Analee, In Real Life

by Janelle Milanes

Ever since her mom died three years ago, Analee Echevarria has had trouble saying out loud the weird thoughts that sit in her head. With a best friend who hates her and a dad who’s marrying a yogi she can’t stand, Analee spends most of her time avoiding reality and role-playing as Kiri, the night elf hunter at the center of her favorite online game.

Through Kiri, Analee is able to express everything real-life Analee cannot: her bravery, her strength, her inner warrior. The one thing both Kiri and Analee can’t do, though, is work up the nerve to confess her romantic feelings for Kiri’s partner-in-crime, Xolkar—aka a teen boy named Harris whom Analee has never actually met in person.

So when high school heartthrob Seb Matias asks Analee to pose as his girlfriend in an attempt to make his ex jealous, Analee agrees. Sure, Seb seems kind of obnoxious, but Analee could use some practice connecting with people in real life. In fact, it’d maybe even help her with Harris.

But the more Seb tries to coax Analee out of her comfort zone, the more she starts to wonder if her anxious, invisible self is even ready for the real world. Can Analee figure it all out without losing herself in the process?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Mental Health, Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2018

About the author

Janelle Milanes is originally from Miami, FL and received her BA in English Literature from Davidson College. A lifelong YA addict, she moved to New York for her first job as a children’s literature associate at Simon & Schuster.

For the past five years, Janelle has worked as a teacher and librarian throughout the New York City area. Her first novel reflects many of her own experiences growing up as a second-generation Latina in America.

Janelle currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two cats. Her favorite Disney princess is Belle, since she was also a big book nerd.

Reviews

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED SO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK. Analee was such a complex and fantastic character and I loved getting to spend a few weeks in her life. The only reason that I'm giving this a 4 and not a 5 is because, while I *get* why it ended the way it did, I still wanted it to go differently. BUT STILL. THIS BOOK WAS GREAT. IT HAS ONLINE DATING. IT HAS THE FAKE DATING TROPE. IT IS GREAT. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK. Thank u for coming to my ted talk

TW: death of a parent, cancer

[Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There are no rules for happiness. You’ll be happy, then you’ll be sad, then you’ll be happy again. Enjoy the happiness when you have it. When you don’t have it, remember: It will come again. You just have to be open to it.”

Analee, In Real Life is a feel-good story about family, finding your confidence, and growing up. Analee Echevarria is most comfortable in an online world as the fierce Kiri in an online game and is secretly crushing on her long distance best friend, Harris. When she’s paired with popular jock Seb in biology, he suggest they pretend to date to make others jealous. And so many fantastically tropey things follow that I was just sucked in!

The chapters were so quick, I was pulled into the story and I flew through it. It was so easy to read and there were so many fantastic tropes that I eat up. It was like this book was a compilation of cliches and plot points designed to make me happy. Analee and Harris’ banter and generally interactions were so great and made me love their relationship. And seeing the buildup for the friends-to-lovers potential was great. And the fake dating between Seb and Analee - I mean what’s not to love. Seb and Analee had so many cute moments from encouraging each other to cute faux dates. I just liked them a lot. And I really appreciated seeing Analee and Harlow’s relationship develop through the story. Harlow started as just Analee’s stepmom, but we really get to know her as a person and see their relationship grow. And I really liked seeing Analee’s Cuban culture highlighted and how important it was to her and her mom’s memory.

While I liked so many parts of this story, some things just didn’t work for me. I thought that all of the romantic moments that happen after about the halfway point felt really unsatisfying after the buildup of both relationships. And that was disappointing to me because I was invested in both of them for different reasons. I don’t mind that romance wasn’t the focus of the story, but the resolutions felt unfinished. I also thought that the resolution to Analee’s Dad and Harlow’s fight was so distractingly stupid. It was just out of left field weird and made no sense.

Analee, In Real Life was an entertaining read that’s perfect to read when you just want to relax and enjoy reading. And even though there’s a lot of things to love, the story doesn’t lack in heart or well developed relationships, particularly with Analee and her father. Like The Victoria in my Head, Analee, In Real Life showcases relatable characters growing into themselves and learning to love and accept who they are.

I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Catfairy books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catfairy’s “Real” Bookish Babbles

Analee, in Real Life sneaked up on me unexpectedly and I am so happy it did! The year 2018 was the year where so many amazing diverse books were being published and Analee, in Real Life came at a perfect time since it was published during Latinx month in September!

Janelle Milanes’s book was the best-underrated book that I have read in 2018 because it is written by an own voices Cuban American author and the MC Analee is Cuban American! This book took me back to a time when I was a shy emo teenager writing unrequited love to one of the popular jocks in school. I can identify with Analee so hard because as a Cuban American I love that this story is not really about a girl who is Cuban, it’s just about a girl who is just trying to exist in the media-saturated world we live in.

Catnopsis

Analee Echeverria is a girl who juggles between two identities. She is an awkward and shy girl at school that prefers to be invisible and she is the kickass online avatar elf hunter named Kiri of her favorite online game. Analee lost her mother three years ago and she struggles with finding her own voice. She wants to be more like the online character of Kiri who always takes action but she keeps holding herself back until she finally decides to stop hiding behind her computer and face the real world.

The character is going through many changes in her life and she prefers to escape reality more than deal with it head-on. Her dad is going to marry a yogi lifestyle YouTuber named Harlow and her best friend won’t speak to her anymore. She finds comfort in her friend Harris who is her online gamer buddy who she has never met and to make things more complicated she has love feelings for him. Analee’s world begins to change when she gets an offer to pretend to be the girlfriend of the most popular jock in school. She finds herself in the process and realizes that she may be more like Kiri the elf hunter than she thinks…

Catfairy’s Glittery Introspections

I love how this book didn’t end the way I expected it to. Analee, in Real Life, is kind of similar in the vein of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series but with a twist. This is a story about a girl who finds herself and gets the people she loves back in her life. Analee finally finds the strength that is inside of her and realizes that life is best lived outside of her online gaming world. Milanes’ book gets 4.5 stars for me because I felt that the relationship between Harris and Analee was unnecessary and I just wasn’t invested enough in that part of the story. Although, I totally ship the relationship that evolved between Analee and Sebastian even though I have very conflicted feelings about the Sebastian character! There were some choices that Sebastian made in the story that really aggravated me but then again he is a high school jock! I can’t expect perfection from Sebastian!

Janelle Milanes wrote the kind of book that was extremely special because it is a book about a Cuban character who simply existed as a Cuban character. This book had all the dynamics about how it is like to grow up in a Cuban family but the book wasn’t really about that. I love that this book just simply has Cuban characters and that it doesn’t just center the writing on their own culture. Books that are diverse are not solely relegated to just hone in on the character’s cultural background, it can just be about the character’s journey whether it be fighting warlocks or crushing on popular boys.

If you would like to read more of this book review to see my book mixtape, my pop cultural references, my gifs, and more go to www.catfairybooks.com/analee-real-lif...!

[Stacee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premise of this, especially with the aspect of online personalities.

I liked Analee. She’s loving and loyal and a lot stronger than she thinks she is. I did struggle with her in the beginning, but she had a lot of growth through the story and I quickly found myself rooting for her. There are several other characters, but I loved Elliott the most and could have had a million more pages with him.

Plot wise, it was a bit longer than felt necessary and some of the scenes seemed repetitive. And while I hate open ended endings, I found this one to be fairly satisfying. It was hopeful and maybe a little heartbreaking and really worked for the story.

Overall, it was great story about finding yourself in the face of loss and new beginnings and grabbing some happiness.

**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it all - the complications of blended families, the loss of a loved one, the acceptance of yourself as you are.

Another great YA contemporary I highly recommend!

[Kirstysbookishworld · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They leave a wake of smaller deaths behind them. Every dream, every memory bomb, every moment of happiness”

I loved this book. Not only did it have one of my favourite tropes (fake dating) but I genuinely fell in love with Analee and I understood her on a level I rarely connect with characters. Her grief was such a palpable thing, so consuming of her brain and her heart that she didn’t realise what she was putting out into the world.

The understanding of grief, specially a parental loss, really got to me. Losing my dad was hard but finding books that makes me feel understood and not so alone make it a little easier.

I loved Analee and the way she saw everything and what I loved about her POV was that you saw her as the caring, yet snippy girl, but from her POV all she saw was her misgivings, her flaws and it really goes to show the way you see yourself may not be the truth of it. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we’re worth the daily struggle. It really teaches you what anxiety and depression can do to you through even the simplest of moments in your life. It was done so effortlessly that I hardly noticed it.

Seb was an adorable sweetheart with real problems. I really hope the author continues his/their story, I’d love to know more about him. I loved the way he was with Analee, arguing with her to get her out of her shell, pushing her to do the things she’s afraid to do without being cruel about it.

My only issue with this book was that ending. I wanted a swoon worthy ending and although I understand why it ended the way it did, I was still slightly disappointed.

Overall my heart feels like it’s been through the ringer.

[Alicia (A Kernel of Nonsense) · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: scene of sexual assault (forced/unwanted kissing)

What I Liked:
Analee – There was so much about Analee that I found relatable. She’s an introvert who finds it easier to share her feelings in a journal than out loud. She’s still dealing with the loss of her mother and how that loss reshaped so many of her other relationships. She has social anxiety and is not comfortable being the center of attention. Analee never refers to herself as fat (which might leave something to be desired when it comes to fat rep), but she calls herself chubby and has self-esteem issues, but I loved her entire journey throughout the novel which focuses on self-love.

Analee and Seb – These two are very different from one another, but I loved their dynamic all throughout the novel. I loved that Milanes shows them becoming friends first before exploring anything romantic between the two.

Familial relationships – I always love when contemporaries have such a family-focused story and Analee in Real Life is so good at navigating the MC’s relationship with her father, his fiancée, and her soon-to-be stepsister Avery. I loved that none of these relationships remain stagnant, but grow as a result of the MC’s growth.

Positive stepmother-stepdaughter relationship – Analee’s evolving relationship with her soon-to-be stepmother, Harlow, was my favorite to read about. Harlow is the complete opposite of Analee’s mother and has changed her dad as a result. And Analee can’t help but resent her for it. For example, Analee can’t help compare Harlow’s vegan meals to her mother’s Cuban cuisines. In the end, the two come to understand each other more.

Realistic romantic arcs – The fake dating trope is one of my favorites and although it can be predictable, I just love the tension that seems to underscore these relationships. I don’t want to give too much away, but I love that Milanes writes both Analee and Seb in such a way that they feel flawed and real. They make mistakes and hold themselves back. The ending of the novel felt truly empowering from Analee’s POV because it prioritized where she was in her journey and not necessarily where they were in their relationship.

What I Didn't Like:
Seb in the beginning – While I ended up really enjoying Seb as a character, the beginning made me pause. I was immediately put off by his dynamic with his ex-girlfriend where he didn’t seem to get the message that she wanted space.

Analee and Lily – One of the reasons Analee agrees to fake date Seb is her desire to win back her ex-best friend, Lily. I was disappointed that there were not more scenes between the two of them.

Final Verdict:
Janelle Milanes’s Analee in Real Life will delight fans of the fake dating trope, but shines brightest with the MC’s personal arc that’s rooted in self-love, bravery, and personal growth.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest feelings in the world (at least if you’re super bookish) is finding a new author whose books you love. I read Milanes’ first two books pretty much back-to-back, and they were both so excellent in both similar and different ways. Analee, in Real Life has all the nerdiness, banter, and strong narrative voice of the first but it ends up taking things in a completely different direction. This book’s admittedly slightly less #mything, but it’s still just so damn good, and I’m super happy these books are in the world.

Something I praised a lot about The Victoria in My Head was the sheer tropetasticness of the book, as well as the strong feel of realism to it. The former absolutely applies to Analee, in Real Life, but it’s a bit more fanciful. Like, let’s be honest: fake dating happens in real life probably 1% of the times it happens in novels. FYI that’s not a complaint because I adore that trope.

There are strong To All the Boys I Loved Before vibes to this one from a plot perspective, with a quirky nerd girl ending up fake dating a hot, popular guy she very briefly thought was cute but then abandoned for a different crush. It’s not the same story by any means, but I do think that if you liked To All the Boys, you’ll probably enjoy this one too. Analee and Lara Jean face some similar emotional hurdles and the romance dynamics are reminiscent. I feel like I’m making this book sound derivative, but it’s really not; it reminded me in a good way, not a bad one.

Analee has an amazing, snarky voice, like Victoria did, but Analee’s so much darker and grumpier. Having just reread the first two Jessica Darling books, I can’t not make that comparison too. Like JD, Analee’s hugely judgmental of those around her, though perhaps not quite as aware of it as Jessica is. Analee longs for connection but puts down anyone who tries to get close to her, and dear lord is it relatable. She knows she’s not the easiest person to get along with but she mostly attributes her solo status to other people being awful or to her body not being the right kind of body, rather than her own actions. Obviously, all things are potentially a factor, but this book is all about Analee needing to own up to her own behavior too.

At the start, Analee’s nurturing a serious crush on her online bestie, Harris, who she’s never met in person or seen a picture of, struggling to get over her best friend dumping her in favor of a popular boyfriend, and trying to figure out how she feels about her father’s pending remarriage. Most important, though, is her continuing grief over the death of her mother a few years before. Watching a friend begin going through grief now, I think it’s so important to have YA showing the way that the grieving process really never ends, and this book does that really nicely. With all this stuff going on, combined with the hormones of being a teenager, it’s understandable that Analee’s rather irascible.

Because in fiction-land, this stuff happens all the time, she ends up fake-dating Seb with the goal of him getting his perfect ex back and her getting her ex-bestie back while maybe also making Harris jealous. It’s a perfect plan, right? One thing I really enjoyed about the execution of this was that they really did practice kissing and stuff, and also that Seb accepted her being mostly uncomfortable with PDA, even though that was some of the point.

The ending, I’ll admit, was not personally my favorite, and I did think it was the weakest part of the novel in some ways, though I was still really happy with it overall. I do wish more time had been spent on the emotional recovery of Analee’s friendship with Lily (and Lily’s romance with Colton too actually), because I feel like that kinda got glossed over rather than being the emotional high point it could have been. Similarly, Harris was definitively underutilized, but I did like that his involvement did not happen the way I would expect (romance is all about tiny trope flips). Oh, on the other hand, I really loved the resolution of the family plot; I thought it was really sweet but in a realistic way, not a romanticized unbelievable way.

Thoughts on the rest of the resolution in spoiler tags because spoilers. Obviously, I also would have preferred that Seb not sleep with his ex-girlfriend again only to realize that he wants Analee. AHHHHHHHH. I’m so unclear on whether he really did get back together with Chloe at the end or if that was merely a rumor. Not starting a relationship at that point was absolutely the right choice for Analee at that point, but personally I’d have liked the book more if he didn’t do that and they were a couple. BUT I can acknowledge that there’s not much of this in YA, and that they definitely were not in a place to be together in a healthy relationship at the end of the book.

You guys, I super super want a sequel to this book. It’s so good but also I’m not done with Analee’s story yet. It’s not incomplete as it is but I. Want. More.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was full expecting to give this book 5 stars. I don't give them away easily, but the last 30 pages are such a WTF cluster of confusion I'm still reeling from the disaster of that ending.

I LOVED Analee. Her thoughts were funny, self deprecating, and full on witty. The only other fictional character that I can compare her to is Jessica Darling from the Sloppy Firsts series. The endless supply of spectator sarcasm, commonplace introvert and inability to connect with people, well I dig, because I get it. I am that person.

For her alone I am keeping the three star rating. I loved the progress and evolution of each and every character and relationship. I loved how everything moved forward, but realistically not in a cheesy hallmark way.

I just HATED, LOATHED and DESPISED the ending. It made no sense and completely contradicted the whole build up and direction.

I understand if the author wanted an open ending or a more ambiguous sort of way of leaving the story, but for Seb to commit a certain action toward the end wiped away so much of what made his character likable and a catalyst for Analee's growth as a person. Without giving away spoilers I saw NO, ABSOLUTELY NO, confusion coming from Seb. From my pov, he knew what he wanted he just couldn't say it. His heart had never been in this place before. I'm just still so pissed and baffled by how things turned out. I know it's a book, but what a 180 nonsensical twist that was.

If you want to be unpredictable Milanes, there are plenty of ways without effing up the whole damn story.

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of The Victoria in My Head, I was looking forward to Milanes follow up.

Analee, in Real Life explored some of my favorite things - friendship, family, and grief. It even featured some romance, but this was solidly a book about Analee working through her feelings and finding herself.

As anyone would, Analee took her mother's death quite badly. She cocooned herself in grief, sort of holding most people at arm's length. The only place she found some comfort was when playing her MMORPG. There, she had a friend she could confide in, and was a fierce warrior. In real life, Analee was crippled by her low self-esteem, grieving lost her best friend, mourning the emotional loss of her father, and struggling to accept her new blended family.

I always adore a good fake-dating "showmance", but it was more interesting the way this one was used in the book. It wasn't really about the romance, but rather a catalyst to push Analee in the direction of change. Being with Seb opened her eyes to many things she just wasn't seeing. I enjoyed the friendship and the romance that bloomed between them, but I really appreciated the way his friendship put her on her journey back from grief. It was a long journey, but Analee gained perspective on her friendships, Avery, Harlow, her mom, her dad, and most importantly, herself.

This book was also a lot of fun. The banter between Harrison and Analee, her outings with Seb, and many Harlow's daily doings made me smile. However, I will not lie, that I was sort of sad with the way a few things went down there towards the end. It's not that I don't think Milanes made a big statement for Analee by making those choices. I just would have liked it better if we could have gotten a similar result in a different way.

Overall: I enjoyed this story, which was heartbreaking at times, but also very heartwarming.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one where you read it and think the MC has autism, but it’s never confirmed on page. But the missing social queues, not wanting people to touch her, hating change, and food preferences seem to fit with autism. I think I would have been a little more forgiving of her if there was an actual reason, but as it is she just comes across as really bratty and self-centred (which I know, yes she’s a teenager so self-centred is expected, but she was so unlikeable most of the time and just really horrid to the people around her. And I don’t know how this would have been justified, but I’m sure there’s some aspect that would at least explain some of her behaviours). Because without a reason: she’s just wilfully choosing to be this way. Oblivious is okay, but she goes out of her way to be nasty to people, even though she claims to be a people pleaser. There’s definitely character growth though, and she does begin to reflect more upon the people around her and what they’re going through, but it’s a bit of a haul to get there.
Uugh, that ending though guys. I mean, it wasn’t predictable, I’ll pay it that, but it was pretty damn awful. Super angsty too, so then I couldn’t sleep because of it. There are so many ways this could have gone, and it went with one of the worst ones I can think of. I like a HEA, predictable as they are, and this is not that.

[Alex (novelswithalex) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually read this book in one sitting. I mean, I did read the first 20 pages a few days ago, but then last night I just decided that I was going to finish the book right then and there. So I did. And it was probably one of the best decisions ever!

I really love Analee, In Real Life and I can't believe that more people aren't excited about it. If you like To All The Boys I've Loved Before and Eliza And Her Monsters, then you'll love this book. This has the fake dating trope and it does it SO WELL, and also Analee is really into a role playing video game and has someone she's crushing on from there.

Basically, Analee's gone through some rough times. Her mother passed away from cancer a little over a year prior, and not long after that she and her best friend stopped talking to each other. Not only that, but now her father is seeing this new woman and they're engaged to be married. Now Analee has a new potential step-mom and a step-sister. If that's not enough, she's crushing hard on a boy she's never met who plays an online video game with her. After inadvertently becoming a confidant to one of the most popular boys in school, they strike up a fake relationship to make his ex-girlfriend jealous and to hopefully get closer to her ex-best friend.

This book was SO MUCH FUN to read in one sitting. I'm not really that kind of a reader anymore, but this book was perfect for it and I really feel like I enjoyed it even more this way. I never wanted to put the book down and I'm even really desperate for a sequel. I don't normally like the idea of sequels to contemporary books, but I would love to know what happens after the ending.

Speaking of the ending, that ending has me so conflicted. I really love the way it ended because it showed a lot of growth in Analee's character and I'm so glad she didn't settle for anything, but it's also so frustrating because things I wanted to happen didn't happen. It kind of reminds me of how To All The Boys I've Loved Before ends, so I'm hoping that maybe possibly there could be a sequel in the future... Who knows?

I really loved all of the characters. I felt like I could really relate to Analee and how anxious she was in social situations and how passionate she was about the hobbies she loved. I also really loved her step-mom and her step-sister even if they were annoying at times and got on Analee's nerves. They also had a lot of character growth. I feel like this book is the book of character development and growth. No one is the same as they were in the beginning of the novel, which is really refreshing.

Also I surprisingly loved both love interests. I loved Seb and how he was able to get Analee out of her shell even thought they fought and disagreed a lot. I felt like their relationship was really realistic without being toxic, which was nice. And I also really loved Harris because of how much he understood Analee and was really respectful of what she wanted. These boys are so sweet and I love them both!

There are so many things I loved about this book. It was perfect to read while listening to Lauren Aquilina, all of the characters were so fantastically done, fake dating trope, really cute dynamics in the fake relationship aksdjhkfdsf IT'S JUST SO CUTE I LOVE IT!!! Please read this book!!

[Ekaterina Kuchynka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like the ending even though it’s what the promise was about in the beginning. It made me angry, sad, and confused as to why it ended the way it did. I loved the characters together because they kind of brought out the best in each other and connected like love birds. I loved the way everything was written and how it made me feel before the ending.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was way longer than usual and it got me so invested...to end like this. i know it was a good decision and wise and what was best for all involved etc but i’m not here for this, i hate everything.

i’m so unbelievably pissed

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but I wanted way more Harris, and the ending felt SO weird. Really good (step)family stuff here though (from someone with no step-family)

[vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm feeling too many things right now and idek what these emotions ARE but all i know is that i can't stop crying and want to reread this IMMEDIATELY

[kiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[G_occasionally_reads]

DNF: 30%

Frankly, I could not take any more of that pity party.
Girl, get your shit together and stop describing people only based on their physique.
Also, YOGA IS NOT EVIL! It does not do anything wrong to you or anybody.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

If you were a fan of the fake dating trope in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, you will like this one too. I also appreciated the family dynamics in this book and the Cuban culture. I enjoyed this reading experience until the last 30 pages. The ending was all over the place.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me cry...it snuck up on me and before I knew it I was full out crying. Analee...where do I begin?! Analee keeps to herself; she lost her best friend when her mother died and know she seems to be angry at everything. Angry at her father for not talking about her mother (and for marrying a woman much younger than him that is different from her mom in everyway). The only time Analee isn't mad is when she is playing online with her best friend, and the boy she is in love with, Harris...but Harris and Analee have never met in real life; in fact they live on opposite ends of the country. Analee is too scared to admit to Harris how she feels; enter Sebastian, the popular, handsome soccer star...who is grieving a breakup of his own. When the two of them are thrown together in school they form a crazy plan to make their respective crushes jealous by fake dating. As we all know that never seems to work out how everyone wants it to and pretty soon Analee and Seb will be questioning how they really feel about one other.
What I loved about this book was Analee chose herself...she f@cking chose herself over Seb at the end...he did some pretty messed up stuff, he admitted he acted wrong but Analee was like, no way...I am choosing myself...you can't take away my choice even if you are something I want and maybe even love.
Janeel Milanes has a new fan for life...I loved this book!!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

[Ade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont know but I do really like it

Spent 2 days in a row (friday and sat ) reading a super angsty books really exhaust me so I need some town down and lil bit fluffy YA.

This one somehow reminds me of TATBILB ???? In a way .... But the ending *sigh* well I supposed that is what happen to people in real life so I can't be angry of the ending.

[Sarah Bittel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this YA read about Analee finding her way from a place of pain and anxiety over her world to a place where she could be herself and not hide away. After the death of her mother, and being ditched by her bestie, Analee is spending her time playing online games. She has an online bestie she thinks she may be in love with, but they haven't met IRL. At school, Analee tries to hid herself but when Seb, the handsome soccer star, and she are put together as partners, she finds herself starting to come out of her comfort zone. When Seb suggests they pretend to be boyfriend/girlfriend, the real changes in Analee begin. I loved the way this story dealt with the concept of family as her father is about to remarry and she is gaining both a step mother and sister. I felt like that part of the story was done very well. I also enjoyed the way that Seb challenged her and their dynamic. Overall I know that my students will enjoy this book and I really will keep my eye out for more by this author! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Melayna Arbona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this story so much. The build up was so good and I was rooting for Seb and Analee from the beginning. Idk why, but Harris gives me an ick so bad I’m so glad the story was centered around her and Seb. The ending kinda seemed anti climatic and that’s why this doesn’t get 5 stars. The whole story with Seb just kinda ended and the Lily thing got thrown in there so fast that I was kinda confused. But the story had me intrigued and I couldn’t put the book down!

[ili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved it. Analee’s thought process, it reminded me of my own many times especially as a teenager. I loved her honesty and that she’s willing to get out of her comfort zone even if it takes her a while to get there. The let’s pretend we’re boyfriend and girlfriend to make my ex jealous is one of my faves. This book gave me the butterfly feels too 🦋.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, relatable read. The ending is somewhat predictable but it was still the best fitting one in my opinion.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I picked this up thinking it was going to be in the same vain as Francesca Zappia's Eliza and Her Monsters, but surprisingly it is not; a good surprise. While it does deal with an mc who struggles with social anxiety and plays MMORPS, it focuses more about self-love, family, and friendships.

I would recommend this for people who enjoyed Holly Bourne's It Only Happens in the Movies.

[Rich in Color is now on StoryGraph]

Review copy: Digital ARC via publisher

(Please note that this book includes brief, non-graphic descriptions of sexual assault. Analee also deals with a lot of body-related self-esteem issues, including unfavorably comparing her body to that of her stepmother, and there are several passages of diet/health fad talk, where she is often disdainful of her future stepmother’s eating habits.)

Since I enjoyed Janelle Milanes’s previous novel, The Victoria in My Head, I was excited to see she had another book out this year, once again starring a Cuban-American teenage girl. I’m happy to say that Analee, In Real Life lived up to my expectations.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book is how it focused on Analee and her self-esteem and self-perception. Her romantic plots with Seb and Harris were supporting roles for her personal journey. Analee has a lot to deal with, from the death of her mother, her father’s impending remarriage, and the broken relationship with her best friend, and early on she spends much of her time trying to escape or avoid conflict in her day-to-day life. The slow, steady growth of her character throughout the book is a delight.

Analee’s fake relationship with Seb and her undefined-online relationship with Harris are interesting foils for each other. Both boys allow Analee to experience different upsides—and downsides—of relationships, including the push and pull of expectations versus reality. In this, Seb is the stronger character, though I appreciated what Harris represented to Analee despite wishing for more screen time with his character. Milanes did a great job throughout the novel of showing the messiness of feelings and—most importantly to me—rejecting the idea that romance with The One will magically “fix” everything that’s difficult or wrong in a person’s life. For those reasons, I was particularly happy with the ending of this book, though I’m sure others will disagree with me.

Analee’s conflicts with her father, soon-to-be stepmother, and soon-to-be stepsister were frequently just as—if not more—interesting as her romance plots. I haven’t read many YA novels where the protagonist has a blended family, and Analee’s attempts to navigate all these relationships with the memory of her mother always lurking in the background were thought-provoking and honest. There are ugly feelings and sudden empathy and grief galore, and I appreciated Analee’s snark and anger as much as her softer moments. I was particularly happy that Milanes included parenting conflicts over dating philosophies alongside the more heartwarming moments of unity.

Recommendation: Get it soon, especially if fake dating is your thing. The true heart of Analee, In Real Life is not the romantic shenanigans, but rather Analee’s emotional journey. While there are some occasional missteps and moments I wish had worked out differently, Analee, In Real Life is a solid contemporary book.

[Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that this is the first book in a long time I've felt completely compelled to review. I'm not sure I've ever read a book where I saw as much of myself in a character as Analee. I'm in my late 20's now, but reading this book brought back all my feelings of insecurity, all of the social anxiety I've struggled with, that I still face very often. I think this is a story that speaks to a lot of people, teenagers and readers of any age.

There are so many things I love about this book. I love the family dynamics and how Analee works through her emotions on her mother's death. I love that nearly every character is more than just a stereotype. I love that though this book has so many of the makings of a typical romance (fake relationship! Potential love triangle! The loner and the most popular boy in school!), it also makes you contemplate friendship, family, and so much more. The story is entertaining, thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, funny, and satisfying, sometimes all at once.

This book also has an interesting approach to romance and sex. It doesn't shy away from sexual references, but at the same time also makes it clear that in spite of hormones, not every teenager is ready for sex. The book feels inclusive and shows multiple perspectives on sex, from both teenagers and adults. Analee's thoughts on physical intimacy feel completely genuine to her character.

I'm not going to say too much in order to avoid spoilers, but I absolutely love the way this book ended. It's something that I so, so wish my teenage self could have read, something that I did not see enough of as a teenager (and don't see enough of now, for that matter).

I definitely would recommend you pick up this book and give it a chance, especially if you like stories of growth, imperfect characters, and unique personalities. It's something I would hand to my 14 year old sister in a heartbeat (and probably will).

[Astrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was disappointed by this book for several reasons, the first and most obvious being that the love interest was completely unlikable. It's obvious that the popular guy is using Analee for his own personal gain; this fact is even stated in the beginning of the story. It made me wonder what the point of the book was if you know that he and the protagonist aren't going to end up together. There's no chemistry between them, though this is supposed to be the case. The fact that it's inevitable that the relationship isn't going to work out made me mad.

Also, the first "real" love interest of Analee-- her online MMO partner Harris-- doesn't even show up at the end of the book. He has no role at the end, even though Analee states many times at the beginning that she is in love with him. Harris is suddenly irrelevant after he travels to meet Analee in person; she suddenly stops liking Harris because she likes Seb, but it doesn't even work out at then end. I feel like this book implies that it's a romance, but then there's no endgame couple. I would have also liked more parts that involved Analee playing her game, because it's only at the beginning and then it completely disappears.

Overall I was disappointed with this book. It was a waste of my time because I couldn't root for either love interest; one because he didn't even like Analee, and the other because he has almost no important parts in the story. If you're going to write a romance novel, at least make one of the boys likable.

[Marissa Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It has the fake dating to real feelings trope that I've come to love and it deals with death and grief really nicely. It also has an online RPG relationship that while can be creepy is really fun. Analee's character is self conscious and relatable and I connected with her thoughts most of the time. Her step family is great. I loved the atmosphere Harlow creates with all her whole foods and yoga. And her stepsister's sass really helps lighten the book. I wished we saw more growth from the dad. We see towards the end but I just wanted a little more. I also have mixed feelings for the ending.

Possible spoilers:

I think the reconnection between Analee and her best friend happened too easily. I wish the reconnection started a bit earlier or maybe there was a larger part focused to it. But I found it was like one conversation and then they were back to being friends.
I also wish Analee and Seb got together in the end. I think the ending worked well with Analee's character and showed she needed to figure herself out first before jumping into a real relationship. However I hated that Seb and his ex reconnect towards the end. It showed that yeah he might have feelings for Analee but instead of being single he chooses to go back to an old relationship which is so highschool but understandable. I just really wanted them to end up together.
On the other hand I do like that Analee and Harris don't get together in the end. I like that it stays just a friendship.