Review Detail

ATTACHED AT THE HIP is a delightful comedic YA contemporary about finding your path, competition, and falling in love. After getting lectured by her sister for being codependent and not taking charge of her own life, Orrie decides to apply for a spot on a new season of Survivor. Having long been a fan, she has always dreamed of appearing on the show. She is shocked when they accept her into the program and even more so when they announce the twist - this season, Attached at the Hip, is Survivor with a dating element with some of the other contestants being potential romantic matches for each other.

As the competition rages on, Orrie will find alliances, root out betrayal, and find herself doing and becoming things she never thought possible.

What I loved: This was such a clever and FUNNY book! I was seriously laughing out loud in a few places - I was not expecting so much humor, and it was positively delightful. Orrie loves rom-coms, and she has found herself unwittingly in the middle of one. She's 23 and still trying to figure out her life and what she wants out of it. The show ends up being the perfect place to do that, amidst the solitude and lack of connected devices. Although she is a bit older than the typical YA character, her coming-of-age style revelations will resonate with teens who are also trying to figure out what they'll do with their lives.

Kennedi was another really compelling character that I would have loved to read more about. She was fierce, intelligent, and giving everyone else a run for their money. Osprey was another character who felt really genuine, gifted, and helped Orrie to grow in new and unexpected ways - as she did the same for him. In addition to the cast, Orrie's family and her relationships with them were also central to the story. I appreciated her parents and the ways they approached their mistakes and took learning opportunities. Orrie's sister, Lark, with whom she does acroyoga influencing, has a strong impact on Orrie's direction, and their heart-to-hearts were really fantastic.

While being comedic and romantic, the book also includes some heavier themes and thought-provoking topics around addition, betrayal and (dis)honesty, friendship, trying new things, facing your fears, following your dreams, and when to leap into the unknown versus when to have more caution. These often felt empowering as Orrie takes charge of her life and her future. Trust and betrayal were tricky ones that Orrie was still navigating in the story, with implications for romantic and familial relationships.

The ending was really fantastic and satisfying with room for a future yet unwritten. This would actually be a great pick for book groups/clubs, as there would be many things to discuss and consider from the story and the show within.

Final verdict: ATTACHED AT THE HIP is a clever romantic comedy that will keep readers on their toes and smiling. Highly recommend picking this delightful read up!