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.

Didn't leave much of an impression with me. I think I needed more conflict, and more memorable characterization.

I really loved this book and it's empathetic and educated take on mental health and it's relatable, nuanced characters.

I almost wish the description for the book was less explicit. As it's being pitched right now, you go into the story almost expecting the "seeing emotional scars" thing to be a supernatural element in the narrative. When, the reality, is there is solid scientific evidence presented in the book for why Jessa may be seeing weird things (with a touch of the spiritual thrown in to make it more compelling.) In other words, the book is so good, it doesn't NEED to rely so heavily on the metaphor at its heart. Sure the metaphor make it an easier book to sell (otherwise it's a more standard "Fault in Our Stars" kind of story), but I think it could turn off readers too (who might think that sounds too hokey) and that would be a shame.

I do have one HUGE issue with the book that I want to point out. I was really bothered by the "anti-meds" stance that this book takes. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT WILL BE READ BY KIDS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. The idea that Jessa tried meds and rejected them because they made her feel foggy is a valid point, but it also tells kids that (group) therapy is the best way to solve their problems or that using "mind of matter" skills and having the right, supportive friends and family members will be their best hope. For some kids this simply will not be the case. For many it will be a combo of meds AND therapy that will help them get better. For some, who have very complex mental health issues, meds may be crucial. So to have Jessa dis meds as unhelpful/unnecessary to her recovery and then to ALSO throw in the subplot of a school psychiatrist who is handing out meds willy nilly to kids who can abuse them seemed to be irresponsible and potentially dangerous. There is already a lot of resistance to these medications among teens and adults, why add to that stigma?

A book that tells the story of hurting, healing and finding the courage to forgive (oneself) and move on stronger!

Jessa's story finishes off with a lot of hope for her future - but the book is a journey of her and her newfound friends Marshall & Hannah finding the courage and strength to fight their inner demons and physical scars & ailments.

There are times when as a reader I felt a disconnect from the story or Jessa's character too depressing - and the sudden abrupt happy ending for everyone just didn't work for me - but nonetheless sweet story!

NB: Received a complimentary copy of the book in return for an honest review!

DNF

Mini review:

I received this E-ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I had heard about this book through GR, found it interesting and requested it. Unfortunately I didn't like it.

I didn't like the MC. She avoided everything to points of stupidity. She was rude to her dad because he was actually trying to get involved in her and help her. She treated her friends ten times better than her own father. Who was actually trying to be a good dad. The romance came out of nowhere. Yes the guy was nice to her and she liked him. But I didn't feel the attraction and didn't even know the MC liked him that way.

There are much better contemporaries out there. I do not recommend this.

All Things New begins in the middle of one of Jessa's panic attacks: chaos abounds through short sentences and fragmented thoughts. I was overwhelmed and confused, but this is exactly how an anxiety attack feels. Lauren Miller wasted no time getting to the point with her strong opening scene.

Jessa is a relatable high school girl, especially to someone like me who also suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. Her internal thoughts have often been my exact thoughts before. I understand why she gets anxiety about certain situations, even when it may seem illogical and irrational to others. I've been in her shoes.

After she gets into a car accident that leaves her scarred in more ways than one, Jessa begins seeing scars, burns, bruises, and cuts on others' faces. After realizing she is the only person who can see these marks, Jessa begins to wonder if there's a purpose behind their existence and if she's getting better or worse in the months post-accident.

This novel does a really good job at communicating the idea that everyone experiences pain, whether physical or emotional or mental, and that everyone has a "dragon" to fight. Just because one cannot see the hurt does not mean that it doesn't exist. Most pain we bury away anyway, putting on a facade of being happy and okay, but what if others could see what we are actually struggling with on the inside?

All Things New's diversity in mental health conditions brings awareness to the many diseases that exist. This book features characters with an array of afflictions: autism, Aspergers, panic attacks, OCD, anxiety, addiction, and anorexia, among others. Although some conditions may have been portrayed stereotypically at times, none of it was in a negative light.

This is a beautiful story of acceptance, both of yourself and of others, and the differences and trials that make us human. It is witty and heartfelt, emotional and encouraging. But most of all it is about the hope of overcoming your "dragons" and how that can revive your soul.

"I've been letting fear win. . . . Generalized anxiety disorder is no small dragon. But I'm the one who gave that dragon the throne. Not because I didn't know how to fight it, even though that's what I would've said. But because I was afraid of what fighting it would cost me."

First line: "<i>It catches my eye as it goes dark, lights blinking out all at once, upstairs, downstairs, front porch, <b>snap</b>, like someone hit a master switch.</i>

The mind is really quite an intricate and complex thing. It is beauty, intelligence, tragedy, and ultimately, it is it's own being. Anxiety disorder and/or panic disorder are somewhat common in today's society, but just like many other mental health issues - it is still quite stigmatized. This book is really an eye-opener and rings true to those who have experienced a panic attack...but also gives you somewhat of a vague idea of what it feels like to have one. Everyone is different, of course, but this novel may just help others get a slight grasp on how challenging anxiety and panic disorders are to deal with on a daily basis.

<i>"...there were so many other things I couldn't see. The beauty in brokenness. The power of honesty. The way hope lights up the dark."</i>

Jessa is a phenomenal character. At the beginning of the novel, I felt that she was definitely not a character to write home about - she was so broken and lost. However, you see her grow and transition into a beautiful girl with increasing confidence in herself, despite all she has been through and has yet to go through. And at the end of it all, I felt that she was the heroine; the heroine of her own story...which is really what life is all about.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book; heartbreak, despair, happiness...and somewhere under all of that I felt hope. Hope for what was to come and hope that Jessa could overcome her "dragon".

<i>"That's the thing about the invisible world ... Where souls get battered and minds get muddled and heart get broken again and again. It's a war zone, a disaster area, but no one wants to talk about how messed up things are, so we let each other pretend."</i>

I really enjoyed that Lauren Miller let Jessa's thoughts and feelings be known throughout the entire novel (which I suppose is required in this type of novel, but Jessa was so concrete to me and so believable that these inner thoughts and feelings really added another layer of connection), no matter what was going on you were right there with her. Often, it was sarcastic comments or thoughts that before even reading them I had thought in my head. I felt like I was so close to Jessa.

This novel really affected me in a way that I did not expect. I am quite thankful for the opportunity I got in reading this e-arc from Netgalley. It was a gem that I will not soon forget.

I'm not usually one to quote sections of novels in reviews or in other places, but there were a few that really stuck with me - so I thought I would share, which I have done throughout this review. Here's one last one...
<i>"None of us knows what'll happen next ... on one level [that's] terrifying, because it means there will be lots of moments like this, moments when it feels like darkness is all there is. But just because we can't see the light doesn't mean it isn't there, that it isn't right around the corner. And just because we feel alone doesn't mean we are."</i>

I love this author as she has the ability to dress up challenging concepts and parade them in front of your eyes via intriguing story arc. Parallel is one of my favourite young adult sci-fi books, so I was pumped to read All Things New by Lauren Miller.
First Line of All Things New by Lauren Miller


“It catches my eye as it goes dark, lights blinking out all at once, upstairs, downstairs, front porch, snap, like someone hit a master switch.”

My Thoughts on All Things New by Lauren Miller

Ultimately, I did enjoy this book, a lot. However I thought it lagged at the beginning, and then picked up majorly in the second half. It is a very character driven book, so luckily I liked Jessa from page one. She has an accident at the beginning of the book, which leaves her badly scarred. Jessa also has an anxiety disorder, and the knock-on consequences of the accident sends it in to overdrive for her.

I’ve never had to cope with an anxiety disorder, but I feel that I learnt a lot from reading the book. I now understand just how huge it is, and how it impacts on everything. Her thoughts are dark and deep, but there is also a very hopeful outlook which really helped me to process everything.

So thumbs up for what felt like a very authentic depiction. My flat-out favourite thing though was the ideas and thoughts that are hashed out during the book. Like a surreal discussion about Dorian Gray, or stimulating thoughts on philosophy. It was mind-boggling and very cool.

Overall a very original and thought-provoking book. My only complaint is that the start was slow but once I got stuck in, I was hooked. There is a little bit of a religious theme which I normally hate, but it wasn’t forced down your throat and I was fine with it. Also there is a romance, it wasn’t the centre focus of the book, but it was sweet and very nicely done.

Who should read All Things New by Lauren Miller?

I’d recommend this to you if you want to read an encouraging and realistic-feeling book about a teenager with anxiety. I’d also recommend it to fans of issue focused ya contemporary books, especially if you enjoy authors such as Kasie West or Jessi Kirby.

Thanks to NetGalley and Three Saints Press for giving me a copy of this book for review consideration. As always, not matter what the source of the book, you get my honest, unbiased opinion.

I was intrigued by this book for two reasons: the gorgeous cover and the on-the-page anxiety rep.
From the very beginning of the story, Jessa openly struggles with nearly debilitating anxiety. Since her dad moved away in seventh grade, Jessa’s been having panic attacks, resulting in the loss of nearly all her friends. She has learned to manage her anxiety through methods of avoidance, but when she’s involved in a life-threatening car accident, avoidance stops working. The accident leaves her with facial scarring, and she begins hallucinating scars, bruises, and burns on random people’s faces.
From what I understand of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the anxiety rep is completely on point. One thing I loved about this was the way Jessa’s anxiety expresses itself in the writing. Her thoughts are constantly interrupting the narration without punctuation or capitalization, which reminds me of how I feel at points when I have intrusive thoughts. Jessa’s feelings and surroundings are described with intense imagery that reflects the chaos she goes through during and after the accident, and the language is absolutely beautiful.
This book intrigued me with the concept: invisible illness (anxiety) and emotional pain translate into the physical scars, burns, cuts, etc. that Jessa sees on people’s faces. I don’t know a whole lot about aphantasia (mind’s eye blindness) or hallucinations, but this seemed pretty realistic to me: Jessa’s spent years avoiding her anxiety, claiming that therapy and meds made it worse, and now she’s forced to face her fears. I appreciated the development of her friendship with Hannah and her romance with Marshall, which I felt went at a realistic pace (a rarity in YA romance).
When Jessa starts at Crossroads, an alternative school for artistic kids or those who’ve gotten kicked out of prior schools, she at first resists seeking help for her anxiety. Eventually, she begins speaking with Dr. I, the school’s psychiatrist. I had high hopes for this relationship, as he seemed like a good guy and encouraged her to attend a support group. However, I was disappointed in the way psychiatric medication got thrown around in this book. It strikes me as highly unlikely that a school would have a psychiatrist (medical doctor specializing in psychological disorders) vs. a psychologist (counselor or therapist who specializes in mental health issues). I was also disturbed that Dr. I could prescribe kids medications like Aderall without parental consent; this strikes me as unlikely and problematic, although it made for an interesting plot point in Hannah’s character.
While I was intrigued by Jessa’s hallucinations, believing them to have a unique psychological explanation, I was disappointed in where this book went at the end of the story, which is the main reason I’m giving this 3 stars.
SPOILERS AHEAD but I feel like they’re necessary to explain my issues with the book.
Near the end of the novel, Jessa discovers that the man she thought was Dr. I, the school counselor, turns out to be not real. She hallucinated the man in the white coat at the scene of her accident and then later when she encountered him in school. Rather than taking the word of the actual Dr. I, that Jessa is hallucinating, she decides that the man in the white coat is actually her guardian angel.
This is hard for me. I grew up Protestant, so I understand the idea behind angels who look out for us when we’re in trouble. In fact, in high school, my belief in God was one of the things that got me through my depression. I understand the desire to believe in a Higher Power, I really do. But to use this as a plot device strikes me as problematic. For one thing, hallucinating angels is pretty common for folks dealing with mental illnesses like schizophrenia, yet Jessa just gets to believe that she’s right because God.
On top of that, rather than following Jessa through her recovery process, her issues seemingly disappear once she realizes that it was God all along. She stops hallucinating bruises on other people when she recognizes that it was God showing her how other people were emotionally hurting. Which is cute, I guess, except it greatly misrepresents what it’s actually like to recover and forever deal with a real anxiety disorder. Mental illness doesn’t just disappear. I don’t care what God you believe in, but it just doesn’t go away if you pray hard enough. A book that ends like this one might give kids the idea that they just need to pray harder, that they will stop feeling depressed or anxious if they just want it bad enough. This is harmful—believe me, I was there at seventeen, trying to pray away my depression. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.
So while I wanted to give this book at least 4 stars throughout the first 75%, the ending ruined it for me. No amount of beautiful language and accurate anxiety rep in the beginning can make up for ‘praying it away’ as an ending. But that’s my opinion, I suppose.

We all have baggage. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.

In many ways, that is the underlying theme of this title.

Jessa has felt broken for years. Years filled with panic attacks and isolation (except for a boyfriend.)
It is at a party that she hears herself referred to as a Barbie with mental issues. And, it is at this party that she learns her boyfriend has been seeing another girl for months. He just hadn't broken things off because of concern that she'd take it badly.
Without even being able to confront him about it, she leaves in tears and drives towards home. Only, she never makes it home as another driver runs a red light and plows into her.

Jessa recovers but finds that 'her mind's eye' is off. She can't visualize things in her head. Plus, she seems to be hallucinating as she begins to see scars and other injuries on people.

Instead of returning to her high school, she moves from California to Colorado to live with her dad. The dad whose leaving the family years earlier brought on the panic attacks.

On her first day of school in her new location, she learns that it is an alternative school for arts and people 'with issues.' The girl showing her around is an artist. Jessa is considered one of the kids with an issue. Yet, the girls find a common ground and soon become good friends.

Slowly, Jessa learns to come out of her shell. I won't go into details...but let's just say there's a guy she is attracted to and another guy who might really be an angel. In the end, Jessa heals not only from her physical wounds but emotionally as well. And, she comes to realize that we are ALL broken in some way.

As for is this book good? Well, let's just say I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. Yep, it was that good!

*Recieved a free copy from netgalley for a review but was an auto-buy anyway based on the author*

I really enjoyed the first 90% of this book. I didn't know what I was expecting at the end, but it wasn't that. The sci-fi aspect was really interesting until it started to skew more fantasy which was what I did not enjoy. I was hoping that it would be more like Lauren Miller's first two books and it wasn't bad, it just wasn't quite at the same level as those two were. I did have the ending ruined by one of the other reviewers who did not have a spoiler tag on their reivew, so maybe that skewed my view of the ending a bit.

The portrayal of GAD was honest and well-written. All the characters were very accepting which was nice. Marshall was wonderful and I loved their relationship. I would recommend that you read this book, if only for an accurate representation of what GAD is like majority of the time. The healing process is a little more involved than what this book portrays though. One group therapy session and she is good to go, which was a little frustrating. I believe that healing from GAD takes years and honestly, you never fully recover, you just learn how to cope with it better. I wish that was shown a little bit more but overall, I'm happy with it. Especially because you can't REALLY know what GAD is like unless you are personally the one that is suffering.

Thank you for finally getting us your third book Lauren Miller. Still a huge fan :)

Jessa Gray's panic attacks leaver her feeling broken, but she's gotten very good at hiding from the world. When a car accident leaves her with scars as visible as the brokenness she feels inside, Jessa can no longer hide. She moves to Colorado with her father to start over, but has trouble healing when she realizes she sees bruises and burns on the faces of the people around her that others don't see.
A book about healing and forgiveness, All Things New does an excellent job of showing the struggle of panic attacks and anxiety.

ublication Date:
August 01, 2017

My thoughts:
The power of Miller's prose is her ability to create characters that we care about. 17-year-old Jessa Gray should have everything, and to those on the outside, she looks like she has everything, but she is just very good at hiding what is is broken inside of her. It takes an accident to force her to literally reveal what is broken inside of her as she now has to carry her scars on the outside. The accident also allows her to see the scars that others around her carry as a way to seek answers for herself and be able to reach out to others who need her help and empathy. It doesn't hurt that she falls for indefatigable Marshall who uses his own brokenness as a rally cry to embrace life and love fully.

Miller takes these realistic issues and infuses it with very tangible chemistry between characters as well as humor and even some divine intervention. This is a devour-worthy read and puts Miller on the radar for YA authors that write movie worthy hits.

An advanced copy provided in return for an honest review by Net Galley.

When Jessa moved to a new school following an accident which left her face severely scarred, she starts hallucinating and isn't sure whether it's due to the brain damage caused by the accident or something deeper. The people she meets along the way all play a big part in her self-discovery and somehow make the reader question their own lives as well.

The diversity in this book was refreshing and fairly honest. It was a good, quick read that I would possibly recommend reading, but it isn't a book that blew me away or that I took to be overly memorable.

I liked how this book talks about mental illness and how one person cope after an accident. One thing great about this book was the friendship between Marshall and Jessa. Marshall's optimism in life, even though he has a heart defect, helped Jessa in recovering from her horrible accident. While reading this book, I felt emotional in some parts because it is just so real.