Here We Are Now audiobook

“But I believe strongly that we all have multiple versions of ourselves. And the true test of love is learning to accept all of those versions, even when it’s messy. Actually, especially when it’s messy. That’s one of the toughest things about love, right? The way people we love are constantly changing and we have to learn how to accept those changes. Love isn’t a constant thing, you know? It’s active. It’s always growing. Here We Are Now makes up for a good general fiction as it portrays characters at different stages in their lives from YA to NA to adult-adult up to super adult. To me, the reading felt very literary even though it’s also very contemporary and very YA as the story is told in the POV of Taliah, a half-American, half-Jordanian teenage girl but it also shifts to a third person as it recounts the story of how her parents got together. It’s so cute although also heartbreaking how Tal uncovers her roots and inevitably her own person when Juilan, the rock star and also allegedly her father, barges in on her one day to whisk her away to Oakland, his hometown and technically Tal’s hometown too where she learns about her father and mother’s history and gets to know her relatives, albeit under a sad circumstance.The writing is beautiful and easy to read and the element of music is wonderfully portrayed. The words are entrancing and whimsical as if I was reading a fantasy novel but at the same time, I could relate so much. “I love the way music holds and enhances our memories. Certain songs can always transport me right back to particular moments in my life. It’s like magic.”“This may sound weird but there are certain songs, like really great songs – you don’t just listen to them, you know? They make you feel like they’re listening back. Like the person who wrote the song heard you. Music makes you feel less alone in that way. It’s proof that someone out there has felt the exact same way you do and they’ve managed to capture it in this perfect blend of words and sound.” I practically breezed through the book and was only slightly disappointed when it ended so quickly but I couldn’t complain because the conclusion makes perfect sense to the story as it hopefully marks a new beginning for Tal and her dad and possibly for Tal’s parents as well.

“But I believe strongly that we all have multiple versions of ourselves. And the true test of love is learning to accept all of those versions, even when it’s messy.Actually, especially when it’s messy.”I LOVE family center contemporary stories. They are so easy for me to get invested in and I love seeing the relationships form and evolve. I just love them so much. Here We Are Now was a really good family contemporary, that also really highlighted opening yourself up and conquering your fears - whatever they may be. We follow Taliah as she meets her rockstar dad Julian Oliver for the first time, when he asks her to come visit his dying father. Tal learns more about her mom, Julian, and herself than she ever expected and she has to learn to reconcile these new truths with what she’s always believed to be true.

four stars ∗ i definitely was not expecting to love this book as much as i did, and this book has genuinely surprised me. i fell in love with every single thing about this novel; the plot, the characters, the setting, the dynamics, the banter, the writing...everything. after reading some of the reviews, i figured i’d probably enjoy the book but i wouldn’t “really” love it. boy was i wrong. i just had one of the worst reading slumps, and this is the first book that i could not put down. i read it while eating, while getting ready, at work, at stoplights on the way home. this is the first book in almost two months that has just completely captured my attention.warga’s writing style is very simplistic but it definitely gets the point (and the feels) across, which is something i very much appreciate. there are times when i want to read a lyrical, complex novel, but for the most part i tend to gravitate towards the simpler side of writing. her character’s were very well written and there was a lot of character development throughout the story that ultimately led to my love and affection for these characters. even though my long lost father is not a famous rockstar, i found myself relating to tal in many different ways. she struggled to believe that there were different versions of herself, which i relate to on an unbelievable level. all around me i feel like my friends and family are ever changing, but i’m still the same stoic and stagnant person i’ve always been. these different versions of ourselves make up who we truly are, and if we can’t see our different selfs, then we feel like we’re missing something.all in all, i truly fell in love with this book and i definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone! even if it doesn’t impact you as much as it did to me, it’s still a cute and fun read for the summertime! ☼

3.5 StarsThis was such a heartwarming book. Totally recommend it!

Review soon.

4.5Honestly, when I first read the synopsis for Here We Are Now, I didn't know whether I would like it or not. However, since it's written by Jasmine Warga, I decided to give it a chance. I'm so glad that it's so much more than what I expected, and I'm happy that I didn't brush it off like I had originally planned. Here We Are Now is told in alternating chapters between Tal's story, and her parents' (Lena and Julain's) story. The more we get to know Tal and Julian, the more we get to know about Lena as a teenager as well. Reading Lena's chapters, I really got to understand why she brought up Tal the way she was brought up, and why her and Oliver's relationship ended that way. There are so many things to love about this book. First, I love how romance was not the center of the story. Most contemporary books have romance at its center. Here We Are Now has romance in store for us as well, but it's more of like a side note to the center of the story, which is the family aspect. Not that that makes the romance any less amazing, because I loved everything about it as well. Second, I love the family dynamics on Tal's father side. From the grandma, Aunt Sarah and the twins, they make for a rowdy family. But you can just see how much they love each other and how much they would do everything for each other. There may be a lot of misunderstandings between them, but at the end of the day, you know they care for each other. Third, I love how there was growth not just with Tal, but also with Julian and Lena. In this novel, I saw Tal learn how to trust. I saw Julian learn how to understand, to cherish and know when to let go. I saw Lena learn how to become vulnerable in front of those she loves the most. I saw the three of them learn how to own mistakes and work through them, how to forgive others, and most of all, themselves. Each of these characters had issues in the beginning of the novel, but I saw each one of them learn things and become better persons through their experiences, and I absolutely loved that. Finally, I love how all the characters felt so real. All the characters are not without flaws, and I saw each one of them work through their problems. They felt so realistic precisely because of that aspect, and I became all the more invested in their stories and their growth. Here We Are Now is filled with themes of forgiveness, understanding, growth, maturity, self-discovery, and family, and I loved every bit of it. By watching the characters learn, I also learned a few things myself. Beautifully written and amazingly told, Here We Are Now is definitely a must-read for everyone!

Julian Oliver is a famous rock star. He has fans all across the globe, has numerous magazine spreads and one day he turns up on Taliah Abdallat's doorstep, confirming Tal's theory that he is in fact her father Don't make a Star Wars joke, don't make a Star Wars jokeNot only does he drop the dad bombshell, he also tells Taliah that his dad is dying, and Julian wants her to go on a trip with him to say goodbye to the grandad she never got the chance to know. This book was so sweet! It was such an easy read and wasn't overly angsty (a bit of angst every now and then is good, but I do appreciate the fluff). Taliah was a good main character to read about, too; she was witty, a no BS kinda gal, but she had her vulnerabilities. She struggles opening up to new people, and is therefore heavily reliant on her best friend, Harlow (who I didn't particularly like; she irritated me). I also liked how we read from Tal's POV but then would switch to read about Julian and Lena (Tal's mam) and how they met. There was a bit of insta-love here, but it wasn't overbearing or anything.I think Here We Are Now is a light, sweet book about life and growing up; that people grow up, and grow apart, but that's scary, but also normal. *Thank you SO much to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a copy of this book*

4.5 stars ***I read an ARC of this book through work***There's two stories happening at once in this story; Taliah meeting her father and going on a quick road trip with him to meet her dying grandfather, and the backstory of how he and her mother met, how their relationship came to be, and how it unraveled.I was so invested in Julian and Lena's relationship (Taliah's parents). Their struggles felt relatable and close to me. I love their love, and I feel their pain. Ultimately, it truly shows the full character of Taliah's parents, and reminds all of us that our parents have their own lives, stories, and adventures before us kids came along, how generations are an endless, beautiful cycle. Their story had Jeff Buckley's "Lover You Should've Come Over" on repeat in my head as I read their parts, and I pictured Julian's songs about Lena to be as beautiful and heartbreaking as that song is.My only complaints... didn't really care for Toby and felt he was unnecessary, and I also feel like the book should've gone on for a little longer. I wasn't satisfied with the ending. Would've loved more; but that's also just another way of saying I was really invested in these characters, which makes it a really good book. The romantic in me just wants more.

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW IS UP ON MY CHANNEL:https://youtu.be/aB7XMq-AdtQActual Rating: 4.5 out of 5 starsNOTE: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review by Date a Book/Hachette Australia. All my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!I had very little expectations going into it, but I was definitely blown away! This is definitely one of my favourite contemporary YA books ever!

I feel like it's fitting that this was my last read for this year because happy endings and new beginnings and all that. My heart is full.

Here We Are Now was a phenomenal story about family, acceptance, and love. I would say that I enjoyed this one so much more than My Heart and Other Black Holes. The transition between the past and present was beautifully organized and I found myself almost crying at certain parts. While reading this, I listened to some music and it made the whole experience come alive because music is a major theme within this book in my opinion. One thing I have to say is that the cover makes absolutely no sense to me because there is not that many people in this book and I couldn't connect it to the story at all. Taking that out, this novel was a huge family book and for those who have broken families, this a perfect read for them.

my first jasmine warga book and i have fallen deeply in love with her writing. it's simple, spontaneous, and beautiful!

For this review and many others, please visit - https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.comOMG so good! You all know how often I read YA contemporary – almost never. I’m a little too old to relate to the characters and situations, and usually end up annoyed. But I had read My Heart and Other Black Holes a year or two ago and really loved it so I wanted to give this one a try… and it was just wonderful! I went into it expecting a story of a girl traveling with her best friend to hang out with a rock star….. I mean, that’s what the synopsis told me was going to happen. I was honestly a little afraid that I wasn’t going to connect to this one or enjoy it as much because it had to do with a rock star. But what ended up happening was I got a BEAUTIFUL story of family, growth, love, and letting go. This book caught me off guard by how emotional and character driven it was. That makes it a little hard to review, but I’ll try!There are so many elements of this book that I loved. The main themes are relationships, growth, and trust. Each one of these is subtle in a very genius sort of way. You don’t realize how emotionally invested you are with these characters and their relationships until your breath hitches and you’re near to tears (which happened a few times actually!). We don’t really get to meet a few of the characters (Tom the grandfather, and Lena the mother) so we hear of their relationships through the accounts and stories of others. Because of that, we hear many different sides of the story, each one adding new layers and depths to give us a whole and complete picture.Take for example – Julian. Julian and his father Tom didn’t get along. We hear from him that after he made the choice to pursue a career in music their relationship quickly fell apart. At the time of Tom’s stroke, they actually hadn’t talked in years. Now, if we just got the perspective of Julian, we would only know that they argued a lot and there was a lot of anger. But while Taliah is speaking with her new found family, they add the layers. Debra the grandmother spoke of what Tom said while Julian was away and how Tom really felt. Julian’s sister added yet another layer and so on. Each and every person saw something different and, as I was reading, it was truly sad and beautiful to piece together all the parts of the puzzle and see the relationship as a whole. Sometimes we think we know whats happening in someones head and we run with that, but in the end, the things that go unsaid, and the things we just assume, can change the course of the relationship.The same goes with the relationship between Lena and Julian. Taliah was never told that Julian was her father. As the story progresses, Julian tells Taliah HIS truths of how their relationship began and ended. But like the other relationships it was only one piece to the puzzle. Relationships change as we grow. We add more to ourselves as we find who we really are and that alters how we work with those around us. Along with the theme of relationships is the family element. Taliah never knew this side of her family existed, and it was through their unconditional love and acceptance that she was able to feel welcome, loved, and let people in. Taliah had always had problems letting her guard down because she was afraid that she would get hurt, but the life lessons that she learns from her new family teaches her that the experience of love can sometimes be worth the pain. It was really great to see how she was accepted into this new family and explored her new role within it.Another small element to the story is that Taliah’s mother Lena was an immigrant to America. Originally hailing from Jordan, she came to America to follow in her fathers footsteps and become a doctor, but she also wanted to become her own person. She had no idea who she was, what she wanted, or what she was capable of. Immediately stepping on American soil she decided to remove her hijab so that she could fit in. She felt this thing that made her different made her weak. This tiny quote is something that I found so beautiful and kind of set the tone for the entire book – this is the type of growth we would see from these charactersIt was not the hijab that had made her weak, but her willingness to so quickly shed an integral part of her identity,One thing that I was really glad for is that it doesn’t really focus on fame. Or at least not in the way that I expected. I thought that this was going to be about Julian’s career and how famous he was, but it more focus’s on how he got there, why, and what this life change did for his relationships.The only place that I really found fault with this book was in the ending. Certain parts of it just felt anticlimactic. Where I expected tensions to flare they ended up being calm and composed. Where I expected emotional, detailed, and heartfelt explanations, I got a quick and detached story. It was still satisfying but it felt a little removed from the emotional climate I got from the rest of the book.If you’re looking for an unexpected read involving family, relationships, growth, and trust – this is the one! The emotions this book brought on caught me off guard quite a few times! And it was learning of these characters that pushed me to read this book in two sittings. It was just that good!

Here We Are Now is the story of a teenager finding out her father is a rockstar when he literally shows up on her doorstep, owns up to it, and take her (without her mother knowing) on a road trip to meet her dying grandfather. But it's not really about the drama and angst of all of that. It's really a story of family, friends, (really great) music, being far from home (Lena's mother immigrated to the US from Jordan), and carefully trying to find your place in the midst of so many unknowns. It's also a really soft, quiet, and impactful book that thoroughly charmed me. I really felt like Here We Are Now is that one song that almost never comes on the radio but, when it does, it reminds you to stop for a second and think about where you came from and where you're going.The only thing I'd say was missing was a little more on Taliah and her best friend, Harlow (who's been pulling away since she started dating her girlfriend, Quinn). But, on the other hand, I like how this book is more about making sense of Taliah's family past/present/future and not about her friend drama or any other unnecessary angst.

"This may sound weird, but there are certain songs, like really great songs - you don't just listen to them, you know? They make you feel like they're listening back. Like the person who wrote the song heard you. Music makes you feel less alone in that way. It's proof that someone out there has felt the exact same way you do and they've managed to capture it in this perfect blend of words and sound."I thought this would just be a fun summer contemporary, but somehow it made me cry. The story of Taliah getting to know her dad and his family was just so heartfelt and beautifully told. And I loved how much a love of music shone through it.My one issue with this is that Julian tells the story of how he met Taliah's mum, Lena, but the sections about them are all from Lena's perspective. This seemed illogical to me, since he's technically the one telling the story, and it felt a little like her took away her agency. But I did feel this was rectified towards the end, and overall, I really loved this book.Rep: biracial (half Arab) MC, lesbian side character, Arab side characterCWs: absent parent, death of a grandparent