teen realistic fiction (romance that practices abstinence, new friends, cosplay, families with depression, self-cutting). This was good, with believably flawed characters. The main character explains a little bit about why she gets the urge to cut herself, and I thought the talk with her mom (who also shares her problems with depression) was good too. For more about depression and why/how that happens to people, even when those people have people who love them, please read Francisco Stork's The Memory of Light ( )

What Happens Now was honestly a much deeper story than I expected it to be, and that's a good thing. When I first met Ari, our main character, I believed that this would be a story that dealt strictly with depression and cutting. While it definitely dealt with those topics, Jennifer Castle manages to wrap up so many other things right along with it. She adds in perfect moments of levity, and of self-discovery. This book isn't nearly as dark as I thought it might be, and I appreciated that.

Ari was an excellent main character, especially when it came to her battle with depression and anxiety. I really appreciated how Castle dealt with the way that Ari felt, on a daily basis. Her life didn't automatically go back to normal after the big life choice she made, and her relationships were simply perfect again. No, Ari had to fight for normality. She had to battle against people who just expected her to be okay, by explaining that she just didn't work the same way as others. I loved that Castle gave Ari a strong support network, but also added in some barriers for her as well.

In fact, one of my favorite parts of this story was the big focus on relationships. Ari's relationship with her stepfather and mother was interesting. Often, in books like this, the main character isn't a fan of their stepfather. For Ari, her relationship with him was stronger with her mother, and I kind of liked that. It made for an excellent opportunity for self-discovery and growth. Even the relationship between Ari and her best friend Kendall wasn't perfect. They bickered, they got annoyed with one another, but at the end of the day they were always there for one another. Just like real life, which is refreshing to read about in a book.

So why the missing star? Honestly, there are portions of this book that tended to drag a bit, and it made some of it a burden to get through. I loved Ari. I ate up her adorably awkward friendship with Camden and his own group of friends. Still, some of the decisions that Ari made took so long to come to fruition, that it made things slow down. Overall it was a really solid story though, and I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. ( )

Ari is a teenager who suffers from depression that reaches a point where she actually cuts herself to escape its pain. She is also a typical teenager who has family and friends who love her while also driving her crazy, a desire to experience more in the world, including love, and concerns about her future. In this novel she comes to grip with many of the issues surrounding all teenagers, as well dealing with her depression, something her mom truly understands as she also suffers with this mental illness. This is a well-written look at a difficult topic. ( )