Jessica Love

Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another. There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met. Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him. Hannah's romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and meets Nick's girlfriend, whom he failed to mention. And it turns out his relationship status isn't the only thing he's been lying to her about. Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has one night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then.

A Novel

In Real Life

alexandra

3.5/5

this book is SO CUTE and i actually reaaaaaaally enjoyed it considered i "only" gave it three stars. (i recently changed my rating system so three stars isn't considered "bad" anymore. but anyway..) my initial thought and conclusion on the novel: this book is like fan fiction. if you've read fanfic, YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. if you haven't, i basically mean that the plot and storyline is so cliché but also very enjoyable and fun. it's a short novel so it's perfect if you're in a reading slump or just want something fun to read. (it also gave me lots of feeeels and i finished it in one night and it's so cute.)

the biggest issue i had was how FRUSTRATING the characters were. 90% of the time, they were fantastic; the other 10% made me want to strangle them. it seemed like the author wanted to make them realistically flawed – which is great! – but it got to the point where they were being a little irrational and annoying – specifically our main character, hannah. she can be so oblivious and annoying sometimes i just, i can't. i don't think i was really annoyed at her as a person, but more so at her choices. so technically, i like her character but sometimes the choices she makes are irrational and cause UNNECESSARY DRAMA. (it's book, so it makes it more interesting. BUT STILL.)

i found myself truly relating to the characters because 1/ i have a few internet friends as well, and also dream of meeting them one day (albeit my friendship is not like their friendship), 2/ i live in southern california and often visit las vegas, so i knew EXACTLY what they were talking about in terms of location and food, 3/ i could relate to some of hannah's internal struggle. this made the book much more enjoyable because i was actually visualizing them as real people with real experience than simply fictional characters. i also like how we had a diverse cast: hannah is korean, her best friend is mexican, etc.

overall, IN REAL LIFE did not disappoint. it was relatable, fun, and terribly adorable. although there were times that made it seem like it was overly dramatic, i think it was necessary to make it more entertaining. it's the perfect book if you want a short romance to get you out of a reading slump or book hangover.

Lisa ✩ @lifeinlit

4.5 stars!

I never know what to expect when I'm trying out a new author. Will I like their writing style? Will their story be engaging? Will I read a few chapters and want to put it down, or will it suck me in and cause me to read the entire book in one sitting? Well, the good news is In Real Life was a hit! As far as YA contemporaries go, this was such a delight!

Hannah and Nick are best friends who chat online and talk on the phone on a daily basis. What's different about their relationship, you ask? Well, here it is... they've never met. Hannah's sister met Nick's brothers back when they were young, and immediately felt that Hannah and Nick would hit it off. So for years they've been communicating solely over technology. They've thought about meeting up before, but it just never worked out. Living on a few hours apart, these two were bound to meet eventually. And that's where this story takes us... to their first meeting. Already intrigued? Yeah, I was too!! Such a fun premise, if you ask me. :)

I adored Hannah and Nick!! This is the perfect example of a "first love" romance. These two have such strong feelings for each other, but are struggling with all the usual questions teens experience with their first love, including "Does he/she like me too?" and "Should I tell him/her I like him/her?". This story is sure to bring up memories of the butterflies you felt with your first love. The doubt, the questions, the overwhelming emotions. This story totally brought me back to my teenage days, in a very good way!

If he's kissing someone who isn't me, I should be kissing someone who isn't him. It's only fair.

Yes, this story was a bit cliche. Yes, it had parts that were aggravating, like when you just want Hannah and/or Nick to say or do something differently, yet they just won't listen to you screaming loudly (and a bit excessively) into the book at them. But even with that being said, I LOVED IT!!! This story completely reminded me of a romantic comedy, which just so happens to be my favorite movie genre to watch. Fun, silly, humorous, and all kinds of adorable, this story gave me the warm fuzzies, giddy gigglies, and the silly smilies. I love when a story makes me feel like it was written just for me. ♥
 


In Real Life is a quirky, entertaining, and fun one-sitting type of read. With friendships mirroring Emery Lord's stories, romances similar to Stephanie Perkins', and all the emotions you'll find in a Morgan Matson book, this story is sure to please many. If you're a YA contemporary reader, this is one you won't want to miss!

(Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the review copy!)

Find this review and others like it at Lost in Literature!

In Real Life A Novel

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