Wayyyy back in 2016 I read an ARC of Katie Heaney's YA novel DEAR EMMA and it totally got me on the YA train, so when I saw that she wrote another YA book, I was so excited to read it. THE YEAR I STOPPED TRYING is a simple, beautiful novel about a junior in high school trying to figure out her place in the world. What I loved about Heaney's DEAR EMMA (and what made me want to read more YA as a grown adult) was how beautiful her prose is, and how a YA story can so easily be translated to an adult audience.

Mary is a straight A student who never gets in trouble and seemingly does everything right. That is, until she forgets to do her history homework one day and... nothing bad happens. From there, she seems to have a bit of an existential crisis and we go with her on a journey of self-discovery and learning that she doesn't have to be perfect for the world to keep turning.

The book is also, somewhat slyly, about discovering one's sexuality and, in Mary's case, understanding what it means to have feelings for a girl. There is no big love story here, but instead walk with her during her journey of self-discovery and that is also just as satisfying. A great book for readers who want to give themselves a break like Mary, and especially for high schoolers to learn that it's ok to do things at your own pace and being true to yourself is the most important thing.

The Year I Stopped Trying by Katie Heaney brings us an interesting premise: what would happen if the girl who always gives 110% in school and life just decides to stop trying? It starts as a mistake – Mary forgets to do her AP US History homework. When she sees the assignment crossed off in her planner but doesn't actually have it done, she frets and is convinced the wrath of her teacher, parents, the entire school will come crashing down on her. But...it doesn't. Her teacher doesn't seem to even notice the assignment is missing, and life continues as normal. But for Mary, this is a life-altering development.

In the ensuing days and weeks, Mary begins to question a lot of things in her life, both in and out of school. She starts to question who she is without the structure of grades and rules and her role as a "good girl." She is smart and funny (favorite quote: "Talk to an adult, everyone says. But what if the adult is stupid?") and I really enjoyed following her journey of self-discovery. I do wish that the one discovery that she made towards the end of the book had been highlighted more, been made more of the plot earlier on, but that's really my only quibble.

Great book about Mary deciding she doesn’t feel like making an effort in school. When she forgets to hand in an essay, and nothing happens she wonders what would happen if she’s late to class, forgets more assignments, and doesn’t study for tests. When nothing happens, she figures why not keep going this way. “Not everyone does things simply because they’re told to.” So why do I? Then she stumbles across former bad boy drug user Mitch, and they become friends. Mary realizes she doesn’t know what she really wants. Can things go back to the way they were?Does she care if they do? Will anyone care? She knows “ not everything needs a point. And I’m still here. “

I really wanted to love THE YEAR I STOPPED TRYING by Katie Heaney. It raises such great questions about teens who push themselves so hard to achieve (and the adults that enable them). The first few chapters are interesting as Mary does *not* do things, like homework, for the first time. Mary's awed reactions to the lack of consequences are grounded, believable, and funny. However, the existential crisis for Mary falls flat through the repetition of events--the car rides with a boy, the "best friend" who's not really a friend, the mediocre job, etc--and the lack of stakes.

Mary doesn't seem to want anything before she stops trying. She didn't have goals to be valedictorian or go to a certain school. She didn't have a career choice she was striving to achieve. She didn't have friends she seemed to care about. What did she have to lose other than *not* failing and *not* getting in trouble? This lack of setup in the beginning undermined what could have been a very compelling, page-turning read.

This book really hit home for me. As an overachiever, I could relate to the main character's guilt and high standards, and could only imagine how freeing it must've felt to let those burdens go. While the ending seemed a bit sudden and not all of my questions were answered, I thoroughly enjoyed following Mary along on her journey of self-revelation.