Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive - even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself.

Review:

Erin Hahn is quickly becoming one of my go to authors.  If I see she has written a book, I will immediately make plans to request a review copy and/or buy it.  Why, you may ask?  Because this is one author who knows how teens think and behave.  Her books are honest, and don't settle for a quick resolution in order to make a happy ending.  While still being lots of fun, her novels are realistic about the issues facing young people.

Never Saw You Coming is set in the same universe as Erin Hahn's previous book, More Than Maybe, with a few characters from that book making an appearance in this new one.  This story follows Meg (the best friend of Veda, the main character in More Than Maybe).  Meg has been raised in a very conservative environment.  She has been homeschooled, goes to church often, and tries to dress modestly as her church has taught her.  But when several revelations about Meg's parents surface, she is thrown for a loop, and she begins to question everything she has been taught to believe.

Meg travels to a new town to meet her great-grandmother, and sort out her feelings.  While she's there, she also meets Micah.  Micah is a year older than Meg, and has had a tough time due to his father's illegal behavior.  He had looked up to his dad, and now with his illusions shattered, he feels completely alone.  When Meg and Micah meet, you just know something wonderful will happen.

I loved this book for it's honest look at the transition from teen to adult.  From being spoon-fed your values to deciding them for yourself.  This book shows how important religion is in some teen's lives, and how those beliefs are often re-examined as teen's get older.  With wonderful characters, and an straight-forward look at teen sexuality, this is a very special novel.

What I Liked:

Characters:

While Meg's situation is extreme, the influence of most parents starts to diminish after their kids graduate from high school.  Young people begin to think for themselves and they may not see eye to eye with their parents values.  That is what much of this book is about.  Meg must find a way to balance how she's been raised with how to live her religious beliefs as an adult.

As she begins to fall for Micah, Meg wonders how she can be "pure" while also being attracted to her boyfriend, and this causes lots of guilt. She also starts to notice how girls are shamed in her church.  Why are girls taught to be modest?  So boys won't be tempted.  She starts to understand how this kind of teaching removes a boy's responsibility for their own behavior, and puts the onus, and blame, solely on girls.

Micah, the other main character, also is dealing with looking at his parents realistically.  His dad, a pastor, is in prison for a number of crimes, and his family has been ostracized by the community.  Aside from the betrayal of his father, he also feels betrayed by his church.  But he still has a strong faith.  Can he forgive his father?  More importantly, should he forgive his father?  

Meg's uncle James is a youth leader in his church. They don't know each other very well.  But as Meg gets to know him, she finds him to be very supportive of Meg and Micah.  But he is still a pastor.  When someone accuses Meg of having sex, James shames her instead of hearing her side of the story.  James is a man in his thirties, and dates women, staying out late himself.  Hypocrisy much?

Teen Sexuality:

While most religions teach that sex is only okay inside a marriage, the author takes an honest look at a teen's emerging sexual feelings.  This is not a book that is trying to show that sex is either good or bad.  It is just another aspect of a person's life.  Meg, having been taught that sexual feelings are sinful, feels very conflicted about her feelings.  But I wouldn't say that the moment she gets a boyfriend that she abandons her beliefs.  She needs to come to terms that her feelings are normal, and not to feel guilty about it.

Story:

I enjoyed how Meg becomes her own person throughout the book.  From making the decision to reach out to her newly found relatives, to getting a job and a place to live, Meg is a person who gets things done!  Micah is also blazing his own path, training to be a search and rescue worker (along with his awesome dog!).  Seeing how these two people find each other, and support each other was really fun and romantic!

Religion:

Religion plays a key role in this book.  And while the book points out much of what is wrong with religion (shaming girls, using guilt to control others), it balances this with the many positives that Meg and Micah feel.  They each find great comfort in prayer, and church music.  And while the community can be very judgemental, it also can provide support.  

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  September 7th, 2021

Author:  Erin Hahn

Publisher:  Wednesday Books

Genre:  YA Contemporary

Page Length: 320 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  I loved this book so much for its honesty about teen sexuality and how it can clash with a religious upbringing.  I highly recommend this book. 

Please Note::  I received an advance copy of this novel from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Mila is used to being alone. Maybe that’s why she said yes to the opportunity: living in this remote place, among the flowers and the fog and the crash of waves far below.

But she hadn’t known about the ghosts.

Newly graduated from high school, Mila has aged out of the foster care system. So when she’s offered a job and a place to stay at a farm on an isolated part of the Northern California Coast, she immediately accepts. Maybe she will finally find a new home, a real home. The farm is a refuge, but also haunted by the past traumas its young residents have come to escape. And Mila’s own terrible memories are starting to rise to the surface.

Watch Over Me is another stunner from Printz Award-Winning author Nina LaCour, whose empathetic, lyrical prose is at the heart of this modern ghost story of resilience and rebirth.

Review:

I deeply admire the writing of Nina LaCour.  Her books are filled with realistic characters and pack an emotional punch.  Her latest book, Watch Over Me, is another winner. I loved the setting, characters, and profound symbolism in this novel.  This is a book about children surviving abuse.  I can definitely see how this could be a trigger for some readers.  That is not to mean that you shouldn't read this if you have suffered abuse.  But this book does get right to the heart of the psychological aspects of childhood trauma.  Spoiler Alert:  It made me cry!  But this was not a depressing book.  Far from it.   

What I Liked:

Setting:

The novel is set on a small, idyllic farm in Northern California, a refuge for foster children.    The farm is also a place where kids who have aged out of the foster care system are given jobs working on the farm, and teaching the younger kids.  Everyone is dealing with their hidden pain, so the couple who run the farm try to create an atmosphere of calm.  There's no internet, television, or even cell phone reception.  But they do seem to have something that other places do not...ghosts.

Characters:

Mila, one of the former foster care interns, doesn't know what to expect coming to the farm.  Her life has been one of loss.  She has lost her grandparents, and her mother has abandoned her.  Even before her mother left physically, Mila had to experience horrible betrayal as her other chose an abusive boyfriend over her.  Blake, her mother's boyfriend, was sadistic.  He enjoyed playing mind games, and reduced both Mila's, and her mother's, self-esteem, until they were dependent on him.  Although she is now out of that environment, the damage has been done.

I felt deeply for this character.  The aftermath of what she endured shows how devastating child abuse is.  It creates life-long scars as victims feel guilt and shame over their abuse.  The author captures this in many heart-aching moments.

Lee, Mila's young student, has had even more recent abuse.  He is clearly anxious and suffers from PTSD.  Mila feels an instant connection to Lee.  But, she herself is only in her late teens.  She has fierce, protective feelings for Lee.  But she isn't really in a position to truly help him.   She needs to heal herself before she can be there for someone else. 

Symbolism:

The symbolism in this book creates an almost dream-like quality in the book.  Places such as the ocean represent danger for some, and refuge for others.  The ghosts have definite meaning in the book.  I don't want to reveal too much, but they made me cry. The farm itself is a crossroads for the characters.  They can use this place of limbo as a space to sort out their feelings, if they are willing to put in the effort.  

Trigger Alert for domestic abuse

Rating: 

Release Date:  September 15th, 2020

Author:  Nina LaCour

Publisher:  Dutton Books for Young Readers

Genre:  YA Fiction/Magical Realism

Page Length:  272 Pages

Source:  Edelweiss 

Format: E-Book

Recommendation:  A profound book about abuse and healing.  Very moving.