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A review by seasonforreading
Libby Lawrence is Good at Pretending by Jodi McAlister
5.0
Libby Lawrence is Good at Pretending by Jodi McAlister is a fantastic contemporary YA romance, following our main character Libby as she tries to find her way through life. She participates in her University's theatre program, determined to make the jump between chorus actor and main character. As Libby navigates through a confusing world of study, boys and friends, she realises she is so good at pretending to be okay that she isn't sure how to tell everyone that she isn't.
Jodi McAlister has written a beautiful YA contemporary romance, with a very endearing main character. I personally enjoyed reading a book about a uni theatre group, especially one with such relatable issues. The story flowed well, with a pace that a reader can usually only dream about. I read this book in one sitting, finding it easy to lose myself in the story. Libby Lawrence is Good at Pretending is well written, relatable and enjoyable. Many of the situations she found herself in made me cringe, and others made me laugh (the idea of Ella finding Libby's underwear in the Swamp, so gross but also very funny!). The slow burn between Libby and Will was great to read, and I liked Will's resilience and acceptance of Libby's struggles. Roarke's character was possibly my least favourite, he seemed to switch between commitment-phobe to dream boyfriend in a matter of seconds. Libby and Ella had a fascinating friendship, and I enjoyed seeing how the two realised what they had, and recognised that it was worth keeping.
The difficulty that Libby had feeling included in her theatre friendship group, and the internal filtering she had to do before communicating with the group, demonstrated the very real issues faced by university students. The desire to fit in, and the fear of potentially saying or doing the wrong thing, is a struggle that many would be able to relate to.
I loved this book, and thought it was a great first YA contemporary romance for Jodi McAlister. I haven't read any of her previous books, however after enjoying her writing style so thoroughly, I intend to read her other YA books.
Jodi McAlister has written a beautiful YA contemporary romance, with a very endearing main character. I personally enjoyed reading a book about a uni theatre group, especially one with such relatable issues. The story flowed well, with a pace that a reader can usually only dream about. I read this book in one sitting, finding it easy to lose myself in the story. Libby Lawrence is Good at Pretending is well written, relatable and enjoyable. Many of the situations she found herself in made me cringe, and others made me laugh (the idea of Ella finding Libby's underwear in the Swamp, so gross but also very funny!). The slow burn between Libby and Will was great to read, and I liked Will's resilience and acceptance of Libby's struggles. Roarke's character was possibly my least favourite, he seemed to switch between commitment-phobe to dream boyfriend in a matter of seconds. Libby and Ella had a fascinating friendship, and I enjoyed seeing how the two realised what they had, and recognised that it was worth keeping.
The difficulty that Libby had feeling included in her theatre friendship group, and the internal filtering she had to do before communicating with the group, demonstrated the very real issues faced by university students. The desire to fit in, and the fear of potentially saying or doing the wrong thing, is a struggle that many would be able to relate to.
I loved this book, and thought it was a great first YA contemporary romance for Jodi McAlister. I haven't read any of her previous books, however after enjoying her writing style so thoroughly, I intend to read her other YA books.