It's a story about a young girl and her family still grieving from her brother's death and coming to terms. We Ship It, by Lauren Kay, is hands down the BEST YA book I've ever read! There are so many.

I loved this book. I think I went in expecting a rom-com but We Ship It is really more of a contemporary YA book about overcoming grief, with a very cute first love story. Olivia is a Type A perfectionist who does not want to go on a cruise with her family because it will interfere with her schoolwork. But once on the cruise she meets Sebastian and starts to open up to him. There’s also a great cast of characters who help draw her out of her shell, and the more she lets go of her perfectionism, the more she remembers about her perfect older brother’s death and has to come to terms with the fact that no one’s perfect, that love is messy and complicated and so are the people we love. I related super hard to Olivia. And I think the love story was done perfectly. I wasn’t sure how it would end realistically but also satisfactorily but Kay absolutely pulled it off. I will definitely be reading this author’s next book!!!

Let me start by saying this is an adorable summer read, if you've been on a cruise, want to go on a cruise, or happen to be an overachiever who absolutely does not want to go on a cruise this book is so much fun to read.

While it does hit on some rough subjects, it also gives hope for inclusivity and even the possibility of reconnecting with childhood friends.

There is a nice smattering of romance and a ton of comedic moments, I mean I've heard of a presentation for taking a cruise but never one trying to get out of it... All and all I truly enjoyed this book and would happily read more by this author.

While I know this book is a fun light-hearted rom-com as someone that is living with multiple forms of heart disease seeing people wanting to be doctors do me good, you never know who could change the world or one person's world.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Book, HarperTeen, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I went into this expecting something light and rom-com and got something way different in the best possible way.

Olivia is a type A anxious planner who has her 15 year plan set up as a spreadsheet. She knows what she wants and she knows how she plans to get there. And a last minute family cruise on a gaudy NYC themed boat isn’t in the plans. Especially when it interferes with a science research paper she needs to get done for a prestigious internship she needs and a Dr she needs to impress for her future.

This book deals with mental health and grief in the most compassionate way. Olivia struggles with her anxiety and catastrophic thinking after her older brothers death and this book shows her learning how to let loose and learn more about her family post Logan.

Olivia has lost her older brother, who was also her hero and best friend, with whom she had a dream to one day go to the Antigua. That was many years ago, her family's dynamics changed completely; she's now the older sister of twins, her parents are always at home, and she's given up musicals. She now wants to be a doctor to research what could cause and what could prevent a teenager from dying from a heart attack. And when she should be concentrating on the research to secure an internship, their family needs to go on a cruise. That's where she meets Sebastian and starts living again

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book

I like what this book was trying to do. By trying to shed light on the painkiller crisis that’s happening, and how it impacts all ages, I think it is helping spread information on an important issue that continues to plague families today. However, I don’t think it was framed as well as it could be. With forgettable characters and subplots that didn’t really add anything or really propel Olivia forward other than to provide a mental distraction, I think the story got bogged down and lost its way in the middle third of the book.

I applaud the representation, as there weren’t just cis and straight characters presented in the group of teens readers meet. I appreciate the effort to center a story on such a pertinent issue. And, that is why the book gets 3 stars from me instead of 2. If there had been more development in that plot and more thought put into how the third act reveal happened, I think I would’ve rated this book higher.

We Ship It by Lauren Kay

I finished this book in two days while on vacation. It’s such a cute one! I loved reading it.

Olivia is an overachiever high schooler with a plan—get a fancy fellowship, go to medical school, become a doctor. Right as she’s in the midst of her fellowship essay, her parents drag her and her younger brothers on a week-long cruise, where, through her new friendships and romance, she faces the truth about her older brother’s death that her parents have long evaded.

My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were 1) it’s still fun to read YA even in your 30s and 2) I would have especially adored this book if I had been able to read it in high school.

The book does a fantastic job of capturing how childhood grief manifests as children grow up. I lost my little sister when I was 10, and this book reminded me of how deeply identity-forming that kind of loss is as you grow up. Olivia is always analyzing things through the lens of losing her older brother, and it shapes nearly every decision she makes. Watching how her new experiences from the cruise empower her to speak up, embrace the truth, and fully feel her grief was honestly such a delight. I loved watching Olivia’s growth. The friendship dynamic was so pure too—I adored all of it. Really made me feel surprisingly nostalgic.

I highly recommend this one, especially if you’re looking for something youthful or wholesome. It blends kindness, grief, growth, and humanness beautifully.

Thanks to @harpercollinsch and @netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. And happy belated publication day—it’s officially out now! 🙌🏼

📖: (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 3/5⭐️

Publication Date: June 20 2023

Author: Lauren Kay

Review: This book is very YA and it’s very out of the realm of book that I read now but something about it (the cover) drew me to and and I’m glad I read it. It’s an easy read but it does touch on some not so easy topics which helps with the book.

I’m out of my YA ERA but with that I’m not an emotional person I don’t show emotion easily so if you are this book might pull at your heart strings a little more.

Thank you netgalley and HarperCollins children’s books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I thought this was a great YA summer read, that also touches on some serious topics. And I think the cover is really cute! Overall, I would recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Between first loves and first heartbreaks, this book will give you feelings of nostalgia. I loved all the different characters and cruise ship romances we followed throughout this book. The story was heart-wrenching at times as the main character dealt with grief and at other points it was very light hearted and comical. I really enjoyed seeing the self discovery throughout the book. Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC!

A young Jewish overachiever is forced by her parents to go on a family cruise ship vacation. With great reluctance she complies finding a new love interest and learning to loosen up a bit while also discovering a dark family secret that rocks her world. Great on audio read by Hope Newhouse, this book tackles some heavy topics including accidental overdose of a loved one, opioid addiction and mental health. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Super smart Olivia is fixed on her life plan when her parents announce they are going on a cruise. Needing to finish her presentation, Olivia does not have time for that. She only gives in when she realizes they are going to a place her and her older brother dreamed of.
While on the cruise, she learns to be a teenager and deals with the death of her beloved older brother, Logan.
Opinion
This book brought out strong emotions and left me in tears. Do not expect to be left unaffected while reading this book, and if you don't like crying in public, read it at home. The cry was definitely a good cry even though the reason behind it was not necessarily a good one.
This is a book that will tear you apart before piecing you back together. I highly recommend you read it if you are in need of a good cry or a restoration of faith in humanity.
Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC of this book.

3.5 stars! This is YA book that explores topics like grief and addiction in a great way.

Olivia is a straight-laced high school student who is forced to go on a cruise with her parents the same week that an incredibly important research paper is due to help her win an internship. She is determined to become a cardiologist after her older brother dies at 17 from a random heart attack. While on the ship, she has a strict schedule she wants to stick to in order to do her research project. However, she reconnects with her easy-go-lucky childhood friend Jules who is the complete opposite of Olivia and vows to help Olivia let loose and have fun. Then Olivia meets Sebastian and she's taken aback by how quickly she's able to develop feelings for someone she barely knows. She starts to use the cruise as a way to find out who she is.

I really enjoyed the premise of this. Olivia was frustrating at times, but I think that she will be a very relatable teenager to others who read it. Jules was more dramatized to me. Where Olivia is a prude, Jules is proud to sleep around and drink constantly (which makes it hard to believe she's 17).
While my heart hurt for Olivia and the death of her older brother, it felt like their relationship was a little too cringy for me, especially with the way she idolized him.
Her parents were incredibly blind to their kid's needs, which is shocking since both of them are supposed to be well educated lawyers.
I did love the topics explored, including autism and post traumatic stress disorder. The ending was such a great wrap up and I loved seeing the character growth from most of the characters. Overall, I would definitely recommend this!

Thank you to #netgalley, Harper Collins Children's Books, and HarperTeens for an eARC of this book! All opinions are my own!

I liked this but it's marketed as a romcom and it's not. The only qualifier for something to be romance is that it has a happy ever after and this doesn't. I think that does the book a disservice because I think it's a good book about a girl finally learning to deal with her brothers death. I like the journey that Olivia goes on in learning about herself and how to still talk about her brother.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperTeen for the ARC of this book. I devoured this book while on a flight and definitely almost bawled near the end. This was a romance and coming of age story that was extremely compelling. I went into this with few expectations but they were well exceeded. Seeing the growth of Olivia to be more open to the world and break out from the haze she lived under for so long was really well done. It even eschewed the ending I expected and did it well. 5 stars

Olivia has lost her older brother, who was also her hero and best friend, with whom she had a dream to one day go to the Antigua. That was many years ago, her family's dynamics changed completely; she's now the older sister of twins, her parents are always at home, and she's given up musicals. She now wants to be a doctor to research what could cause and what could prevent a teenager from dying from a heart attack. And when she should be concentrating on the research to secure an internship, their family needs to go on a cruise. That's where she meets Sebastian and starts living again.

3.5, rounded up to 4.

We know Olivia has many issues, issues I thankfully have never had to deal with, but I found interesting how it's dealt with. I like how this was all treated. Her life isn't one big drama, she is trying to cope. It's maybe what will happen to teens who go through such a trauma, it's probably more silent than books usually portray it. Olivia seems to be functional despite all. But is being functional enough?

This is a romance, but it's also a coming of age, a coming out of grief, or maybe coping better with it. But the romance is also interesting. It surprised me to be honest.

What I didn't like about this story is how new information would be added. Sometimes it would pop so randomly I'd think I already knew it and forgot, so it was a little confusing and made me stop reading to go back and check, which isn't ideal. It wasn't about the timing, because it made the plot thicken, it was exciting to learn those bits. It was really the way it was presented. Instead of giving it an oomph, it just threw me off every time.

Development and conclusion were good. I'm not sure it was a perfect ten, I did frown a tiny bit at her parents at the end, but it was okay. I just think it could have been better. I liked that we had some plot twists, not what you'd expect from a teenagers' romance, but I'm not sure I believed the big twist, so I frowned at it too. At the same time, though doubting, I liked the idea.

It's hard to comment much without spoiling the book, but you can see it's a book that makes you think and want to comment. Recommended read for YA lovers, especially if you liked something a little heavier without being really heavy like Tell Me Three Things and The Last Time We Say Goodbye.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

This book!

At first I thought oh no. When introducing Olivia she was completely study driven, no life living character. Very Paris Geller. But she was not! Thanks in large part to Jules.

This book was funny. This book was heartbreaking. You’ll be rooting for {almost} all the characters by the end of the book. Seeing new sides to them and cheering them on for their futures.

Definitely read it if YA with emotions is your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

This is a beautifully written book that tackles the tough topic of loss and how to keep the memory alive. I enjoyed the vibrant cruise setting and the characters were well matched!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and enjoy this e-arc.
This is one of my favorite romances of the year. It was very cute, but I will admit some parts were cringy but that could just be a personal opinion and some people might like those parts. The cover design is also so freaking cute and represents the novel very well.

This is not your average rom com, but rather a contemporary YA story about a teen who is juggling a lot challenges (family issues, first love, anxiety, grief, etc.). Most of the story takes place on a cruise ship, which is a great creative constraint, and makes for a really interesting setting. While at times the instalove was a little hard to connect with for me (as someone who doesn't love that particular trope), I appreciate that it was actually called out and discussed in the book. There's a fun cast of characters as well!