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I Wanna Be Where You Are
Kristina Forest
272 pages | Published by Roaring Brook Press
Chloe is desperate to audition for a ballet conservatory started by her idol, so she's lied to her mom to make it happen. As she heads out for her secret road trip, her neighbor Eli insists on tagging along. The two were super close when they were younger, but haven't spoken in over a year. The trip starts off a bit rocky, but over time they open up about their past and their futures.
I Wanna Be Where You Are falls into my easy breezy category - the book was a cute and fast read that featured some of my favorite tropes: hate-to-love, road trip romance, and of course - the hotel only has ONE BED.
I liked Chloe and Eli - both chasing their dreams to try and figure out what their futures will hold. I was a fan of the side characters as well and enjoyed seeing Chloe re-connect with people that are important to her.
As I've also tried to commit to reading more diverse stories, I liked that this book was about Black teenagers but the story didn't hinge on race or social justice. Think of all the books (most books, period) that are about white people but the story isn't about the social issues that come with being white. Obviously, there is an important place for stories about racial justice and inequality, but this kind of representation is also needed.
I think what I appreciated most about this book is that it was just about normal teenagers doing normal teenage things - stressing about college, sneaking out, dealing with their parents. They weren't out to save the world - they just wanted to live their best life.
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