Mean Who You Are

Publisher: Hot Key Books
Publication Date: 01 April 2014
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Purchase / Gift
Format: Paperback
Length: 327 pages

Overview:
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person.

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven't forgiven?

It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

In a voice that's as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl's journey through life's challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty. 

Fan-made Book Trailer

(By The Video Bird)

My Review:

I love everything about this book. Ava literally broke my heart. Initially I was a bit weary from reading mixed reviews about it on goodreads but the concept and the way it was written in the form of letters just drew me in.

I loved the raw honesty in this book. Ava knows how to draw you in and connect you to the very heart if the matter. My heart squeezed at the tender moments & ached at the sad ones.

Its quite a heavy read and Ava covers some serious teen issues which are very real in today's society.

Characters & Storyline: 5/5

Sometimes I find it a bit tough to connect to YA books but Ava did a wonderful job. The characters are colourful and are dealing with very real issues that teens are dealing with in our society. 

Laurel - I really just love the name Laurel. She is a shy misfit who is dealing with separated parents and the death of her sister. She misses May terribly and is about to start High School. May was Laurel's everything. Laurel's journey is so real and you cannot help but be touched by it. 

Laurel & Sky - I really enjoy the sweet slow burn chemistry between them. It is a typical high school romance and is filled with all the things teenagers have to deal with. 

Sky - I just loved him. Sky is not cocky or arrogant but sweet with some mystery. 

Natalie & Hannah - These are the friends Laurel makes at High School. Natalie is friendly & nice to Laurel. Hannah is an interesting character but I didn't like her too much.

May - May is such a big part of the book. She is Laurel's sister who dies tragically before the book starts. She sounds like a wonderful fun, person and is missed terribly by her entire family. You get to know quite a bit about her through Laurel's memories and letter/journal entries. Laurel has a tough time when she realises her sister was not as perfect as she wants her to be. 

Plot, Pace, Writing style: 5/5  

I love the unique concept of writing letters to different people as a way of telling Laurel's story. I really connected to Ava's writing style. Its not a slow book but not a fast one either.  I enjoyed the modernness of the book (people, songs). 

Cover talk: 5/5 Love it! It's just beautiful. The title sounds

Final Thoughts: This is an amazing book. It touches on so many tender issues and is a bit if a heavy sad read but totally worth it. LLTTD ends on a beautiful note. I will definitely read more of Ava's work and look forward to seeing great things from this author. 

Author Bio: I was born in Los Angeles. One of my first memories is of looking out the window of the Cadillac that my family drove across the desert when we moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is where I grew up, and where my sister and I spent countless summer afternoons making fairy potions, battling evil witches, and playing other imaginary games that probably contributed to my proclivity to make up stories. Now I live in Santa Monica, in an apartment the size of a shoebox close to the beach. Running, walking, or riding my bike by it are some of my favorite activities. My windows are almost always open, even in the winter. (Cheers to Southern California!) I also love going to the farmers market and buying myself flowers, binge watching TV, and going to movies (where I am always the one crunching the popcorn during the supposed-to-be-quiet moment). I don’t have a dog but I hope to one day very soon. I love spending time with my boyfriend and with my wonderful family. I visit New Mexico as often as I can (I’m addicted to its wide-open endless skies). Sometimes I drive home from work and still feel astonished by the shock of blue water ahead of me as I come over the hill, and I feel so grateful that I am here. That’s how I also feel about publishing my first book, and I am profoundly grateful to you for reading it. 

Author Links: Goodreads l Twitter l Website

Love Chanzie