This Is Me Trying is raw and emotional, with themes that a lot of people will relate to—especially around identity and self-worth. The writing feels young, like someone still working through their thoughts in real time, which adds honesty but also makes it feel a little unpolished. Some ideas circle back a bit too often, but it’s a heartfelt read that will speak to anyone navigating growing pains.

4 ⭐️

Well…I don’t know what to say! My emotions are everywhere! Such an emotional journey it was! Never thought that a YA book was capable to make me get so reflective, so attached to the characters to a point that I was kind “anxious” to keep reading because I was scared about the ending! That happened because the plot is based on very important and serious themes, such as: mental health, suicide, depression, age gap relationship, statutory rape, substance abuse, toxic relationships and self-mutilation. So please, be careful before you read, pay attention to the content warning note.

Our FMC, Brooke, is the main focus on the story, she’s a 14 year old girl with some trusting issues and insecurities (which is pretty normal for a teenager) that falls in love for a 18 year old boy, Matt (our MMC) who is still growing, trying to know himself and doing is best (imo) to respect our FMC whilst allows himself to live their love, avoiding problems for tem both. We’ll follow their stories through the years, suffer with them about their actions and reflect about how hard it is the process of growing up and how our decisions can affect others.

To be completely honest, I caught myself, frequently, reflecting a lot about what they did, about what I’ve done if it was me there…it was hard, painful, but I enjoyed every moment. I highly recommend the reading because it’s well written, it’s easy to follow and it feels so real. Even with the emotional rollercoaster, I loved it. 🖤

Thank you very much to Jenna Adams and NetGalley for giving me the access to the ARC

This was a thought-provoking and emotionally intense read. While marketed as an age-gap YA romance, it’s much more layered, dealing with themes of consent, mental health, guilt, and self-discovery.

Brooke and Matt are both incredibly nuanced characters. While I didn’t always agree with their choices, I appreciated the realism in how they were portrayed.

However one issue is that I don't believe the ending is suitable for the complex story. It seems that the author summed it up too quickly, leaving many characters' stories unfinished.

The short chapters made this an engaging and quick read.

Overall, a challenging but powerful coming-of-age novel that lingers long after the final page.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5 stars

This Is Me Trying by Jenna Adams is a raw, emotionally charged coming-of-age story that doesn’t shy away from the murky complexities of consent, trauma, and first love gone wrong. Framed around a high school Romeo and Juliet production, the novel uses its Shakespearean parallel to powerful effect—highlighting the danger of romanticizing imbalanced relationships.

Brooke’s character arc is both haunting and empowering. Her descent into anxiety and emotional dependency is handled with nuance, and the second-half time jump allows for a deeply moving look at healing, accountability, and self-reclamation. The prose is lyrical without being overwrought, and the emotional depth will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven YA with substance.

It loses a star only for occasional pacing lags and a few moments where the dual timeline could’ve been more tightly interwoven. Still, this is a brave, necessary novel—a challenging but worthwhile read that handles difficult topics with care and honesty.

Recommended for readers who appreciated Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson or Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow.

ARC - PUBLICATION DATE 17TH JULY 2025

4 ☆

『 tropes 』
•age gap
•mental health rep
•coming of age
•depression
•sexual consent
•codependency

『 plot 』
at 14 years of age, brooke joins a drama group and is cast as the lead in the play, alongside 17 year old matt. they didn’t mean to fall in love, lies are told, secrets are kept and lines are blurred. brooke soon realises that what happened was illegal and she reaches breaking point. after a few years of losing herself she makes a decision that will change everything, but was it the right or wrong choice? now as an adult, she finds herself not knowing who she is, outside of her traumatic past and when she comes face to face with her past, redemption and forgiveness seems the only way forward.

『 my thoughts 』
the themes and storyline of this book are so so important for young people to read and understand. it is so well told and having the pov of both brooke and matt, you really go through the rollercoaster and whirlwind of what is happening to them and how they try to process things. i wholeheartedly believe that matt is not a bad person, but the choices he made were wrong and had such a lasting impact on both fmc and mmc, and that understanding the difference between right and wrong, between legal and illegal is so important so that lines are not blurred, if your gut feeling is that it is wrong, then it is wrong, regardless of any other contributing factors. brooke was so young and the affects of lying, keeping secrets, having an older guy ask her to lie, feeling like she couldn’t reach out to anyone, made her mental health take its toll on her. she dealt with it every single day and it affected her family, her view on life, her relationships, her self worth. the ending of the book was open ended, not quite happy and not quite sad. it shows that depression and mental health is ongoing and you have to work at it every day, and it won’t always be perfect.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book. This book unfortunately wasn’t for me. I can appreciate the writing, where the author was going with it and the story they were putting across. I hope the author does well.

This was really bad. The writing was sooo childish and repetitive and there were so many things that made me so uncomfortable.

I finished this book and honestly…I don’t know how to feel. Matt frustrated me a lot; he didn’t really get it until the very end, and even then, it felt like he didn’t face any real consequences. He came off as super self-centred, and the relationship between him and Brooke just felt messy from the start. The red flags were there early, and I kept wondering why no one saw them.

Brooke really made me sad. Her life felt like a puzzle with pieces missing, and Matt was trying to force the wrong ones to fit. I wanted more for her. Her dad especially could’ve done more, he felt too absent when it mattered most. I understood Amy completely, and my heart broke for Brooke’s mum.

It’s not a bad book. It’s emotional and definitely gets into the messiness of relationships and grief. I didn’t love all the choices the characters made, but I can see how that’s part of the point. It just didn’t fully land for me.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title, but unfortunately it didn’t quite capture my interest. While the premise was promising, I found it difficult to stay engaged. That said, I’m sure it will find its audience with readers who connect more strongly with the writing style or pacing.

4.5⭐️ Thank you Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was completely not what I expected - I read the bio for an age gap romance based on a couple who meet when they are playing Romeo and Juliet in their local drama club.

This book was captivating - I was constantly torn between both POV of both the 14 year old FMC who swears this is all fine (but as someone who is looking with older eyes knowing it isn’t) and the 18 year old MMC who swears that he’s not doing anything wrong. The MMC was the one that really got me emotional throughout this book and without spoiling anything it was just so emotional and heartbreaking and stunning to see all their growth!

Content warning: suicidal ideations, statutory rape, depression, age-gap relationships, substance abuse, toxic relationships, and description of deliberate self-injury.

The book dealt with the age-gap relationship between Brooke and Matt, but at some point I thought that wasn't the main issue.
It took more than half the book to bring up the age gap, it made me think that they weren't going to say anything about it.
It’s normal for the victim to take time to realize, specially when the victim is that young, and that’s represented in the book, but I think it was poorly handled.

I think the actual main plot was (or should be) Brooke’s life, because the book started to focus on Brooke: on the bad things that happened to her, the abuse relationships that she endured, the depression, the suffering… although it seems like the plot was still the relationship with Matt, because he didn’t stop appearing even though he didn’t tell us anything worth it.

Sometimes it looked like the age-gap problem wasn’t there, Brooke was depressed and was suffering a lot (understandable) but at no point did she say anything about the suffering that Matt inflicted on her, the problem that their relationship was or the bad things that happened to her because of him. Do they talk about in depth? in some parts, but too little and too superficial.

I’m aware that it’s a very difficult topic and it’s very difficult to talk about it the right way, but I feel a bit weird about it.
There have been interesting parts and I’m glad that at least ONE person said to Matt what had to be said about what he did, even though it had no consequences (but that happens in real life so…).

There were some parts that were easier to read, but sometimes, like I said, I thought the plot was lost. I think there were some parts that could be shorter.

It can be triggering for those who have suffered from something related to this, but the author warns us at the beginning of the book. And the self-harm scenes were too much, at least for me. I think it would be better if it weren’t so explicit.

I’m not so good with these reviews but I’ve tried to say everything I can.

Pd: the writing is very good, it’s so easy to read, coming from a not english person.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jenna Adams for providing an ARC of this book ⭐️

Wow!!! What a fabulous read, thank you Jenna Adam's, you had me laughing, crying , worried... yelling at some chapter's saying noooo don't do it... what the hell are you doing???.

The age gape got me ( people say age doesn't matter) but in some cases it does and in this story it truly did.

Wasn't a fan of the ending as Brooke basically repeated what she did when moving away the first time. Felt really sorry for Charlie.

To anyone who is going to embark on this journey; be gentle with yourself and please take care. Have you ever had a book completely gut you? Have you wanted to get through it to see that everyone makes it out ok but when you finish you just stare off into space and have no words? Adams' writing keeps you flipping the page while your heart is dropping in and out of your stomach.

Lines are crossed and blurred and we see what happens when Brooke (14) and Matt (18) establish a romantic connection. Brooke is forced to keep this relationship a secret and Matt, despite knowing it was wrong, could not seem to stay away from Brooke. They continue to hurt one another throughout the years. The lasting impact these two have on each other is heartbreaking. Meg, although too late, was able to see her role in Matt and Brooke's situationship. Was Matt the cause or a contributor to her depression and self harm tendencies?

As we go through the novel we see Brooke stumble her way through life. There was work she had to do for herself in every relationship she apart of. We feel the pain that Brooke had to walk through and live with. I never wanted to meet a character from a work so bad and give her a hug. This book hit so close to home. Brooke, it was not your fault. You continue to work on yourself with a time questionable methods but you did what you had to do to survive. Keep going. The catastrophizing thoughts in your head are not truth. Remember to breath. You can only control your thoughts and reactions. It will all be ok. Sending love to anyone these words resonate with :)

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the ARC.

the concept felt interesting an unexpected pair find themselves as Romeo and Juliet. There is an age gap.. normally I don't mind but the 14 y/o with 17 y/o felt a little strange for my personal taste. There was a scene very early on that made me put the book down. Little chemistry was felt though the book and felt forced or unnatural.

Please check Trigger Warnings, it's not a book I could recommend but I understand how someone would like it.

This book took me on an emotional rollercoaster, which already prompted me to have several conversations about its key themes with my family and partner. Jenna Adams does an incredible job at letting us experience the complicated and heartbreaking journey of Brooke and Matt through each of their POVs. I found the story extremely thought-provoking as I reflected back on romantic and sexual experiences as a teenager and how they impacted me later in life. The book addresses several mature themes including depression, mental health, self harm and age-gap relationships in a delicate matter that gave voice to the subjective experience of its main characters while providing a more critical lens via third characters, such as Brooke’s therapist Sanjay. Although I occasionally shook my head, deeply sighed or scoffed at the characters' behavior, I rooted for each of them to have a somewhat happy ending in this story. Keeping this review spoiler free, I would still like to comment that I was not fully satisfied with how certain relationships were tied up at the end. I also felt like there should have been more focus and nuance on the complexity of the situation the MMC found himself in, particularly in regards to the accusations he faced later on. Overall, I would definitely recommend the book to YA readers. It’s a book I wish I had read when I was a teenager.

Phew, this book 😩 That was a rough ride to get through, but in a good way. If you want a book to make you feel strong emotions, this is the one.

Trigger Warnings: depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, statutory rape.

This Is Me Trying is told through dual POVs starting with 14yr old Brooke and 17yr old Matt, who are casted as the leads in Romeo and Juliet for their drama club, becoming to realize they have chemistry on and off the stage. The book follows them for the next 8yrs as they both navigate the consequences of their actions during their time together as teens.

The story delves deep into the complexities of teenage relationships, mental health, and the long-lasting impact of early experiences. I found myself sitting with heavy and complex feelings throughout, especially as the book explores the importance of consent and the gray areas that can exist in relationships.

My heart really felt for 14yr old Brooke. Age gap relationships as teens is a difficult – hormones are raging, brains are still developing, peer pressure is high – and this book really made me reflect on my own teenage years and how easy it is to look back now and see things differently. I remember being that age and having crushes on older guys, thinking a 17 or 18 year old guy wasn’t that much older because “we’re all in high school, it’s not that much of a difference”. Then I can remember being 17, 18, 19yrs old and couldn’t even fathom dating someone even a couple years younger. Now being married to someone 7yrs my senior, it’s not considered weird because we’re in our 30s, full grown adults, with years of life experience and maturity under our belts. But if I was 14 and he was 21? Absolutely fucking not. Which makes my feelings about both Brooke and Matt so complicated – both characters and their emotional journeys felt incredibly real and relatable, making it hard to place blame, even when I really wanted to at times.

This is definitely a book that I will be thinking about for a while.

Thank you Unbound, Neem Tree Press, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher, unbound, as well as NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc.

This has to be one of the most thought provoking YA’s I have recently read and took me on an emotional rollercoaster. Themes of statutory rape, codependency, self harm, suicide, age gap, depression and mental health are included in this story. It focuses on the FMC, starting at age 14, and the MMC, starting at age 18, and following their journey into their 20’s and the struggles they have based on choices made when they first meet until they last meet.

While the subject matter was tough to read at times I found myself reading it quickly. A very well done, self reflecting, thought provoking novel that I will think about for days to come.

Thank you for this Arc Reciew. I really enjoyed this book and exploring the relationship which started from teenage years until later when the two characters were reintroduced.

This was a hard hitting story with a rollercoaster of emotions. But really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend. Just be sure to read the blurb beforehand to make sure it’s what you’re looking for.

Thank you again.

I was aware of the age gap going into this book, but I struggled with how it played out—especially since both characters were still so young. The relationship felt toxic, with Matt repeatedly warned to stay away from someone much younger. He knew it was wrong, which is why he insisted Brooke keep it a secret, making the entire situation feel manipulative. He justified it by saying Brooke seemed mature, yet she was in tears nearly every other chapter, so I never really saw that supposed maturity. In fact, the secrecy affected Brooke even more than the relationship itself, as she was left with no one to confide in.

That said, the book tackled heavier themes—particularly depression and self-harm—quite well. Brooke’s transformation as she grew into a hollow version of her younger self felt realistic, and the unhealthy relationships she formed after moving away were believable.

I didn’t connect with any of the main characters. Brooke frustrated me the most—she remained immature even toward the end, and so many of her choices left me questioning her judgment. Her booked three months ago, yet unplanned move to America, abandoning her understanding boyfriend, and her constant crying made it difficult for me to empathize with her emotions rather than just feeling frustrated by them.

Ultimately, I appreciated the foundation of the story, but I found some of the writing a bit juvenile. It could have used stronger editing to make its exploration of difficult themes more impactful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Unbound Publishing for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled to get in to it. The first act was painfully slow and I didn’t like the characters at all. The second half did get slightly better but the writing throughout was very juvenile and repetitive & there was little to no character development.