This book was refreshing. The author dealt with tough subjects very real to teens and young adults in a hopeful manner. A young adult book not bogged down with a lot of bad language and mature sex scenes is unfortunately rare, but the lack of these distracting elements allows a journey of three young people to unfold purposefully.

I will recommend this book to any teen that comes into my store.

Loved the little dose of magic realism in this novel.

I was lucky enough to receive this ARC through Netgalley. I honestly absolutely loved this book. I read it all in one sitting. I just could not put the book down. It was a book that talked about serious matters but was also fast paced and an incredible read. I related to our main character Jessa a lot. Jessa is a high school girl who struggles with anxiety and I very much understand the struggling with anxiety. In a way she thinks she is coping with her anxiety by covering it up and pretending it is not there. Then Jessa has a traumatic experience, a stressor which causes the anxiety to “resurface”. After the anxiety resurfaces Jessa decides to change a lot in her life. Us the readers are able to go through the journey together of her slowly helping herself and learning to deal with the anxiety as well as accept herself. I read this book at the right time in my life as I am going through similar things as the main character Jessa. All Things New helps me see that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. I would reccommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat, It is an important book and Lauren Miller portrays an accurate view of anxiety in my opinion.

This book follows Jessa on her journey of healing. She was healing from a car accident that left her scarred and unable to form images in her mind's eye, but she is also healing from years of hiding her mental health issues.

There were many things I liked about All Things New, and here are five of them.

1. Mental health issues are front and center
My anxiety is not as bad as it used to be, but I still remember what it was like to pass out in public, I often still cry while at the supermarket, and I sweat as my heart races when I have to go out after dark. Needless to say, this is a world I navigate on a daily basis, and I thought Miller did a great job portraying the feelings and other issues that are by products of one's mental health issues. Mental health is not a one size fits all thing, but I did find a lot of commonalities with Jessa. Maybe someone else will too.

2. Multiple ways to deal with mental health issues were explored.
Again, it is not one size fits all. Jessa had to try different medications and therapists. She tried group therapy and even religion. I really appreciated that this idea that there is more than one way to treat mental health issues was explored.

3. Jessa's dad
When her dad left, Jessa's world sort of fell apart for her, but here he was now, when she needed him most. He was patient and understanding, but also pushed her a little. With his love and encouragement, Jessa grew and began to believe that things could be different for herself. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and heal as Jessa grew and healed.

4. The twins
I liked Hannah from the her first appearance on-page. There was something special about her, and I knew I wanted to know more. But the real star of and owner of my heart was Marshall. This fun and fancy-free boy with the devilish smile and the wounded heart carried the sun to every scene he was in. I cried when he was in peril, and kept was mush when he was flirting so adorably with Jessa. Marshall accepted Jessa as it, mental and physical scars and all. I kind of wanted him on page more often.

5. Magical realism or unreliable narrator?
There are some things that happen within the story that may or may not be real. Some are addressed, while this other bigger one is sort of left up in the air. I am not sure what these things were a product of, but I liked the extra dimension it gave the story.

I am really struggling with properly articulating my thoughts about this book, but I will say, they are all positive.

Overall: A thought provoking and emotional story, which left me feeling quite positive and buoyant at the end.

I liked this book right up to the point I was blindsided by the religious aspect. I think that can be a turnoff for some YA readers. I think that much of the anxiety discussion is spot on...until it's kind of explained away by religion. The author does a great job describing the sometimes crippling symptoms of anxiety. The part I think that can be a turn off is making the hallucinations into angels. I get it, it's various viewpoints and that's important too. In the right hands, this book will be an awesome resource. I will definitely recommend it to readers, but I'll be careful in who.

Jessa has managed to cover-up her panic and anxiety disorder with her beauty, fake smiles, and a handsome, popular boyfriend. When that all comes crashing down around her, changing Jessa's life for the worse and for the better. When a nearly-fatal car accident leaves Jessa's face scarred and her brain damaged her anxiety and panic become impossible to hide. Relocated to Colorado with her dad, Jessa finds that though she cannot stand the idea of seeing her face, others welcome her with open arms. There she discovers that no one's life is as easy or as good as they claim it is, that sometimes the outside isn't always reflective of the truth people hold inside.

"'I told you,' Wren says. 'It's complicated.'
'I know, I know. Barbie's unstable.'
The fire creeps down my neck, explodes inside my stomach, a furnace of humiliation that will swallow me whole."

Initially I was attracted to the cover of All Things New, because who doesn't love a good cover? Inside the book though, is a true-to-life novel with challenging situations and tough concepts that main character, Jessa, learns to embrace, accept, and face head on. I cannot tell you how many times I looked up from the pages to exclaim out loud, "this book is so good!" or how often I had to stop to grab tissue as tears streamed down my face. Lauren Miller's writing is excellent, it's emotive and descriptive, and made me so empathetic to Jessa's plight.

"Watching him I'm swept up in sadness. Why do we rip ourselves apart? My throat tightens, and again I feel myself disengaging from this moment, from its sharpness, its sting."

I loved the character development in this novel; Jessa is such a typical teen, but her experience and her natural aging made this novel really stand out for me. Her anger is believable and the way Lauren Miller writes about the anxiety, the scars, and the Aphantasia made me feel like I was experiencing it too. Additionally, there are some really stunning secondary characters in All Things New, with the award for most interesting and complex going to twins, Hannah and Marshall. Though their stories are secondary, their experiences with health issues help the progression of Jessa's story. Plus, both are interesting and bring a level of humanity to this story that wouldn't have been there had Jessa stayed the simple, "Barbie" girlfriend that she had been previously.

"I stare at the space and it seems to materialize. A wall, made of brick and mortar and fear. A wall I'm not ready to get rid of yet."

As far a young adult novels go, All Things New is going to be a love-it or hate-it type of book for readers. It is a character driven novel, but readers only read from the perspective of Jessa, a teen with an anxiety and panic disorder, which is very apparent in her thoughts and interactions. She's like many teens; she's angry at her family, she's angry about her situation, and on top of that she's dealing with a disorder that she's embarrassed of. I felt that the entire novel was very accurate, Lauren Miller makes you feel everything Jessa feels, but also includes true facts that allow us to understand her situation even more. Some readers will find that Jessa's thoughts regarding mental illnesses, modern medicine, angels, and God are something that should've been left out, but I think that many will also connect to those thoughts and the book shouldn't be rated negatively if one does not agree with her beliefs.

"But what if we could see them? How might a soul look if we could stare it in the face?"

All Things New is an original novel with thought-provoking writing, a hint of philosophy, and a very authentic story line. Young adult readers of any age will connect with Jessa, regardless of their own personal experiences with anxiety, because of Lauren Miller's story telling abilities. The novel is focused on Jessa's growth, with family, friendship, religion, and romance helping her to face her struggles, but not ruling the story. Jessa's healing makes for an addicting read that readers will find complex and realistic. It's humorous, but hopeful, with a strong message about acceptance.

"We play along, we act like we're all okay. But we're not okay. All the junk we're hiding is right there, right in front of us, right within us."

Such a beautiful story with a really great meaning.

After finding her current boyfriend cheating, Jessa decides to drive herself home. When a driver hits Jessica and sends her to the hospital, the last thing that Jessa has is gone. With new scars on her face, Jessa has lost the one thing she's been able to hold on to, her beauty. Now ugly and broken on the inside after her parents divorce, Jessa moves away from LA to Colorado with her dad. Can she find a way to repair the damages that have been with her for such a long time.

I truly liked Jessa's character. While she is broken and sad, she doesn't necessarily shut everything down and is open to getting better and listening to other people and their opinion. While she may not see it, she is very smart and kind. I really loved her.

The side story to this book is about Hannah and Marshall, a set of twins both going through their own pain, which end up becoming best friends/boyfriend to Jessa. I honestly enjoyed Hannah's story the most and was constantly waiting to see what happens to her.

While I loved all the characters, and I was constantly excited to see what happens to them, there wasn't much action or intensity to this story. There wasn't any crazy plot twist or any intense action that kept the reader engaged. I feel like if you don't like the main characters from the beginning then you wont enjoy the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, but I would have liked it much more if the story wasn't so predictable. I would still highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you love stories about mental illnesses and/or guardian angels.

All Things New by Lauren Miller is one of those books that you want to go on forever. I hadn’t heard of Lauren Miller before reading this book and once again I am pleased to have found an author whose books I will keep an eye out for in the future.
This book has been described as perfect for fans of The Fault In Our Stars and I can understand why. This a perfect read for fans of that book. All New Things has a spiritual side to it that adds another dimension to it.
All Things New begins with Jessa getting in an argument with her boyfriend Wren at a party. Within seconds of being introduced to Wren I was confident he was a character I would hate.
“I want more,” he tells me now. I need more. Connection. Depth.”
After their fight Jessa thinks about going home but knows her mum won’t be pleased to see her. Jessa feels increasingly unwanted at home as her mum is constantly occupied with the twins she had with Jessa’s stepfather.
Jessa muses over her relationship with Wren.
“Two nights ago, everything was ok. We were us, we were Jessa and Wren.
Its not like our relationship is perfect or anything. The eye contact thing really bugs him. And he gets annoyed that I don’t make more of an effort when we hang out with his friends. But when we’re alone its awesome. “
Jessa, the protagonist, is instantly likeable and I think that went a long way towards my enjoyment of the book.
Jessa debates leaving the party after her fight with Wren but changes her mind and goes to find him instead. She instantly regrets it though when she overhears him talking with another girl in a bedroom and the girls says it is about time they told Jessa about their relationship already. Wren says it is complicated and the girl makes an insensitive comment about ‘Barbie’ being unstable.
Jessa flees shortly after and is driving home when a car ploughs into her.
On waking up Jessa is distressed to realise that she not only has extensive facial scaring but also the accident has cause her some brain trauma.
Jessa’s dad is there when she wakes up and asks her if she wants to come and live with him in Colorado. She decides to go with him.
Initially, Jessa’s problems follow her and she struggles to cope with her injuries, her relationship breakdown and her anxiety. Jessa isn’t used to opening up to anyone so struggles to talk to her dad about what is going on especially as she isn’t used to being around him.
At school Jessa meets twins Hannah and Marshall, each of whom have difficulties of their own. Before long, Jessa realises that she isn’t the only one struggling.
All Things New was a pleasure to read and will certainly be a book I will read again.

I have read Lauren Miller's other stories and I really enjoyed them. I didn't necessarily enjoy this one as much, but it was still a wonderfully written story. And my lack of enjoyment might have just been because things hit a little close to home.

I believe that this story does a wonderful job of showing what it's like being someone with anxiety. I thought that it perfectly captured how people can turn on and snap at people that they care about and that they know care about them because they are too wrapped up in their own stuff. I thought that it was very real and very raw and very emotional.

I do recommend it, but just don't necessarily go into it hoping for a lighthearted read that isn't going to make you think or want to be better - for yourself, for your friends, and for your family.

Many thanks to Three Saints Press and NetGalley who kindly provided an advance copy of “All Things New” in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn’t put this one down until I was through. I think, by the end I had fallen in love with Jessa and Marshall.

It’s a quite a difficult read from the beginning, the protagonist Jessa suffers badly from anxiety and panic attacks since her dad left home and moved away. Lonely and abandoned by her friends, ‘replaced’ by her younger twins and her mums ‘new family’ she really struggles. Honestly; it’s physically exhausting reading this and going through it with her. It’s so endless….. none stop round and round bad thoughts. God, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to live like that, to feel like that, all of the time.

“Not loud exactly, just discordant, out of tune with the pitch in my brain.”

I think as a result of that and how honest Jessa is with you the reader that you really want things to get better for her. Then it gets worse and her life is shattered by her boyfriend cheating on her and the subsequent car crash in which she should really of died. You wonder how can she cope and will it break her?

I think the characters in the book we are all really strong. So well written that their personalities are really well developed, defined and distinguished from one another. I was definitely impressed with how real they felt. It did perplex me that people say ‘obvi’ a lot in this novel. I’ve ‘obvs’ a lot and that’s how it reads but I can’t imagine and have never heard anyone say ‘obvi.’

It is truly inspiring that Jessa finds the strength to carry on and make the move to a new place to live with her father. Jessa becomes ‘friends’ with a girl tasked as her guide but really it’s her twin brother in which she finds her own strength. Marshall is truly brilliant and my favourite thing about this novel. His pops into being perfectly formed and his personality sparkles. I loved him and the blossoming romance and the support and patience he offers Jessa is beautiful.

When they go on their first date at this point the romance so completely fizzing…. your hearts singing with happens that ‘yey, Jessa might, just might be happy.’ It’s around this time that I started thinking ‘OMG, OMG, OMG, he’s going to go and die isn’t he?’ I don’t think I could’ve dealt with that!!

The description of Jessa’s symptoms and suffering is hard to read but anxiety is something far too many people suffer with in silence. I think a lot of people could benefit from reading this and I hope it helps them to realise that it’s OK to not be OK and to get help when needed.


If I had one criticism, I didn’t like the end of the book too much and thus the 4 not 5 star rating. It just felt overly laboured. Almost like great story now here’s the moral of the story/what we learnt. Not quite, but almost patronising….

I would definitely recommend this book. It’s mentally exhausting but in a good way! Yet also full of hope and inspiration with great characterisation. I would absolutely read other books by Lauren Miller.

Thanks again to Three Saints Press and NetGalley.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. I was not totally crazy about this book unfortunately. It started out very slow and took me quite awhile to get into it.... Jessa the main character suffers from panic/anxiety disorder which is completely understandable for what she has been through (parents divorce, car accident). The author lets us know all of her thoughts and feelings through out the book which is great. She moves in with her Dad after her accident, starts at a new alternative school and makes some new friends twins, Hannah and Marshall. Marshall who is broken in a different way than Jessa but does manage to help her start healing her insides which is where she is so very hurt. I like their romance but the end was really sudden and I'm not entirely sure what happened....the angel/religious part at the end was unexpected and kind of weird too. Not my favorite book but kind of interesting the way the author wrote the story....

Enjoyed this book, the characters, the story, and the relationships. I have little experience with anxiety in general and teen anxiety in particular...and never heard of aphantasia. So this book provided an opportunity for me to learn a little in the process of enjoying a good read. Have to check out others by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Three Saints Press for providing me with an e-copy to read and review. All Things New by Lauren Miller is set to be released August 1, 2017.

Beautiful, poignant, and honestly portrayed, All Things New is an enchanting story that gives hope for a brighter today and an even brighter tomorrow.

I underestimated how good All Things New would be - it was unbelievably fantastic!

The part before Jessa's accident was annoying and I'm glad the author left that behind and didn't physically drag it into the rest of the story. Jessa's accident was heart-stopping and gave me pause. Afterwards, the story picks up and from then on its really difficult to stop reading (but why would you? it's a great book).

What Jessa is going through is unfortunately more common than not. How she thinks, feels, behaves, and perceives things is exactly what someone with panic attacks and anxiety experiences. It's an honest and raw portrayal of teenage mental health issues and mental health in general. She is a relatable character even if you haven't fully experienced all that she has.

I love Marshall - he is the bright spot in Jessa's darkness, a bright spot we sometimes forget we have or feel we don't have in our lives. Usually, someone with such a sunny disposition is a little off-putting for me in stories. But not Marshall. I think his heart condition, once he began to understand what it really meant, made him have a different, more positive outlook on life - sort of like Chris from the television show Parks and Recreation. Marshall is a great character. Silly, funny, kind. I'm glad that - although this is a love story - the focus wasn't squarely on him - that he would be the end-all-fix-all - but on Jessa. And yet, I wish there was more development between Marshall and Jessa.

I am so thankful Lauren Miller wrote this story and that it will be shared with the world as it shares an important message. The story and writing is beautiful. The characters are raw and real. You will feel all the feels. 2017 has been a great year for new books so far and All Things New just made it better!

I started reading All Things New on my last flight and finished it in the airport for another flight two weeks later, and it was fine. Whenever I read about anxiety, panic attacks and other mental health issues, I want to feel more than fine when I finish the book – but Lauren Miller’s story about Jessa, who is struggling to recover from a car accident and find herself, doesn’t stand out to me from any others I could’ve picked up off the shelf.

The synopsis below says this is for fans of All the Bright Places and The Fault in Our Stars. I loved both of those books but see no similarities between this one and those.

And I know this was an unedited galley, but I really struggled with the formatting of the e-book. I hope this gets resolved before it’s published, because some lines would be combined, others would be broken up in awkward places – it made it hard to keep up with dialogue.

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The writing

Lauren Miller’s prose is fairly straightforward. Nothing that stands out as particularly bad or good, although she definitely has trouble picking what the hell she wants to focus on. Her plot needs tidying up – I complain about that below.

Nothing is straight-up awful. But nothing is great, either.


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The characters
Jessa and Marshall and Hannah could’ve been literally anyone.


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The plot
Did someone say #instalove? No, Marshall and Jessa aren’t in love, but they become deeply emotionally connected very quickly. We’re expected to believe that this is just how Marshall is, but on Jessa’s part, it doesn’t really make sense.

Otherwise, there are just a lot of moving parts to this plot that don’t add up to be interesting enough for me. Just a few…

Jessa’s scars and fear of mirrors. This is resolved much faster than you’d think.
Jessa has panic attacks, and she doesn’t want to tell anyone.
Jessa meets the school therapist and bonds with him…
… but he doesn’t actually exist. At least, not the person she “meets.”
Jessa is hallucinating scars on peoples’ faces. It turns out she is sensing their hurt and pain and projecting it onto their face. It’s bizarre.
Hannah is auditioning for a high-profile music school. It consumes her the entire book and makes her a total pain in the ass …
… But we never actually find out if she gets into the school.
Marshall wants to take Jessa on a date.
Jessa doesn’t want to go on a date with Marshall.
There’s some issues with Jessa’s relationship with her mother, too. Because, of course. It’s not really acknowledged in the middle of All Things New but plays a big part only in the beginning and ending – kind of whenever it feels convenient.
Jessa can’t forgive her dad.
And then she forgives her dad.
Marshall has a hole in his heart.
Marshall needs surgery for the hole in his heart.
There are complications, some time after the surgery.
Hannah is addicted to Adderall.

I swear, almost all of these plot points were all treated like “breaking points” in the plot. As if each one was the climax. I don’t even know what the actual high point of this novel was supposed to be.


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In conclusion…

All Things New was fine. Fine. *shrug*

This was a lovely YA novel. At first I was worried that it might be another sappy teenage love story, but I was wrong. When Jessa finds her boyfriend has been cheating, she leaves the party distraught and is badly injured in a car accident that leaves her with a brain injury and facial scars that do nothing to improve her already-fragile state dealing with low self-esteem and panic attacks. Believing others around her all whisper "Barbie's unstable," she cannot cope and eventually moves in with her father and transitions to an "alternative" school. There she is befriended by Hannah and her twin, Marshall; here's where the story really begins as she navigates new territory and attempts to heal with the help of others. Realistic and gritty, the language sounds like that of teenagers and the book never evolves to the level of self-pity; instead it is a poignant look at mental disorders and the perception of others. At its heart it is also a love story of broken promises, faith, friendship, redemption, and survival. Truly a must-read!

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this one, but I was surprised at how much I liked it. Jessa seems like a strong character. You can tell that she's suffering from anxiety and that she's kind of vain.

After her accident things change and she gets a reality check. When she moves in with her dad her life changes drastically. Suddenly she's being looked at because of her scars instead of her beauty, so she tries to hide from others.

Making friends with Hannah and Marshall is pretty much what saves her. I love the dynamics between the three of them and how they all help each other out. I didn't feel like the romance was an insta-love; it was slow and sweet, starting with their friendship. Jessa's growth throughout the story is noticeable and appreciated.

There's one point, at the end, that becomes a little weird as they describe one of the "characters" as an "angel". It's a little out of left field and also have an Every Last Word vibe, but I didn't think too much of it.

All in all, a good story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Three Saints Press for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the depth of the characters. As someone who struggles with anxiety personally it was great to be able to related to Jessa and found her portrayal of anxiety very accurate. I also loved the character of Marshall and found he added a layer of excitement to the book. It was great to be able to compare Jessa's thought processes to those around her and see how the anxiety affected her in day to day living.
I loved how it incorporated so many different themes into the book but none felt half covered.
My only complaint is that I want to know what happens to Hannah so if you could write a book from her perspective next and about moving forward that would be amazing!
It was a great page turner and I didn't want it to end, well done for writing an amazing book based around anxiety :)

I loved this book because I can relate to the character! Panic attacks and Anxiety are real in this day and age more than it was when I was younger! Anyone who suffers from this should read this book, they will enjoy every bit of it

All Things New is a riveting story about a girl named Jessa who after a car accident faces anxiety and depression. I couldn't put the book down. Lauren Miller reveals the journey that Jenna takes painstakingly through her struggles to accept her flaws both physical and mental and finally emerge a stronger person. The story is told by Jenna. The reader follows her through each painful step toward self-acceptance and trust in others. I did not want to stop reading. I would highly recommend it to anyone. I now am anxiously waiting to read more novels by Lauren Miller.