Going Bicoastal

Publication Date: June 2023 | Thanks NetGalley for an ARC

Overall Verdict: If you can get past the sometimes juvenile writing, this a decent romance story that also factors in friendship and family. It is intriguing to see the possibilities of both options in the choice Natalya has to make.

2.5/Stars

Book Summary: Natalya has two choices: stay in NYC with her Dad for the summer or go out to LA to visit her Mom. Going Bicoastal shares what could happen in both scenarios weaving together two alternate realities. In each, Natalya finds love, friendship and a direction for her life.

My Analysis: I was totally hooked by the premise of this book – one character with two alternative story lines? So intriguing! Overall the plots for both scenarios were solid, although I did find myself more interested in one version over the other. What bothered me though was how hard the author was trying to make her characters sound ‘cool.’ Some of the language was too juvenile, even for a YA book, especially for the events that occur throughout the story. It took quite a bit of the enjoyment out of the reading of it for me, and I found myself eye rolling far too many times. I did however really enjoy the representation of the Jewish population in this book. It was a very realistic component to the story and I appreciated how the main character held this as a part of her identity. I also think the author did well with how Natalya shares that she is bisexual. She let the stories speak for themselves in sharing her feelings, thoughts and experiences.