Book Review: Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga

When I’m reviewing books for professional publications, I stay quiet about them on social media. I’m always really excited once a review comes out to be able to talk about the book, finally! Here’s one of my most recent reviews, which originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of School Library Journal. 

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga (ISBN-13: 9780062324702 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Publication date: 11/07/2017)

Gr 9 Up—A deep dive into the history of a family she did not know she had shows 16-year-old Taliah Abdallat a great deal about things lost and found. Taliah has never known her father, but a few years back she began to suspect her dad was grunge god Julian Oliver (and not, as her mother, Lena, told her, just some guy back home with whom she had a fling). After sending him three years of unanswered letters, he appears while Taliah’s mother is in Paris, confirms his paternity, and whisks Taliah off to his hometown in Indiana, where his father is dying. Everything is happening so fast, and while Taliah doesn’t want to make it easy for Julian to suddenly be in her life, she is also desperate to learn the truth of her mother and Julian’s past. Taliah is a pianist and songwriter, and the two bond over music, as Taliah attempts to take her best friend Harlow’s advice and be open to letting people into her life. Julian and Taliah’s present and Julian and Lena’s past are woven together nicely, slowly revealing the full story of the parents’ romance and their falling out. Some secondary characters are underdeveloped and unnecessary, but the main characters are outstanding. The rushed ending, though not dissatisfying, leaves many unanswered questions. A music-packed look at how we grow, change, and define or redefine relationships. VERDICT This thoughtful look at finding one’s place, sometimes in the most surprising and unexpected ways, will have wide appeal.—Amanda MacGregor, Parkview Elementary School, Rosemount, MN

Filed under: Book Reviews