My Expanding Bookshelf: ARC Review: You Before Anyone Else, Julie Cross & Mark Perini

Title: You Before Anyone Else
Author: Julie Cross & Mark Perini
Published: 02/08/2016, Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 400
Source: Netgalley
Format: Ebook

Rating: 3/5

"Model Finley needs someone to help her shed her "good girl" persona, so she'll try Eddie on for size.

New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the "good girl" stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.

Enter Eddie Wells. He's shallow, predictable…and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie's bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder."

You Before Anyone Else is a lovely, quick contemporary YA with such important messages. It's about family and learning when it is okay to do things for yourself and for others. It;s about becoming responsible in a way.

The setting is certainly different to anything else I've read. The majority of the story is set in apartments belonging to a model agency in New York. Therefore, all the tenants are very young and not always the most responsible. It's actually a bit like high school without the classes. But this ties in well with both Finley and Eddies's stories. Finley has been modelling for years to raise money for college and Eddie falls into modelling whilst running from his family.

I liked both Finley and Eddie. They were mature and responsible enough to not be annoying, yet they still act like regular 18-year-olds (albeit the modelling). They also meshed together really well and their relationship is very cute. And I loved that they didn't get too caught up in their relationship and still focused on their own personal goals. They weren't blinded by love and their romance is actually quite a slow burner compared to other contemporary YAs.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of both Finley and Eddie which is great as we can see both sides of their story and how each of their choices affects each other. I would say Eddie's twist is slightly predictable, however, they way it is executed is certainly unique and shows amazing character growth from both Eddie and Finley. The story is logical as is the ending and I honestly don't think it could have ended in a better way. Finley and Eddie are left with the best of both worlds in a sense.

I enjoyed You Before Anyone Else. It is definitely a book that I would probably recommend to teens and fans of YA contemporaries. Given the chance, I would definitely read both Julie Cross and Mark Perini again.

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