Jennifer Dean

When fate brings Max and Emily together, life seemed to fall into place. Until their future plans are shattered the moment someone leaves drugs inside Max's school locker. Finding out who did it leads to dangerous consequences.

I've Been Looking for You

Jessica 

I received a copy of I've Been Looking For You in exchange for my honest review and in participation of the blog tour. You can find my post here. 

I've Been Looking for You is one of the best YA books of the year. End sentence. 

Truly, it is special and an absolute force to be reckoned with. As unforgettable as it is beautiful, I've Been Looking for You is a equal parts love story and coming of age tale. It all boils down to love and circumstances. In short, it is life and its ups and downs. 

This was my first experience of Jennifer Dean's books but I'm so glad it was. It won't be my last. Not only did she capture the very spirit of being a young adult, she tugs at the heartstrings of her readers when the plot thickens and we rotate through timelines. Think of I've Been Looking for You as one of those books which is split into two by being told in "Before"and "After/Now"--where other authors fail to portray this in a way that is coherent and seamless, Jennifer Dean never has that problem. 

In fact, the pacing is one of things that most attracted me towards the novel, right after the two main characters: Max and Emily and their relationship as it develops. I truly adored both of them in even their less than stellar moments--if you're at all intrigued by two very different young girls, two people holding out their own in very different archetypes, this is the book for you. 

The love they share with one another is unique and very, very swoon-worthy. I was hooked on them the moment we see them meet and I was an absolute goner once they started to call one another by little names. Asshole and Princess. Can you get any more tension than that? I love the way they just fit together. They're right. Even in the stressful moments, you just know. 

(Also! Their banter? Sign me the heck up, please!)

I thought that the way they were developed--in the past and in the present, together and apart--was very organic When an author is able to lead you into a character's mind, without them seeming like a character but rather a friend, you know they have a gift. Jennifer Dean occupies your heart and soul when it comes to Max and Emily, they feel like your very best friends. 

You root for them. You hope for the light at the end of the tunnel. You smile at their beginnings. You wait patiently for the plots to resolve themselves as they struggle with the now. After separated, you can physically feel the sadness and, yes, loneliness, shared between the two. And you always, always feel the love. 

What makes the novel so beautifully crafted, so compelling, is that it is true to life. It never stands still or slows down. It breaks your heart just as easily as it mends it. You become invested in the stories--from the days spent in school, to the manner in which they fall in love, to Max's life in prison to Emily's struggle in clearing her beloved's name--and there's no turning back. 

Dean's prose becomes part of a quintessential LGBTQ+ coming-of-age novel. The connection of Max and Emily is one of the most sincere YA love stories I've read in 2017, right up there with Mateo and Rufus from Adam Silvera's They Both Die at the End and Justyce and S.J. from Nic Stone's Dear Martin. I cannot stress this enough--they are all completely different stories, completely different characters, but they are that level of compelling.

One thing's for certain, I've Been Looking for You is fast paced and memorable. You won't be able to put it down until the very end, even in the moments where you see where the plots are going or are quick to disagree with some actions. This is what ties the characters together, though. This is what makes I've Been Looking for You stunning.

Max and Emily's voices are so very important and their journey together is one of aching joy. This is the contemporary YA novel you've been waiting for and is perfect for fans of Nina LaCour.

I've Been Looking for You

Reviews