications, jobs and college tours. I really liked Vic and Reagan for different reasons. I liked Reagan's fiery personality, even if it was too fiery at times. I also liked Vic's determination, her "to do" lists, her ability to plan but also her carefree spirit.
And I think this book does a great job of showing the slight madness that is senior year - submitting applications and doing tours, juggling saying goodbye to some friends and letting your childhood life go a little. Realizing that the decisions you make now really are big and life changing.
I think the only thing that kept this from a higher rating was Reagan's issue
November 9, 2015
FULL REVIEW::::::
First sentence: There comes a crossroads in every great friendship in which one of you has to tell the other a painful, ugly truth.
With two books, Dahlia Adler has just sealed the deal. She’s now one of my top favorite authors. I will read whatever it is that she publishes from now on without a doubt in my mind that it’s going to be absolutely amazing.
JUST VISITING is one of my favorite reads of the year. The shippy feels, the friendships, Dahlia’s wonderful writing, everything about this book is just so refreshing.
JUST VISITING had my emotions all over the place, not because it’s an emotional book, but because the feels were hitting me so hard. This is a book with strong friendship and family dynamics.
There’s things such as poverty, sex, and how friendships change overtime. I think that every element of JUST VISITING was very authentic and true and realistic. This is a book about friendships and finding out what you want out of life.
I’ve read my fair share of books where the friendship is secondary to the main plot. It was unique and refreshing to read a book where the friendship was the heart of the story. Everything else was secondary, the friendship between Vic and Rae was front and center. JUST VISTING shows us how two people can really love and care for each other and be there when the other needs them and how their friendship can change overtime as they each go after what they want.
JUST VISITING is told in dual point-of-view and I really loved that. Each girl had her own distinct voice and this helped me connect with each of them. I learned more about them, and loved them more.
While Vic and Rae’s friendship is the heart of JUST VISITING, we also got a good amount of romance as well. At college, Rae meets Dave while they’re both looking for the library. Shippy feels began hitting me during this scene. I shipped them so hard. Everyone knows, I’m a sucker for good banter and Dave and Rae had some great banter. I was like, “Just kiss already!” I loved them together. Their relationship develops over the course of the book and it was lovely.
Conclusion:
JUST VISITING is a great story about friendships that deals with other issues such as poverty and sex, and has a diverse cast. The writing was wonderful. The issues were handled in a realistic manner and there was absolutely no shame at all in this book. JUST VISITING is told in dual point-of-view with each character having a distinct voice and each of them having their own journey to self-discovery. I really loved that the friendship between Vic and Rae was the very heart of this book, but I also loved the romance in the book as well between Rae and Dave. So many shippy feels, you all. So many.
Recommended To:
YOU. Because you should read this book.
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4.5 STARS!
HOLY CRAP. This was even better than what I thought it would be. If you enjoy books with strong friendships, you want to read JUST VISTING.
First sentence: There comes a crossroads in every great friendship in which one of you has to tell the other a painful, ugly truth.
With two books, Dahlia Adler has just sealed the deal. She’s now one of my top favorite authors. I will read whatever it is that she publishes from now on without a doubt in my mind that it’s going to be absolutely amazing.
JUST VISITING is one of my favorite reads of the year. The shippy feels, the friendships, Dahlia’s wonderful writing, everything about this book is just so refreshing.
JUST VISITING had my emotions all over the place, not because it’s an emotional book, but because the feels were hitting me so hard. This is a book with strong friendship and family dynamics.
There’s things such as poverty, sex, and how friendships change overtime. I think that every element of JUST VISITING was very authentic and true and realistic. This is a book about friendships and finding out what you want out of life.
I’ve read my fair share of books where the friendship is secondary to the main plot. It was unique and refreshing to read a book where the friendship was the heart of the story. Everything else was secondary, the friendship between Vic and Rae was front and center. JUST VISTING shows us how two people can really love and care for each other and be there when the other needs them and how their friendship can change overtime as they each go after what they want.
JUST VISITING is told in dual point-of-view and I really loved that. Each girl had her own distinct voice and this helped me connect with each of them. I learned more about them, and loved them more.
While Vic and Rae’s friendship is the heart of JUST VISITING, we also got a good amount of romance as well. At college, Rae meets Dave while they’re both looking for the library. Shippy feels began hitting me during this scene. I shipped them so hard. Everyone knows, I’m a sucker for good banter and Dave and Rae had some great banter. I was like, “Just kiss already!” I loved them together. Their relationship develops over the course of the book and it was lovely.
Conclusion:
JUST VISITING is a great story about friendships that deals with other issues such as poverty and sex, and has a diverse cast. The writing was wonderful. The issues were handled in a realistic manner and there was absolutely no shame at all in this book. JUST VISITING is told in dual point-of-view with each character having a distinct voice and each of them having their own journey to self-discovery. I really loved that the friendship between Vic and Rae was the very heart of this book, but I also loved the romance in the book as well between Rae and Dave. So many shippy feels, you all. So many.
Recommended To:
YOU. Because you should read this book.
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4.5 STARS!
HOLY CRAP. This was even better than what I thought it would be. If you enjoy books with strong friendships, you want to read JUST VISTING.
January 5, 2016
More like 4.5 stars.
Is it too early to say that Just Visiting is my favourite contemporary of the year? It perfectly captures the uncertainty that surrounds post-secondary life - there are so many options and possibilities to explore, and it's kind of overwhelming because what if you make the wrong choice? College is an opportunity to be independent and reinvent yourself - whether it's changing your name to "Tori" like Vic did, or going from waist-length hair to a pixie cut like 18 year old me did - so I loved how true to my experiences this book rang. Most importantly, though, I loved the emphasis that Adler placed on finding the path that is right for you - that could be college/university, but the traditional choice isn't the only choice.
Just Visiting is also very much a book about friendship. I loved watching the relationship between Vic and Reagan grow from people who are friends by default to true best friends, as they learned to share their whole selves, without reservations. And I also loved how Vic and her mom were incredibly close - it's nice to have parents who are present and invested in their children's lives.
Just Visiting also covers a lot of issues while remaining un-preachy, including poverty and having an unsupportive home life. The characters are very diverse, but they aren't just there to fill a requirement; all of these characters' identities are touched upon, even if just briefly. I loved how sex-positive Just Visiting is: it deals with consent, unprotected sex, and birth control, and is very clearly against slut-shaming.
The only aspect of Just Visiting that I didn't love was the romance. I liked the banter and the love interest, but the way that Reagan treated him made it very hard for me to become fully invested in its success.
Overall, I have a feeling that Just Visiting will be one of my favourite contemporaries of the year. It's diverse, sex-positive, and has a healthy and positive friendship - all of which are major plusses in my book.
Is it too early to say that Just Visiting is my favourite contemporary of the year? It perfectly captures the uncertainty that surrounds post-secondary life - there are so many options and possibilities to explore, and it's kind of overwhelming because what if you make the wrong choice? College is an opportunity to be independent and reinvent yourself - whether it's changing your name to "Tori" like Vic did, or going from waist-length hair to a pixie cut like 18 year old me did - so I loved how true to my experiences this book rang. Most importantly, though, I loved the emphasis that Adler placed on finding the path that is right for you - that could be college/university, but the traditional choice isn't the only choice.
Just Visiting is also very much a book about friendship. I loved watching the relationship between Vic and Reagan grow from people who are friends by default to true best friends, as they learned to share their whole selves, without reservations. And I also loved how Vic and her mom were incredibly close - it's nice to have parents who are present and invested in their children's lives.
Just Visiting also covers a lot of issues while remaining un-preachy, including poverty and having an unsupportive home life. The characters are very diverse, but they aren't just there to fill a requirement; all of these characters' identities are touched upon, even if just briefly. I loved how sex-positive Just Visiting is: it deals with consent, unprotected sex, and birth control, and is very clearly against slut-shaming.
The only aspect of Just Visiting that I didn't love was the romance. I liked the banter and the love interest, but the way that Reagan treated him made it very hard for me to become fully invested in its success.
Overall, I have a feeling that Just Visiting will be one of my favourite contemporaries of the year. It's diverse, sex-positive, and has a healthy and positive friendship - all of which are major plusses in my book.
February 21, 2017
I'm a big fan of Dahlia Adler's writing. I really enjoy all of her stories that I've read so far and this is no exception
April 6, 2016
Great friendship/road trip book
Just Visiting is a slow building book, the more you read, the more invested you become in the book and the characters. Reagan and Victoria are two best friends from a small city in Kansas that are spending their weekends visiting college campuses to ultimately decide where they will attend college. Reagan can't wait to get out of her town and leave all the negativity behind her. Victoria is slowly discovering that everything she wants might just be where she's at. It took me about 30% of the book to get a real feel for each of the main characters and then it wasn't until about 60% in that Victoria and Reagan started getting honest with each other, about their pasts and what each wants out of the future. This is a real look at what high school seniors are going through and the pressure that rests upon them to make life decisions about choosing what's next for them.
Just Visiting is a slow building book, the more you read, the more invested you become in the book and the characters. Reagan and Victoria are two best friends from a small city in Kansas that are spending their weekends visiting college campuses to ultimately decide where they will attend college. Reagan can't wait to get out of her town and leave all the negativity behind her. Victoria is slowly discovering that everything she wants might just be where she's at. It took me about 30% of the book to get a real feel for each of the main characters and then it wasn't until about 60% in that Victoria and Reagan started getting honest with each other, about their pasts and what each wants out of the future. This is a real look at what high school seniors are going through and the pressure that rests upon them to make life decisions about choosing what's next for them.
December 1, 2015
Reasons this book is a great YA:
-Diversity on many levels
-Sex positive
-Safe-sex positive
-A+ girl friendships
-Examples of good and bad parenting
-Swooooooon
-There's more to life than boys
-Discussion of college and the future (not going is OK, community college is OK, taking a gap year is OK)
-This quote: "'You're what, seventeen?' I nod miserably. 'That's what life is at seventeen. You make mistakes, you learn from them, you grow up. No one expects you to be perfect or know exactly what you want."
-Bonus: a Lilah Montgomery reference when the girls are on a road trip?! (I love when authors are friends and love each others books/characters (I also love love love Emery Lord)!!)
So just read it.
-Diversity on many levels
-Sex positive
-Safe-sex positive
-A+ girl friendships
-Examples of good and bad parenting
-Swooooooon
-There's more to life than boys
-Discussion of college and the future (not going is OK, community college is OK, taking a gap year is OK)
-This quote: "'You're what, seventeen?' I nod miserably. 'That's what life is at seventeen. You make mistakes, you learn from them, you grow up. No one expects you to be perfect or know exactly what you want."
-Bonus: a Lilah Montgomery reference when the girls are on a road trip?! (I love when authors are friends and love each others books/characters (I also love love love Emery Lord)!!)
So just read it.
Read
November 26, 2015A great read about friendships, what we keep to ourselves, what we share, and how we relate with people who are so very different from us. Really appreciated the look into a character who is poor, the need for using library technology to do any work because there's not internet at home, and other little details that really show understanding of the realities of not being middle or upper middle class. But the thing I liked the most was how the girls waffled, each in their own way, about their wants. What looks solid on the outside isn't; what sounds solid on the outside isn't either.
(Though I would love to see a Kelly in a YA novel not be an asshole or an airhead. Because apparently "Kelly" is a name for one or the other.)
(Though I would love to see a Kelly in a YA novel not be an asshole or an airhead. Because apparently "Kelly" is a name for one or the other.)
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