Olivia should be working on her presentation, not going on a cruise with her family. But alas, she has no choice. She packs up her work, makes a research schedule for each day of the trip, and tries to avoid all fun at all costs. Except there is just a small problem: Jules, a friend from the past and fellow cruise goer, wants Olivia to join in cruise hookup culture. Olivia should be able to avoid it because of her jam packed research schedule, but then she meets Sebastian, and maybe, just maybe, Olivia falls for Seb a little more than she should.

Amidst the fun times these characters, as well as the rest of the "crew" have on the ship, Olivia's family is also dealing with the death of Olivia's older brother, Logan. Logan died of a heart attack at 17, and Olivia's research is dedicated to finding out a way to prevent youth heart attacks. But when Jules let's a secret about her brother slip, Olivia's thoughts about her family and brother become confused and she is forced to approach her family for answers.

This book urges the notion of talking about difficult situations/subjects and how important it is for closure/dealing with grief.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for the eARC! I absolutely loved this book!

It took me a while to get through this novel and it wasn’t even a long read. I think, to start, this novel would have done well if it just focused on the grief as the biggest issue. i think that lauren does well in regards to interiority but i think where this story lacked was that most of the characters felt two dimensional. her parents — who were essentially where she should have gone for all of her troubles — felt VERY two dimensional. it was insane to me that they felt that way since that’s where the point of conflict was. i think Jules was a good character who didn’t have a lot of substance but was fun. also, the romance was kind of annoying to me. i think there was good drama around it but i think it, inevitably, fell apart way too fast. it was an awakes book that ended so abruptly and everything was just resolved too quick. the novel revolves around Logan and the resolution in his regard just wasn’t my cup of tea at all. i wanted more there, more conversation and everything with it. also - for her to have been worried about the research and all that, she left Shruti high & dry and flubbed the conference anyway, all to have plot armor of getting an internship.

but it was a short & compact read that anyone can get through

"We Ship It" by Lauren Kay is a fun and relatable exploration of fandom, friendship, and the excitement of shipping fictional characters in the world of pop culture. This novel offers a lighthearted and charming look at the dynamics of fan communities and the joys of connecting with like-minded enthusiasts.

Kay's writing style is engaging and filled with pop culture references, immersing readers in the world of conventions, fanfiction, and the ups and downs of being a passionate fan. The relationships between the characters are authentic, and their journey toward self-discovery and connection creates a dynamic that is both heartwarming and entertaining.

At the heart of the narrative is an exploration of fandom culture, the friendships formed through shared passions, and the complexities of navigating relationships in the digital age. The author skillfully weaves together elements of romance and friendship, creating a narrative that resonates with readers who have experienced the thrill of being part of a fan community.

"We Ship It" successfully balances humor with moments of genuine emotion, resulting in a narrative that is both amusing and emotionally resonant. The themes of identity, belonging, and the power of shared interests add depth to the story.

In conclusion, "We Ship It" is a delightful and entertaining read that celebrates the world of fandom and the connections that can be formed through shared passions. If you're looking for a book that offers a fun and relatable journey through fan culture and relationships, this novel provides an enjoyable and heartwarming narrative that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Super cute YA romance, I think this one will be popular amongst my high school students :) The setting is such a fun and unique way to tell the story!

Olivia Schwartz doesn't want to go vacation. She is serious about her studies and getting into a good internship program, but her family has plans for a big trip for a family cruise. This is a cute story of teen romance aboard a 10day cruise to the Caribbean. This book takes you on her travels with the friends she makes and her family while on board the ship and at the ports of call.
I appreciated that this book also had a plot of family and how they can evolve through some heavy issues. It had a good mix of fun and light moments interspersed with some emotional times when needed. Overall, I think it is a great YA book for any teen to read, and I even enjoyed it as a fortysomething!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Overall this book was a fun YA . It was a little slow at times, but I enjoyed the ending. The main character Olivia breaks through some barriers with her family and putting her guard down. She’s going into her senior year and she has a plan. She wants a perfect SAT score, so she can make it to an Ivy League college, so she can study to become a doctor. When her parents tell her they are going on a cruise she becomes anxious. She is supposed to get together a presentation and now is supposed to have fun. Fun? What is that? Ever since her brother Logan died a few years before she decided her main goal was to become a doctor. It doesn’t leave much time for fun.
On the cruise she begins to let her guard down. One of her old friends is on the cruise and she encourages her to flirt with a handsome guy named Sebastian, stay out late, and drink. When some truths become uncovered she had to deal with complicated feelings.

I read this YA romance in one night! I loved the setting of a cruise, and I also loved the authenticity of the story.

Loved this from the beginning to the end! One of my favorite YA summer romance books 👌🥰 I talked about this book enough that a friend had to pre-order it from Barnes and Noble to see what all the hype was about.

This is such a beautiful story about a girl dealing with grief and growing up. Above all, I would classify it as a true coming of age. Being in Olivia's head was so REALISTIC--I really felt like I was hearing from a teenager. The insecurities, fears, and ambitions she had...she came across as genuine, and I enjoyed reading about her realizing the truth about what happened to her brother and her learning how to live in the now. Lauren is a wonderful writer, and I hope to read more from her!

Review at 12:11! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r52SWZW6WbE

Between 2-3 stars.

… mild spoilers …

My favorite part of this book is the cover, which is real good. My least favorite part of this book is Olivia’s best friend back home who is… awful? I was really in it for the romance which was pretty disappointing, because this isn’t a romance novel and that’s on me.
Definitely turned off by Olivia’s superiority and snobbishness which was only kind of addressed.
Really personally bothered by the ex-Mo character who felt thrown-in, just because. Like, was there a point? Was there any development? No. Any kind of real discussion? Of course not, just another “thing” to hit.

On the plus side, I really liked the (sometimes overly didactic) conversations around addiction and substance abuse. And I felt like the author led us to a discovery very effectively.

🚢Olivia Schwartz has her whole life planned out down to the last minute, but things don't go as planned when she goes a cruise with her family and meets Sebastian.

🚢A fun, summer read that lets you take a cruise without leaving the comfort of your own home.

This is YA!

A solid YA novel, lots of cute elements, definitely gives you the feelings, and was just overall pretty fun to read. There are a few moments that felt rushed, but overall, really enjoyable.

Olivia has a very clear plan for her (near) future: improve her nearly perfect score on the SAT to a perfect score; get into Brown University’s combined undergrad and med school program, and be a doctor by 30. Going on a cruise during spring break does not fit the plan. Try as she might, however, she can’t get her parents to leave her at home as they and her little twin brothers vacation.

So she’s stuck with going on a cheesy New York City-themed ship for a week. But she’s bringing everything she needs to still work on a project with her best friend. Winning the science research fair could give her a boost to get into that Brown program.

Once she gets on the ship, Olivia is not thrilled, either, to be thrown together with a girl she hasn’t seen in five years. Their moms were college roommates, and Olivia and Jules went to camp together when they were younger. It turns out, Jules is a party girl, and she drags Olivia along with her to find the cute boys on the cruise. Olivia does the minimum initially to appease her parents, but then she meets Sebastian. He’s cute and fun and loves musical theater and running. Soon, she’s in an insta-relationship onboard.

But the time she spends with him, Jules, her parents and little brothers on the cruise actually brings up a lot of opportunities for her to think about her older brother, Logan, who died five years earlier. Memories and feelings she’s kept at a distance come back to the forefront and make her question things she thought were certainties.

We Ship It has some moments of fun romance and lightheartedness, but on the whole it’s a serious story about a teen girl who tries to control every bit of her life and then runs up against things that make her feel completely out of control. Olivia has little experience with boys and any kind of a “teen party life,” and she is thrown into it without much guidance. Honestly, as a parent, it made me nervous. It does all come together for good for her, but it’s not at all what I expected from the story. Those looking for a fluffy romance should look elsewhere. But it’s mostly a solid story about a family coming to terms with grief.

"We Ship It" by Lauren Kay is a delightful and heartwarming contemporary YA novel that celebrates fandom, friendship, and self-discovery. The story follows Emma, an avid fan of a popular TV show, as she navigates the complexities of first love and the blurred lines between fiction and reality. With its witty humor, relatable characters, and exploration of fandom culture, Kay's novel strikes a chord with readers who have ever been passionate about a beloved series or shipped their favorite characters. "We Ship It" is a fun and engaging read that reminds us of the power of fandom communities and the importance of staying true to oneself.

I made it to 30%, but I cannot be asked to finish. This is probably just a me thing. I think I am too old for this, I rolled my eyes constantly.

This was a cute and quick read. I expected it to be fully light and fluffy, so I wasn't expecting it to have the heavier undertone. I will say that I felt like the whole plot would have been better suited to a college age group of characters versus high school. It felt like the characters were initially written older and then aged down. I think a lot of what happened would have felt a little more natural.

I also wasn't really a fan of the Love Interest - which having finished the book, I get is the point. But his actions kept pulling me from the story and had me anticipating very early on, shit hitting the fan.

It was cute and made me want to go on a cruise, and I did enjoy it, but not as much as I was anticipating.

“We Ship It” by Lauren Kay was a nice beach read. While it skews YA, I enjoyed it regardless and would imagine many adults will too.

This book has a good mix of everything from a love interest to experiencing grief, a character who is a bit high strung, and a cruise. It’s a quick read with cutesy summer vibes at times.

Thank you Lauren Kay, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for giving me this ARC to enjoy.

This was a confusing read. At first, I jumped at the chance to read it because it was set on a cruise ship and I was ready to go on a cruise. This is about cruising but the book mocks the modern cruise ship so didn’t put me in the right frame of mind for it. This book is more about finding where you fit in in the world and with your family. It’s about learning to deal with loss and how to express your feelings about it rather than throw yourself into work. There’s some stuff about peer pressure and drug abuse so there’s a lot going on for a lighthearted vacation book. It was OK.

2.5 (because just a 2 seems too mean rn)

This book is Kay's debut and it really shows because this was a mess. I think she tried to combine two really big themes (grief over a sibling and first love) and they just did not mesh well.

Also, I struggled to like any of these characters. I felt like such a mom reading this because every time these kids did something rebellious I would get stressed.

Also, also YOU CAN'T TRICK ME LAUREN KAY. THEATER KIDS ARE NOT COOL. WE'RE DORKS AND THAT'S OK. I wish pretty much every character had gotten more depth and better dialogue, but I think Olivia had an interesting voice.

I really hope that Kay grows into her writing style from this because it was engaging enough to have potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

We Ship it by Lauren Kay
Publisher Harper Collins (Teen)
Release Date June 20, 2023

I am not one to usually read YA genre books but this one had a certain appeal to me. It was a very emotional yet powerful story about a young teenager, Olivia, that is very smart and has plans of becoming a doctor. Yet during the time that she is writing an important paper to obtain an internship. her parents drag her on a cruise. Things were already set in place for our protagonist Olivia, Her parents never really spoke to her about the death of her older brother who died at 17 due to Heart attack. It has weighed heavily on her mind to the point that she wants to become a cardiologist. However the cruise becomes more fruitful than she could ever imagine. She meets two important characters that change the course of events on the cruise. First, Jules who was a childhood friend of hers. Except Jules has plans to let loose on the ship by drinking and doing things a 17 year old probably should not be doing..ahem. Then she meets Sebastian. He makes her heart flutter and butterflies run a mock in her belly. She is just not sure how to handle everything. Will she fall in love? Will her life plan change? What about Jules, the party girl. Will Olivia fall into that scene? Will she find out exactly what happened to her brother?

This book looks at many challenges that teens face today. Olivia seems to have her head screwed on right and has her goals already formed. I would say prudish. Jules is the exact opposite. Sebastian brings something to Olivia that she never expected to find…..love. There are times I felt so sorry for Olivia and then times I was so happy for her. The death of he brother is something that she will never forget and she hopes one day to find out why it happened and to stop it from happening again. I really love this book and it made me feel young again while reading it. I felt all of the feelings that I felt as a teenager going through some of the experiences and the peer pressure. Her parents though were not too understanding of what their child was experiencing. They were both Lawyers and I just could not believe that they were blind to the emotional issues she was facing. This book does explore other issues that face families today such as autism. The ending though, oh the ending……It was a perfect ending. One that wrapped up the story completely.

I thought that the author does an amazing job of keeping the story going at a great pace, having characters that were developed and right on cue with the way teens act and certainly flawed. I truly felt as though this is a book that most teens can relate to. The development of the story was really interesting but I will say the only thing I had a problem with was with the parents at the end of the story. I wish that would have been a little different but twists are a good thing for me.


Overall I would say 4.5 but rounded to 5

Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.