Good novel. I think it would be perfect for students who struggle with anxiety and feelings of low self worth.

I’m so sad that I didn’t love this book more because I absolutely love Miller’s other books.

Jessa has had panic attacks for years since her father and mother split and her father moved to LA. She’s never felt like she fit in at her school and the only person she really considers her friend is the boyfriend who she’s losing because she won’t sleep with him. While at a party, she finds out he’s been cheating on her and she takes off. While driving home, she’s struggling to keep her panic attack at bay when she is hit by another vehicle. Her injuries are severe, a brain injury and scars all along the side of her face and now she feels her outside matches how she feels on the inside.

I can’t pinpoint what exactly didn’t work for me, but if I had to pick something I think it would be that I struggled with connecting with Jessa as a character. I hated that she never got to confront the douche ex-boyfriend… Like HATED HATED. I wanted her to have that, to have him know that she knew. Instead, she just never, ever talks to him again and he doesn’t make any effort to talk to her after she moves either. So this friendship and relationship just… Poof. Done and over.

What saved this book for me was Marshall if I’m being honest. He was a bright ray of sunshine and this story desperately needed it. Where the other characters and story lines were so heavy and angsty, he brought a bit of lightness and levity to the story and I just really loved his outlook on everything.

I always think that mental health is important to discuss… we need to keep it front and center so I commend Miller for writing this story, and I liked that there were elements to this that you never really know exactly what happened (i.e. the guy in the white coat). Overall, this was an emotional read, filled with positive elements but I struggled to really click with the characters, which I desperately need to fall in love with a book.

A beautifully written book about a tough subject - anxiety disorder and, even worse, anxiety disorder in young adults. It's tough enough to grow into adulthood, but add crippling anxiety to the mix, and it's a recipe for lots of angst.

I won't get into the story itself, but suffice it to say it's a journey of self-discovery, healing and hope.

I thoroughly enjoyed the message this book provided and the path taken to get there. And can I just add...Marshall. Marshall is amazing. I suppose I should be creeped out that I'm pining after a 17/18 year old boy, but he's pretty damn awesome!

I believe this book would appeal to teenage girls who maybe suffer from anxiety, however, I felt the story was a bit slow developing for most young readers.

If Parallel and Free to Fall were 5 out of 5 books for me, then All Things New has to be a 6. While Lauren Miller's first two novels were exceptional, I found extra depth in All Things New. Anxiety, written well, by someone who understands it! Now, this is a combination you don't see very often. Thank you so much for writing this book, Lauren!

Because Lauren gets it, Jessa's internal voice is authentic. As someone who is all too familiar with this dragon and coincidentally has also experienced long term effects from a car accident, I went on this journey with Jessa. I empathised with Jessa recounting how it felt when her friends ditched her after her panic attacks started. I cheered internally when Jessa's courage to let her walls down was rewarded instead of punished. I felt anxious for her when she was anxious for her friends.

I loved how real the supporting characters felt to me and cared about what happened to them. I admired Jessa's father for how hard he worked to build a relationship with his daughter. I appreciated that Hannah wasn't a cliché, that she got snippy when she was frustrated by something or herself. Mr I. ... what can I say except I wanted to curl up on a comfy couch somewhere, probably next to a roaring fire, and listen to him explain philosophy to me all day. (By the way, I get so excited when a book I love includes references to other books. Oscar Wilde and Descartes are definitely getting added to my scarily high TBR pile.)

And frustratingly optimistic Marshall. I adored him despite myself and would like to put an order in for a Marshall please (albeit an age appropriate one for me). Maybe he's got an older cousin? The banter between Jessa and Marshall was so much fun! Because I read a snippet of a review that compared this book to John Green's The Fault in our Stars, I spent most of this book anxiously muttering, 'Please don't let Marshall die! Please don't let Marshall die!'

I was fascinated by the concept of the internal world that we often hide from others, sometimes more so from those closest to us, being made visible to Jessa. I loved Jessa's interactions with the other characters and watching some relationships growing stronger as others faded into the background. While life isn't a fairytale in the end, Jessa has, through her experience, learned to see and be compassionate to the internal struggles of others and her own.

We spend so much time hiding our true selves from the people around us that sometimes I wonder how much we ever really know anyone. There are entire worlds playing out inside our heads and if only we shared those with each other I'm positive we'd find out how alike we all are. Sure, everyone has their own pain and their own struggles but when it comes down to it, pain is pain. We get so afraid of rejection that we hide behind our walls, thinking we're protecting ourselves when really we're preventing ourselves from bring able to give and receive the support and validation that comes with knowing you're not alone in your experience.

I found a Hallmark card about a decade ago and bought every one I could find at the time, dispensing them in the years since to those I felt would benefit from or appreciate its message like I did. This book reminded me of the writing on that card - "Daylight will peek through a very small hole. That's how hope gets through, too." No matter what we're going through, there is hope, even if the hope is that things won't always be this way. OK, stepping off my soapbox now!

This was one of those books that made me sad that you only get to read it for the first time once. However, I'm sure there'll be a second time coming fairly soon. If I did have the chance to read it for the first time again I think I'd highlight the passages that don't resonate with me instead of the ones that do. As it stands, because I did the opposite, my highlighter would have run dry before I got to the halfway mark if I'd been reading a paperback. Instead I wore out my index finger constantly highlighting passages on my Kindle.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Three Saints Press) in exchange for an honest review. I'd recommend this to young adults and adults alike, to anyone who has experienced anxiety or anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of those who do, or to those who simply want to read a great book. I don't care what you write about in the future, Lauren, but please keep writing. I'll be reading anything you publish!

All Things New by Lauren Miller was a good read! The main character, Jessa was really good at presenting an image to the world, she thought. But inside she was a mass of anxiety with panic attacks that were barely in control. She struggled everyday and found her relationship with Wren, her boyfriend, a saving grace. Left to live with her mother and her mother’s new husband and their twins Jessa didn’t feel like she belonged except with Wren.

Until Jessa found out he was cheating on her and others knew about it. Until Jessa was in a horrible car accident and her world imploded. Now Jessa has a new chance to start again, living with her dad and going to a new school. No one has to know about the panic attacks - and the other problems brought on by her head injury. RIght?

I enjoyed this book. I like how some things were interwoven so seamlessly within the story. Jessa’s dad’s patience with her was another element that I liked. Jessa and her friends were well drawn characters and I felt the story was well done. I feel the book was mislabeled and should be labeled as Christian as well as Young Adult and Contemporary. I enjoyed reading the book and hope others who read this learn how debilitating panic attacks can be.

Jessa has gotten very good at hiding her brokeness. No one at school knows about the panic attacks, the therapy , the meds... But when a severe accident leaves her with a brain injury and visible scars, Jessa’sability to hide in plain sight is torn away. Escaping her old life, she moves to Colorado with her father, leaving her mother, and her focus on perfection and appearance, behind. Here, she meets a young man with his own broken qualities who helps to draw her into a complete life and learns to trust others' ability to heal and be healed.

Part family drama and part romantic fiction, this book was enjoyable from beginning to end. Jessa was easy to relate to and as a reader I found myself really caring about what happened to her. There were moments of teenage angst, moments of spiritual reflection, moments of parent-child redefinition that made this a well-rounded story.

An uplifting story of brokenness and hope

I will admit I was apprehensive picking this book up, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. This isn’t the lightest of books, but it is relatively short and ultimately uplifting.

Jessa has anxiety. Until the car accident, she could hide it behind a pretty face. Now she can’t hide it, she moves in with her dad and starts at a new school. Over time she learns to accept her brokenness and find hope in reaching forward – something we could all benefit from doing.

There’s a slight mystical element that may not suit everyone but I found it didn’t interfere with the overall feel. It’s not all happy-clappy. It’s not a story of quick fixes or easy answers. It’s a story of faith and friendship.

This is also the story of Jessa’s new friends, fraternal twins Hannah and Marshall. The relatively small cast let them be well fleshed out. They each have their own problems and Hannah, in particular, resonates strongly with me. I would’ve also liked to see more of Sophie and the support group, but that is a minor quibble.

It’s not perfect, but I finished this book feeling better than I started, so I count it as a win. Four hopeful stars.

I received a copy of this story from the author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jessa is a high schooler with divorced parents, an anxiety disorder, and a terrible boyfriend. After a bad car accident, she find herself struggling with facial scars and processing (kinda) issues. She makes a dramatic move to live with her dad and tries to come to terms with her mental health disorders.

This book felt a little jumbled to me. I hated the new boyfriend aspect... did she have to find happiness in a new relationship?! Why couldn't she find it on her own?! It felt like there were varying concepts fighting over screen time in this. Definitely for Christian young adults.

It's great to see Lauren Miller back and telling stories once again. That said, compared to "Free to Fall" and "Parallel," her latest was not my favorite. My problem wasn't Miller's writing style, I actually really enjoy her method of storytelling, it was that her characters felt almost too melodramatic, compared to the characters in her other novels, who were more balanced. I also found it incredibly difficult to really get into this one. Regardless of this, I do think "All Things New" will have large teen appeal, and at the end of the day, I think that's what matter's most.

This novel was a new take on the inner workings of anxiety. I enjoyed this book, but as a non sufferer, found certainly some parts of it unusual and harder to understand until nearer completetion of the narration. I liked the development of the plot and the playful friendships and budding romance. This may be a really helpful book for teens with anxiety.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I dove into All Things New. The reviews are mixed (and yes, I read some of them before I started) and so I knew that this thing could go either way for me. I didn’t really expect that it would sort of blow me away. Or that it would tease my brain in a way that opened up my mind and kept me thinking about how things ended long after I turned the last page.

You guys? As far as I’m concerned this is the very best kind of YA book. Thought provoking, interesting, compelling , and full of real-life issues – I literally couldn’t put this book down. I read it in basically one sitting and I would enthusiastically recommend it for adults and young adults alike.

The storytelling is so great – I connected instantly with the writing style and with Jessa’s voice. Was I sometimes frustrated with her? Of course. But she was sometimes frustrated with herself, so I felt like that was the whole point. She resonated with me. I felt her struggles and loved watching her blossom as she grew and dealt with her issues. And Marshall? UGH. Of all the goofily adorable heroes – this guy takes the cake. I adored him. I loved how he treated Jessa – no, how he treated every single person he encountered. His heart is golden and he’s just an amazing character. The two of them together were adorable, uplifting, and heartwarming.

But this book isn’t just about a super sweet young adult relationship. There are a lot of heavy hitting issues addressed here – from mental health, to physical health, to learning how to navigate in a world that sometimes hurts just to exist in. There are philosophical elements and spiritual elements and the whole thing is wrapped up in this beautifully written, completely compelling package. I know it won’t work for everyone, but it completely worked for me and I think it’s most definitely worth checking out! ~ 4.5 Stars

This book centers around a high school girl by the Name of Jessa. When Jessa was in middle school, her parents got a divorce which causes her to develop deep anxiety. Of course, her mother helps Jessa gets help for the attacks but when it doesn’t work, Jessa decides to leave it. Soon after all of these bombs, Jessa mother makes things worst by remarrying and having a new family, which makes Jessa Anxiety worst. All of these things cause Jessa, to focus more on body image and hanging out with the wrong people. She meets a guy name Wren and everything seems to become about him and what he wants as well as her image. She fakes being the perfect popular kid to get through the anxiety. In some weird way, all of this helps her by giving her some control over her life. But on new year’s eve, after two years of dating, she finds out how much Wren is the wrong guy for her. The information she finds out causes a car accident which leads to changes in Jessa’s life. These big changes may just save her and help her grow to be a better person. So in order for you to know the rest, you need to buy this book, especially if you deal with Mental health. I do want to say that Jessa also has experiences with the spiritual world, just in case you don’t feel that way about things. Now onto my thoughts about what I felt from this book.

All Things New by Lauren Miller is a YA novel about adolescents who have trouble fitting in with their peers due to one thing or another. The main character, Jessa, suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, and a horrific automobile accident ramped them up ten-fold. Her friends, twins Hannah and Marshall, each have their own issues. Hannah over-medicates herself in an attempt to reduce her stress due to her perfectionist mindset, while Marshall has a congenital heart-condition.

This book was just OK for me. I found Marshall to be the most endearing character, as he wasn't all gloom and doom. He was witty and zany.

A quick read, many readers will find this to their liking. It definitely has a spiritual leaning which may thrill some readers and turn others off.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Three Saints Press for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this YA novel.

*** I received this book through netgally in exchanged for an honest review. Thank you to Three Saints Press for giving me the opportunity too read and review All Things New! ***

I know not every reader is going to love this book and I can understand why, but I absolutely loved and enjoy this book so much. Jessa is broken in the inside with her anxiety attacks causing a lot of problems in her life, with her family, friends, boyfriend and her parents especially towards her dad who she does mistreat him until half way through the book. But let me just start from the very beginning. Jessa is living with her mom and step-father with her twin brothers her parents divorce years ago and she blames her father for the divorce and for walking away from her and her mom years ago. But after the divorce of her parents Jessa was having severe anxiety attacks that was messing up her life. Her friends from school stop talking too her and her ass of a boyfriend at the beginning of the book wanted more from her. But her boyfriend does not really understand how broken Jessa felt in the inside. Jessa mom has try everything too help Jessa even force her too go to therapy which she stupidly stop going because her reasoning was the therapist was not helping her at all. Until one terrible night at her boyfriends party she find out something terrible that just broke her heart completely which I won't say what because spoiler. But she run from the party, and got into a horrible car accident which the accident was not her fault yes she was super upset with what she find out at the party. But another driver ran a red light and hit and crush Jessa car head on. It was a complete miracle that Jessa survive but she did had some severe injures. That she completely thought and felt that she was broken now from both the inside and outside. Jessa was suffering a lot along with her injures she also had Aphantasia along with her severe injures and horrible anxiety she was a walking mess. What is Aphantasia you say I had too look up this condition as well because I honestly didn't now what it was either while reading this book. But short version of Aphantasia is the suggested name for a condition where one does not possess a functioning mind's eye and cannot visualize imagery. Now I kind of really love this aspect of the book about Aphantasia, because I never read a book with a character with this condition before and it was a very refreshing read for me. Plus I was really intrigued reading how Jessa was going through that condition that I just felt terrible for her. At the end when Jessa left the hospital she decided too moved in with her father in another state and start a new school, Yes at first Jessa mistreat her father and blame him for leaving her and her mother. But like I say much later on the book she redeem herself completely and understand her dad was trying too do what it was best for her. I will say without spoiling anything for anybody Jessa completely change her life completely for the better because some one special help her and I won't say who because that is spoiler. And no it is not her dad or her friends or her new amazing boyfriend Marshall who I just love and adore him so much that I am talking about. But they did support and help her find her true self along the way as well. But this someone special helped her the most out of all of them. And I am going to leave it off here without spoiling anything else. All and all I really loved and enjoyed everything about All Things New that I will most definitely keep my eyes out for more books by Lauren Miller. Because I really loved and enjoyed this book so much!

Jessa is so much stronger than she knows! To watch her grow and come to terms with her issues and her struggles and finally open up about them was such a treat! So man teenagers today deal with panic, anxiety, depression and put so much pressure on themselves that its important that stories like this are out there.

Story:
All Things New is an important book, as it deals with panic and mental disorders in teenagers. There were some aspects of the book that I found extremely good, and others I could have done without.
The 'angel' aspect did not work for me. Nor did the fact that the psychiatrists in this book were all smirking, pill-pushing individuals. I also think I would have liked it more if the group therapy was actually group therapy, not a group of teens just sharing among themselves, without adult supervision.
Also, it seems more than a little flimsy to me that 'love' can help Jessa get better - this could be a problem for people who do suffer from panic attacks.
I did appreciate the fact that there are parents present in All Things New. It's important sometimes to see responsible family situations.

Characters:
Jessa had some techniques to deal with her panic attacks, but not all of them helped. After a car accident, she moved to her dad's place in Colorado, to get away from everything that had made things difficult to her.
Hannah is Jessa's new best friend. A music prodigy who is stressed out, and sad about taking second-seat to her brother's illness.
Marshall is Hannah's brother. He has a hole in his heart, and is strangely happy about that.

Writing style :
First person present tense from Hannah's perspective, but with third person present tense when the spotlight is on other characters. The dialogues were rapid, and made getting to know the characters easier.

Feels :
I was a bit frustrated, to be honest. All Things New could have been a great story about teens who struggle with mental illnesses, but it felt like it didn't take mental illness seriously.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“From the author of Parallel and Free to Fall comes a novel about how it feels to be broken and what it means to be real.

Seventeen-year-old Jessa Gray has always felt broken inside, but she’s gotten very good at hiding it. No one at school knows about the panic attacks, the therapy that didn’t help, the meds that haven’t worked. But when a severe accident leaves her with a brain injury and noticeable scars, Jessa’s efforts to convince the world that she’s okay finally crumble—now she looks as shattered as she feels.

Fleeing from her old life in Los Angeles, Jessa moves to Colorado to live with her dad, but her anxiety only gets worse in the wake of the accident. That is, until she meets Marshall, a boy with a heart defect whose kindness and generous spirit slowly draw Jessa out of her walled-off shell and into the broken, beautiful, real world—a place where souls get hurt just as badly as bodies, and we all need each other to heal.

All Things New is a love story about perception and truth, physical and emotional pain, and the messy, complicated people we are behind the masks we put on for the world.”

You would think after hating most YA contemporary books I read, I would stop but here we are again.

Seeing how the book started, I thought that this was going to be something that I was going to like, but after the accident happened it became one of these ‘coming of age’ stories that I hate.

My main issue is that nothing happens. At all. The main event happened within the first 10% and honestly, there isn’t anything else to write home about.

I didn’t like the characters and even though I could identify with the panic attacks and anxiety Jessa had, she annoyed me more than anything. I also found the romance between her and Marshell cringey and uncomfortable to read about.

The writing did flow well and I got through it very quickly and that may have been the only aspect that I enjoyed.

This just isn’t the type of book that I enjoy and I should probably give up trying to read ones that fall into this genre.

2/5* but I can see how it would appeal to other readers.

I loved this book! The lead character's struggle with mental health issues is realistic and important for teen readers. The story is strong and her work to overcome her mental health issues is powerful. I Will be highly recommending this book to team readers.