REVIEW: Julia at the Drive-In by Rainbow Rowell

JayneA- Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readscoming-of-age / high-school / short-story / shy heroine / YA / Young-Adult2 Comments

A shy high school girl steps out of her comfort zone in this tender and wistful coming-of-age story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell.

On the eve of her senior year, Julia has a look so new she doesn’t even recognize herself in the mirror. It’s the only reason she feels bold enough to talk to Wyatt, the boy she’s been staring at for three years. Tonight, at the drive-in, Wyatt finally stares back. Does he see Julia? Or some new and perfect stranger?

Rainbow Rowell’s Julia at the Drive-In is part of The Edge of Everything, a collection of short coming-of-age stories of first love, messy choices, and self-discovery. Each story can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Dear Ms. Rowell, 

Now this is the storytelling that I adore from you. It’s a compact slice of life that goes deep and tells a lot and leaves me satisfied yet wanting more. I’d love to read about Julia’s and Wyatt’s senior year.

Shy Julia is content to be in the background. She has friends, she’s asked to join, but vibrant Chloe is her first best friend. Chloe’s got Julia changing her look but inside Julia is still Julia. She can watch – not in a creepy way – everyone around her and one person she’s noticed is Wyatt. He’s a popular part-of-the-crowd guy but fate brings them together at the drive-in.

There’s enough information about their personalities that I can see these two. They’re figuring themselves out and wondering who they’re going to be. Julia feels free and able to actually talk with him and, amazing!, he’s talking back revealing his hidden feelings and sitting beside her and being polite about holding her popcorn and drink. He goes next level about her contacts. 

But as the blurb asks, does he recognize her, even if she hadn’t had her hair cut, had he ever noticed her at school enough to know who she is? Ah, the sweet dilemma. The story ends on a happy, hopeful note and takes me back to high school when you wondered if the other person saw you and if they liked you and to the happy frisson that they do. A- 

~Jayne  

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Jayne

Another long time reader who read romance novels in her teens, then took a long break before started back again about 25 years ago. She enjoys historical romance/fiction best, likes contemporaries, action- adventure and mysteries, will read suspense if there's no TSTL characters and is currently reading more fantasy and SciFi.

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