Book Review: Come As You Are by Jennifer Haupt

 GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Zane and Skye are two misfit teens drawn together by their love of music and their loneliness, both part of Seattle’s grunge scene in the early ‘90s. They dream of moving to L.A. together: Zane’s music career following the trajectory of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder, and Skye drawing Picasso-esque portraits on the Venice Beach boardwalk. When a tragedy violently catapults them from best friends to lovers, their bond is forever strengthened and their relationship destroyed. Ten years later, they must come together as parents, putting aside abandoned dreams and broken promises. The question is: can they face the truth of who they are, and become the parents their daughter needs them to be?

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

Oh, how this book made me want to grab a comfy worn-out flannel shirt and a pair of Doc Martins, Come As You Are, the new book by Jennifer Haupt has the 90s vibe turned on full force, and I was there for it all!

Naturally, the book's setting for this adventure is Seattle, at least the past parts are, I mean, we all know that is where the grunge scene started so titling a book Come As You Are- one of the most popular Nirvana songs whom most people will tell you was the start of the whole grunge scene, could not possibly have taken place anywhere else.

The story is told in a dual timeline- focusing on Skye and Zane, who meet at a young age 12 and 14 if I remember correctly. Both of them bond over being loners, and they find solace in each other. They become best friends and share the dream of graduating and moving to LA where Zane would be part of the music scene and Skye the art world. As we all know dreams and plans rarely go as hoped and a rare moment of togetherness for these two results in pregnancy for Skye.

Jennifer Haupt has written a beautiful family drama that is gritty and raw, while also giving us the cultural references of the 90s, especially musically. From  Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street to the thermal underwear we wore under our ripped-up jeans and of course Nirvana, Haupt throws you right back into the nostalgia.

Both Zane and Skye are memorable and likable characters. Haupt gave them realistic flaws and did not spare them any difficult situations, instead, she put them and the reader in the middle of them. You will root for both of them throughout.

Come As You Are is a great book, especially for those whose lives were shaped by this time period. It is a very character-driven book, which I loved. It honestly is the most perfect book for anyone, but especially so for those of us who loved the grunge scene, Haupt transports us back there with ease.

Come As You Are will be published March 1 via Central Avenue Publishing