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Worst Case
Will she risk the fall and take a leap of faith?
Vivi Lewis just wants to stay in one place for more than a minute. It’s April of her senior year, for crying out loud, and here she is again, packed into a beat-up white Toyota with her anxiety-ridden single mom, fleeing the Washington coast. She hopes that this move—the one that’s taken them inland to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—will finally be their true fresh start.
There’s little to indicate this time will be much different from all the others…until Vivi meets Win Kemper at the city bus stop before her first day of school. Win and Vivi are a perfect match—both self-defined weirdos. Vivi trusts Win, and their time together is a whirlwind of cliff-jumping and paddleboarding, a life immersed in nature that would have given her, and especially her mom, a panic attack in the past. Their instant spark becomes a rock-solid friendship, and might be even more, if Vivi can stick around long enough to experience it.
But having a reason to stay also raises the stakes. Running from their fears has never made Vivi and her mom safe enough before, and now everything she has to lose appears in sharp relief. Can she find the strength to separate herself from her mother? Will the burgeoning bond she and Win share be enough to get them beyond the last twenty-six days of senior year—even when the worst-case scenario comes to pass?
Vivi Lewis just wants to stay in one place for more than a minute. It’s April of her senior year, for crying out loud, and here she is again, packed into a beat-up white Toyota with her anxiety-ridden single mom, fleeing the Washington coast. She hopes that this move—the one that’s taken them inland to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—will finally be their true fresh start.
There’s little to indicate this time will be much different from all the others…until Vivi meets Win Kemper at the city bus stop before her first day of school. Win and Vivi are a perfect match—both self-defined weirdos. Vivi trusts Win, and their time together is a whirlwind of cliff-jumping and paddleboarding, a life immersed in nature that would have given her, and especially her mom, a panic attack in the past. Their instant spark becomes a rock-solid friendship, and might be even more, if Vivi can stick around long enough to experience it.
But having a reason to stay also raises the stakes. Running from their fears has never made Vivi and her mom safe enough before, and now everything she has to lose appears in sharp relief. Can she find the strength to separate herself from her mother? Will the burgeoning bond she and Win share be enough to get them beyond the last twenty-six days of senior year—even when the worst-case scenario comes to pass?
- GenresYoung AdultRomance
301 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2018
4 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Beck Anderson
6 books233 followersBeck Anderson writes about perfectly imperfect people. She is a firm believer in love and its power to transform. She also believes firmly in naps and procrastination.
Beck is usually found chasing after her husband and youngest son, who are often out mountain biking, or cheering on her oldest son, a competitive figure skater.
She is a fan of: all dogs (even eighty-pound chewers of aglets), paddle boarding on Lake Tahoe, hiking the foothills of Idaho, and eavesdropping in neighborhood coffee shops (you've been warned).
Learn more at authorbeck.com.
Beck is usually found chasing after her husband and youngest son, who are often out mountain biking, or cheering on her oldest son, a competitive figure skater.
She is a fan of: all dogs (even eighty-pound chewers of aglets), paddle boarding on Lake Tahoe, hiking the foothills of Idaho, and eavesdropping in neighborhood coffee shops (you've been warned).
Learn more at authorbeck.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 17, 2018
Face the Worst Case
Anxiety is weird. When we feel anxious, we try to avoid the thing that's jacking up our sympathetic nervous system. Too bad avoidance often increases anxiety. The best strategy for reducing anxiety is to approach it head-on--ask a honey out on a date, deliver public speeches, drive to a friend's over snowy roads--but who has the gumption to do that?
Vivi Lewis just might be the one.
Vivi is a 17 year old whose mother's nervous system is on overdrive. Convinced the world is dangerous, her mother keeps uprooting her from town to town, running from her fears. Her mother even has the gall to move her to Idaho in the midst of Vivi's senior year.
What an interesting setting for the story: Coeur d'Alene. I lived in eastern Washington for a year and still remember the breathtaking views of the lake and resort when I visited this northern Idaho town. But Vivi's mother hasn't moved her here for the view. It's another ploy by her mother to avoid her crippling anxiety.
Thankfully a neighbor boy, Win, makes Vivi feel right at home from the get-go. He's got his own secret worst case that has made him wise beyond his years.
Vivi has inherited her mother's anxious brain, which includes worry and panic attacks but also the gifts of anxiety: kindness, intelligence, and keen observational skills, like:
The space thing, I've always been fascinated by it. Grown-ups take up a lot of space, most of them. Men. They spread out on bus seats. They take their half of the hallway out of the middle.
Win does this, but not in a man-spread, irritating way. In a "clear the way, here he comes" kind of way. He is noticed, and people move for him.
A path clears for Win. And here I am, riding in his wake. What an intoxicating feeling.
*nods* I agree with Vivi. On airplanes, I seek a seat next to a woman, not a man, because of this space thing. I'm not a small person and the women next to me might not be small either, but they don't tend to "spread out" like men do. (PS I love men but I don't want to be cramped on a long flight!)
Sounds like Vivi has had some therapy--too bad her mother is reluctant to see a therapist--and I like this metaphor:
It sucks, anxiety. I had a psychologist once who told me it's best to try to think of anxiety like it's the flu. When you have the flu, you don't get owned by it. It doesn't dominate you, it doesn't define you. It's just something you have, and you deal with it.
I enjoyed Vivi's quirky humor, like when she tries paddle boarding:
Win's out in the water, up to the waist, and when I put a toe in, it's really, really cold.
"It feels hypothermic. Like Jack-and-Rose cold."
...or when an annoying but lovable girlfriend makes a big deal of her kissing Win:
Phoebe jumps up and down.
Win breaks the kiss and pulls me into a hug. "Don't move. If we're still, maybe she'll move on."
"She's not a tyrannosaurus rex. She can still see us," I murmur. But I'd be happy to just stand here in his arms.
Vivi and Win keep alluding to the big talk they need to have, revealing their inner demons, and I think it takes a bit too long for them to share their secrets. The build-up makes their secrets seem anticlimactic, when upon reflection, family problems like these would challenge any teen.
Beck Anderson's straightforward writing style and unique observations of the world continue to impress me. I'll read anything she writes!
So, back to facing anxiety. When I have "what-if" questions, like "What if I don't get my to-do list done?", instead of trying to banish those thoughts from my mind, cognitive-behavioral therapy has taught me to go deep into the worst-case scenario and imagine coping with it. I ask myself three questions: 1) What's the worst case scenario? 2) What's the likelihood of that event? and 3) Even if that unlikely worst case scenario happens, could I handle it? Asking these questions convinces me that I won't *die* if I fail to finish my to-do list.
Luckily for Vivi and Win, they help each other face their own worst cases, and it's a worthy journey.
Anxiety is weird. When we feel anxious, we try to avoid the thing that's jacking up our sympathetic nervous system. Too bad avoidance often increases anxiety. The best strategy for reducing anxiety is to approach it head-on--ask a honey out on a date, deliver public speeches, drive to a friend's over snowy roads--but who has the gumption to do that?
Vivi Lewis just might be the one.
Vivi is a 17 year old whose mother's nervous system is on overdrive. Convinced the world is dangerous, her mother keeps uprooting her from town to town, running from her fears. Her mother even has the gall to move her to Idaho in the midst of Vivi's senior year.
What an interesting setting for the story: Coeur d'Alene. I lived in eastern Washington for a year and still remember the breathtaking views of the lake and resort when I visited this northern Idaho town. But Vivi's mother hasn't moved her here for the view. It's another ploy by her mother to avoid her crippling anxiety.
Thankfully a neighbor boy, Win, makes Vivi feel right at home from the get-go. He's got his own secret worst case that has made him wise beyond his years.
Vivi has inherited her mother's anxious brain, which includes worry and panic attacks but also the gifts of anxiety: kindness, intelligence, and keen observational skills, like:
The space thing, I've always been fascinated by it. Grown-ups take up a lot of space, most of them. Men. They spread out on bus seats. They take their half of the hallway out of the middle.
Win does this, but not in a man-spread, irritating way. In a "clear the way, here he comes" kind of way. He is noticed, and people move for him.
A path clears for Win. And here I am, riding in his wake. What an intoxicating feeling.
*nods* I agree with Vivi. On airplanes, I seek a seat next to a woman, not a man, because of this space thing. I'm not a small person and the women next to me might not be small either, but they don't tend to "spread out" like men do. (PS I love men but I don't want to be cramped on a long flight!)
Sounds like Vivi has had some therapy--too bad her mother is reluctant to see a therapist--and I like this metaphor:
It sucks, anxiety. I had a psychologist once who told me it's best to try to think of anxiety like it's the flu. When you have the flu, you don't get owned by it. It doesn't dominate you, it doesn't define you. It's just something you have, and you deal with it.
I enjoyed Vivi's quirky humor, like when she tries paddle boarding:
Win's out in the water, up to the waist, and when I put a toe in, it's really, really cold.
"It feels hypothermic. Like Jack-and-Rose cold."
...or when an annoying but lovable girlfriend makes a big deal of her kissing Win:
Phoebe jumps up and down.
Win breaks the kiss and pulls me into a hug. "Don't move. If we're still, maybe she'll move on."
"She's not a tyrannosaurus rex. She can still see us," I murmur. But I'd be happy to just stand here in his arms.
Vivi and Win keep alluding to the big talk they need to have, revealing their inner demons, and I think it takes a bit too long for them to share their secrets. The build-up makes their secrets seem anticlimactic, when upon reflection, family problems like these would challenge any teen.
Beck Anderson's straightforward writing style and unique observations of the world continue to impress me. I'll read anything she writes!
So, back to facing anxiety. When I have "what-if" questions, like "What if I don't get my to-do list done?", instead of trying to banish those thoughts from my mind, cognitive-behavioral therapy has taught me to go deep into the worst-case scenario and imagine coping with it. I ask myself three questions: 1) What's the worst case scenario? 2) What's the likelihood of that event? and 3) Even if that unlikely worst case scenario happens, could I handle it? Asking these questions convinces me that I won't *die* if I fail to finish my to-do list.
Luckily for Vivi and Win, they help each other face their own worst cases, and it's a worthy journey.
January 18, 2018
Vivi has to finish her senior year at a new school. It's already April when her mother decides they need to move again. Vivi has to start over once more and doesn't have high expectations of her final weeks in high school. Vivi's mother's anxiety is the cause of the frequent moving around the country and they're taking it with them wherever they go. Their new hometown is Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Will Vivi be able to finish her last weeks at school in peace?
When Vivi meets Win she knows she's found a kindred spirit. Win understands her weirdness and spending time with him brings her freedom, something she badly needs to balance the stressful times with her mother. Vivi hopes she and Win will get the chance to get to know each other better. How can she make sure her mother will stay long enough for them to have a proper chance? It's close to her eighteenth birthday, is it time for Vivi to start having her own life and can she do that to her mother who obviously needs her?
Worst Case is an amazing story about friendship, true love and family. I immediately loved the connection between Win and Vivi. Win is an incredibly sweet guy and I liked his gentle nature and his open and disarming personality a lot. Vivi never had the chance to make friends, so he's a breath of fresh air in her life. Vivi is a gentle and caring girl. She doesn't know how wonderful she is, but by spending time with Win she slowly finds out. I really enjoyed reading about the deep bond they form, it felt genuine and precious and I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to discover if they'd have a chance together.
Beck Anderson writes about mental illness in a beautiful honest way. I was impressed by her accessible and conscientious approach of the anxiety Vivi and her mother are dealing with. She writes about this subject in a terrific believable way and the relationship between mother and daughter is a complicated and loving one. I admire how Beck Anderson combines serious topics with a gorgeous love story that made my heart melt. Worst Case is a very special book. It's moving, dynamic, original and impressive. I highly recommend this mesmerizing story.
When Vivi meets Win she knows she's found a kindred spirit. Win understands her weirdness and spending time with him brings her freedom, something she badly needs to balance the stressful times with her mother. Vivi hopes she and Win will get the chance to get to know each other better. How can she make sure her mother will stay long enough for them to have a proper chance? It's close to her eighteenth birthday, is it time for Vivi to start having her own life and can she do that to her mother who obviously needs her?
Worst Case is an amazing story about friendship, true love and family. I immediately loved the connection between Win and Vivi. Win is an incredibly sweet guy and I liked his gentle nature and his open and disarming personality a lot. Vivi never had the chance to make friends, so he's a breath of fresh air in her life. Vivi is a gentle and caring girl. She doesn't know how wonderful she is, but by spending time with Win she slowly finds out. I really enjoyed reading about the deep bond they form, it felt genuine and precious and I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to discover if they'd have a chance together.
Beck Anderson writes about mental illness in a beautiful honest way. I was impressed by her accessible and conscientious approach of the anxiety Vivi and her mother are dealing with. She writes about this subject in a terrific believable way and the relationship between mother and daughter is a complicated and loving one. I admire how Beck Anderson combines serious topics with a gorgeous love story that made my heart melt. Worst Case is a very special book. It's moving, dynamic, original and impressive. I highly recommend this mesmerizing story.
January 11, 2018
Book Review: 5+++ Stars
Worst Case is about young love, facing fears, family and friendship.
Vivi is a 17 year old girl who has moved from city to city enough times in her short life. The day she and her mom arrive to Coeur d'Alene, Vivi´s so sure it’s going to be just like the other times they. They’d stay in this town for a little time and then, go to another city. Again. She’s used to the routine and understands the reasons behind every move but she’s tired of it all, because she couldn’t have a normal teenager life.
But everything changes her first day of school. She meets the most amazing boy in the entire world— at least Win’s that for Vivi and me *sigh* —and she also meets new friends. Suddenly her quiet life turns into outdoor adventures with Win, playing golf and attending parties. She’s doing everything her mother never allow her to do and she feels alive, and everything’s perfect. Until the inevitable happens and she— and her mother —have to face her biggest fears.
I absolutely adored every single aspect of Worst Case . The story isn’t just a YA romance novel, for me this book brings an important message for life, about fears and how to face them. Books like this always makes me want to be an expert in psychology to being able to have the best words to describe all the meaningful things that happened to Vivi, her mom and Win. The only word I find to describe their experiences is ENCOURAGING, and it all started when Vivi and her mom moved to Coeur d'Alene. I think of it like a Butterfly Effect — small causes can have larger effects —and the best effects happened to all their lives.
I love Win and Vivi madly, I love their friendship and adore them more when they started their beautiful young love story. It’s so great to read an innocent kind of love, it’s so refreshing.
Win is easy, funny, relaxed, and honestly, he acts like we’ve been best friends since our moms took us to Hopalong Friends Daycare when we were two.
I loved the relationship they had with their families. I also loved their friends, the Fi twins are hilarious, but my favorite is Jack. He’s the best.
If you are a YA reader, you must read this book. And if you are not a YA reader, give it a chance to this flawless book. I assure you that you’ll love it.
PS: One of the best things I loved about this book was the descriptions. I would love to visit Coeur d'Alene and experience everything Vivi and Win lived. <3
January 19, 2018
Beck Anderson is a fantastic writer and this realistic and heartwarming YA romance is a great entry in the genre! Loved the Idaho setting. Give this author a try, you won’t regret it.
"I’d love to tell you I didn’t care what other people thought of us, but that would be a lie. I’d also love to tell you I don’t care now that I’m older, but that’s not particularly true either. "
I very much enjoyed this story about family and young romance. The writing is clear and blunt and very real. There is a lack of stereotypes and cliches which I found very refreshing. I find that very often, Young Adult books have one-dimensional characters and I liked the nuances of the characters and of the relationships in this book.
Vivi has moved to Coeur d'Alene with her mother just before the end of her senior yera in high school. It is clear very early on that something is amiss with her mother and yet Vivi soldiers on, making the best of her situation. While she is fearful of being the "New Girl" in school, she quickly makes new friends and finds herself feeling at home in her new surroundings.
Vivi meets an incredible boy named Win and they become fast friends. Win has his own family fears and his own anxieties but he shows Vivi a whole new world. Finally she is living life like a "normal" teenager" and she loves it. But she still must deal with her mother. I loved how Vivi grew and changed as a person an really learned to find her own voice. And Win! He was just fantastic.
"He touches me then, right above Great Aunt Agnes’s silver spoon that I bent into a bracelet, and that’s it. I’m done for. A good-looking guy speaks to me and makes physical contact? In my desperate little brain that’s tantamount to a marriage proposal."
This was a surprisingly rich and poignant story about facing your fears and overcoming your past.
"I wish I could have known him before Franny left. I wonder if he carried himself just a little taller, a little lighter. But we all are made of our history. Like sand deposited on a faraway beach, our lives add little grains to who we are every day."
I also absolutely LOVED the Idaho setting. If I had any complaint at all about this book it would that I would have loved a longer story! The characters all warranted it. If you love Young Adult romance, give 'Worst Case' a try. Beck Anderson has a very unique voice that gives life to her characters.
“Love you up and down,” I begin.
“Forward and backward,” she continues. She gives me a little kiss on the tips of my fingers in return.
“And always,” I finish.
"I’d love to tell you I didn’t care what other people thought of us, but that would be a lie. I’d also love to tell you I don’t care now that I’m older, but that’s not particularly true either. "
I very much enjoyed this story about family and young romance. The writing is clear and blunt and very real. There is a lack of stereotypes and cliches which I found very refreshing. I find that very often, Young Adult books have one-dimensional characters and I liked the nuances of the characters and of the relationships in this book.
Vivi has moved to Coeur d'Alene with her mother just before the end of her senior yera in high school. It is clear very early on that something is amiss with her mother and yet Vivi soldiers on, making the best of her situation. While she is fearful of being the "New Girl" in school, she quickly makes new friends and finds herself feeling at home in her new surroundings.
Vivi meets an incredible boy named Win and they become fast friends. Win has his own family fears and his own anxieties but he shows Vivi a whole new world. Finally she is living life like a "normal" teenager" and she loves it. But she still must deal with her mother. I loved how Vivi grew and changed as a person an really learned to find her own voice. And Win! He was just fantastic.
"He touches me then, right above Great Aunt Agnes’s silver spoon that I bent into a bracelet, and that’s it. I’m done for. A good-looking guy speaks to me and makes physical contact? In my desperate little brain that’s tantamount to a marriage proposal."
This was a surprisingly rich and poignant story about facing your fears and overcoming your past.
"I wish I could have known him before Franny left. I wonder if he carried himself just a little taller, a little lighter. But we all are made of our history. Like sand deposited on a faraway beach, our lives add little grains to who we are every day."
I also absolutely LOVED the Idaho setting. If I had any complaint at all about this book it would that I would have loved a longer story! The characters all warranted it. If you love Young Adult romance, give 'Worst Case' a try. Beck Anderson has a very unique voice that gives life to her characters.
“Love you up and down,” I begin.
“Forward and backward,” she continues. She gives me a little kiss on the tips of my fingers in return.
“And always,” I finish.
January 18, 2018
Some stories make the make my world a better place…this is one of them.
Moving to somewhere new, is nothing new to Vivi, neither is living with the crippling anxiety that her mother deals with on a daily basis because while it is her mother that calls the shots, it is Vivi the deals with the consequences…like having to finish her education at yet another new High School, this time in the delightfully named Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
I felt an empathy for Vivi that drew her to me, instinct telling me that this character, her pain and her happiness would matter, I could almost hear my internal self, beginning to plead for a happy ever after for her.
With a few weeks left of school, I had high hopes that this uniquely beautiful young woman would find the peace that she needed to achieve her goals, so when she struck up a friendship with Win, I could feel a cloud lift , only to quickly be replaced by my overactive imagination and a plethora of what if’s…I mean she hasn’t had it easy up till now…always been at her mother’s heel so to speak but would her bond with the fabulously sweet Win be what she needs to find the true Vivi?
Win was a gem of character, he was a true friend to Vivi, encouraging her to cut loose and experience life as a normal (almost) 18-year-old. But could she see her bigger picture or would the tether of her mother and her anxieties always hang heavy over her?
The connection between Win and Vivi was deeper than I anticipated, their souls connected in a way that was genuinely disarming. Win brought out the best in Vivi, his breath of fresh air was all she needed to spread her wings and learn to fly. They grew together, they learnt much about not only each other but also themselves and laughed more than either would have considered possible.
I felt sorry for Vivi’s mother, the illness she suffered from, the anxiety that crippled her and blighted not only her life but that of her child was an all too real situation that I thought the author handled with the most delicate of gloves, she gave both mother and daughter the opportunity to feel their way through their relationship and to harness what they needed in order to keep their relationship as close as it could be, after all they had been through so much together, that is not something that can be swept under the carpet.
Watching the characters grow, seeing their eyes open to all that they have around them and encouraging them to explore and express what they’re thinking and feeling is Beck Anderson at her very best. This is an author that hides nothing, that lays it all out before you and takes you by the hand through the most difficult of subjects but with the deftest of touches, ensuring that you come away having not only experienced a most beautiful love story but that you also have an appreciation and understanding of a subject that may not have touched you before, that being the pain that is mental illness.
Moving to somewhere new, is nothing new to Vivi, neither is living with the crippling anxiety that her mother deals with on a daily basis because while it is her mother that calls the shots, it is Vivi the deals with the consequences…like having to finish her education at yet another new High School, this time in the delightfully named Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
I felt an empathy for Vivi that drew her to me, instinct telling me that this character, her pain and her happiness would matter, I could almost hear my internal self, beginning to plead for a happy ever after for her.
With a few weeks left of school, I had high hopes that this uniquely beautiful young woman would find the peace that she needed to achieve her goals, so when she struck up a friendship with Win, I could feel a cloud lift , only to quickly be replaced by my overactive imagination and a plethora of what if’s…I mean she hasn’t had it easy up till now…always been at her mother’s heel so to speak but would her bond with the fabulously sweet Win be what she needs to find the true Vivi?
Win was a gem of character, he was a true friend to Vivi, encouraging her to cut loose and experience life as a normal (almost) 18-year-old. But could she see her bigger picture or would the tether of her mother and her anxieties always hang heavy over her?
The connection between Win and Vivi was deeper than I anticipated, their souls connected in a way that was genuinely disarming. Win brought out the best in Vivi, his breath of fresh air was all she needed to spread her wings and learn to fly. They grew together, they learnt much about not only each other but also themselves and laughed more than either would have considered possible.
I felt sorry for Vivi’s mother, the illness she suffered from, the anxiety that crippled her and blighted not only her life but that of her child was an all too real situation that I thought the author handled with the most delicate of gloves, she gave both mother and daughter the opportunity to feel their way through their relationship and to harness what they needed in order to keep their relationship as close as it could be, after all they had been through so much together, that is not something that can be swept under the carpet.
Watching the characters grow, seeing their eyes open to all that they have around them and encouraging them to explore and express what they’re thinking and feeling is Beck Anderson at her very best. This is an author that hides nothing, that lays it all out before you and takes you by the hand through the most difficult of subjects but with the deftest of touches, ensuring that you come away having not only experienced a most beautiful love story but that you also have an appreciation and understanding of a subject that may not have touched you before, that being the pain that is mental illness.
January 18, 2018
I’ll begin my review by saying that I hail from the same corner of the world as Beck Anderson, and we’ve both apparently visited many of the same incredible places. Any time I read one of Beck’s books, I have a giddy reaction to locations I know well.
Worst Case is no exception, and I delighted in the familiar setting of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. If you haven’t been to this beautiful resort town, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Beck describes it all elegantly – the geography, the atmosphere, and the residents – so much so that I felt a bit homesick for my former stomping grounds.
But even setting this aside, I found myself blown away by this novel within the first few chapters. Beck is an award winning author and it shows here. Worst Case centers on ViVi, a teenage girl forced to pack up, move to another state, and immerse herself into a new high school just 26 days shy of graduation. And that's just the beginning of the story!
On her first day of school, ViVi meets Win, and the two quickly realize they’re cut from the same cloth. Their friendship is instantaneous, but even so they both have family secrets they are compelled to keep private. ViVi and Win’s friendship and blossoming love is a joy to read. Both characters are intelligent, funny, caring and fully realized. You can’t help but cheer for these two, and hope that their fleeting time together in Coeur d’Alene evolves into something more permanent.
Worst Case is a fantastic YA romance, and one I’d happily recommend for my husband, my 12-year old daughter, and absolutely all my book loving friends. This novel is excellent from beginning to end, and I’m certain it will be one of favorite books of 2018.
Worst Case is no exception, and I delighted in the familiar setting of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. If you haven’t been to this beautiful resort town, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Beck describes it all elegantly – the geography, the atmosphere, and the residents – so much so that I felt a bit homesick for my former stomping grounds.
But even setting this aside, I found myself blown away by this novel within the first few chapters. Beck is an award winning author and it shows here. Worst Case centers on ViVi, a teenage girl forced to pack up, move to another state, and immerse herself into a new high school just 26 days shy of graduation. And that's just the beginning of the story!
On her first day of school, ViVi meets Win, and the two quickly realize they’re cut from the same cloth. Their friendship is instantaneous, but even so they both have family secrets they are compelled to keep private. ViVi and Win’s friendship and blossoming love is a joy to read. Both characters are intelligent, funny, caring and fully realized. You can’t help but cheer for these two, and hope that their fleeting time together in Coeur d’Alene evolves into something more permanent.
Worst Case is a fantastic YA romance, and one I’d happily recommend for my husband, my 12-year old daughter, and absolutely all my book loving friends. This novel is excellent from beginning to end, and I’m certain it will be one of favorite books of 2018.
February 28, 2018
2.5 stars
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange of an honest opinion.
I really wish I would have loved this book but unfotunately, it didn't work out for me. Everything was there: Hamilton/Star Wars/Anna Karenina references, a beautiful way to describe anxiety (from which I suffer too). But I couldn't get into the story, care about the characters or anything. Everything was too quick, the writing style didn't grow on me and I found it too simple, I didn't understand the characters and didn't really like any of them. I just read it, it was short and cute but it wasn't enough for me.
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange of an honest opinion.
I really wish I would have loved this book but unfotunately, it didn't work out for me. Everything was there: Hamilton/Star Wars/Anna Karenina references, a beautiful way to describe anxiety (from which I suffer too). But I couldn't get into the story, care about the characters or anything. Everything was too quick, the writing style didn't grow on me and I found it too simple, I didn't understand the characters and didn't really like any of them. I just read it, it was short and cute but it wasn't enough for me.
January 15, 2018
4 1/2 Stars! This is the second book I’ve read by Beck Anderson and I truly enjoyed it. I really connected with the characters in many ways.
Full review coming up on blog soon.
Full review coming up on blog soon.
January 8, 2018
Full review to come.
February 26, 2018
Worse Case is a YA book about anxiety and finding yourself.
Vivi is a senior in high school who has moved so many times in her lifetime. Her mom moves them when she gets scared. Win is also a senior who is dealing with his own troubles. Through the course of a month, Vivi and Win begin to develop a relationship. However, secrets are withheld, anxiety is at an all-time high, and their future is taking separate paths. Will these two decide that each other’s struggles are too much to handle, or will they realize they will always fit because they are “like us?”
Vivi was such a phenomenal character who was able to adapt to her new surroundings and take charge when her mom was having attacks. She was open and honest about her own anxiety even if she really didn’t want to be.
Win struggles with the past. He gets upset and feels bad for his thoughts. The fact that he chooses every day to live life to the fullest really makes you think about how you live your own life. He was mature well beyond his years and always knew what Vivi needed without her asking.
Jack was the neighbor, and he brought humor to a book that was full of emotion. I thought that his character helped break up the more intense scenes.
This was the first book I have read by this author, and it was amazing. I can say without a doubt that Beck handled writing about this topic very well and truly shed light and educated the reader about anxiety.
An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
Vivi is a senior in high school who has moved so many times in her lifetime. Her mom moves them when she gets scared. Win is also a senior who is dealing with his own troubles. Through the course of a month, Vivi and Win begin to develop a relationship. However, secrets are withheld, anxiety is at an all-time high, and their future is taking separate paths. Will these two decide that each other’s struggles are too much to handle, or will they realize they will always fit because they are “like us?”
Vivi was such a phenomenal character who was able to adapt to her new surroundings and take charge when her mom was having attacks. She was open and honest about her own anxiety even if she really didn’t want to be.
Win struggles with the past. He gets upset and feels bad for his thoughts. The fact that he chooses every day to live life to the fullest really makes you think about how you live your own life. He was mature well beyond his years and always knew what Vivi needed without her asking.
Jack was the neighbor, and he brought humor to a book that was full of emotion. I thought that his character helped break up the more intense scenes.
This was the first book I have read by this author, and it was amazing. I can say without a doubt that Beck handled writing about this topic very well and truly shed light and educated the reader about anxiety.
An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
quit
April 2, 2018I quit 7% in, and even so early on it felt like it was moving way too fast. I also felt like I noticed an overabundance of commas?
The two main characters - Vivi and Win - were also just a little too odd for me. Win isn't quite as bad, but he comes across as overtly social and too outgoing in his first interaction with Vivi and it's something that would make me feel a little awkward and uncomfortable if it was me.
Vivi decides to forgo homeschooling as a way to finish off the less than a month she has left of her senior year, because she doesn’t want it to look weird. Personally I find it weirder that she would think that, since there could be any number of reasons in real life why someone could not or would not finish their senior year at school. It seems much more stressful to put yourself through learning a new school and the people who work and attend there than it would be to just stay home, and explore the new area to avoid any claustrophobia from staying home.
The two main characters - Vivi and Win - were also just a little too odd for me. Win isn't quite as bad, but he comes across as overtly social and too outgoing in his first interaction with Vivi and it's something that would make me feel a little awkward and uncomfortable if it was me.
Vivi decides to forgo homeschooling as a way to finish off the less than a month she has left of her senior year, because she doesn’t want it to look weird. Personally I find it weirder that she would think that, since there could be any number of reasons in real life why someone could not or would not finish their senior year at school. It seems much more stressful to put yourself through learning a new school and the people who work and attend there than it would be to just stay home, and explore the new area to avoid any claustrophobia from staying home.
January 23, 2018
4.5 stars. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. This book amazed me. The anxiety representation is good in here. It doesn't romanticize it at all. Its a real look at what life with anxiety and PTSD is like. Our characters were real and flawed, which is always a plus for me.
2 small critiques.
1. There were some moments that could be triggering for those with anxiety, so please tread lightly.
2. There is one trope in here that I don't really love. It was subtle, but there none the less.
All in all, I would recommend it!
2 small critiques.
1. There were some moments that could be triggering for those with anxiety, so please tread lightly.
2. There is one trope in here that I don't really love. It was subtle, but there none the less.
All in all, I would recommend it!
February 21, 2018
Worst Case by Beck Anderson (308 pages)
Overview: Vivi has moved a dozen times in the thirteen years she's been in school. Her most recent move takes her and her mother from Washington to Idaho where, maybe, they can finally be safe. The move also brings her to Win, another high school senior she meets on the bus. While Win helps Vivi navigate the last twenty days of her high school career, they make plans for a future they both know will be cut short, either by Vivi's mom uprooting again or Win leaving for college in Reno. But in their short time together, they may discover a few things about themselves they didn't know before. Overall: 4.5
Characters: 5 Vivi and Win are such vibrant, strong characters. From the moment they meet, you can feel the chemistry oozing from every interaction. Maybe it's a bit like insta love, but in a totally refreshing way. Win helps aimless Vivi think about a future beyond taking care of her anxious, single mother, and Vivi helps Win embrace some of his more complicated past. They have a really great relationship that is both swoon worthy and the perfect example of give and take.
The adults in the story are also very well crafted. As the story progresses, we get to delve farther into the source of her mom's anxiety and how it has possibly developed into more. I think that the storyline about caring for a parent with mental health issues perfectly complements the story and Vivi's issues with her own anxiety.
The character of Jack from down Lakeshore Drive is also a great adult-teen connection as Jack embraces Vivi as a granddaughter after they get to know each other better from Vivi's morning runs past his house. Jack's past experience as a high school councilor proves important to motivating Vivi to change some things about her life, and Jack's wife, Naomi, tries to give Vivi and her mother a social group they feel welcomed to.
Plot: 5 It was hard to put the book down after reading the first page. Even though the chapters are long, the scene breaks make them manageable and enjoyable to read. The events were both entertaining and great for the development of the story.
Writing: 5 Anderson had me from the opening scene where she beautifully gives you an idea of the story's basis and what Vivi and her mother have to cope with. Every word is expertly chose and draws you into the story so that you're living in Vivi and Win's world, not just reading about it.
Overview: Vivi has moved a dozen times in the thirteen years she's been in school. Her most recent move takes her and her mother from Washington to Idaho where, maybe, they can finally be safe. The move also brings her to Win, another high school senior she meets on the bus. While Win helps Vivi navigate the last twenty days of her high school career, they make plans for a future they both know will be cut short, either by Vivi's mom uprooting again or Win leaving for college in Reno. But in their short time together, they may discover a few things about themselves they didn't know before. Overall: 4.5
Characters: 5 Vivi and Win are such vibrant, strong characters. From the moment they meet, you can feel the chemistry oozing from every interaction. Maybe it's a bit like insta love, but in a totally refreshing way. Win helps aimless Vivi think about a future beyond taking care of her anxious, single mother, and Vivi helps Win embrace some of his more complicated past. They have a really great relationship that is both swoon worthy and the perfect example of give and take.
The adults in the story are also very well crafted. As the story progresses, we get to delve farther into the source of her mom's anxiety and how it has possibly developed into more. I think that the storyline about caring for a parent with mental health issues perfectly complements the story and Vivi's issues with her own anxiety.
The character of Jack from down Lakeshore Drive is also a great adult-teen connection as Jack embraces Vivi as a granddaughter after they get to know each other better from Vivi's morning runs past his house. Jack's past experience as a high school councilor proves important to motivating Vivi to change some things about her life, and Jack's wife, Naomi, tries to give Vivi and her mother a social group they feel welcomed to.
Plot: 5 It was hard to put the book down after reading the first page. Even though the chapters are long, the scene breaks make them manageable and enjoyable to read. The events were both entertaining and great for the development of the story.
Writing: 5 Anderson had me from the opening scene where she beautifully gives you an idea of the story's basis and what Vivi and her mother have to cope with. Every word is expertly chose and draws you into the story so that you're living in Vivi and Win's world, not just reading about it.
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