I love coming of age novels. They’re so mundane that they’re relatable. I don’t expect anything too taxing but not necessarily boring either. They’re the perfect quick contemporary read. That’s why I was so excited when I got a chance to read Ann, Not Annie.

Her best friend and devout alien believer, Lisa, doesn’t like the changes she’s seeing in her BFF. Neither does Danny Feller, a fellow detention inmate and resident lost boy who has started keeping an extra watchful and unwanted eye on Ann.

When a chance encounter in an empty hallway changes everything, Ann finds all her dreams coming true and she is well on her way to living the perfect life she’s always wanted. But appearances aren’t always what they seem and Ann is going to have to face not just cold hard facts, but also her past.

To be honest, I didn’t have any expectations for this book. I was willing to pick it up and forget about it in a week. Ann, Not Annie changes the whole game for contemporary YA novels. We have our sarcastic and complex MC Ann who’s dealing with too much on top of school. She has speaks without thinking and basically hates everything. At first glance, she’s you typical YA character. Angsty, somewhat depressed, confused. But what sets her apart is the acknowledgement of who she is. Ann doesn’t think she’s unique or special just for having feelings. He self realization sets this book apart because the reader can overlook her imperfections because Ann isn’t supposed to be perfect. Ann’s mature enough to know everyone in high school is going through their own personal hell and her problems aren’t as big as others.

The writing was refreshing. Most YA contemporaries with strong subject matter try to hard to be poetic or “distant”. Ann, not Annie proves that you don’t have to project struggles in a poetic way to get your point across. Ann may not be wise or deep but she’s able to accept reality without a bias. It’s a realistic portrayal of struggle with writing that’s like how most teens talk.

The little drawings in this book made me laugh but that’s not the best part. It’s that the love story didn’t feel forced. Its initially a story about Ann’s infatuation with Jacob Waters so of course we’ll see some love. But the love in this story isn’t stupid or exaggerated. It’s pure. There’s a sense of unity between characters which doesn’t happen often in YA novels. It decided to go against the dog eats dog setting of YA novels and makes it something more relatable. There’s good and there’s bad. Find the good.

Final Thoughts: A wonderful novel everyone should read.

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