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The Girl I Was
Jeneva Rose
Dreamscape Media
7 hours 43 minutes
Narrated by Hillary Huber
Happy Publication Day!!!
This book was a complete surprise. I laughed. I cried. (I cringed a few times.) It made me ponder my own life and reassess it a bit. The Girl I Was is a fun book full of wit and heart that completely resonated.
Alexis’ life has officially hit rock bottom. Nothing is going right… the job, the friends, the man. So she drowns her sorrows in a bottle of vodka and passes out in her (very empty) bed. But upon waking, she finds herself in a frat house in the year 2002 where she must come face to face with the 18 year old version of herself. Alexis has long since blamed Lexi, her younger self, for the path of destruction she’s on. But now that she can confront Lexi, will it create the change she’s banking on? And how will she get back home?
I devoured this book. Rose’s writing style kept me hanging on and wanting more. The messaging and character development are also on point. I’m a bit amazed at how Rose created two completely unique characters that are also the exact same person. She showed the dichotomy between the differing versions of self (age, maturity, sensibility) with adeptness.
The messaging of this book is what really made this book pull at my heartstrings. We’ve all looked back over life and wondered about the decisions we’ve made. Which parts of life could’ve been changed for the better? What parts were always meant to be? I really loved walking back in time with Alexis and Lexi, while also reminiscing over my own past.
But no review for this book is complete without mentioning all of the nostalgia. I loved EVERY bit. From the low rise jeans (with a one inch zipper) to the Juicy Couture track suits. From MySpace to R.Kelly’s music (before we knew what scum he was). The 2002 pop culture references were on point. Maybe the best part was being able to revisit all of those things while still having access to my iPhone.
The audiobook is exceptionally well done, adding an extra layer of depth to the characters and drama that unfolded. Narrated by Hillary Huber, her nuanced rendition of the text makes this book a complete experience.
Thank you Jeneva Rose, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.
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