All Things New
By Lauren Miller
Blurb
Jessa has suffered with anxiety and panic attack for years but has techniques to make sure nobody else knows. But one night she gets in a car accident which leaves her with facial scarring and a brain injury.
Jessa is no longer able to keep up a front and decides to flee to Colorado to live with her dad. Whilst there she meets twins Hannah and Marshall and realises that everyone has their own demons to fight.
Our Review
All Things New by Lauren Miller is one of those books that you want to go on forever. I hadn’t heard of Lauren Miller before reading this book and once again I am pleased to have found an author whose books I will keep an eye out for in the future.
This book has been described as perfect for fans of The Fault In Our Stars and I can understand why. This a perfect read for fans of that book. All New Things has a spiritual side to it that adds another dimension to it.
All Things New begins with Jessa getting in an argument with her boyfriend Wren at a party. Within seconds of being introduced to Wren I was confident he was a character I would hate.
“I want more,” he tells me now. I need more. Connection. Depth.”
After their fight Jessa thinks about going home but knows her mum won’t be pleased to see her. Jessa feels increasingly unwanted at home as her mum is constantly occupied with the twins she had with Jessa’s stepfather.
Jessa muses over her relationship with Wren.
“Two nights ago, everything was ok. We were us, we were Jessa and Wren.
Its not like our relationship is perfect or anything. The eye contact thing really bugs him. And he gets annoyed that I don’t make more of an effort when we hang out with his friends. But when we’re alone its awesome. “
Jessa, the protagonist, is instantly likeable and I think that went a long way towards my enjoyment of the book.
Jessa debates leaving the party after her fight with Wren but changes her mind and goes to find him instead. She instantly regrets it though when she overhears him talking with another girl in a bedroom and the girls says it is about time they told Jessa about their relationship already. Wren says it is complicated and the girl makes an insensitive comment about ‘Barbie’ being unstable.
Jessa flees shortly after and is driving home when a car ploughs into her.
On waking up Jessa is distressed to realise that she not only has extensive facial scaring but also the accident has cause her some brain trauma.
Jessa’s dad is there when she wakes up and asks her if she wants to come and live with him in Colorado. She decides to go with him.
Initially, Jessa’s problems follow her and she struggles to cope with her injuries, her relationship breakdown and her anxiety. Jessa isn’t used to opening up to anyone so struggles to talk to her dad about what is going on especially as she isn’t used to being around him.
At school Jessa meets twins Hannah and Marshall, each of whom have difficulties of their own. Before long, Jessa realises that she isn’t the only one struggling.
All Things New was a pleasure to read and will certainly be a book I will read again.
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