Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.
Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.
The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan's going through, but what nobody knows is that Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched...
Especially Regan Flay.
My Thoughts:
My head hurts. I'm so conflicted! I never realized high school kids drank so much coffee, but 3-4 of the last books I've read mention lots of coffee drinking for the high school aged kids. Weird.
Anyhoo: Life Unaware is a lot like Mean Girls, except on a higher scale.
Regan is one of the most popular girls in her school. She gossips just like every other girl does, but her gossip becomes public when *someone* posts all her messages around the school - setting her up for a fall.
I don't think she deserved the harsh reaction she got, because face it. Girls are mean. High schoolers (in general) are mean. Now, I don't think that ALL high school aged "kids" are mean, vindictive human beings bent on the social destruction of their peers. It's just that high school is a rough 4 years and sometimes it's easier to make yourself feel better by pointing out another's flaws. I know I did it. I felt awful later in my life, when I realized that my actions and words hurt people the way they did, but my mentality at the time was "Well, she hurt me so I'll hurt her."
This isn't a confession - just that I could really relate to this book insomuch that, whether you want to admit it or not, you have most likely said something that has brought harm to someone else. Life Unaware made me take a look at that.
Regan sets out to right her wrongs and finds help in the guy (of course there's a guy) that she most despises. Of course, they fall for each other (because this wouldn't be a YA book otherwise, right?) and he helps her to find her way back to normal.
That's all I'm telling you - go read.
I won't lie - at first I was rolling my eyes a lot, but the more I read, the more I felt convicted about things that I had done and the type of person that I had been. Maybe you'll read LU and think my reaction to the book was a bit strong, but that's the beauty of books, right? They touch everyone in a different way.
**If you ever feel so torn down by the words of others and that suicide or self harm is your only option, I strongly urge you to call someone. If your friends don't know how you feel, I'm certain that they will be an ear to hear and a shoulder to cry on. Please reevaluate your decision before you do anything drastic. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Language: HEAVY
Violence: Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate
Shannon, I really like how you post info about getting help for depression and suicide prevention. Well done.
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