One Old, One New: Mia Garcia

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two books by Mia Garcia.

The Resolutions
Mia Garcia
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

New Years are for fresh starts, but Jess just wants everything to go back to the way it was.

From hiking trips, to four-person birthday parties, to never-ending group texts, Jess, Lee, Ryan, and Nora have always been inseparable—and unstoppable. But now, with senior year on the horizon, they’ve been splintering off and growing apart. And so, as always, Jess makes a plan.

Reinstating their usual tradition of making resolutions together on New Year’s Eve, Jess adds a new twist: instead of making their own resolutions, the four friends assign them for each other—dares like kiss someone you know is wrong for you, show your paintings, learn Spanish, say yes to everything.

But not even the best laid plans can take into account the uncertainties of life. As the year unfolds, Jess, Ryan, Nora, and Lee each test the bonds that hold them together. And amid first loves, heart breaks, and life-changing decisions, beginning again is never as simple as it seems.

I don't even know where to begin with this book, because I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!

I was looking for a story of friendship, and this book gave me that ten-fold, PLUS a look at some really beautiful and meaningful personal journeys.

Jess, Ryan, Nora, and Lee had been friends for different lengths of time, but there was no doubt that each one held a solid place in their group. They had gathered once again for the annual New Year's Eve celebration, and instead of making their own resolutions, this year, they would be made by the other three friends.

I loved the idea of someone else selecting the goals, because the resolutions they made were done quite thoughtfully and with the intention of nudging that person outside of their comfort zone or in the direction of something they needed to face. Some were pretty straight forward, some were more vague, and others were really difficult, but in the end, each person grew so much, and learned a tremendous amount about themselves and those they loved in the process.

Ryan was nursing a broken heart, and his resolutions were meant to help him mend and rediscover himself. Nora was busy living someone else's dream, and her friends hoped that the resolutions they chose for her, would push her to assert her own wants, needs, and dreams. Jess' resolution didn't quite play out the way her friends had hoped, but it did end up being pretty life changing for her.

But Lee's resolutions sort of broke me. I cried a river for Lee. I cried, because of the reality she had to face. I cried for what she had lost, and what she thought she couldn't have. And then I cried, because Garcia did her some really wonderful things for her, and I saw her moving into a hopeful place. Her story really hit me the hardest, and I loved the way Garcia let it unfold. It was messy, but full of so many special moments.

Clearly, I loved the characters, and the secondary characters were just as great as the main characters, however, the families really stood out among the supporting cast. Each one of the protagonists had an awesome family. They came in all shapes and sizes, but they were great sources of support and endless love for the Ryan, Jess, Nora, and Lee. I, of course, had a special place in my heart for Ryan's grandmother, because she was too fabulous, and Lee's dad, because he, like Lee, was dealing with a lot. Her dad made such an effort to be honest and to connect with Lee, and I found their relationship quite lovely.

This book explores friendship, family, identity, love, loss, heartbreak, aspirations, desires, dreams, commitments, and many other challenges teens face, and I thought Garcia did so in an authentic, emotional, and meaningful way.

Garcia references this song in the very beginning of the book, and I thought it was a great pick for this story of friendship.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Even If the Sky Falls
Mia Garcia
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

All she needs is one night to be anyone she wants.

Julie is desperate for a change. So she heads to New Orleans with her youth group to rebuild houses and pretend her life isn’t a total mess. But between her super-clingy team leader and her way-too-chipper companions, Julie feels more trapped than ever.

In a moment of daring, she ditches her work clothes for DIY fairy wings and heads straight into the heart of Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, where she locks eyes with Miles, an utterly irresistible guy with a complicated story of his own. And for once, Julie isn’t looking back. She jumps at the chance to see the real New Orleans, and in one surreal night, they dance under the stars, share their most shameful secrets, and fall in love.

But their adventure takes an unexpected turn when an oncoming hurricane changes course. As the storm gains power and Julie is pulled back into chaos she finds pretending everything is fine is no longer an option.

Julie thought she could escape the situation back at home by joining her church youth group for a service project in New Orleans, but what she really needed to do was escape herself. While fleeing herself, she finds "Miles", and was swept away by a whirlwind romance.

This was quite an emotional journey for both Miles and Julie. Both were trying to reconcile their feelings for something major, that was happening in their home lives, and they slowly got there during this 24 hour adventure.

I thought it was sort of brilliant the way Garcia let the story unfold. It started with a light rain and a light mood, the early stirrings of attraction, but as the night wore on, the storm grew stronger and stronger, as did Miles and Julie's emotions.

Not only did I ride out a hurricane in New Orleans, I also got a grand tour of the city. Garcia brought me to many of Miles' favorite places. She took me to Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, let me listen to a live music, had me join a ghost tour, and even treated me to beignets. She enveloped me in the sights, sounds, smells, and spirit of NoLa, and I really enjoyed it.

I fell in love with both Julie and Miles, and man! Did I ship them. The air between them crackled with sparks, and I thought they brought out a lot in each other. As with most of these all-in-one-day books, I wanted to know what happened after. I sort of always beg for epilogues, but in the case of a book that takes place over a 24-hour period, I need it. An epilogue would have let me know know how the romance panned out, as well as how things back home went for both Julie and Miles.

Other than that, I found myself fully immersed in this story, and I was rooting for these two the whole time.

Have you read any Mia Garcia books?

Let us know in the comments!