Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 297
Publisher; Indigo
Released: 14th of May 2015

Ashleigh Walker is in love. You know the feeling - that intense, heart-racing, all-consuming emotion that can only come with first love. It's enough to stop her worrying about bad grades at college. Enough to distract her from her parents' marriage troubles. There's just one thing bothering her . . .

Shouldn't it be her boyfriend, Dylan, who makes her feel this way - not Miss Murray, her English teacher?

 What I Have To Say 

This was a really beautiful story. It dealt with so many things. Obviously the sexuality thing was the main focus, but it also had the issue of getting through education and realizing that you have no idea what you're going to do with your life. Which is an issue that almost every teenager or Young Adult (and even a fair few adults) experience. 

It also dealt really well with divorce and the frustration of knowing that your parents need to sort things out but all you can do is listen to them argue. I felt it was really realistic. Especially interesting was her coping mechanisms and how her relationship with Dylan factored into it all, because she did really like Dylan. 

I loved her friend Kat as well, even though I think she was a bit harsh to Ash during their argument. I loved their strong friendship and how Kat knew Ash needed to face things. There was also so much subtext in what Kat said during the initial argument. So much that I could see from the things Kat wasn't saying or was starting to say. It felt a lot deeper and cleverer than a lot of books I read where the arguments are spelled out quite clearly. 

I think this is going to be one of my favourite contemporaries for this year.