What Happens Now

Jennifer Castle

Jun 2016 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

An emotional and heartwarming novel from the author of The Beginning of After, an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen!

The summer Ari first sees Camden, she longs for him from afar. When the two forge a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall . . . hard. As their romance blossoms, she’ll have to discover the very real boy behind her infatuation while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.

What Happens Now is an insightful and touching novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality, from acclaimed author Jennifer Castle.

Ratings and reviews

What Happens Now is a wonderful tale of living for yourself, possibilities, first loves and reaching out. Ari was crushing on Camden the summer after she cut herself, a time when she was very depressed and he presented a shining example of perfection to her. She liked him from afar, and the following summer, they actually meet and start hanging out. With him and his friends, who all share a love for her favorite show, she finds that she belongs; she has found her fandom – her family. Many of us will be able to recognize ourselves in this fact – that feeling when you find someone who is as crazy about the things you love as you. Though she never expected him to be the perfect idea that existed in her head, he feels that he might not live up to her expectations, while she is not sure she wants to fall into a relationship and go too fast like she had in her previous. But they do fall in love with each other, expecting the other to heal them, and there is a lot to be said for the healthiness of the relationships portrayed. We see it with her parents, Eliza and Max, and in Ari and her little sister. Speaking of which, this was a story about Ari also learning to sometimes live for herself and not for expectations. On the whole, the plot feels kind of vague and it is particular brand of fiction that you can’t really pin down what it is about. However, it delivers a beautiful story and some superbly written flawed characters. 3.5 stars for this one!

Not my usual sort of book—a real-world drama about a depression-recovering teen (she used to cut herself) making and breaking up with friends and dealing with family, but I liked it. It moved nicely and characters were well done and stuck with me. And wise things were said.

About the author

Jennifer Castle's first novel, The Beginning of After, was named an American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Book. She wrote many unproduced movie and TV scripts before returning to her first love, fiction... but she's still hooked on film and the way we can find and tell our stories with images. She lives with her family in New York's Hudson Valley.