Book Review: You Look Different in Real Life by Jennifer Castle

You Look Different in Real Life
Author: Jennifer Castle
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Released: June 4th 2013
Review Source: Harper Teen
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) For the rest of the world, the movies are entertainment. For Justine, they're real life.

The premise was simple: five kids, just living their lives. There'd be a new movie about them every five years, starting in kindergarten. But no one could have predicted what the cameras would capture. And no one could have predicted that Justine would be the star.

Now sixteen, Justine doesn't feel like a star anymore. In fact, when she hears the crew has gotten the green light to film Five at Sixteen, all she feels is dread. The kids who shared the same table in kindergarten have become teenagers who hardly know one another. And Justine, who was so funny and edgy in the first two movies, feels like a disappointment.

But these teens have a bond that goes deeper than what's on film. They've all shared the painful details of their lives with countless viewers. They all know how it feels to have fans as well as friends. So when this latest movie gives them the chance to reunite, Justine and her costars are going to take it. Because sometimes, the only way to see yourself is through someone else's eyes.

Smart, fresh, and frequently funny, You Look Different in Real Life is a piercing novel about life in an age where the lines between what's personal and what's public aren't always clear.

I was extremely surprised at how much this story got to me. Not only do we get a set of well rounded characters that you can instantly connect with, you also get this captivating story of five individuals that were once all friends but have drifted apart.

Justine, Rory, Nate, Felix and Keira were all hand picked at five years old to star in an up and coming documentary called Five to Six. Little did they know that, that little film would shoot them into stardom. The directors Leslie and Lance Rodgers decided to make it a four part series and film every five years until the kids turn twenty-one. When they filmed Five to Eleven we got a glimpse of where their friendship were and where they were at that point in time. Five years later Leslie and Lance are back to continue their story, but a lot has changed since they were all eleven. Justine and Rory have had a falling out, same goes for Nate and Felix. They have all grown apart and barely know each other now. We follow their wonderful journey to finding themselves and getting to see their own lives through the lens this time.

You Look Different in Real Life actually made me question many things. Such as: What has changed in the last five years? A lot. Are you still friends with the people you were once close with back then? Not really. Did you live up to what you thought you would be doing? That one is still pretty much up in the air because whenever I get asked "Where do you see yourself in five years?" I honestly never know how to answer it because you never really know. You have to live your life in the now and just enjoy the ride.

You Look Different in Real Life is an impressively, beautiful, well written story that you can get lost in for days. Not only does Castle's writing style draw you in from the very beginning, but she also manages to capture what these five individuals once were and now are. Five totally different stories are woven into one so effortlessly that you can't help diving in head first and getting lost in this incredible story.

Book Review: The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

The Beginning of After
Author: Jennifer Castle
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Released: September 6th 2011
Review Source: Harper Teen
Available: Amazon

Summary: (from goodreads) Anyone who's had something truly crappy happen to them will tell you: It's all about Before and After. What I'm talking about here is the "ka-pow," shake-you-to-your-core-and-turn-your-bones-to-plastic kind of crappy.

Sixteen-year-old Laurel's world changes instantly when her parents and brother are killed in a terrible car accident. Behind the wheel is the father of her bad-boy neighbor, David Kaufman, whose mother is also killed. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Laurel navigates a new reality in which she and her best friend grow apart, boys may or may not be approaching her out of pity, overpowering memories lurk everywhere, and Mr. Kaufman is comatose but still very much alive. Through it all there is David, who swoops in and out of Laurel's life and to whom she finds herself attracted against her better judgment. She will forever be connected to him by their mutual loss--a connection that will change them both in unexpected ways.

Jennifer Castle's debut novel is a heart-wrenching, surprisingly witty testament to how drastically life can change in the span of a single moment.

Where should I start with this amazing heartfelt book? I will start with the cover which by the way is beautiful and goes perfectly with the storyline. This book was beautifully written and the story had me crying and thinking that this is something that could happen to any one of us.

Laurel is a junior in high school and full of life. She is a straight “A” student and has everything going for her. One night she and her family are on their way to their neighbor’s house and after dinner they decide to all go out to get some ice cream. Laurel doesn’t want to go and asks to go home instead. That was the last time she would see her mom, dad and little brother alive. Mr. Kaufman was the only one that survived but is now in a coma. David, Mr. and Mrs. Kaufman’s son had also decided not to go with them that night and just like Laurel, lived. Luckily for Laurel, her grandmother came to stay with her and took care of her, but poor David had lost his mom in the crash and his dad was in the hospital on life support and no one to help him with this tragedy. Now Laurel has to try to move on with her life and try to accept that her family is gone. The only problem is that it’s pretty hard when you are surrounded by things that trigger memories of the people she loved the most. Laurel keeps all her thoughts and emotions to herself and doesn’t let anyone know what’s she’s thinking, not even her best friend Meg. But for some reason, the only person she feels close to and comfortable with is David.

This story is filled with emotions. I will admit that I cried and laughed at times. I loved Laurel and felt every emotion she went through. It must be horrible to lose your family like that. Jennifer Castle wrote an amazing story that captured my heart. The Beginning of After is one of those books that open your eyes and makes you appreciate your loved ones because you never know if that they will be gone tomorrow. I totally recommend this book and I will definitely read more books by Jennifer Castle.