Thanks to Wednesday Books for an e-ARC of The Search for Us by @susanazimboyer which publishes in late October!

Samira and Henry meet when they discover they are related after taking a DNA test to get information about their missing father. They end up working together to try to find their father and get answers on why exactly he disappeared when they were both little. The book tackles alcoholism, adoption, absent mothers and mental health. In addition, the book gives us Iranian main characters which is representation that the author never saw growing up and as a result, she wrote what she wanted to see. I love that so much.

The Search for Us is available for pre-order now wherever you buy books!

Man, this book. Sometimes my 3-star reads indicate apathy. Other times, like this, they indicate frustration with really weird choices at the ending.

First off, some things I liked: Most of the book does a great job of capturing some frustrating, upsetting, and enraging elements of family. Certain aspects of this book were really familiar to me from my own family, and the dual POV gave Boyer a chance to show two very different sets of family dynamics. I also really enjoyed that as these two characters connect, they're also forming a new relationship with their Persian ancestry at the same time, and there's so much love in those scenes. It's really beautiful. Samira's relationship to her brother Kameron (who's struggling with alcoholism) is nuanced and troubling and hits a lot of complex notes. Henry's uncle/adoptive father does some stuff that had me tearing my hair out, even as I could sort of see WHY he was making those choices.

And then we get to the end, where Boyer ends up trying to put a neat little button on every single nuanced plot point she's established throughout the book. She tries to clean it up. To make it all okay. To make everything almost magically better. And that rang so false and left me so frustrated. For one thing, there are people who made very poor, selfish, harmful, or otherwise negative choices throughout the book, and suddenly they're just... fixed? Often with one throwaway line? Part of that annoyed me on a personal level, because as someone with a pretty dysfunctional family, it felt SO unbelievable for everything to be resolved so neatly. Also, some of the other characters' actions have lasting impacts, and indicate deeper issues, so to have them brushed off read as disingenuous. For me, it undermined a lot of what Boyer had done throughout the book to build up these nuanced and complex relationships.

Apart from that, a lot of the prose felt mechanical and flat, especially toward the end. Or maybe I was just more aware of it at the end because the need to give absolute closure was so stilted and forced.

All that said, there were so many excellent scenes in this book. Boyer's note at the end explains where this story came from. It's based on an experience her husband had, which is pretty close to parts of Henry's. I can understand the desire to give a character, based on someone she loves, closure. Perhaps for a kid who felt how Henry or Samira does at the start of the book, the ending which struck me as forced might offer hope. It might be healing for older readers who had similar experiences as kids. So I don't want to discount it entirely, because the author tackles so many heavy topics. I just wish she had been willing to leave is in a place where that nuance still lingered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book as an ARC. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

The Search for Us, by Susan Azim Boyer, really blew me away! I knew nothing about this novel going into it, and was interested based on the blurb and the fact my mom is adopted. The journey that Samira and Henry go through, two half-siblings that didn't know the other existed, is beautiful and poetic. They're both Iranian-American, a demographic we don't often get to see represented in novels. The display of mental health issues woven in is done so with grace. Having Samira and Henry take turns telling their story works really well. I got really attached to the characters and the new family relationships that these two siblings created in this novel!

As much as I love a romance, it's refreshing to pick up a YA book that's about family and friendships, and the ways we're changed as our non-romantic relationships shift over time. Told through the dual POV of half-siblings Samira and Henry, the story follows the pair as they struggle with uncertainties about their emotions, their career and college goals, their parents and other closest relatives, and their friendships. Each senses something is missing, information or context about their past that leaves them filling in the blanks with assumptions rather than truths. When they discover they're related, they combine forces to track down their absent father, anxious to get the answers each has been craving since childhood. What unfolds is a thoughtful look at what shapes us as we grow into adulthood, and how truth can be complicated, and how withholding that truth--even with the best of intentions--can have lasting repercussions.

The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer, 304 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2023. $21. Centering me, lgbtqia
Language: R (175 swears, 26 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
With the upcoming college decision deadline, stress is rising for Samira (17yo) and Henry (17yo) as they struggle to officially accept or decline due to their respective family drama. In the same week, these two teenagers, who have never met, choose to do DNA tests in an effort to find their fathers to come in and save the day. Instead, they find each other.
I love how Boyer addresses so many common mental issues that can be hard to live with, even if they aren’t diagnosed or categorized as mental illness. And it can be as difficult to navigate in real life as it was to read about. As Samira’s stress increased, so did my anxiety. It felt like bad just kept getting worse, until I was sure that the book was not going to have enough time to offer a solution. But despite how everything seemed to be wrong and was falling apart, Boyer showed readers that everything can still be okay—that we can make choices to be okay regardless of the circumstances we cannot control.
Samira and Kamron are Iranian/Persian, Irish, and American; Henry is Iranian/Persian, Russian, British, and American; Tara is implied Middle Eastern American and is also bisexual; Linh is Vietnamese; and Daniel is Black. The mature content rating is for alcohol use; groping; and mentions of drugs, condoms, and erection. The violence rating is for mild assault (hockey fighting) and for mentions of firearms and suicide.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

First off, I want to thank Wednesday Books for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is the story of two half-siblings who find out about each other through a DNA test that they were hoping would help them find their biological father, an Iranian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran. That right away is an interesting hook, and it was really easy to get into this story just to see what happened next.

Samira Murphy feels responsible for taking care of everything and everyone, such as her widowed grandmother and her brother, Kamron, who is struggling with alcoholism. That’s a lot of responsibility for a seventeen-year-old. She thought that if she found her father, she could get him to finally support her and her brother. Henry Owen, who was raised by his aunt and uncle, along with his biological mother who would visit at times, always wondered what it would be like to meet his biological father. Meeting him would change everything and maybe he’d finally feel more understood. When they end up finding each other, they start to eventually learn more about the missing pieces from their past and who their father really was.

This book was very engaging, and I couldn’t help but want to see how their first meeting would go down, where their father was and what it would be like once they finally met him. I felt sympathy for Samira and Henry, who had very different ideas of their father and what the outcome would be. The book did not stray away from tough topics, showing how Kamron would get, the sacrifices Samira made, the emptiness Henry would feel and their father’s past. It was nuanced; rather than excusing a person’s actions, it was about understanding their actions. Also, at the end of the day, Samira and Henry are only teenagers who have to grapple with all these emotions, and I liked that it showed how evidently their upbringing would cause them to have different reactions.

I typically love reading books that include romance, but it was nice to read a book where the focus was about family and reconnection. Family can be very messy, and we saw how this affected Samira and Henry, as well as Kamron. But there is this feeling of hope that things will get better. They aren’t perfect, but they have the chance to reconnect and feel like a family.

I will admit that the text messages and slang threw me off a bit, but it didn’t take away from the story. What I would’ve loved, however, was to see more of the ending fleshed out, as well as certain issues with characters, like Henry’s uncle. I know there was a lot to wrap up, but certain things felt a little quick. However, overall, I was happy to see Samira and Henry reconnect with their biological father and his side of the family.

Overall, I give it 4 stars!

This book really dives into family dynamics in a real and refreshing way. It does not shy away from heavy topics, and I appreciate how the author handled this. This story is about unexpected found family, and how the search for a father also leads into the search and discovery of oneself. A newly found brother and sister creates a support system both needed in a chaotic family environment.

ARC Review

The Search for Us is a NEW book about family and everything that comes along with it. Release Day is October 24th!

Samira Murphy has a close best friend, an educator who really cares about her, and a submitted application to her top-choice university giving her hope for the future.

She also has an alcoholic brother, a widowed grandmother, and financial problems pushing that hope down ounce by ounce.

Henry Owen is all-around stuck. He is stuck between one family this should be his own, one family that makes him feel suffocated yet alone, and one family that he has never known.

Though they have very different reasons for taking a DNA test to find their father, they instead find each other.

This is a heartwarming tale of a newly found brother and sister on a journey to much more than simply finding their father. On their search for him, they find themselves.

This book contains some realistic insight into mental health and addiction and offers a powerful perspective on what it means to be family. I enjoyed watching Samira and Henry grapple with their identity, desires, and culture both on their own and together.

I would recommend this book for readers ages 18+ because of some heavy topics.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Touchy Topics: vehicular manslaughter, mental illness, addiction, alcoholism, abuse, self-medication, blended family, prison

Thank you, @netgalley and @susanazimboyer for this ARC!

I love that there’s another book in the world that reminds us that every part of our story and identity matters—that our family history is a part of us, whether we like it or not.

I love how personal this story is for the author’s family. I found it to be incredibly relatable to mine as well. While I love that being family doesn’t require sharing blood, I am incredibly sensitive to the loss that is present whenever biological family cannot be together (whatever the reason). Samira and Henry’s stories teach readers so much, and I cannot wait for others (young folks especially) to read this!

I was not expecting to be blown away by this book. It was a beautiful story about learning your family history, contending with a new reality, making space for more people in your heart, and accepting that things are not always what they seem.

Samira and Henry were easy to root for, and I'm so impressed with Azim Boyer for writing such layered, lovely characters!

cw: Alcoholism, Islamophobia, Addiction, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Mental illness, Death, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders

This story pulled all the heartstrings for me as I had a very similar DNA experience. It is a well written, beautiful story.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to Wednesday books for the free book.
This was an emotionally charged books with characters that it was easy to root for. Samira and Henry just want to find their father and a DNA test leads to them finding each other instead. There is a lot going on here, and I do wish there was some depth with some of the topics. But the unknown family history was so well done. I think some young adults - and adoptees will be able to relate to a lot of the storylines here. I also liked the revelations that came at the end about alcoholism, just wanted a bit more. This is a book full of heart that I think will resonate with lots of readers.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Search For Us releases October 24, 2023

This is a wholesome coming-of-age story featuring two biracial Iranian-American half siblings who find each other through the 23andMe genetic test as they search for their biological father.

Samira is an “overfunctioner” and is juggling staying on track to graduate and get a scholarship, while looking out for her older brother who is in and out of AA, as well as their family’s recent loss of their grandfather.

Henry is a hockey player, also facing the pressure of maintaining a scholarship offer. While grateful to have been raised by his aunt and uncle, they don’t get along with his bio-mom and he faces adversity within his own family when it comes to embracing his Iranian ethnicity.

Though Henry and Samira grew up in two different households, they shared a lot of similarities and carried more burdens and responsibilities than a teen should typically have to.
Despite the themes, I would say this was written as a lighter read.
I kind of wanted more emotional depth from the parents which is why this isn’t quite a 5 star for me — for example, having one line of dialogue saying you’ll delete your facebook page after being so openly racist just feels like a quick bandaid that could have used more time to expand upon.

I still would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a contemporary YA centered found family story.

cw: alcohol addiction, war ptsd, DUI, vehicular manslaughter, prison, mental health/depression

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was really good! I was pulled in from the very beginning. I couldn't put this down. I love the development of the story and characters. I have been reading a lot of fantasy recently, and getting into a YA contemporary really brought me back and reminded me why I love them. I thoroughly enjoyed Susan's first book and I fell in love with this one too! Susan has an ability to take you and really put you into the story. I felt like I was experience this in real time with them and I loved it. If you enjoy YA contemporary or romance, definitely grab this one!

This was such an adorable read. The story of Samira and Henry was so heart touching and wonderfully written. I was pulled in from the very beginning and this story did not disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer is a story about family, forgiveness, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

I’m not sure why, but I’ve always loved hearing stories about people looking for their birth parents and vice versa. One of my favorite shows is TLC’s Long Lost Family where family members try to find other biological family members. When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew it would be something that I would enjoy.

It’s such a beautiful and heartbreaking (at times) story about searching for family (and finding it in unexpected places). I loved the resilience of the characters, and how much they grew through this experience.

The most frustrating part of this story was how the adults acted towards their children. They failed them in so many ways, which made it hard to read at times. I overall would still recommend this book.

If you like stories about family such as Far from the Tree by Robin Benway, then I definitely think you should give this book a chance.

Two teens, Samira and Henry, who have never met take a DNA test to find their father but find each other (the half sibling they never knew about) instead. Once they connect they agree to search for their father together.

This book was so refreshing and different and I absolutely loved this story. I felt Samira and Henry's story so deeply and just wanted them to be able to get what they needed. What unfolds is an incredible story of found family and healing. While there are many heavy topics in this book Boyer handled them well so they weren't overwhelming. I will be recommending this one to everyone.

TW: addiction, PTSD

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the ARC. I really enjoyed this YA novel about finding your family. It dealt with tough topics in a mature and thoughtful way and provided high stakes without overdone romance or contrived circumstances. The characters were engaging and while I didn't believe in one of the quick emotional turn arounds of a minor character, the whole story felt realistic to me. Would love to get for my classroom one day.

this was a really cute book!

thank you to the author, netgalley, and the publisher for this advanced copy to review!

The Search for Us by @susanazimboyer is a powerful story about exploring your roots and discovering long-lost family! 🥰

Blurb: Samira Murphy will do anything to keep her fractured family from falling apart, including caring for her widowed grandmother and getting her older brother into recovery for alcohol addiction. With attendance at her dream college on the line, she takes a long shot DNA test to find the support she so desperately needs from a father she hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

Henry Owen is torn between his well-meaning but unreliable bio-mom and his overly strict aunt and uncle, who stepped in to raise him but don’t seem to see him for who he is. Looking to forge a stronger connection to his own identity, he takes a DNA test to find the one person who might love him for exactly who he is―the biological father he never knew.

Instead of a DNA match with their father, Samira and Henry are matched with each other. They begin to search for their father together and slowly unravel the difficult truth of their shared past, forming a connection that only siblings can have and recovering precious parts of their past that have been lost. Brimming with emotional resonance, Susan Azim Boyer's The Search for Us beautifully renders what it means to find your place in the world through the deep and abiding power of family.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Search for Us made me cry and smile so many times!!! I relate to Samira and Henry’s journey because I am also adopted. Until I took a 23and Me DNA test, I never knew I had three half-siblings!!! It was such a rewarding experience getting to meet them and I really felt that similar joy in this book. The story was so well-written and definitely pulled on your heartstrings!!! Please read The Search for Us when it releases on October 29th.

Thank you @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC. 😊📚✨❤️

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