This is the sequel to Keiko's book, though Keiko isn't a huge presence in it. I loved Jenna from Keiko's book and wished she was in it more. I think Keiko makes a few more appearances in Jenna's book than Jenna did in Keiko's.
So Elliot, Jenna's boyfriend from the first book, dumps her right before Christmas break. Thanks to her parents' divorce and how they both are, Jenna is not one to talk about her feelings. She thinks they make her weak. She bats away any of her friends' attempts at making sure she's okay after the breakup.
To distract her, Keiko tries to blend her into her crowd with Conner and the boys. It semi-works, but what really distracts Jenna is her newspaper club. They don't actually write a newspaper but more learn how to do certain types of writing for one. The teacher wants to shake things up and assigns each writer something out of their comfort zone. Jenna is supposed to write a personal essay but she despises the idea.
Wanting to be alone, she finds a small diner nearby that has a Broadway theme. She begins hanging out in a booth named after Hamilton because it gives her good memories of her dad. Unfortunately, that booth also happens to be the favorite of Rin Watanabe, a boy in her grade that she once was paired with for a disastrous health project. (I think it was health anyway.) Jenna thinks he's a slacker, he thinks she's a teacher's pet.
Jenna stops going to newspaper club after the teacher keeps pushing the personal essay on her. Jenna tried but turned in something that wasn't personal enough. After hearing the announcement of a writing contest with a scholarship prize, Jenna focuses on that, wanting to expand on a story she and her new friend Isabella came up with. (Isabella is fine with this.) She wants to learn who funded the new cafeteria and why they chose something like that instead of what she thinks the school needed more. She's determined to win a) to beat asshole Elliot and b) because her mom keeps worrying about how she's going to pay for college.
As she digs deeper, Jenna grows closer with Rin, but that comes to a screeching halt when she realizes Rin's parents were the ones who donated the money for the cafeteria renovation. She gets in a giant fight with Rin and then eventually learns there is no story behind the donation. Everything was on the up and up. It was in part to help kids on the lunch program be able to keep getting free meals because the cafeteria was on the verge of closing down due to outdated equipment. Forced to give up her story, Jenna realizes she's been an ass to Rin and repeatedly tries to apologize.
At the same time, her dad moves back to town. Jenna has a huge breakdown and they finally have a good talk. He speaks to her mother also and both parents realize that they should have been more open with Jenna about the divorce. (And not done bullshit things like her mom making it sound like Jenna would have to rely on scholarships and work study for college when all along her dad was planning on paying for it. I don't like her mom.) They also realize their inability to discuss their feelings led to their daughter being the same way.
Thankfully, Jenna also realizes this and strives to change. She finally does make up with Rin and they end up a couple. Keiko and the boys join them at the diner, along with Isabella from newspaper club. And Jenna's final written piece is a...personal essay on how she learned to break down her walls.
Elliot remains an asshole. So does Audrey from Keiko's book, who made one brief appearance and Jenna should have let her have it but she didn't. I'm praying the author just moves on to another storyverse because I do not want to read a book with bitch Audrey as the POV. Although I wouldn't mind a third book with a new character who becomes friends with Jenna and Keiko and their gang.
Another great read. I do love Jenna more than Keiko, but it did take some time to get there. You as the reader need her to break down her walls to really get to like her. When she's being pushy, she's not very likeable, but she does make it in the end.
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