Pretty Little Liars star and social media queen Shay Mitchell teamed up with her hometown BFF Michaela Blaney to write a novel all about the twists and turns young women face as they are trying to discover who they are and how to find their own bliss. The story is fiction, but both authors have hinted at the truth behind some of the stories incorporated in the book. Included are some of their own recipes and little inspiring quotes in between every chapter which definitely makes this one of the most adorable books ever.
The story opens up by introducing three 17-year-old girls, Demi, Leandra, and Sophia, on the brink of graduation. They make a pact to follow their bliss and always have each other’s backs. Jumping ahead four years, Sophia and Leandra are living in Toronto and Demi in Vancouver. Life seemed to be going as planned until each of their stories take a turn for the crazy, as life tends to do. Demi learns her boyfriend has been cheating on her, which causes her to spiral out of control. Sophia can no longer take the endless auditions that go nowhere and working all night in a club. Leandra jets off to Asia after college graduation, only to be left in a terrible situation with no one around to help her. Each of the girls tries to solve their problems on their own and act like the adults they have just now become. It isn’t until they learn to rely on each other and take a step out of their comfort zones that they begin to see bliss in their future.
Knowing the demographic of Shay’s fans, I was worried this book would be a bit too much of a preteen drama for my liking. Surprisingly, this book was quite mature. There is even a sweet little disclaimer in the beginning telling her fans to only read if they are over 18! The tales of terrible breakups, forgotten hookups, epic hangovers, and just plain illegal activities were hysterical as well as poignant. The chapter titles alone are entertaining. For example, chapter 4 is titled “only serial killers don’t like pumpkin” and chapter 13 is “the art of pissing people off”. Not only is it full of really fun humor, it was saturated with real-life problems and how young women can deal with them. These girls were strong even in their darkest hour and knew how they should be treated. When one of them wasn’t being treated well and couldn’t see it for herself, her friends would be there in an instant. The characters were relatable, but not on the shallow level I expected. Their ambitions consumed them, but they felt stuck in a place of uncertainty. They felt like it was them against the world. They didn’t one day just hit rock bottom and have to climb out. They had good days, followed by terrible days, followed by the best days of their lives. The book and its characters were all over the place, but that made it more real.
I’m pleasantly surprised by this book and happy that it now has a place on my bookshelf. People should definitely give it a quick read, especially young women. If any message can be drawn from this story, it’s that you do need to go off on your own to find out what makes you happy, but being supported by friends that will fight for you is ultimately what every girl needs. If you’re looking to read a book that takes you on a fun and inspiring roller-coaster ride, I’d definitely recommend picking this one up!