Lemon Lavender Is Not Fine

A true coming of age story with heartbreak thrown in. It is a deep story that was quick to read but still hit you right in the heart.

A story that shows how challenging it is to grow up with the strong influence of social media. The student body turns against Lemon because of a couple of mean girls who decide to make her life miserable by using the internet to post stories about her. This is a constant problem in schools these days so it is nice to see Lemon being strong during her hardest days. I understood the author was trying to show that her home life was also hard for Lemon to cope with but either it needed a bit more back story or just less complicated. But overall this was a good YA book that I will recommend to my daughter in a couple of years when she is in high school. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I basically love this book, it was so long since I read a YA contemporary that made me relate and feel so much as I did when reading this one.
I can relate so much to Lemon and her wish to stay under the radar, just flow by without much of a word. In a world where the choice is to stay invisible or being bullied the choice is simple. I actually related to Lemon a lot, both with her trying to hide everything to stay invisible (even though everything around her was on fire) and having a hard time separating how much support she actually had in people. It's so easy in a situation with unwarranted attention and bullying to feel that everyone is looking and whispering about you, when you just want to be invisible but is dragged out in the lime light... it's tough to handle and takes some time to find a new footing in the world.

It's not just Lemon herself that I love but the whole story and the characters in it. The story felt very real and honest, and the characters felt like real people. Graham reminded me of my guy friends so much, to them it's so simple and the easiest thing is just to talk things out... but the problem is that it doesn't always works that way with teenage girls. The main "antagonist" is exactly that type of girl I dreamed nightmares about, the one who's so assured that everything they want is theirs and if the thing they want don't want them back (like a guy) they don't accept the dismissal but instead turns their anger into bullying and harassing the, likely to be, other girl which the guy in question actually likes. If they no longer there then there's no threat and the can continue getting everything they want.
On the subject of that I really love Graham, he and Lemon is so great for each other and it reminded me why I love contemporary YA books. Just the feeling that I want that kind of relationship to, to have a understanding and sweet guy liking me for who I am and having the type of relationship that is "basically best friends having a great but with a lot of cuddles, adoring looks and kisses".

The plot also highlights a problem with our growing presence online. Everyone can make and post anything they want online, and more often than not nobody holds them responsible for that. It's a scary world as it shows hoe mean and rude people can be online to someone they don't even know or have meet just to be a part of the community. To quote Lemon “They make generalizations and speculations, which others take as truth and build upon". I might not totally agree with the way Lemon handled the situation, but a part of me definitely cheered her on because good on her for dealing with the problem.

This book is a realistic yet sweet story about discovering yourself and how to narrate in a hostile involvement, trying to solve the problems all while all you want to do is just hide or run the other way. It's a story about character growth and realizing that not every decision on makes is for the better, and to then be strong enough to apologize for that.

*** Received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

This book pleasantly surprised me. I went in with no expectations and thought that overall the book was extremely pure, cute, and relatable. The book read quickly and I found myself attached to the characters, wondering what would happen next. At times, Lemon's decisions were frustrating but overall I thought they were reflective of a 16 year old. Additionally, the book discuss several topics of relevance to young adults including bullying, cyberbullying, living up to other peoples expectations, emotionally abusive parents, friendship, first relationships, etc.

As a 23 year old, I related to Lemon in more ways than not so I can only imagine the impact this will make on the target demographic!

This is a really taut, character-driven, angsty novel where the emotion is so perfectly wrought that it was sometimes painful to read. I immediately identified with Lemon, and it was easy to sink into the plot. I have to say Pallmore's ability to capture the anxiety and heartbreak of high school is unparalleled, and the ending was perfect!

Thanks, Net Galley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this in a day! I had to know how things were going to turn out for Lemon & her family!
Poor Lemon! She is wrung through the wringer by girls at school & no one believes her side. I was glad she was finally able to find her voice & tell the world she didn't deserve what was being dished out to her.
Lemon & Graham were so cute! I was rooting for them from the beginning.
This was a tough book to get through at times, because people were being so awful to Lemon & it made me want to throw the book & shake Lemon to stand up for herself!
I was glad it all ended how it did.

I received this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was super cute and relatable to just about any 16 year olds trying to figure out who they are in the world. Add some family and school drama, and one can be royally confused. Overall, the book was well written but at times felt simple.

Lemon, as the main character was very well developed and although she was frustrating to me at times, it added dept to the book. A good book makes you feel things about the main character. Frustration was a good thing! I wanted to scream at her to talk to an adult! Listen to your friends! But her lack of ability to do either of these things added to the overall story!

Also, because Lemon was the lime light for this book, many of the main characters were underdeveloped. Graham being one of them. Their relationship started too soon, ended even sooner then we barely saw him again until the end and they end up together? A little more full character development for Graham or even more interaction between the two would have really push it over the edge for me. It just felt like the book spent a little too much time on Lemon's tantrums that could have been spent on relationship building or destruction.

However, as I said, overall the book was good! I would be happy reading this again and have even recommended it to my Middle School age daughter to read!

Thank you NetGalley and

My first foray into NetGalley was with LLINF, and I really enjoyed it.
The book initially read a bit like a fanfic - the main female lead’s life is all woe and doom with no relief in sight - but developed into a modern Cinderella (with less cheese, thankfully).
I really appreciated how the full details of the big mystery aren’t all given at once but instead the author unfurls more information as the storyline develops.
The best point for me though was how utterly, perfectly TEEN this felt. The romance wasn’t a perfectly scripted love story, it was delightfully awkward in a very young adult manner that rung oh so true and I feel is rare in YA fic.
For those that love a good heartfelt teen romance with a bit of real life grit, I’d recommend you give Lemon Lavender a whirl.

"You can't be all things to all people. You can only be yourself." - Aunt Vee's wise words to Lemon

Elle Pallmore's young adult novel Lemon Lavender Is Not Fine is delightful, touching, heartbreaking, and full of truth. This fast read will have you rooting for the book's main character, Lemon, as she navigates the tricky, scary, yet sometimes fantastic waters of high school. First love, bullying, family drama, and friendships direct this story.

Lemon's family has a huge secret. When Lemon falls for the new guy at school, she becomes the target of the school's mean girls, and that family secret threatens to come out while the rest of Lemon's world falls apart. Seeing the impact of these circumstances on Lemon is downright heartbreaking. I wanted to show Lemon how to stand up for herself, I wanted to help her make better choices, I wanted to teach her to believe in herself. Instead, as in real life, Lemon has to learn these things herself through trying, failing, picking herself back up, and trying again. The process is not easy, but the reward is powerful!

Teens and adults alike will enjoy this book. It will remind you of the good, and bad, of high school, along with the challenge of figuring out who we wanted to be as young adults. Parents of tweens and teens, this story will tear at your heart; but it will also remind you of the joys of being a teen. For all readers, It will give you new eyes to look on those who are dealing with things we do not know and cannot understand.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and BooksGoSocial publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It was truly a delight to read.

This was a decent read. Quick and simple. Something nice for the summer, it was quirky and cute but not one I’d put on my shelf permanently, I wasn’t a fan of the writing style but it was a good read so I’m not going to dock too many stars.

Lemon Lavender Is Not Fine by Elle Pallmore is an interesting young adult romance, and my first book by this author. Lemon Lavender is struggling with her life. Her sister Meg runs away from college, her mom is a zombie, and her dad is angry and blames it all on Lemon. Lemon prefers to remain invisible, especially at school. Her life changes when she runs into the new student Graham. I found this book to be very emotional at times, but I loved the ending. I enjoyed watching Lemon grow as a person, and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

I really enjoyed this book! I related to Lemon in so many different ways and really felt her voice was honest. Her internal struggle accurately depicted how many teenagers navigate school. I loved the meet cute between Lemon and Graham and felt like he was charming but not over the top. I really respected the way she stuck up for herself with her father. I feel like there is a lot more story left in these characters but also had good closure with the ending. I'd buy a sequel!

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Lemon Lavender would like to be invisible but, with a name like that, how can she be?

She has so many secrets to keep - her supposedly perfect sister is missing, her Mum spends most of her time in bed and her Dad is so angry he's impossible to live with.

The last thing she needs is to meet a new boy at school - a distractingly handsome boy - who seems to like her, despite her best efforts. This new boy has also caught the eye of the school's popular girls who would do anything to get what they want.

When they set to work to pull Lemon's reputation apart and expose all of her secrets, how will she cope?

I thought this book was charming and had some good points to make about how the modern "mean girls" can easily hurt others through social media. I grew to really like Lemon and rooted for her through the tough times.

This book was such a page turner, where we learn about Lemon and her family, friends, and life. With misguided parents, you just hope for a happy ending. Growing up can be a tough time and this book explore it beautifully. Aunt Vee even has some wise saying that I think will stick with a lot of young adults who read this.

*Given in exchange for honest Review by Netgalley & Publisher

<i>Lemon Lavender is Not Fine</i> is a coming-of-age novel about a girl whose name is, to her annoyance, Lemon Lavender. This story, even from the beginning of the page I felt invested in Lemon Lavender. The author does a really good job of character development, and you could definitely see a change from the begging Lavender to the ending Lavender. The story will break your heart at points, as the main character has to deal with bullying (both in school, and online). I found myself at times being very frustrated with Lemon and the decisions she made. But I can't say some of her decisions weren't predictable (at least, in terms of Lemon's state of mind at that point) or even warranted.

I would say where it could use some work is her relationship with Graham. I didn't really get to know him that much, and I thought their relationship was cute at the beginning. However, it's hard to root for Lemon/Graham end game, when you don't know what one half is thinking. Some of his decisions made me frustrated, maybe even outright mad at him. But, I don't know, he was there at the end so that counts I guess?

There were also parts of the story that seemed unrealistic, especially in terms of the school and how they handled the situation. Their reasoning didn't seem to make sense in terms of what was happening and what would be apparent to the school at that time.

Overall, I would give this book a 3.5/5.

<i>Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review <i>

This was such a sweet book! Lemon is so likable, and her crush even more. Not many guys go out of their way to defend a girl or even admit they like them. It's so unfair that Lemon had to take care of her mom, just because of her run away sister. Lemon is not fine, but she masks it. I was sorta surprised at the swearing, this is the type of book that doesn't really need it.

Though it was difficult to read at times due to the subject matter and heartbreak, I really enjoyed this book. I thought there was good character development, loved the dialogues and there was a good flow to the book. Lemon goes through quite a bit- a difficult home life and bullying at school. The story shows the challenges and struggles of teenagers growing up- especially in a time of social media that can add a whole new level to these challenges. The subject matter is an important one to cover and needs to be read about. Recommended. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book; the characters and the way it was written. It spoke to a somewhat shy and unassuming girl and how she tried to develop her confidence despite the trials and tribulations going on in her life. Very realistic these days.

I have so many feelings about this book. Poor Lemon struggles to get by on a daily basis and I just wish she had her parents and sister to lean on for support, but they are useless in that respect. But overall, I loved it and do reccomend this book to anyone who likes drama/romance. First off, all the characters made me so angry with all their dumb reactions. First rule of friends, always stick together no matter what. But no. poor Lemon has to deal with all that torture on her own. Granted, because she is so quick to judge and react harshly towards her friends perceived actions of blaming her. But her friends also let her down when they dont disprove all the false rumors flying around. Second, the book actually made me cry as the bullying escalated. I hated how she had to deal with all her mother and fathers issues, all on her own. As if she were an adult capable of dealing with all that drama. Her sister honestly screwed her over by not being there to help her, or at least talk to her. Overall I thought it was a great book. Easy to read. Easy to relate to the characters. But at the same time, not si predictable that I could figure out the ending. Really glad I got the chance to read this. Thanks Netgalley for opportunity to read this in exchange of an honest review.

Being a teenager is hard enough but when your named Lemon Lavender it’s difficult to go unnoticed. Which is something Lemon has tried to do her whole life, going under the radar while her older sister excels at being perfect. Until Meg Lavender leaves university and decides to travel Europe leaving a trail of destruction behind.

Very keen on keeping up appearances, Lemon is tasked with maintains the family secret at her fathers request. With little confidence, Lemon’s life quickly changes when new boy Graham takes an interest in her and the two embark on a relationship.

In this YA novel, Lemon begins to learn that sometimes it isn’t possible to go unnoticed when there are people waiting to gossip. This book was a great read and I routed for Lemon throughout in this coming of age story. A lovely little read that really tugs the heartstrings and gives an insight into being a teen in the digital age.

Lemon Lavender was never going to blend in. Not with a name like that. Lemons life is turned upside down when her perfect sister runs away from college. Her family has been left distraught and lavender seems to be the only one picking up the pieces.

Then a new student arrives at school. Graham is the best thing that has happened to Lemon for a little while and as they spend time together their relationship grows.

Unfortunately Lemon becomes the victim of another students notorious gossip vlog. Upending her life even more than it already is. But this time Lemon is going to have to make a stand. Is she ready?

As someone who works in education and sees the mean girl mentality daily. This really resonated with me. The anxiety and feeling of uselessness was palpable and incredibly believable. I really enjoyed this YA fiction.

Such a great YA read. Lemon Lavender is a fantastic character. Well done!
Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

"You can't be all things to all people. You can only be yourself."

Lemon Lavender is Not Fine was an interesting read, involving a fleshed-out main character and a lovely writing style. I enjoyed Lemon's character development, and felt that she sounded and acted like a true teen, which I think is missing from a lot of YA novels. I also appreciated the friendship between Isobel and Lemon as it felt natural and real, though I got angry at times because Lemon would ignore the advice given to her or Isobel wasn't as comforting to Lemon as she could be, but that's what makes it feel real. A lot of times teenagers don't understand each other's problems or are too preoccupied with their own issues.

A lot of this book made me sad and dragged a bit in the middle, but the ending was written well. I felt awful for Lemon who had little to no support in regards to her bullying, especially from the adults in her life. I think Graham and Isobel could have been developed a bit more. I also hated the fights between girls over boys. It's so juvenile and doesn't feel authentic to teenagers, where girls oftentimes build each other up instead of tearing each other down.

I do think this may appeal to the younger side of YA, just because today's young adult novels tend to appeal to an older audience. But this definitely would be a suitable YA for middle school or young high schoolers.

4/5 stars

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Characters 9
Atmosphere 10
Writing style 9
Plot 8
Intrigue 4
Logic 6
Enjoyment 7

I felt for Lemon. Every little thing that happened was like a knife to the heart. This book made me remember what was like to being bullied, how everything felt like the end of the world and important. But I don't enjoy remembering it. I don't like to feel and remember how it was and the frustration it gave me was endless.
I think I'm in the part of my life where I would have loved to see adults step in. I'm so done with "kids being kids" and all those empty words. I would love to see a story where adults really step in to save a kid who is suffering and not say they have to find their strength to survive.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

Lemon Lavender struggles -on a daily basis- to get through the day. She goes from being nobody to being one of the most targeted people in school in a very short time and she doesn’t know how to deal with it. She’s losing friends, her sister is still missing and the boy she -all of a sudden- likes, well.. he’s ‘off limits’ for her.

In this book we learn how to deal with certain problems, as well as seeing what it does to someone else. Lemon grows into this whole new person and that’s really cool..

The story was okay, 80% of the book was really sad and that made me want to put it down a lot. But the ending made up for it. The characters.. besides Lemon and Graham, they weren’t a lot of descriptions for the others. Just enough for you to know the connection they have with Lemon. I usually like my characters a little bit more detailed.

I really felt a lot of empathy for Lemon Lavender. Her life is quickly falling apart. Her sister Meg has left college and has disappeared, abandoning her family. Her father expects for her to keep the house going while her mom sinks into depression and sleeps all the time. She is not allowed to talk about her sister, or tell anyone what is going on at home. When she meets Graham at school, she feels smitten for the first time, Unfortunately, she begins to be bullied and becomes the face of a social media nightmare. Through it all, she grows and is able to learn more about who she is and what she wants to be. I thought this was a great young adult novel and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

Wasn't into this book much at all when i started, the imo abusive parents right off the bat plus other things were off putting, but i did really like Lemon so i wanted to finish and im glad i did. There were a lot of things i could relate to in this book especially the BS "zero tolerance" that somehow can tolerate blatant bullying but cant stand someone standing up to a bully 😒 This is a good middle grade, coming of age story and i enjoyed it alot.

But not for everyone theres swearing (mostly the f word lol) and as mentioned before the parents are poop. But imo would be great for teens.

I feel for Lemon, I'd say at least 50% of this book is Lemon suffering in one way or another. And although it does feel like we are just watching horrific teenage torment, I think that is the point. To really drive home that we don't truly know what is happening to someone. We don't know what their home life is like or what they are dealing with. Then bullying on top of that, to the extent that Lavender experiences, it is easy to see how it could build to be too much.

Lemon Lavender Is Not Fine, is easy to read, and a true dip into what high school is like for people. The way that something small can escalate into full blown bullying in a heart beat. How teens don't have the ability to see long term, the effects of what they are doing not only to others, but also to themselves.

When Lemon met Graham, I so wanted that relationship for her. For her to have someone she could talk to and rely on to be there for her. But even though there were factors coming from jealous and mean girls, she let what others might think, influence her choice to be happy.

The honesty within this book is amazing. I don't want to be too spoilery, but it is so refreshing to see a family sit down and share their problems, not fight with one another. It is so healing and heartwarming.

Overall, this book is easy to read, filled with harsh truths and revelations that are so easy to relate to. Lemon is a character that we can all see a little of ourselves in, she is imperfect and stubborn and makes mistakes and that makes her likeable.

The ending is perfectly tied up, yes things may not be perfect for our characters, but you can feel that in time, they will be.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy. I really enjoyed this book!

I was so surprised when I looked at reviews for this book and saw that more people didn't absolutely love it. I am undoubtedly outside the age range the book was originally intended for as an almost 40 year old woman, but this took me back to high school. Lemon Lavender of the unfortunate name is dealing with chaos at home and too much put on her shoulders while keeping secrets she thinks are protecting her family, while dealing with changing friendships, a boy who likes her, and the girls jealous of that. Being unknown in high school is an art and I could totally relate to thinking that it is better to blend in then to be singled out and ridiculed. Lemon also has to deal with viral videos used to bully her, and as an adult it is a good reminder of how students these days can't escape their tormentors just by leaving the school building these days.

But the part that really struck me was how Lemon came to realize that she didn't know who she was. So many of us can likely relate to being the smart one, the funny one, the artsy one, the jock, etc. but are those things we decided to be or that others decided for us? And what happens when you have to figure our your own voice? Those lessons are what is at the heart of this book and what I thought made it a 5 star read. Not every book has to be written in a highbrow way or be so complex in character after character and their development. This was a study of one girl and her growth as she figures out who she might want to be, with some love and drama on the side. I think that it is worth giving a read.

Sometimes you pick up a random Netgalley ARC and you realize you found a gem. ♡♡♡

I read this book at the start of the month for #buzzwordathon and I'm so happy I did. From something random, I met a character, Lemon Lavender who spoke to me and resonated with me. 😌

Lemon Lavender, aside from her unique name, lives a fairly normal life. She deals with struggles that teenagers usually go through - and then some. When her 'perfect' sister dropped out of college and disappeared, her mom 'stopped' living, her dad became stricter, and she holds a larger responsibility -- forced to become an adult.

At school, she deals with unnecessary bullying. So, it comes as a surprise for her when a new guy seems to take an interest. For someone who does not feel fine most of the time, how does she convince herself that she deserves to be happy, too?

Elle Pallmore's writing style is so easy to read and it made me keep on flipping the pages until the end of it. I felt a strong connection with Lemon, and though I don't agree with some of the decisions she made, I enjoyed reading about a realistic, flawed character who is on the verge of discovering herself.

This book showed me that sometimes, the book that has been sitting on your shelves for so long can be the one to bring you a message you'll carry for a long time.

This book was so good and made me sad. Lemon is being thrust into the position of an adult while her mom is in a full depression and her dad has just checked out emotionally. Her older sister left college and is now who knows where. To make things worse she has found herself on the bad side of the main mean girl. So on top of her family drama she is being bullied at school and online. Her support system in shambles. What can she do??

I love the character of Lemon is so well written. I would love a book from the sisters pov!!