I couldn’t get into this book. I tried multiple times and it just didn’t grab my attention. I skimmed through hoping something would grab me but nothing ever did.

Analee, In Real Life is a funny and heartfelt story about grief, family, friendship, romance, and self-acceptance. I related to Analee intensely over many things such as her low self-esteem, body image issues, status as a social outcast, and grief over losing her mother to cancer. I loved the use of lists in the book to emphasize Analee's voice and personality, and in general her characterization felt so real to me. The fake dating trope was well-developed and had me shipping Analee and Seb over Harris, even though Harris wasn't a bad dude. Although Analee's soon-to-be step-mom was Super White in a way that was understandably off-putting, I was glad that she turned out to be a decent person and that Analee was able to reconcile her differences and embrace her new family, including her younger step-sister. The scenes between Analee and her father and the ones about her mother were poignant and really got to me since I'm in a similar situation where my mom is gone and my dad is my only parent left. Overall, this book was a super engaging read, and it would have been perfect if not for one element of the ending, which didn't work out quite the way I expected or wanted and left me feeling a bit disappointed and cheated.

I was unable to get to this title before it expired in my adobe reader. Wish the publisher would use the kindle option so that I would have more time to read this title.

Analee, In Real Life is one of my favorite books this year. The novel is an in-depth look into Analee's life as her father prepares to marry another woman, Harlow, 2 years after her mother's death. This brings back a lot of grief and resentment for Analee. During this time span, Analee decides to enter a fake relationship in hopes of renewing an old friendship.

Here are some things I loved about this book:
1) Every relationship was nuanced. There was no perfect relationship nor characters.
2) Cuban representation!
3) Analee has social anxiety and body insecurities. I saw a lot of myself in this, and it was great to see my psyche so well represented. The representation was spot on.
4) Non-conventional ending. I won't give spoilers, but I actually really liked the ending, but I wouldn't be surprised if some readers were a little upset about it.
5) Family and friendships are very important in the book! Both really shape Analee, and I loved that they weren't pushed to the back-burner when the romance plot picked up.
6) Even though Analee, In Real Life does have romance, the book is more about Analee and her growth as a person. This made for a much more complex and rewarding read!

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.

Analee has been used to flying under the radar, going unnoticed in school to prevent embarrassing situations and being made fun of. She has lost her mother to cancer, and soon after that, her best friend drifted away from her. Now her father is dating Harlow, his yoga teacher, and they want to get married. Analee also has a friend named Harris she plays games with online, but she has never met him in person. She thinks she has fallen in love with him, but when the popular Sebastian asks her to pretend to date him so he can get his ex girlfriend Chloe back, she finds out after awhile that she is falling for him as well. As Analee learns to accept who she is, she also learns valuable lessons about accepting and trusting others and being unafraid to step out of her comfort zone.
I enjoyed this book a great deal, especially since I identified with Analee and her struggle to embrace who she is and not be so concerned with what people think about her. The characters and situations were so well written that I felt like I was experiencing everything firsthand. At times I was so mad at some of the other characters who treated Analee badly, but I also liked the chemistry between Seb and Analee when they were being genuine. I didn't agree with some of the opinions presented and I didn't care for the abundant amounts of profanity, but I liked the story and the lessons it teaches about different kinds of relationships and the importance of enjoying life in spite of circumstances. I recommend this book to those who enjoy YA fiction with substance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Annalee in Real Life has fake dating, online friendships and all sorts of High school drama throughout the story. However, its true focus is on familial love and self realization wrapped in stunning prose.

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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?

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I received an eARC of Analee in Real Life via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I want sure if I would actually enjoy Analee in Real Life at first. Little by little, author Janelle Milanes wrapped me up in the Echevarria family and their woes until I couldn't wait to read what would happen next.

At the beginning of this story, Analee is sad and bitter. She spends her days blocking the entire world out and hiding in her MMORPG guild with a guy she's half in love with but hasn't said anything about.

I loved that the fact that Harris was her online friend was never criticized and made out to be a lesser friendship by anyone in her family. Seeing Analee come out of her shell on her own terms, little by little, was wonderful. I loved that Seb made an effort to try the game she loved, and that Analee actually came to genuinely enjoy soccer while watching Seb play.

One of my favorite parts was watching Harlow try her damnedest to do right by Analee and her heritage, even when she failed. I loved watching their relationship grow so organically.

However, I felt the ending with regards to the romance that takes up a good chunk of this book was a little anti-climactic. I loved the way Milanes wrote the familial ending, but Seb felt really out of character.

Overall, though, I loved this book. You can pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound!

[su_box title="ABOUT *BOOK TITLE*" style="default" box_color="#ff4400" title_color="#f2f2f2" radius="3" class=""]

Title: Analee in Real Life

Author: Janelle Milanes

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Length: 416 Pages

Release Date: September 18, 2018

Rating: ★★★★ / Five stars

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Representation: ownvoices Cuban main character,

Tropes: fake dating, online relationships,

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Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links. If you buy through those links, LFAI will make a small amount of money off of the sale.

Analee, in Real Life is a fast-paced heartbreaking contemporary young adult novel. A story that as all the great elements of a young adult novel including relationships, blended families, friend drama, and first love.

I loved this book. Has all the great elements of a good YA contemporary - dating relationships, blended family, friend issues and you can see the growth of Analee throughout the novel. I think many teen girls and women will relate to her insecurities. Hopefully the messages she learns about how to love herself will help someone else who feels the same way. I was very invested in the story so I was a little dissapointed in how open the ending was. . Overall, such a cute, wonderful book.

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.

There's nothing I love more than a fake dating novel. Nothing. And when I tell you that this one is incredibly special, heartwarming, unique, and moving, I mean it. The story follows Analee, a socially-awkward sixteen year old who spends most of her time online playing video games and trying to devise a way to make her online crush like her back. Still reeling from her mother's death and losing her best friend, Analee is in the process of not only trying to figure out her own person, but also watching her family stretch and change, what with her father getting married to a new woman soon. Right when Analee thinks things can't get any harder, enter Seb, the soccer-star-most-popular-boy-in-school who suggests to Analee that they should fake date in order to get back what they both need the most. And from there, things spiral.

What I loved the most about this book, however, was how integral the family elements were. Watching Analee try to navigate the complicated process of adjusting to new family dynamics while still feeling such a deep connection to the old ones was far more emotional than I ever expected it to be. By the end, I was literally weeping. But even though grief is at the forefront of this novel, it never once overpowers all the lighthearted, romantic elements. In fact, it just serves to enhance them. And it was surprisingly hilarious, too! The rapport between all of the characters felt so natural, and made relating to them so easily even when their situations were so unique.

But oh, Seb and Analee. I love how gently he coaxed her out of her shell, and how you could see her slowly change and adjust to her new life, her new self. And even though I was so irritated that Analee was so resistant to Seb's kidness at first, and how she struggled to see that his feelings for her were so genuine, their relationship was so endearing, built on trust and honesty that you don't often see in fake dating. There was no easy solution to Analee feelings, and honestly, there shouldn't have been. This book was real, through and through, and I could not have appreciated it more.

My only real issue that I have with this book is that there was a little bit too much hatred of stereotypical femininity for my liking. I understood why, but it was constantly pulsing in the background of the story, even when it wasn't obvious that it was happening. There were also not a lot of actual video game elements to this story. For me, that's a great thing. For others, maybe not so much. 

Overall, I could not have adored this novel more. It was such an incredible take on fake dating, and if you think you've seen it all before, this book proves you haven't. If you're looking for a good cry, I promise, you'll be weeping tears of happiness, sadness, and emotions-you'll-never-be-able-to-name for half an hour over this book. 

My review will be live by 11:30am on September 3 at https://yabooksdaily.wordpress.com/

beautifully written and very touching throughout. It was hard not to root for the characters and also feel the realness of their personal growth. Such a wonderful YA book dealing with family, loss, and friendship.