A really heartwarming YA story. Note that it does have elements of grief which could be triggering for some. Overall a feel good story and interesting from start to finish.

I received a copy of this arc from NetGalley for an honest review. I thought this would be a nice beachy read but it dealt with much darker and deeper themes than I thought it would.

I’m not going to lie, I was super worried that when I started this book it was going to be another book that had me in tears because of the death of the main character. I’m happy to say that didn’t happen.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some super emotional spots here, especially in the beginning when you meet Finley, but it didn’t completely gut me.

Start Here is a coming of age story of two young girls trying to figure out who they are and who they can become without the one person who held their friendship together. To say that there is some resentment between Willa and Taylor would be an understatement. Their friendship is complicated and at the start of this journey, the only thing they feel like they have in common is the one person who is no longer there.

I’m going to be honest, I liked these characters but I’m not sure I loved them. I struggled a lot to connect with them throughout, but maybe that is part of their charm – These two very different girls who are struggling to understand what comes next for them, and learning that their life will go on and understanding that they don’t have to lose and forget Finley but they have to start living for themselves was an important message.

I really enjoyed the idea of the sailing trip as the backdrop for the story. It’s interesting to me that this is even a thing that people can do, but Doller does an amazing job of building this story around each of the stops along the way. The trials and tribulations that the girls have to experience helped to build their confidence in who they are and who they are becoming and the growth each of these girls goes through from start to finish was lovely to see.

The things that didn’t work for me… Cam as a character. He was interesting and a big part of the story and then suddenly he wasn’t. I supposed that’s sometimes how life is, but as a reader I wanted more of an explanation on his actions, even if he wasn’t going to be a part of Willa’s life. I also struggled a bit with the relationship with Wyatt. I get it sometimes fate just puts someone in your way that you immediately click with, but I felt like the romances weren’t fleshed out enough to be a part of the story in a resounding way, and I kind of wish they hadn’t been there at all.

Ultimately, at the end of the day, this book wasn’t supposed to be about romance. It is truly about two girls who need to learn to forgive each other for transgressions, grieve for the friend they lost and a future without her, and figure out what is next for them in their lives, and on those points, Doller delivers wonderfully.

If you’re looking for a book about friendship and loss and learning to live for yourself this will be the perfect story for you.

Trish Doller takes the idea of a road trip and turns it on its sail. Finley is the glue that has held the friendship of Finley, Willa, and Taylor together, so after her death, Willa and Taylor have no reason to pretend. Willa's precarious home life and financial situation make her an outsider to Taylor's life of wealth and privilege. Only the promise made to Finley to sail from Ohio to Key West following a course charted by the dying girl is enough to bring these two back together on the 25' sailboat named WTF. With great characters and lots of heart, this is a title I look forward to recommending to students grades 10 -12.

Start Here by Trish Doller is a young adult contemporary novel that is a heart warming tale of two teens honoring their best friend’s wishes after she had passed away from cancer. Finley, Willa and Taylor had been friends for years and were thought to be inseparable. Finley was the glue that held the group together and as the outgoing one she had come up with the idea of restoring an old sail boat and after graduating heading to Key West from their Ohio home near the Great Lakes.

After Finley’s death Willa and Taylor grew apart and rarely even spoke to one another the rest of their high school days. When the day came that Finley had marked for their departure both girls could not let her done by not honoring her last wishes. Setting out the girls never expected the trip to bring them back together with a better understanding of one another.

I’m always a sucker for a book that is set in wonderful locales so I can virtually travel along with the characters and sailing out of the eastern US down the coast sounded like so much fun. Little did I know that along with an interesting journey would be a lovely coming of age story with plenty of emotion as the trip becomes a healing journey.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book hits you in the feels from the first page, and takes you on a roller coaster of emotion throughout. I became very invested in all of the characters and their relationships with each other.

I loved almost everything about this book. The characters were real, with real flaws. The plot line took place on the water, on a boat, which speaks to me on a deep level. The emotions were honest. And there was a lot of fun worked in with the misunderstandings and heartbreak.

Generally, I will relate to one character more than another, but I related to both Willa and Taylor. I understood and believed their feelings and motivations. I knew what made them tick and felt like I would respond similarly in the same situation. As the story is narrated in alternating POV between them, the reader has a richer understanding of the dynamics of their friendship with Finley and their relationship with each other.

The support characters were all well written and likable as well. Yes, all of them. Finley is the core of the story, and while she is not there in person, her memory is the driving force for Willa and Taylor and everything they endure. Campbell is another link between them, as are their parents. Wyatt, Vanessa and Norm round out the cast of characters, each helping to provide additional insight into the girls.

While the story predominantly centers around the relationship with Willa and Taylor, we also explore Willa's relationship with her mom. And to a lesser extent, both girl's relationships with Campbell and Finley. And each of their relationships with themselves.

If there were anything that I would change about this book, it would be to add an epilogue. The ending is perfect, but I would love to check in with the girls 10 years down the road to see where they are. But that's just my inability to let go of characters that I came to know so well. I will just have to use my imagination to see where Willa and Taylor end up in life... but I'm pretty sure it's together as friends.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley and the publishers {Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; Simon Pulse} in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a great end of summer read that includes sailing and adventure, this is the book for you.
Finley has been planning to sail from Ohio to Key West with her two best friends for a long time, but when she is diagnosed with cancer, she knows she won't make it. Before she dies, she gives her friends a trip itinerary in the form of clues and map coordinates so they can take the trip anyway. Willa and Taylor don't get along very well without Finley, but they honor her wishes and begin their journey. As they travel, they will try to grieve properly for Finley, and perhaps they will find reconciliation and more along the way.
I enjoyed this book very much. It is very sad, but there was plenty of drama and humor included as well. The writing is descriptive and the characters are easy to sympathize with, though I liked Willa more than Taylor. Willa's strength and gumption are an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt like a nobody, but who fights for happiness and a future with a sweet and stubborn spirit. I loved the adventure and the fact that it was a sailing trip instead of a road trip, which made the story unique. I didn't care for the profanity and I didn't agree with some of the views and lifestyles presented, but other than that, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about friendship and forgiveness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Start Here
Trish Doller
©2019
P. 346
@SimonPulse

Willa, Taylor, and Finley...Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...WTF, three best friends who planned to sail the Loop after graduation, in the summer before going to college. After Finley’s death from leukemia, Willa and Taylor grudgingly decide to complete the trip, even though Finley was the real link between them. Physical and emotional challenges dog them on the journey, making them question themselves and their choices.

Girl friendships are fraught with tension, love, jealousy, compassion, and so much emotion. There is so much to negotiate based on interests, history, and personalities. In a triad when all members are in balance, it’s stable, but when one is missing--it becomes a two legged stool. I loved the dynamics between Willa and Taylor as they figure out who they are without Finley, and try to come to terms with what their friendship will be, or if it will even survive. Ms. Doller has written an authentic tale of the growth and struggles of friendship.

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BOOK REPORT for Start Here by Trish Doller

Cover Story: Scrapbook
BFF Charm: Eventually x2
Swoonworthy Scale: 5
Talky Talk: She Said, She Said
Bonus Factors: Sailing, Scavenger Hunts
Relationship Status: Summer Summer Summertime

Cover Story: Scrapbook

Taylor documents the girls’ sailing adventure on its own Instagram account, so a cover featuring snaps from the sailboat is a perfect fit. I do think the way the photos are on Polaroids is a little bit Photoshoppy, stock-photo-y looking, but overall, the vibe is right.

The Deal:

Willa, Taylor and Finley were best friends. Well, sort of. Willa and Taylor were both best friends with Finley—but with a shared history full of jealousy and scorn, Willa and Taylor were not best friends with each other. Finley was the glue, and Willa and Taylor loved her more than anything. So when Finley dies from leukemia, Willa and Taylor aren’t sure how to move on without her. The three girls had planned to sail from Ohio to Key West together the summer after graduation, and after Finley’s death, Willa and Taylor assumed their sailing trip was cancelled.

But when Finley leaves them a video and a list of clues challenging them to take the trip without her, the girls decide to embark on a two-thousand-mile journey together where they must face their grief head-on and decide if their friendship is worth saving without Finley around to keep them together.

BFF Charm: Eventually x2

Willa and Taylor are different in many ways and alike in a few. Willa grew up very poor with a not-so-great home life, and when her local Boys and Girls Club teamed up with the Sailing Club from Finley’s school, she and Finley learned to sail together and became best friends. Willa is scrappy and resilient and tough, determined to make a better life for herself, but at times can be a little proud. Taylor, meanwhile, grew up in a wealthy, loving family with brothers and parents who loved to sail, though she never really caught the sailing bug. This made her jealous of Willa and Finley’s friendship and she tended to lash out at Willa in unfair ways.

At first, I thought I liked Willa but disliked Taylor. But as the story progressed and I got to know these girls more, I realized that they were both capable of being cruel to each other—and not just since Finley’s death. They had a history of it and being on the boat only amplified it. Luckily, a two-thousand-mile sailing trip gave them some experience and perspective and I grew to like them more as the story progressed.

Swoonworthy Scale: 5

The girls both have their fair share of crushes and romantic encounters on their sailing journey. Willa has long harbored a crush for Taylor’s older brother Campbell, and Campbell has made it pretty clear her feelings are reciprocated. But Cam was always off limits because he was Taylor’s brother, and also because Finley had had a crush on him since they were kids. Meanwhile, Taylor is coming to terms with her own complicated set of romantic feelings and must learn to navigate them without her best friend Finley by her side.

Without getting too spoilery, there are plenty of butterfly-inducing swoon situations (swoonutations?) but at the end of the day, this is a book about a friendship, and romance takes a backseat.

Talky Talk: She Said, She Said

The chapters of Start Here alternate between Willa and Taylor while remaining in a close third person perspective. Doller is an extremely accomplished writer, and the prose always toed the line between an easy, breezy summer story and something a little heavier and more profound. But she also would occasionally skip around in time, and between that and the shifting perspective, I sometimes had to reorient myself and figure out where and when the story was happening.

Bonus Factor: Sailing

It’s like an epic road trip book, but ON A BOAT. I won’t lie: I know nothing about sailing, and Doller does not take it easy on those of us who are unfamiliar with the lingo. I kept having to Google terms like ‘v-berth’ or watch YouTube videos on how canal locks worked, but reading a book about two girls sailing out on their own was a refreshing change from your typical summer road trip story. (Even if I had a kind of hard time believing that Taylor’s parents would let her do this before she turned 18, but that’s a very minor critique!)

Bonus Factor: Scavenger Hunts

I’m always on board for a list or scavenger hunt. When I first read a description of this book, I wondered if the whole thing would take place mostly on the sailboat, not realizing that the girls would sail along rivers and lakes—not just on the ocean. Finley’s clues get Willa and Taylor off the boat to experience the towns and attractions along their journey, which kept the story from getting to monotonous.

Relationship Status: Summer Summer Summertime

Time to sit back and unwind. This is a perfect book to read on the beach, or on a boat, or for those of us in landlocked states, in the kiddie pool in your backyard. It’s sweet, sometimes a little sad, but still a fun and easy read with all the traits I look for in a summery story.

Start Here will be available August 13, 2019.

I adore Trish Doller and I've been super excited for Start Here from the moment it was announced, especially since it's a friendship book. Willa, Taylor and Finley made a pact to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West. Except Finley passes away before graduation, but not before leaving behind a list of clues for Willa and Taylor to see certain destinations and making them promise to follow through on this dream of theirs. So they do but it's an uneasy trip from the start because Finley was the glue and really the whole reason why they even hung out. Without her there, what does life and their tentative friendship look like? The book alternates chapters as we see how each girl handles their grief and the trip ahead. But to be honest, I struggled with getting to know and connect to both girls, particularly Taylor who I never completely warmed up to. I definitely sympathized with the situation. Even though I've never lost a friend, I related to trying to find a balance in a friendship group of three very different young women and what it's like to be "the glue". But I feel like I still needed more, I actually wish we had got to know Finley better, like letting her have own chapters that are flashbacks, because it would've given more weight to this final wish of hers and the girls' grief. But the part I ended up really enjoying was the trip itself as a background to the story. I loved that they were sailing on their own, making these random stops and discovering what they each wanted along the way. So while this may not be my favorite Trish Doller book, if you're in the mood for friendship, summer and a bit of wanderlust, I'd recommend borrowing this from the library.

Start Here by Trish Doller was everything I would want in a great teen fiction novel and more. She guided me, the reader, through the emotional ups and downs of two teenage girls dealing with the loss of a best friend, rekindling a relationship, past grievances, and new summer love. I cannot praise it enough.

Taylor and Willa are the two main characters in this book, but we get to know their best friend Finley pretty well even though she has passed away when this book starts. The girls made a promise to sail from Ohio to Key West together, but Finley dies of Leukemia. So Willa and Taylor have to go but they aren’t really all that good of friends without Finley. I love the dynamic here. We have two individuals who know each other fairly well, but don’t really like each other even though they shared a best friend and spent a lot of time together.

This book digs deeper into how people handle grief differently. I love seeing how Willa and Taylor are different in this aspect, but yet so much alike in other ways. The author also did a fantastic job of showing their remorse and their personal growth along the journey. I felt I could see them maturing with every flip of the page. The characters were so well developed and we got little instances of flashbacks from the past to show us why they might be the way they are now.

Start Here is a true coming of age story about friendship and I love that it included hard hitting topics like death, lgbtq aspects, love, heartbreak, and so much more. I wish I had went on a trip like this when I was there age. What an amazing thing to do and it was such a joy to read. I would recommend this book to anyone, young and old alike. Made me feel young again just reading it. I’ll be checking out more from Trish Doller soon!

You know that feeling you get when you follow an author and read multiple of their books, and then a new one comes out and you feel like it has a special kind of magic the others (while they were great!) didn’t quite have?

I felt that way reading START HERE. The story seemed to come alive as I read it. I connected with the characters immediately. The “trapped on a sailboat with your frenemy to honor your best friend’s dying wish” plot was amazing and unique. I loved all the sailing stuff!

I sobbed with Finley as she made the video for her friends about the journey. Then I sobbed with Taylor and Willa as they grieved through that terrible loss. And, as the girls began to find themselves through the trip and learn to appreciate one another, I cried for how far they’d come.

This is the best kind of book to finish your summer with. It’s full of the kind of hope that only comes from grief transformed. It’s real and moving and full of surprise sweet and funny moments. I loved it. I read an electronic review copy, but I’m definitely ordering a finished copy of the book because I suspect it’s one I’ll return to again.

love a good road trip! I love a good road trip novel. But Start Here by Trish Doller kicked it up a notch with a sailing trip! When Finley dies of cancer her two best friends Willa and Taylor decide to go on the sailing trip they had all planned to go on after graduation. Willa and Taylor were never as close as they each were with Finley. Now they need to figure out their friendship without Finley.

I loved this book. It was great YA with a twist on road trips. There were some love interests but at the heart this was a novel about friendship. Can Willa and Taylor even have a relationship without Finley. At times it seems like the answer is no. But as they sail The Great Loop, they get to know each other and the secrets they were keeping. Start Here was well written and an easy read. Easy as in fast paced want to see what happens next. It’s heart wrenching at times watching the girls deal with their grief miles from home on a boat in the middle of the water. The book had almost me in tears a few times.
Thank you Netgalley and SimonPulse for the free E-galley.

It’s safe to say I’m a Trish Doller fan girl. I don’t think she could write anything that I won’t love. My love started with Something Like Normal, her debut, and has only grown. So when I heard about Start Here I was so excited. There is something I love about a good friendship book and mixing one of my favorite authors with a favorite kind of story? YES PLEASE! And I am happy to say Trish hit it out of the park with this one.

Start Here is the story of Willa and Taylor, two girls left behind after their best friend Finley dies. The plan was always for the three of them to sail from Ohio to Key West, but when Finley dies before graduation the two remaining girls reluctantly decide to go using the 25 clues that Finley left for them. With time and a lot of distance to go, Willa and Taylor try to figure out if they have a friendship without Finley or was she the glue that held them all together.

What I personally loved about Start Here was the journey. Not the literal journey of the 2000 miles from Ohio to Key West, but the journey of Willa and Taylor. Both of these girls are just lost without the one person that made them feel like they were special like they had someone to belong to. With her death, they were both gutted and not sure how they fit in the world or with each other. Over their trip and with the help of Finley’s clues, they learn who they are, what they are made of, and how they work as a duo instead of a trio. That was what I loved the most. Watching these 2 girls figure things out and have meltdowns and fights and breakdowns was what made this book a 5 star read. It captured the essence of loss and moving forward and uncertain friendships to perfection.

Start Here is a book that you definitely need to add to your TBR. It is romance light, but friendship heavy and something everyone should read. I highly recommend going on this journey with these complicated characters.

I’m a huge fan of Trish Doller, so I was beyond excited to get into her new book. From that cover, I was sort of expecting a sort of fluffy contemp, but don’t be fooled.

I really liked Willa, but Taylor took some time to get invested in. Both girls are dealing with Finley’s death and I really appreciated getting both of their POVs.

Plot wise, it did take me some time to get settled. As the story progresses and the trip gets closer to being complete, I was all in. And the growth of both Willa and Taylor was perfection.

Overall, it was emotional and messy and so easy to root for these girls. I would have liked a bit more at the ending, yet it really works for this story.

**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse for providing the arc free of charge**

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.
I started this book intending to read a little before bed. Fast forward to 1am and I was turning the very last page!! So completely unputdownable. Taylor and Willa were fabulous and layered MCs and their adventure is wonderful. I cant recommend this enough!

Posted to Goodreads: Willa and Taylor were unlikely friends. They have nothing in common expect they were both best friends with Finley. Finley was their glue and they both are lost when Finely dies of leukemia during their senior. The three girls had promised to take a sailing trip the summer after graduation. Finley made Willa and Taylor promise that they would take the trip no matter what and now the girls are trapped on a small boat just the two of them and their baggage and expectations.

I had been in a little bit of a book slump before I found this book and it was the perfect cure. Doller is one of my go to authors for fast reads that are heartfelt. Willia and Taylor's journey across the country to the ocean and their journey through their emotional history was perfectly done with both girls being relatable and realistic. Their story was perfectly balanced with their adventures in the small towns that they visited. Plus, Doller added just the right amount of romance. The pieces of the story came together to create a book that I would highly recommend as a must read.

Willa, Taylor and Finley had always planned to spend the summer after senior year sailing from Ohio to Key West. But when Finley dies before graduation, Willa and Taylor are left with a sailboat and a list of clues from Finley to lead them to different destinations along the way. As they sail together, the girls will have two months to learn how life works without Finley in it – and perhaps, find out more about themselves and their friendship along the way. Start Here immediately made it on to my radar, not only because it’s a Trish Doller novel, but also because it’s the story of a summer spent traveling on a sailboat. In true Doller storytelling fashion, it was an enjoyable, easy read. I loved reading about their summer adventure, from their attempts to follow Finley’s list, the peaks and pitfalls of their trip and the complicated nuances of their friendship. The novel could have benefited from being a touch longer, as this would have allowed for further character development. This, in turn, would potentially encourage a stronger emotional investment in the characters, which is something that I unfortunately lacked as I read. Despite this, I’d still recommend checking out Start Here. It’s definitely a good choice if you’re in the market for a quick summer read!

Start Here was a beautiful, sweet, emotional book.

What do you do when you lose your best friend? This was something that Taylor and Willa had to find out for themselves, after their mutual best friend, Finley, died of cancer at age 17. When Finley was still healthy, the three of them had decided to sail from their home in Sandusky, Ohio, to Key West, Florida, after they graduated from high school. One of Finley's last wishes was for Willa and Taylor to make the trip together, leaving them kind of a scavenger hunt of places to visit along the way. The only thing is, Finley was the center of their trio of friends, and the two remaining girls aren't exactly fond of each other without Finley as the buffer.

The two girls don't get along at first. There are old hurts and jealousies between the two of them, but they're taking this trip for Finley's sake. Over the course of the trip, things change though. They enjoy fun times together, go through difficult times, and their relationship develops.

The characters develop in other ways too. The two girls learn more about themselves and what they want. They become stronger people, and as a reader, you know that whatever waits for them after college, you know that it is better because of this trip.

The trip itself and the locations they visit are wonderful. In a way, reading this book feels almost like taking the trip with them. I'd recommend reading this book in the summer, or when you're feeling a little cold and dreary and need to feel a few summer vibes.

Even though this book deals with the death of a friend, it's not a sad book. I did cry twice while reading this book — once during the first chapter, and once while reading the last chapter. Overall, it was a beautiful book about the friendship of two girls after a loss, and I highly recommend it.

I've loved Trish Doller since I read Something Like Normal, but all of her books have been amazing. This one, though? This is my favorite.

I love books about friendship or grief or travel, so one that combines all three? YES, PLEASE. Except that's also not really accurate. Finley is all over this book, but it's also not really a grieving book. And Willa and Taylor have known each other for ages, but they were more friends with Finley than they were friends with each other. 

Willa and Taylor make no sense together, but their tentative friendship is one of the best things about this book. They've wounded each other a lot in the past (mostly Taylor to Willa) but while their truce is extremely fragile, it's also true. Everything about this book feels incredibly authentic, and neither girl feels like an idealized version of reality.

I've never been particularly interested in sailing, but this made me want to change that. (Which is about as ridiculous as Happiness For Beginners making me want to hike, but there you have it.)

Highly recommended.