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Sunday, January 10, 2016

First & Then by Emma Mills Review!

First & Then by Emma Mills
Release Date: October 13th 2015
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Buy it: Amazon|B&N|Book Depository
     Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.
     Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

      I would like to thank the lovely Lekeisha for recommending this book to me! After I read Until Friday Night and hated it, I needed a good football book and Lekeisha recommended First & Then and I cannot thank her enough! Check out her review here! Now onto the review
     Devon is me. I am Devon. I love my high school's football team. I love watching them kick ass on the field. I love watching them at practice. I love hanging out with them because they are genuinely good people. My problem with Until Friday Night was that it was not realistic. The football players were enormous assholes and the actions weren't even natural. As someone going through the exact same point in my life, I could not relate to Until Friday Night at all. With First & Then, Devon was the perfect high school senior. Let me tell you how similar Devon and I are.

  • Only Child
  • Loves Football
  • Has some good friends on the football team
  • School has a star athlete like Ezra (I haven't gotten to the part where I make out with him yet... *sad face*)
  • Stands on the sidelines at football games taking pictures (kinda for Devon)
  • Does not know where she is going to college
  • Love some Jane Austen
     I related to Devon so much it is scary. She was not your typical YA contemporary protagonist who has a special gift or what not. She is exceptionally average which is what I am. Her personality is much like mine as well. She does not deal with any bullshit and will do anything to help the ones she loves. Her wit and sarcastic demeanor is one that I can see in myself. What I loved to see out of Devon was her growth throughout the novel. Watching her mature throughout her senior year and grow into an adult.
     Devon's relationship with her cousin Foster is one that I cannot relate to, but one I definitely admire. At first they could not have been more distant. Foster was the nerdy kid and Devon was the kid who did not care. But once Foster got on that field, they shared their common love of football. and by the end, they were so close. They were willing to do anything to protect each other.
     Ezra is exactly like the star athlete in my school. He is quite and everyone presumes that he is an asshole. He is so misunderstood. Just because you are good, it doesn't mean your personality is shit. How I would describe him is misunderstood. Everyone knows who he is, but no one knows who he actually is, like on a personal level. Just like Devon, I had to interview my school gorgeous star athlete for yearbook and he told me that everyone thinks he's a major d-bag but in reality he is a Grade A student who is such a momma's boy.
     The only thing I was not crazy about was the face that we did not see much of Ezra and Devon's relationship. I would have loved to see an epilogue of graduation day and see how things ultimately ended. But other than that I found First & Then to be perfect. Highly relatable and such an original read! 5 out of 5 stars!
Have you read First & Then? What did you think? Also, any good contemporaries? Leave a comment!
Thanks Hons
Lee Chand

2 comments :

  1. I have this book sitting on my shelf! Looks like I will be bumping it up to the top of my list to read. Thanks for the review! ♥

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