Trigger warnings: Statutory Rape, Sexual Assault, Suicide, Self-Harm

Jenna created a novel that made me both angry and sad.

Brooke was a teenager who struggled and battled depression. Throughout the novel you could tell she was reliant on others through the relationships she had, even as the years went on she struggled but started to develop into a strong woman who could become her own person.

Matt in the other hand, may have not realized his inner struggles but knew what he was doing was wrong, but still went into the relationship. Throughout the novel he held on to her and became more dependent than he probably hoped. He didn’t consider Brooke’s innocence either to have the conversations. I don’t mind age gap novels and this one shed some very moving moments that caused me to look back at my past.

Before I begin, I want to thank the author, Jenna Adams, and Unbound on NetGalley for giving me this ARC.

I want to note that I don't think this book should've been categorized as YA. Even though the FMC is 14 years old, the topics are a bit too dark. I think this is better suited for older teens or even NA.

When I started reading this I was not really prepared for it to go this way. I thought it would be obvious about who's right and who's wrong. Let one thing be absolutely clear: the MMC is 100% in the wrong. You can twist it however you like, but he was NOT innocent. He knew what he was doing. In my opinion, the FMC was not the one who was 'wrong' in the relationship, but I do believe that it was really awful of her to just up and leave without explanation. I also think that all the adults failed her. They should've noticed or at least given her better support after her attempt.

This was messy, heartbreaking, and thought provoking, and it was an anger point. I wasn't rooting for the couple, and I honestly think that the MMC needs to go to therapy because he really can't think that was normal.

whirlwind of emotions, the best way to describe this book. I liked it even though it was heartbreaking, if Age gap is a good trope for you, look no further, but be ware that the rollercoaster of emotions will take you for a ride. It discusses a lot of heavy topics so check the trigger warnings if needed.

This Is Me Trying by Jenna Adams is a heartfelt and raw exploration of vulnerability, growth, and self-acceptance. Adams' writing is honest and relatable, often capturing complex emotions in a way that feels genuine. Her voice is earnest, and there’s a clear sense that she’s pouring her experiences onto the page without filter, which can be deeply moving.

However, while the emotional depth is there, the book sometimes struggles with pacing and consistency. Some sections feel repetitive, and a tighter structure could have made the overall impact stronger. There are moments of brilliance that shine through, but they occasionally get lost among parts that don’t quite carry the same weight.

Overall, This Is Me Trying is a sincere and intimate read. It's not without its flaws, but readers who appreciate candid storytelling and reflections on personal struggle will find value in Adams' journey.

This is me trying took me on an intense emotional journey. This story explores so many important and heavy topics. We follow the mail characters from their early teens into adulthood, watching how the choices they made as teenagers shape the course of their lives. This novel was incredibly deep and reflective. I couldn’t put it down.

2.5

This story was uncomfortable to sit through, and I expected that. It is such a sensitive topic being explored and developed throughout. What definitely stands out in the novel is how it portrays the emotional and psychological toll of the relationship. The point of view of Brooke as a 14 year old makes it very clear how young she is. But that's where the other issue lies - the older POVs fall apart because of the fact that there's no development in Brooke's character or her view on life after her experiences. While this made sense for the 14 year old Brooke, it doesn't really work for older Brooke, because the writing doesn't convey her emotion well in that period of the story.

I did like that the writing style changed with the Acts. 14 year old Brooke's POV is very much teenager-like, kinda immature and naive, which works perfectly. The writing matured over the course of the story. However, it just feels like nothing's happening with the book.

Their growth was minimal, and the book didn’t manage to address the heavy themes it raised. Matt never took full accountability for his actions, and Brooke seemed to skip over the emotional work needed to process everything that happened. Their relationship dynamic, especially as adults, was uncomfortable, and there was no real journey of the lasting impact of their past.

The story didn’t give the subject matter the depth and reflection it deserved, so yes, it made me uncomfortable, but it didn't work well in addressing what it wanted to.

tw: statutory r*pe, mental health discussions, self harm, suicide attempt

i simply could not get over the writing in this. i know both characters are young, especially brooke, and there's definitely an improvement throughout the book, but overall it felt overly juvenile and repetitive.

it's a book meant to make you uncomfortable, but you're also expecting some accountability and real consequences, and then you're left hanging. makes you ask yourself, 'what was the point?'

This book is emotional, intense and super relevant.
Jenna Adams does a great job showing the age and maturity gap between teenagers and adults. The story tackles a lot such as: exam stress, sex education, friendships drifting apart, mental health struggles- all of which are very much important to openly talk about. I think the use of Romeo & Juliet is great for showing the implications of young love and also helpful for those studying it for their GCSE’s!

It handles serious but important topics such as depression and self harm with a lot of care, whilst this is tough to read, it is also extremely necessary and real. (Please check TWs before reading!)

Whilst I found this book extremely gripping, heart wrenching and totally worth the read. My only criticism would be that I wish more was done about Matt. I kept hoping that the adults would step in and notice what was happening and personally, I found this quite frustrating. I think towards the end, the books major topic was accountability and I feel this was a missed opportunity to show it.

I actually enjoyed this arc- thank you for giving me the option to be able to read this.

I think this is such a a good read which touches on important issues and maybe triggering for some but for me it highlights the impacts and with the struggles of mental health/self harm etc but it is more YA.
It wasn't the best book I've ever read but I was happily surprised how much I did get into Brookes life how how I found some aspects so relatable.

Going into this book I was torn. The subject matter seemed heavy considering the YA label. But I figured I would think of it along the lines of 13 Reasons Why and go from there.

Being written in 3 Acts was something I hadn't seen before but it worked with the story plot wise and as far as the story starting off with an actual play. The writing itself I did struggle with from time to time but I read that the author started this book when she was around the same age as the MFC and part of me forgives the writing a bit over that.

The characters themselves were relatable at times, and came across as very real. This was far less of a romance than I expected it to be and the, 'coming of age,' thing goes back and forth on how strong it is present. The ending I didn't 100% agree with but it was interesting watching the characters move along in life to get to that point.

Not a bad book and if you're looking for a heavier read that is still light due to the YA label then this is the one for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Unbound, and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book to read!

Firstly, I really loved this book! It follows 14 year old Brooke as she gets involved with Matt, an 18 year old senior, after they’re cast as Romeo and Juliet in a school play. What starts off feeling like a teenage romance quickly becomes something much heavier.

Told in three acts, the story covers nearly ten years of Brooke’s life, diving deep into her struggles with trauma, mental health, and finding herself again after everything she’s been through. It doesn’t sugarcoat the dark moments—self-harm, manipulation, the messy process of healing—but that’s exactly what made this book such an awesome read. All of these topics were touched on so well and with respect to that they are and for people who have been through similar. The dual perspective was great, getting to see both sides of the story and getting to see how both sides struggled in their own way.

All in all this was a brave and emotional read that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. It’s not an easy book, but it’s a meaningful one, and I definitely recommend for readers who appreciate emotionally intense, character-driven stories

All in all I loved this book a lot. It reads like a train and handles heavy topics with the respect they deserve. Well done Jenna Adams!

This is me Trying by Jenna Adams

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

First of all, a snippet of the synopsis.

“When Brooke and Matt are cast as romantic leads in their drama group's theatre performance of Romeo and Juliet, they don’t mean to actually fall in love.”

If this isn’t enough to get you to pick up this book, I don't know what is.

I love how the characters grow from start to end, the depth of the characters by the end of the book are phenomenal and it shows all you need to do is to listen to yourself and do what is best for you. Having feelings isn’t frowned upon, therapy isn’t frowned upon and it is okay to not be okay.

This Is Me Trying shows a vulnerable teenage girl struggling to find her own self in a world that she deems hates her.

I would like to thank Unbound, Neem Tree Press and Netgalley for the chance at reading this ARC!

Make sure you pick this one up on the 17th July!!

*Search TW before reading*

This was a very very heavy read. I honestly started this book and LOVED it, I expected it to go in a very different direction. The start of the book felt like an homage to the teen romance books of the 2010s, which was of course very fitting as the first act of this book is set in the 2010s. I loved the idea of a YA romance, a bit of second chance etc. The book, however, went a very different albeit interesting direction. The second act is where there's a large shift from YA teen romance to a more deep story focused on real topics and sensitive themes like depression and r*pe. I think the author does this fantastically; Adams really speaks on the topic of toxic relationships and statutory r*pe in a way that shows why it's so common and why this needs to be a topic of discussion.

Regarding the characters, up until the statutory r*pe scene I did ship the FMC Brooke, and the MMC Matt. I feel Adams wrote the relationship really well, showed the complexities of their characters, their growth and emotional development in a very interesting way. I didn't end up hating Matt for what he did, I think that was largely the point of this – to show the complexity of these cases. I do believe he was quite insufferable toward the end.

I did want there to be a romantic endgame, as this is labelled a YA romance. I do believe a more fitting genre would be General Fiction as the themes are very dark and if this is to be a topic taught to young adults or teens it should be through a more appropriate, safeguarded way

All in all it was a good read, with immersive writing. The chapters were short and easy to read and the dual POV made it so much more interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!

Brooke (14) and Matt (17) meet at a local drama group where they are cast as Romeo and Juliet. Their story mirrors that of the title characters of the play as they fall in love, despite knowing that this is wrong and keep their relationship a secret at Matt's request. Eventually, they spend a night together. When Brooke finds out that this is illegal, she becomes anxious and depressed and makes a decision that will change her life for many years to come and has far-reaching consequences for many people.

As a former Designated Safeguarding Lead in a school for many years, I found this a very uncomfortable read yet an important one for young adults as they navigate their emotions and relationships.

This wasn't just your cliche age gap romance, in fact it's beyond a "rollercoaster of emotions" it was rather anger point thought provoking and I love books that make me go through every emotion under the sun. I didn't agree on the ending in terms of FMC moving on and the MMC was carrying the guilt like it was only his burden to carry, while I wasn't siding with either of the characters I found myself wishing the MMC got more "closure" as they were both at fault, yes Brooke was only 14 but nothing was forced she wanted the relationship just as much so in that aspect I thought the ending was unfair on his behalf

This book wasn't it for me. The characters themselves were selfish, demeaning, and just plain obnoxious, that was the teen part of the book for me. A bunch of high schoolers. I get why it was written as a Young Adult Novel. There were other parts that I felt were too dark and to adult for being a Young Adult Novel.

The book started as though I was about to read the Sweet Valley High Series all again and turned into something more like one of those books that will take you to a place you aren't supposed to be. (and it wasn't good like those books because it was still Sweet Valley High takes on the world| don't get me wrong I actually loved Sweet Valley High.

It was all about some wrongs, and some rights. I think that it didn't have a great message for mental health and that it missed a lot of marks in writing.

Overall, there were good parts, I didn't hate it. But, I definitely didn't fall in love as I hoped to.

Thank you to Netgalley and Unbound for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Taylor Swift title and Shakespeare plot (plus that gorgeous cover!) had me desperate to read this one. And the first chapter had me immediately intrigued; opening in a therapy appointment was rather creative. It showed the future impact of all that was about to happen. I thought it was a creative twist on a Shakespearean prologue,

But sadly, I didn’t past the first few chapter. The plot isn’t much of a plot….the stakes are immediate. The story relies on you immediately caring about the characters, which is difficult even with that therapy opening. The narration is a lot of ‘I did this, then I did this.’ While a lot of the events were in line with teenage behavior, it was lacking a lot of demension.

That being said, I think this book will appeal to readers who love books like “If he had been with me.” I see this for young teens who are not only discovering a love for reading but also discovering themselves. Those who wanted to love Shakespeare in school but struggled with its linguistics.

THANK YOU TO UNBOUND AND NETGALLEY FOR THIS ARC!!!

(spoilers ahead)

this book was a.. ROLLERCOASTER RIDE. i DO like however, how she ended up with no one. like no man, her just truly finding herself and her own happiness. let’s start from the beginning, MATT. i did NOT like him from the start. i also just didn’t like how brooke was when she was with him. she was too young, too young to comprehend or understand what was going on. she hadn’t even had sex ed for goodness sake!! she was too in love with matt in my opinion. like the way she held him to such a high standard that THE MOMENT something went wrong in THEIR relationship, it affected to her mental health. like she relied on him too much and personally, while she dealt with declining mental health after, breaking up with matt was definitely one of the BEST things in this book. like every time she saw him afterwards, even the DAY OF HER DEPARTURE (not in a death way) he was the last she was with. she had too much of an attachment that ANY TIME he made even a BIT of effort she put in 20% more than he did. then with them being co stars? i BLAME the person who cast them. an 18 year old AND 14 year old as the mains who had to kiss? that’s so messed up. and what matt did that night? so messed up. i truly believe that it was because of matt that everything with brooke and her mental health happened. matt should’ve moved on, not LED her own in which she literally tried to TAKE HER OWN LIFE, like boy, just stay in college. just get with whatever her name is, kayleigh. you could’ve been happy with that ending except when brooke left, you held on to the IDEA OF HER, not the real her. not the person you wants to accept. and as much as matt hates it, it WAS RAPE, he IS A PEDOPHILE. like the moment i read those words and truly understood, it was GAME OVER. and you tell me this man became a TEACHER???? i felt sick, like i wanted to cry. brooke, did NOT DESERVE THIS. he was TOXIC. and yeah, she LEAVES. leaves her family with NO INTENTION of ever coming back. off to america where she has NO PLAN, NO IDEA what she was gonna do. she finds a guy, pete. pete is like her stepping stone, someone she relied on way too much who is a GOOD THING that he left her life. and then, she meets CHARLIE. a guy who introduced her to his sister who soon becomes her new best friend. three years pass basically, she meets charlie again and he’s a good guy. he’s stable, treats her well, is KIND. their genuinely was very little wrong with him, he cared for her a lot. in the end i think it was good she didn’t end with him because it was him, as cliche as it is “it’s me not you” she needed to reconnect with her mum, her sister and FIND HERSELF TRULY. and for that, i love brooke. also special mentions to LUCY!! because this girl was one of my favourite pasty’s about this book!! when she found out brooke was back she wasn’t sad or angry she was just HAPPY!! i just love her. the dad? brooke’s dad? HATED HIM. even him coming back home, like it definitely redeemed himself in my eyes, BUT STILLL. overall, this was a VERY interesting book and a VERY long review.

‧₊˚✧3.5 ✧˚₊‧

When Brooke and Matt get cast as Julliet and Romeo in their amateur drama club, it wasn’t their intention to fall in love. However a relationship bloomed between them. Despite Brooke being 14 and Matt 18. This book handles the challenges they face from childhood into adulthood.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book, but it positively surprised me. You follow the situation from both Brooke’s and Matt’s perspective. There is a lot of inner workings of their characters. You’re basically in their heads and that made the book so so good.

What kept me reading?
- The Facebook relationship status change was a blast from the past.
- The scene with Georgia where she said “But… you’re a guy?” handled the topic of shitty stereotypes so obvious but so well.
- The britishisms were refreshing after all the American books I have been reading.
- The therapy sessions are so good and love to see how Brooke thinks about them in the future.
- Loved that this book had clear written trigger warnings. I love that authors add these as a first thought and not just an extra thing they got to do.

What were my thoughts on some of the characters? SLIGHTLY SPOILERY
- Brooke’s dad is an ass. I get that she’s still angry at her dad. He has no right to make her feel guilty over her actions.
- Matt at 18 needs a reality check and he got it. Way too late. However ‘mature’ Matt feels Brooke is. She’s really not at 14.
- Brooke. Girly. Not everyone is out there to help you.
- Pete is a slimy bastard. Holy shit.

All in all I loved this book a lot. It reads like a train and handles heavy topics with the respect they deserve. Well done Jenna Adams!

Last but not least I want to thank Netgalley, Neem Tree Press and Jenna Adams for the ARC of this book!