
About the Book
-
Author:
- Emma Mills
- Genre:
- Contemporary
- Voices:
- Cis Girl
Cover Story:Ā Palette Cleanser
BFF Charm:Ā Yay
Talky Talk:Ā The Fun Never Ends
Bonus Factors:Ā Awesome Grownups, Fandom
Relationship Status:Ā Weāll Go To Very Distant Lands
Cover Story: Palette Cleanser
This is such a pretty coverāthe blues and greens, the stars, the thick swaths of paint that practically beg to be touched. You donāt have to know what the book is about to want to touch this cover. It reminds me of those soothing Twitter accounts entirely devoted to mixing paintāyes, they exist, yes, they are fascinating, and no, I wonāt admit to exactly how much time I spent watching people mix new paint colors.
Best of all, it actually does have something to do with the story, so itās not just a trompe l’oeil tease!
The Deal:
Sloane has never had the all-consuming friendship that sheās seen between so many of her peersābut when she moves to Florida with her family, suddenly, she finds herself with her very own set of besties. Could this be real? How do these people have this much drama? Do they really like her for her, or are they just putting up with her?
Meanwhile, Sloaneās family is falling apart: her dad, a Nicholas-Sparks-esque writer (except not racist, not a jerk, and definitely not comparing himself to Hemingway), is out of ideas, and itās straining her parentsā marriage. Her new friends have secrets and tragedies of their own, and somehow, Sloane is in the middle of all this drama, unmoored. Can she solve their problems, and should she even try? Waitāis this what itās like to have real friends?
Emma Mills has written a delightful tale of the joy of friends, family, and getting over yourself to get out of your own way.
BFF Charm: Yay

Sloane feels like a real teenager, and thatās 90% of her charm. Sheās got so much going for her, but sheās insecure in a very understandable way. You know that old trap where youāre afraid to love something (usually something considered silly) unabashedly because of what other people will think, so you call it a guilty pleasure and hope people wonāt judge you too hard, and you end up missing out on potential soul mates because people never really get to know the real you? Thatās what Sloane does throughout the entire book, until her new friends call her on it. She puts herself out there, but not too much, in case anyone thinks she cares too muchāwhich is such a relatable, true state of teenage mind that I couldnāt help but love her.
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
I loved the slow-burn swoon in this book, but if youāre looking for a kissing book, you might be frustrated with how long it takes Sloane and her love interest to get it together. Donāt get me wrong, I was yelling āmake out, already,ā at my book, but when they finally do get together (this isnāt a spoilerāitās very clearly foreshadowed in the first few pages), the payoff feels oh-so-satisfying.
Talky Talk: The Fun Never Ends
This was my first Emma Mills book, and Iām in love with her dialogue. It often borders on Tongue-in-Cheek-Teen-Show, especially given the amount of references to the vast array of YA television now available for folks to consume. Iām okay with this, though, especially when it comes to Sloaneās father and his unbridled enthusiasm for fandoms.
Iāll just let her prose speak for itself:
He clicks another tab, and a promo for a TV show begins.
A group of attractive people are slow-motion walking across an empty field while an aggressive guitar riff plays underneath. It cuts in with flashes of scenes from the show, lines like āThe stoneā¦itās the key to all his power!ā and āGet out of there! Now!ā ā¦
āHave you heard of this show? Itās on one of those young-people networks. Itās about a bunch of supernatural kids at a suburban high school. Harry Potter meetsā¦GQ, I donāt know, theyāre all stupidly attractive.ā
āEw.ā
āDonāt worry, in true Hollywood fashion, theyāre twenty-seven-year-olds playing sophomores. This guy James? Heās a dish. Your mom would leave me for him. ⦠Thereās like a thirty percent chance I would leave your mom for him.ā
āDad.ā
Bonus Factor: Awesome Grownups

Sloane is a good kid (and so are her friends), which makes sense, because her parents are pretty cool people, too. They have their problems (the threat of divorce hangs heavy over them), but when it comes to treating their daughters like humans, they win. Plus, a nice version of Nicholas Sparks is comedy goldāand Mills plays it to hilarious, sometimes poignant effect.
Bonus Factor: Fandom

Is there any better time for throwing yourself whole-heartedly into a fandom than your teen years? Sureāhow about when youāre a famous adult writer, struggling with inspiration? Mills treats the idea of fandom and fanfic with teasing, good-natured reverence, just as one should.
Relationship Status: Weāll Go To Very Distant Lands
Book, you were exactly the date I had hoped for: fun, witty, and yes, adventurous, with a lot of interesting commentary on feelings, friendships, and finding yourself. You left me with a smile on my face and a hankering for a little more adventure (and, letās face it, some fanfic). Call me when youāre ready for another date, whether itās a road trip or even an Adventure Time marathon.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received my free review copy from Henry Holt and Co.. This review was originally posted on Kirkus Reviews in exchange for monetary compensation, which did not affect or influence my opinions. This Adventure Ends is available now.