books · reviews

Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga // A heartfelt contemporary YA novel

Sophie Li

18336972One day, while Taliah’s mother is out of the country, Julian Oliver, the famed rock star, shows up on Taliah’s doorstep. This makes sense – kinda – because Julian Oliver is Taliah’s father, even though her mother would never admit it to her.

Taliah and her best friend Harlow embark on a journey to Julian’s hometown, where Taliah meets Julian’s father – her grandfather – who is nearing the end of his life. But Julian isn’t the father Taliah always hoped for, and revelations about her mother’s past are seriously shaking her foundation. Through all these new experiences, Taliah will have to find new ways to be true to herself, honoring her past and her future.

Young Adult / Contemporary / 304 pages

Ever since reading (and loving) My Heart and Other Black Holes, I’ve been eagerly anticipating this new novel by Jasmine Warga. Here We Are Now did not disappoint- This novel is about love and loss, and hellos and goodbyes. It will pull on your heartstrings, while being grounded in reality.

The characters are the highlight of this novel. They each have their shortcomings and mistakes, which make them all the more real and loveable. I also love how the relationships between the characters change and grow over the course of the novel.

“I think with some people you can just tell you’re going to have a history with them. Even if that history hasn’t happened yet.”

Taliah lives a simple life with her mother. She is a kind-hearted girl, though she builds a wall between herself and the other people in her world. The only people that she lets in are her best friend and her mother, Lena. Taliah has never met her father, though she is convinced that he is no other than Julian Oliver, the lead singer and guitarist of a famous rock band. One day, Julian appears on her doorstep and invites her on a road trip to meet his father who is dying. At first, Taliah is hesitant to trust Julian. After all, how can you trust a father who has never been in your life? As the story progresses, their relationship strengthens.

This novel also tells the story of Lena and Julian’s relationship, how they met and fell in love, and the events that occurred leading up to the present day. Lena was a modern woman who was ambitious and independent. She immigrated to American from Jordan, choosing to pursue her dream while giving up her family and her home. Julian loved music from the bottom of his heart, and he would rather be a musician than carry on his family business. Lena and Julian found solace in each other, because they were both defying their roots in pursuit of a dream. I absolutely loved that there is focus on the parents in this novel- Yes, once upon a time, parents were teens and young adults, and they had their own love stories too.

He reminded her of America. Of her American dream.

There are some elements of romance, but it does not dominate the story. This is refreshing because it is true in real life as well: romance plays a significant part of our lives, but it doesn’t occupy all of our waking moments. I love that there is focus on other important relationships, such as those between family and friends.

I loved Jasmine Warga’s writing style in this novel. There are few characters, and the story is a simple one. Even the scenes and dialogue are written in a simple style that flows. However, it is a story that is rich in meaning, that made me reflect about people and relationships. This novel reminds me that a great story can be written using simple language.

“I like trees.”

“And what do you like so much about them?”

“They’re good listeners. And they know how to let go.”

The Bottom Line:

Here We Are Now is a subtle and heartfelt story that will make you smile, maybe even shed a tear (or two). It is guaranteed to give you the warm and fuzzies.

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Here We Are Now is one of my favourite contemporary YA novels this year, and Jasmine Warga is one of my favourite authors. Do you have any favourites?

Published by Sophie Li

I am a Chinese-Canadian book lover & aspiring author. When not reading, writing, or taking care of an infant, you can find me organizing my life using a spreadsheet while munching on chocolate.

27 thoughts on “Here We Are Now by Jasmine Warga // A heartfelt contemporary YA novel”

    1. Thank you Michael! 🙂
      I mean to say that I have more than one favourite author as well (there are too many great writers out there), who I continue to buy books from, since they very rarely disappoint me

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  3. Beautiful review, Sophie! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this one so much. I haven’t read anything by Jasmine Warga so far, but after all of your reviews, this one and the other one for My Heart and Other Black Holes, I have a feeling I need to read them all RIGHT THIS SECOND ahah. I’m all for heartfelt books like that, they usually end up being on my favorites’ list. I also love that romance doesn’t take the whole place into the novel, you’re so right, just like it doesn’t occupy everything in real life 🙂

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    1. Thank you Marie! 🙂 🙂
      I have a feeling that you will like this book (and Black Holes!) since you mentioned that you like contemporary YA novels and novels that are emotional! Black Holes is even more emotional than this one, but I liked both! Hoping that you will like these books if you do read them 🙂

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  5. The characters do sound authentic and well-developed in this one. Also glad to hear that the book doesn’t just focus on romance, as there are other relationships (friends, family, etc.) in life worth exploring too! Wonderful review, Sophie! 🙂

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  6. Great review Sophie! I remember your previous review about another book by this author and how much you loved it… (Love and a Black Holes) I should definitely pick this book up… I love that romance doesn’t take over the entire novel because you’re right it doesn’t occupy everything in real life! ♥️

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    1. Thank you Dani ❤
      I really hope that you will have a chance to read this one (or Black Holes)! Yes sometimes I like reading about non-romantic relationships more than romantic ones- it is like a breath of fresh air 🙂

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    1. Yes I loved Julian and Lena’s love story, even though it didn’t work out. I liked that the ending was left open, though I hope that they would eventually get back together 🙂 Thank you Shanah!

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  8. Great review for this book Sophie. I haven’t heard of Here We Are Now but I have seen some incredible reviews for Jasmine Warga’s other book so I’m probably going to go and add both to my to-read list shortly. 🙂 I love that there was such incredible character development in this book, and that it focuses on families and Taliah’s parents in particular. Books with incredible family dynamics are a weakness of mine. 🙂
    Again great review! 😀 ❤

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    1. Thank you, Beth ❤
      Hope that you will read this book one day, and that you will love it as much as I do 🙂 I am also gravitating towards books with strong family dynamics these days. It is sometimes refreshing to read about the love that people have for their families, instead of for the gorgeous girl/boy across the street haha 🙂

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  9. Aww this sounds so lovely! I haven’t read anything by this author before but now I’m SUPER keen to try! I like family-centric stories too. :’)

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    1. Thank you 🙂 I highly recommend this author. She has only published two books so far (My Heart and Other Black Holes, and this one) but she hasn’t disappointed me yet.

      Like

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  10. Pingback: November Wrap-Up! – Sophie's Corner

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