You Belong Here

Essie is not too thrilled about her senior year as her best friend went off to college and she hasn't received a response to her texts, her brother is in another state across the country in rehab, her mom can't help but argue with her, and suddenly her long-term boyfriend, Bruno, has become distant. Essie can't wait to escape from Long Island and join her best friend at NYU, where she hopes to get into the acting program and follow her dreams. Unfortunately, Essie gets dumped and ruins her college audition which changes her whole trajectory. She ends up doing the school play rather than community theater and ends up meeting Christopher Sun, the younger brother of the drug dealer who dealt to Essie's brother. Will this be the best person for Essie to rebound with or is this decision going to cost her more than it's worth?

What I liked: This book opens with an introduction to Essie and her boyfriend, Bruno, along with some information about her best friend who has moved away and her brother who is currently in rehab. Throughout the book, you get to see Essie's feelings through the images and see her struggle with the changes that are happening in her life.

Throughout this book you see Essie struggle trying to figure out who she is as her mother struggles with trying to protect her. Everyone around Essie is worried about her becoming like her brother that when she meets Christopher, she doesn't want to let anyone know because he is related to the drug dealer that sold to Essie's brother. She keeps this hidden, and you see the inner turmoil that Essie is battling and how those secrets end up causing harm to her and those around her. Through this Essie learns the importance of communication and sharing her feelings with others who can help her navigate those tough decisions.

The two romantic sub points in this story add an interesting layer as Essie comes to recognize that she has to do things for herself rather than make her decisions because of others. The two love interests in this story are a great contrast of each other as Bruno has known Essie her whole life while Christopher has only just met her. Through both of these relationships you can see how important Essie is to each of them and how she has impacted their lives.

The open ending to this story allows for the reader to imagine what is next for Essie and allows the reader to see the endless possibilities for her future. This open ending leaves a lot to the imagination and leaves you with the knowledge that it is okay to not know what is next and to go with the flow, allowing life to take you wherever it may.

The images for this story are all in blue which is a great way to share the characters feelings with the readers. The shades of blue add a layer of darkness to the story and give you a feeling of sorrow as you read on. As Christopher expresses his struggles with depression, the color tones add an element of sadness to the character's expressions and allow for the tone to shift naturally.

Final Verdict: You Belong Here is a thought provoking read that is great for readers ages 14 and up, especially those who are trying to decide what they want to do after high school. This book shows the importance of relying on others and allowing others to help when things feel overwhelming. It also reinforces the idea that it is okay to not have everything figured out or to change your original plans as needed.