This book follows 14 year old Brooke, 17-year-old Matt who meet at a play of Romeo and Juliet where they're the lead characters. Their onstage chemistry spills into real life, and they begin to fall for each other. They soon start a secret relationship, one that challenges boundaries, leading to profound consequences.

The narrative unfolds in 3 acts and is told through alternating first person perspectives. We see Brooke's journey from a naive teenager to a young adult and how she grapples with the aftermath of a relationship that began before she could legally consent.

This book tackles themes such as the complexities of adolescence, mental illness eg Self harm, depression, codependency in relationships and the nuances of sexual consent - hence, trigger warning before going in ⚠️

There were parts of this book that was just slow, especially the second half, so it took me a while to push through. I also felt like the ending was very rushed However, overall, I love the messages this book portrays.

Rated 3 stars

Huge thanks to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

📚ARC REVIEW📚

This Is Me Trying by Jenna Adams
Publication Date: 17th July 2025
Rating: 3.5✨️

WOW! this book took me much longer to read then I expected. Oops, I'm not a big phone reader. This book truly is the definition of the saying 'rollercoaster of emotions'. This book was messy, heartbreaking and at some points incredibly angering. But this story is also very thought provoking. I was not rooting for Brooke and Matt at any point in this book, their relationship is incredibly toxic and at some points even illegal. I'm still a bit conflicted on my rating and review of this book, this is not just "an age gap romance story". For the duration of the book I switched from siding with Brooke to siding with neither at different points, never did I really side with Matt...

However, the ending felt a bit rushed. I appreciated that Brooke found herself and managed to move on, but I'm not sure how to feel about Matt being left with all the guilt and the baggage, yes he was 18 while she was 14, but nothing was really forced upon her, on the other hand he should never have entertained anything at this time... I'm conflicted. I also was a bit sad when Brooke moved back and decided to break up with Charlie, while a part of me understands, another part of me wishes we could've seen what there relationship could've looked like after Brooke did more healing.

In general, I enjoyed the story, but I think it might've been better to remove a bit of the filler from the middle of the book and use it to build out the ending a little more, this might have made it feel less rushed.

Thanks to Unbound & Netgalley for this ARC.

Jenna Adams’ This Is Me Trying is a raw and deeply introspective novel that lingers long after the final page.

Told through dual perspectives, it follows Brooke and Matt across years of their lives, tracing their complicated relationship, individual traumas, and the uneven paths they take toward (or away from) healing.

From the outset, the emotional weight of the story is palpable. Adams excels in portraying characters who are flawed, introspective, and painfully human. Brooke’s journey through therapy and personal growth feels genuine (but poor Charlie), while Matt’s character remains tethered to the past, burdened by regret and nostalgia without clear direction or development. This contrast makes their dynamic both compelling and troubling, raising powerful questions about responsibility, consent, and emotional maturity.

What stands out most is the moral ambiguity that pulses throughout the novel. Rather than offering easy answers, Adams invites readers to sit with discomfort. Who is at fault? Who should be forgiven? Can love survive trauma — and should it? These are not questions the book answers neatly, but rather themes it explores with nuance and sensitivity.

Though the confrontation between Brooke and Matt arrives more abruptly than expected, the emotional fallout remains potent. The ending, while not conventionally satisfying does acknowledges that healing doesn't always come with closure, and that sometimes, personal growth is the only resolution we get.

Readers drawn to character-driven narratives with emotional complexity — à la Sally Rooney — will likely find this book arresting. Although it may be less a YA as pitched (it would benefit from an adult being on hand to support younger readers through these topics), and more an adult book.

This Is Me Trying doesn’t promise a fairytale, but instead offers something rarer: a reflection of life’s messiness, and the fragile hope that comes from trying, however imperfectly, to move forward.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Thank you to Jenna Adams and NetGalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for a fair review.

Firstly, I do not believe this should be marketed as a coming of age/YA novel. Although I do believe the topics raised in this book are extremely important, I think the way in which they are addressed are too mature and is better suited for a new adult audience.

Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book, as it contains heavy topics including but not limited to sexual abuse, rape, self harm, and depression.

Both characters were written in such a way that by the end of the book I did not feel sympathy for either of them. Both characters lacked any real growth.
Brooke continued to show self-destructive patterns of behaviour throughout the 8-year timeline of this novel. In their earlier years, this is understandable and can be related to her age and experiences she has had in her formative years. However, when such a large portion of the novel is anchored around therapy and the discussions she has with her therapist, I expected much more growth from her. They talk about “pillars of support”, and the end of the novel would suggest Brooke has taken steps to get there but in reality she has traded one singular pillar for another. I also believe her actions surround Charlie were extremely selfish in how they were executed. Brooke continuously failed to look outward from herself and see how her actions affected those in her circle.
Matt failed to see any form of wrong doing in his actions whatsoever. There was no emotional growth from his end at all. The lack of consequence for his actions are also alarming when this book is being marketed as YA. I worry this could be damaging for younger readers who do not see any form of punishment for such a serious incident. That Matt became a high school teacher is also alarming and the drama teacher which failed to report a safeguarding issue was a problem. Matt’s story should not have ended in the way it did, but instead with him seeking therapy himself, or being reprimanded for his actions.

Although I don’t believe the characters really showed much development or self improvement, I do believe this book discusses important topics. The theme of consent is heavy throughout this novel, and showing the lack of it in Brooke’s formative relationship and having it be countered by an abundance of healthy actions in her relationship with Charlie worked will in the story arc.
I appreciated how the subject of self harm was addressed. I think it is important that self harm is not always viewed as a conscious effort, but the victim can fall into this coping mechanism by complete accident. I do however think an opportunity was missed for Brooke and Charlie to have a conversation around Brooke’s struggle with it, as her scars are never discussed between the two even though they have an intimate relationship.

Unfortunately I do believe the ending should have been different. Although it was important for Brooke to reconcile with her family, and begin to take steps for self improvement, I do not believe having her move back to her home town was the correct decision, and leaves the end of the novel with a somber feeling. In reality I would be worried of a relapse.

I am rating this book 3 out of 5 stars. I believe important topics are discussed, and are handled with care. However I think there is a lack of character growth and accountability in this story, and this may be harmful to younger readers. I would recommend this for older teens and new adults and believe this can open important discussions around healthy relationships, consent, and mental illness.

This book feels very mature. Potentially too mature for even a secondary school library. I would definitely recommend that any librarian reads it before adding it to a school library. That being said, it would generate a lot of interesting conversations around consent and age and how to support older teenagers with navigating their interactions with younger teenagers. After being cast as the leads in Romeo and Juliet in an amateur dramatics performance Matt, who has just turned 18, and Brooke, who is 14, start to develop feelings for each other. Matt knows that others will judge him for being with a 14 year old, even though he thinks Brooke is much more mature than 14, so he tells her it's really important to keep their relationship a secret. This means that when things start going wrong, Brooke doesn't have anyone she can speak to and this has a huge impact on her mental health, to the point where she decides to disappear from her life. Brooke's disappearance has an impact on Matt. He knows he contributed to it but can't workout how much he is to blame. He becomes stuck, waiting and hoping that she'll come back and forgive him. The whole situation becomes so complicated and demonstrates how a split decision or a group of decisions can impact the rest of a person's life if they don't have the skills or resources to be able to process it at the time.

I did enjoy the story but I also found the characters frustrating because they were so immature and self-sabotaging. Although I guess, when trauma happens early in your life, without support, this is the result.

Very thought provoking and raw at times.

The FMC came across as a little annoying at times if I'm honest.

This story included many themes including - rape, self harm, depression and mental health.

This is Me Trying….where do I start? I’m not sure if it was just my copy or all digital copies, but the formatting was terrible. The first sentence after each start of a new paragraph was completely mixed in order and the first letter of each sentence was 3 lines down the page. As well as page numbers in the middle of the page (for example: “Scene 25: Brooke, 23 423” is 1/3 down from the top of the page).
I truly do not believe that this book should be marketed as coming of age/YA. It is very heavy and most times dark; statuary rape, mentions of self harm including a very graphic scene, toxic relationships, substance abuse, depression and anxiety. I feel as though an older teen audience is more appropriate; new adult.
As far as the story goes, it was fine. I wish there was more character growth (especially with Matt) and more resolution between Brooke and her dad and Brooke and Charlie.
I didn’t feel any emotional connection to any characters - I found them immature (even as adults) and frustrating. While I thought the book as a whole had a very interesting and important premise, I don’t think it was executed very well and it fell flat for me.
This is Me Trying… first, I’d like to thank Netgalley and Unbound for the opportunity to read this e-ARC, all opinions are my own.

Jenna Adams’ This Is Me Trying is a raw and emotionally resonant collection that explores the depths of mental health, personal growth, and the quiet strength found in vulnerability. Told through poetic vignettes and intimate reflections, Adams invites readers into her world with honesty and grace.

The writing is lyrical yet grounded, capturing the complexity of trying to navigate life while battling inner turmoil. Each page feels like a whispered confession—delicate, yet powerful. Themes of healing, identity, self-worth, and resilience are central, making this book relatable to anyone who has ever felt lost, stuck, or simply human.

What makes This Is Me Trying stand out is its unfiltered voice. Adams doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths of anxiety, heartbreak, or disappointment. Instead, she presents them in a way that feels both validating and hopeful. It’s not just a story of struggle, but one of persistence.

Verdict:
If you're drawn to books like Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur or Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell, this collection is for you. This Is Me Trying is a heartfelt journey of self-acceptance and quiet courage. A comforting read for tough days and a reminder that trying is, in itself, a form of strength.

This book was fantastic! I think the author did an excellent job depicting mental illness and how it can progress. That being said, the book did start out a bit slower, but had a very strong and well rounded end. I also personally did not find the content of this book to always be YA.

There were several spots in the book where things did not make sense grammatically or they would just completely cut off and move on to a different section of the book. I am not sure if that is stuff that needs to be fixed or if it was just how it transferred over to my kindle for reading.

I got this because the title is also the title of one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs. However, it's by far not as lyrically evolved. The writing just didn't do it for me. Every sentence was so in-your-face and I'd hope that even the young adult target group can understand prose that's more eloquent. Maybe I'm simply not the target group. Even though I like reading about teenagers, I just couldn't vibe with the characters.
I liked that there were content warnings ahead.

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a YA this emotional. I cried. A lot. Goodness!! Definitely recommend this one if you want to be destroyed emotionally!

4.75

Arc supplied by NetGalley for fair review

This book was just an emotional journey filled with such triggering topics and it was just such cathartic book

Deffo would say look at trigger warnings because it mentions several triggering thing

I would like to thank Jenna Adams and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for a honest review.

I really liked the idea of this book but unfortunately I found it a bit flat and I didn’t find myself hooked with the story line or characters. I did enjoy how the book ended I felt like Brooke got where she needed to be and the same for Matt. This book had a lot of triggers so check your trigger warnings and it covers a lot of hard topics and emotions. I didn’t emotionally connect with either characters which was a shame as I had high hopes.

This is my personal opinion so you may enjoy it just make sure to check your trigger warnings!

Raw, unique, emotional. This is not just another YA story, but a journey of young people navigating their life through all the hardships. You will get a glimpse of how it feels when the world is falling apart - but you have the right people to survive it all together.

So i almost didn’t finish this because there was one part of this that got so triggering I really had to take a step back…

I wasn’t really feeling this from the offset, because there was a lot of Romeo & Juliet symmetry that I could appreciate but I wasn’t into, and the writing felt quite immature. But i pushed through and felt like suddenly there was so much promise for these characters … and then it fell apart again with the end

I really really really related to Brooke (and i think that’s where the triggers came up for me), and I was really really really hoping for more growth from her in the end - and I feel like the ending left me wondering what the point of reading any of this was 🤷🏼‍♀️

I appreciate the discussions of mental health, toxic relationships, taking accountability and self growth … but i’m not going to lie, the self harm scene in this felt grossly explicit in relation to the rest of the story - and the recovery from this wasn’t really discussed at all

All in all, I can appreciate what this book is trying to do, I just don’t think it did it that well

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book to read as an ARC ✨

This book had such a big potential to be good, I was interested description and the premise of this book, I think it just fell a bit flat for me.

I think that this book touched on a lot of heavy topics, but I think a lot of it was either swept under the rug, glossed over or just wasn't expanded on at all. I was looking forward to see how the two main characters developed and grew from the trauma and experiences that they faced, but there was very little to none.

The writing had me hooked from the beginning, it really matched the ages of the characters and I felt as if I was genuinely inside the heads of teenagers. However, as the characters aged, the writing stayed the same. Reading the thoughts the same as teenagers, in characters that were in their 20's just added to the immaturity and lack of growth the characters had.

I would still recommend this book, as I can clearly see where and how this book would be enjoyable to other readers, and I would definitely read another from this author. This book, however, was just not for me.

I was sucked in from the beginning and I have thought about this book so much since I finished it. The characters were immediately engaging to me and the voice was so readable. This book says so much about romantic consent, but in an incredibly nuanced way. Nobody is a villain, nobody is perfect, and yet when the book ends it is completely clear what is right and what is wrong, even though it could be confusing in a situation like the characters get themselves into. I loved following the characters through different time periods and ages, from teenagers through adults. I would definitely recommend this book.

A MUST READ !!

Such a good story !! And I will recommend this to anyone and everyone !!

Wow !!

First of all, I would just like to thank Jenna Adams, Unbound, and Netgalley for an ARC of “This Is Me Trying” in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I struggled with this one. I think the darker topic was a really interesting choice, but the execution of the concept was lacking.

I really didn’t like Brooke or Matt, so I found it hard to emotionally connect to them. I also didn’t really care for the writing style- it was all ‘tell’ rather than ‘show’, which I’m really not a fan of.

As well as this, I found the text messages between the main characters at the beginning to be quite jarring. Teenagers don’t talk to each other like that- so it really took me out of the story.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t for me, which is a shame because the premise sounded really interesting.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and of course the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF it at 43% because it got too dark for my mental well-being so if you want to read this book please, please check into trigger warnings.

But that does not mean that the book was bad until that point, by any means. If one can use the term enjoyed, I really did enjoy it.
I think the topic sex and consent is hugely important in every way and it was discussed in such a great way. The relationships came and went and happened and while they might have been sweet at points, the reader was never giggling, kicking their feet, that kind of romance.
The author did an amazing job of keeping that guilty, kind of wrong feeling beneath all the normal day events and it felt chilling and anxious, exactly how it is supposed to.

Overall it is honestly a great book up until where I read and surely also beyond, it’s simply on me that I can’t handle it at this point in my life.