I had a string of books lately that were just lacking in plot in character development in lame-in terms they sucked it was trash. THEN I see this intriguing cover and even more see the genre is LGBTQ and I’m already amped up, then I’m 10 pages in and I’m like YESS! And 3 hours later Im glued to this book, I’m walking and reading it I mean even taking it with me in the bathroom! What I love most is finding a brand new author who writes a book that is truly phenomenal it’s relatable and most importantly it’s ABSOLUTELY REAL. A disclaimer it’s a book about sexual trauma and I found myself rooting for Sav the entire time and for her healing. The writing was truly captivating and I loved almost all of the characters and Sav’s friend. As a fellow lesbian we all want these people in our life and it was comforting! I am greedy with my 5 stars and this was such an easy choice, absolutely 10/10 of ten and is so far my top 5 of the year! Will be absolutely adding this book to wishlist to purchase. The biggest thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read this book! PPS Haley —- you have a new fan!!! So excited to see what you write next!!

I was SO excited to read Jakobson's debut novel. What I loved were the themes of queer discovery, coming of age and community building. Despite the characters being relatable and realistic, I couldn't quite engage in a deep connection with them. The non-chronological format mixed with less than robust character development made it hard to invest in one group, as then I was right back learning about the earlier characters. That said, I think my issues with this book boil down to personal preference. The writing style felt very Young Adult, which is a genre I don't generally enjoy. I was expecting a more literary fiction meets contemporary fiction vibe, and with that expectation in mind I was left craving a sort of richness and rawness I never found. I will continue to follow Jakobson and check out her work!

haley jakobson is one of my favorite writers, and i couldn't have been more excited to read and review an ARC of her debut novel! old enough is authentic, raw, and wildly accurate to the queer experience. i saw myself in this story and it made me feel seen. i also loved haley's use of gen z lingo and references in her writing - it made it even more relatable! overall, old enough is a beautiful story about the intersection of queer friendships and trauma and i loved it so much!!!

I often found myself relating and finding myself in almost literally every character. Old Enough is about queerness, self discovery, friendships, and sooooo much more. Can’t wait to recommend this to all my friends once out!!

This was such a fantastic debut from Haley Jakobson! It really with so many tough but unfortunately relatable topics in a unique way, and I felt so many different emotions while reading this book. I loved Sav’s character arc, especially her story with Wes. They both deserve all the happiness in the world

I loved this book. The writing was spectacular I could not put it down. I look forward to recommending this to everyone.

Old Enough by Haley Jakobson was a raw yet stunning coming-of-age debut!

So I literally couldn't stop reading this book.
Jakobson has created a beautiful thought-provoking exploration of friendship, strength, love and acceptance. And what finding your people can feel like.
These characters here are finding themselves while overcoming trauma that has happened.
And I couldn't help but love and feel for them.
I thought the writing was done so well. Haley Jakobson kept me engaged and honestly not wanting this story to end so soon.
Such a moving and powerful read. That I devoured and couldn't get enough of.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You Netgalley and Penguin Group & Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I'd really like NetGalley to start putting trigger warnings.
I hadn't seen this book dealth with sexual assault, therefore I won't be reading it and reviewing it, I'm sorry.

This is a very good book. I really love the characters and the way it was written. Having already been following the author for a while, I was reallh excited to read her book. It didn't disappoint and I do think this is a very good book for young adults. This is a queer and honest book that hits so many topics close to many. Very beatiful debut and I can't wait till I read more of the author. It is highly recommended for anyone who loves YA queer books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review!

Read this to give your baby gay self a big hug. This was an utterly charming and simultaneously raw depiction of what it feels like to be newly out, in college, growing apart from your childhood best friend, trying to find your people, and grappling with trauma. This is such an important book that will mean so much to so many people. I wish I could go back and give this book to younger me and my friends. I laughed, I cried. Brava, @haleyjakobson <3

Thank you Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were so well developed and not at all trope-y. I found it to be very relatable as a queer person, and i fell in love with the characters. I wish they were my friends! I’m usually not one to reread books, but I will definitely be buying a hard copy when it comes out to add to my collection, and i will definitely be telling other people about it. Can’t wait to see what Haley writes next!

I could not put down this “coming of age” book! The way the story explored finding yourself, outgrowing relationships, understanding queerness (bonus points for bi visibility), and the intricacies of trauma and healing.. it was just so well done. The relationships the main character forms in University were so heartwarming and, for someone in this life stage (or even after for that matter), the messages are so important to hear. I also appreciated how the author danced between timelines, it made me want to keep turning the pages; the pacing was quick and each chapter was purposeful.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC!

Literally just finished this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, so I went in with an open mind. In the beginning, I found the book to be a little challenging to follow. There were a lot of moving parts. I felt like I was trying to understand where Sav was, how old she was, and the friends that she was talking about. It took a few chapters to realize who was who and what was going on. Once I got that down, it became more of an easy read. This book was honestly a little too slow for me. There was information in the book that was leading up to an event that Sav was trying to understand herself. This book is about how Sav was learning about herself and self-growth. I think that this book is great for people that are in the LGBTQ+ community or even people that are friends of the community and maybe want to see the struggles that some may face. I caught myself having to do a google search over some of the terminology, but I kind of loved that at the same time, because I felt like it helped me become more knowledgeable. Overall, I thought it was an easy read once I figured things out.

I wanted to enjoy this but found it to be not what I was expecting. I couldn't get into the story or the characters and found the writing a bit off.

I requested Old Enough on NetGalley because I admire the author’s short form online writing about ocd and bisexuality. I otherwise went in without knowing much about the plot, and I was hooked immediately, reading this book in one day. I loved it so much and related to the main character deeply.

Old Enough is about childhood friendship, queerness, finding your people, putting yourself and your joy first, self discovery, growing pains, and so much more. It also made me laugh out loud several times. I could hear my own voice and my friends’ voices in the dialogue and the awkwardness of being 20. There is some heavy content in here about sexual assault, so readers should be prepared for that. I personally found the funny moments and beautiful insights on found family balanced out that heaviness in a way that worked well for me. The ending was really powerful, and I can’t wait until this one is out in the world so I can discuss with other readers!

CW for sexual assault

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/4 stars rounded up to 4

Whoa. Old Enough brought me back to a place I never thought I'd be again. Very much like Sav, I'm a bisexual girl who came out in college and dealt with healing from a sexual assault during those same years. Parts of this novel really hit me in the gut, and I felt like I was 20 years old all over again as I went through Savannah's complicated, painful journey with her. Haley Jakobson nails it in how she writes trauma recovery and intimate relationships between women, whether those relationships are romantic, sexual, or platonic. Izzie and Savannah's friendship was one of the better parts of the novel, especially due to Jakobson's skill at writing Izzie as someone who brings out the same difficult, conflicting emotions Savannah feels toward her in the reader. There were times I hated Izzie and then times where I loved her. It's so easy for the "antagonist" (I don't want to label Izzie as an antagonist because she really isn't??? But she isn't NOT???) to be written as a bad person, and boom, the reader's job is easy because we don't like them. But I truly did find myself understanding Sav's connection to her and why their relationship meant so much to each other. Did I agree with it? No. Would I have made the same choices that Sav did in their friendship? No. But I understood Savannah's position, which I think is a testament to Jakobson's writing.

Overall, I'd recommend this book. Trigger warnings for sexual assault for sure.

i read this book in one day, i truly could not put it down. jakobson's tender, healing words hold the reader's hand through difficult topics related to r*pe and SA trauma - sav, the main character, has a story that is all too familiar for so many women and femme-presenting people. but despite the heavy subject material this book is laugh out loud FUNNY at parts and has incredibly rich side characters that you cannot help but love. this book is exactly what i needed at 17 and i'm so glad i have it now. my favorite read of the year, i cannot wait to read more from this author!

I requested this on a whim, and I'm so glad I did. This book spoke to me in a way most don't, and I don't know if it's just the right time right book but this was absolutely gut wrenching. I don't think this book will be for everyone, but I really enjoyed listening to Savannah's awkward, completely earnest inner dialogue. I, too, am in love with someone in my Gender and Sexuality Studies class who may or may not notice me, and this book gave me hope. Maybe I am Savannah. But this book was SO good. I also loved all the side characters because they didn't feel like side-characters.