Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein

Shuffle, Repeat

by Jen Klein

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★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It's been a while since I've read a YA contemporary romance. It was fantastic, better than the recent books for adults that I've read! Definitely a fun and fluffy ride, and seeing June grow makes this read all the more worthwhile.

June never believes that high school is anything but real life. She is eager for it to end. Oliver, on the other hand, is enjoying high school to the fullest. They don't know much about one another, and wouldn't have were it not for the plan that their mothers have arranged: Oliver is to drive June to school everyday. They find themselves bickering about their views on life, music — and about the most random (but pretty deep) things. But then they begin to fall in love with one another, only to have their hearts broken. June must eventually learn what really matters in life, and whether or not they're worth fighting for.

Sometimes, it's fun to see these young adults try to figure out life while in school. It's never smooth sailing for sure, having to deal with relationship and (probably) friendship drama while keeping their results afloat at the same time. Some books can give so much angst that readers like me will find the MCs spoiled or entitled, but there are other books, like this one, that strikes the right balance.

June is a teen who has a pretty negative outlook on high school life. She has her own insecurities, and the reasons why her romance with Oliver didn't quite work out as expected was relatable and understandable. Oliver is very much the brightest light there ever was, always grinning away, a little happy-go-lucky, that reading about his and June's bickers made me smile all the time. The way he handles situations are mature and sensitive (at least for someone his age), and I love that about him. June also has this positive sides of her, and it is because of this that I ended up feeling so connected to our MCs.

The concept of this book is also very original and interesting. Come on, it's about a battle of who can play their song while on the way to school! The message behind this story is common, but definitely a thing that anyone can relate to. What matters? Does the present matter? Does the future matter more, such that it's totally okay to ignore the present? All those questions don't matter, because what matters most is that we make the most out of our life now. At least, that's the message that I got out of it, and I love that. Sometimes, YA books are so unexpectedly deep, it always catches me by surprise when it jumps out.