Review: Notes to Self

Title: Notes to Self
Author: Avery Sawyer
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Description:
Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

Robin Saunders is a high school sophomore with an awesome best friend, a hard-working single mom, and a complicated relationship with a sweet guy named Reno. She's coasting along, trying to get through yet another tedious year of high school, when Em suggests something daring. They live in Florida-- tourist central--and Emily wants to sneak into a theme park after midnight and see what they're made of.

When things get out of control, Robin wakes up in a hospital bed and Emily doesn't wake up at all. Just getting dressed becomes an ordeal as Robin tries to heal and piece together the details of that terrible night. Racing to remember everything in the hopes of saving Emily, Robin writes a series of notes to herself to discover the truth.

Review:

Notes to Self is a wonderful moving YA read. I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis, but when I read it, there was so much more to the book than just a girl recovering from a head injury. I loved how Avery Sawyer was able to weave in so much into the book, from family issues to the confusing feelings of young love. It was very believable and not sugar-coated, which I really appreciate. I loved learning about Robin through both her day-to-day struggle adjusting to her new life and recovering her memories from the fall, and through a series of flashbacks throughout the book.

There are many intense themes in the book, some references to teens using alcohol and smoking, and adult language, but I didn’t think anything was too bad for anyone above 7th or 8th grade, depending on what bothers them.

Notes to Self is a well-written novel and I definitely recommend it, especially if you enjoy books like If I Stay. It is a very real and touching story that keeps the reader immersed until the very end.

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