For today's review I wanted to switch gears from fantasy and do a contemporary novel. First & Then is a contemporary high school romance novel by Emma Mills. It's a pretty short novel at around 250 pages, I think I knocked it out in a day. It read pretty fast paced, which I appreciated, I really couldn't put it down and just wanted to keep turning the pages until the story was complete. I also just want to throw it out there that this book is gorgeous! The dust jacket has rainbow raindrops all over it and the actual book underneath has the same pattern in silver foil!
Synopsis:
"Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy silently crushing on best friend Cas and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive jock Ezra right where she doesn't want them-first into her gym glass and then into every other aspect of her life."
Devon is such a relatable character, I really felt like I could have been her, though my high school life wasn't nearly as interesting. Early on her cousin Foster comes to live with her family and starts at her school. He seems to have some sort of autism, but I'm not entirely sure, and he himself is going through a pretty tough time. He comes into Devon's life and helps liven it up a bit. He makes friends with the super cute jock, Ezra, and pulls him into Devon's world as well. She struggles with being a type of sister for Foster and also with her feelings for Ezra.
What appealed to me most about this book was how REAL it was. Obviously it's a contemporary romance novel and the contemporary aspect was so well portrayed that I felt they could be actual people. The situations and conversations they progressed through were reminiscent of things I've gone through in my own high school experience or heard about from friends. I think Mills really captures that quintessential high school life for most teenagers.
Devon is also a lover of Jane Austen, which is a theme throughout the story. She loves Pride and Prejudice which is not only my favorite Austen novel but also my favorite book of all! Needless to say I really loved the inclusion of that into the story.
RATING:
5/5
I really, really recommend this book if you really like contemporary novels or just want to read a cute romance novel! Did anyone else love it as much as I did?
