Book Review: My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

I received a copy of My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp from Netgalley.  It finally was published at the beginning of the month and I can't wait to share it with my students.

Summary by Goodreads:

You say it was all meant to be. You and me. The way we met. Our secrets in the woods. Even the way it all exploded. It was simply a matter of fate.

Maybe if you were here to tell me again, to explain it one more time, then maybe I wouldn’t feel so uncertain. But I’m going back to the beginning on my own. To see what happened and why.

Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out.

Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

The summer walks the line between toxic and intoxicating. My Best Everything is Lulu’s letter to Mason – though is it an apology, a good-bye, or a love letter?

My Thoughts:

My Best Everything is told in 2nd person so right off, I was trying to figure out who the main character was and who she was describing in her story.  For teens who don't normally read books in 2nd person, this may confuse them.  But, once I was able to get into Lulu and Mason's back stories, I really fell in love with the characters - real life characters, ones that I can picture being students just graduating my high school, trying to figure out their lives.  I was rooting for them to find a happy ending in the never ending struggles that they both faced over the course of the book.  

Warning:  For freshman/sophomore level English teachers, drinking and partying do take place in the story.  While I don't ever want to encourage the students partake in these activities, they will read about the effects that alcohol can have on teens and adults including alcohol abuse and rehab.

I enjoyed this book.  It was a quick read for me and I highly recommend it to those looking for a coming of age story that will pull you in and keep you reading until the end.