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OLDER FICTION
Kenwood, Nina

It Sounded Better in My Head

263 pp. | Flatiron | April, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-250-21926-8 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-250-21927-5 $9.99
(2) YA At age eighteen, Natalie feels "light-years away from being an adult." For instance, she's only ever kissed one guy; she blames her lack of romantic experience on cystic acne when she was younger. Still embarrassed about her scars, Natalie prefers to spend time with her parents or with her best friends, Zach and Lucy. But as the novel opens, her parents announce they're separating--amicably, but still--and Zach and Lucy, a couple as of nine months ago, sometimes make Natalie feel left out. Enter cute, outgoing Alex, Zach's older brother. Alex's possible interest in Natalie terrifies her, but after a New Year's holiday in which they accidentally (at first) share a bed, Natalie realizes just how much she likes him back. This opposites-attract Australian import is sweet, and the romance is endearingly awkward, sometimes hilariously so (e.g., when Alex's mother discovers Natalie in his bed, prompting a cringeworthy family discussion). Natalie's deadpan narration is consistently funny, even when she's describing something as serious as her parents' breakup; she is a self-deprecating, self-sabotaging, and self-conscious protagonist. Alex makes a good match: not only does he accept her as she is but, as popular as he is, he has insecurities of his own. Of course, theirs is a happy ending--albeit, perhaps, an uncertain one. "Probably everything will be terrible and we'll never last," Natalie acknowledges with characteristic cheer, "but right now...it feels like it could be something wonderful."
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2020

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