What Happens Now

by Jennifer Castle

Overview

An emotional and heartwarming novel from the author of The Beginning of After, an ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen!

The summer Ari first sees Camden, she longs for him from afar. When the two forge a true connection the following summer, Ari lets herself fall . . . hard. As their romance blossoms, she’ll have to discover the very real boy behind her infatuation while also struggling with her own demons, obligations, and loyalties.

What Happens Now is an insightful and touching novel about learning to heal, learning to love, and what happens when fantasy becomes reality, from acclaimed author Jennifer Castle.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062250490
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/07/2016
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	737,689
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Castle's first novel, The Beginning of After, was named an American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults selection and a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Book. She wrote many unproduced movie and TV scripts before returning to her first love, fiction . . . but she's still hooked on film and the way we can find and tell our stories with images. She lives with her family in New York's Hudson Valley.

Editorial Reviews

05/30/2016
Ari Logan is starting the summer before her senior year feeling stable, though the memory of the night she cut herself is still fresh. Now Camden Armstrong, the boy she pined after the previous summer, is showing interest in Ari—he even shares her all-consuming obsession with an old science fiction TV show, Silver Arrow. Ari's summer romance is a thrilling distraction from her past and from her mother, who avoids addressing her own depression by focusing on work, leaving Ari and her stepfather to care for Ari's younger sister, Dani. Castle (You Look Different in Real Life) depicts the subtle complexities of familial and romantic relationships with vividness and sensitivity: Dani looks to Ari for all the things their mother neglects, and the joy of having a longtime crush reciprocate is palpable as Ari basks in Camden's attention and that of his friends. At the story's center, though, is Ari's steady growth as she learns to welcome new possibilities in her life. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)

Publishers Weekly

A sweet, sensitive romance distinguished by its respect for fandom.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Castle’s latest explores life and relationships with a gentle touch, steady rhythm, and quirky characters who face real issues...This romance between shy teens has wide appeal and happily delivers for those who enjoy works by Sarah Dessen.” — School Library Journal

“Castle’s latest captures the feeling of the infinite possibilities that summer holds.” — ALA Booklist

“Castle depicts the subtle complexities of familial and romantic relationships with vividness and sensitivity.” — Publishers Weekly

“What Happens Now is the perfect book for a lazy summer day.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

From the Publisher

Castle’s latest captures the feeling of the infinite possibilities that summer holds.

ALA Booklist

What Happens Now is the perfect book for a lazy summer day.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

05/01/2016
Gr 8 Up—Castle's latest explores life and relationships with a gentle touch, steady rhythm, and quirky characters who face real issues. Seventeen-year-old Ari spies Camden from afar at the lake and spends her summer daydreaming of the boyfriend he would be. She is recovering from emotional and physical scars after an episode of cutting. The following summer, they "meet cute" when Ari accidentally steps into the boys' restroom as her crush exits. Camden, mysterious and elusive, lives with his artist mother in a renovated barn and attends the local alternative school. Camden engages in his own projections, as his attraction to Ari is based upon the assumption that she leads the normal life he craves. He introduces Ari to his friends: edgy teens with clever banter and ardent fans of Ari's favorite show, the sci-fi throwback Silver Arrow. The gang participate in cosplay and attend a Comic Con-type event, despite Ari's parents denying her permission. The protagonist's forays into this distinct world with unfamiliar people foretell a collision of reality with her expectations. Castle skillfully navigates these wonder years as Ari realizes that daydreams do not always work out. Still, the book ends on a hopeful note. VERDICT This romance between shy teens has wide appeal and happily delivers for those who enjoy works by Sarah Dessen.—Laura Falli, McNeil High School, Austin, TX

School Library Journal

2016-03-16
Fantasy leads to a real romance a year after Ari sees a boy at the local lake. A traumatizing experience with a former boyfriend led her to cutting, but despite her wariness Ari remains strongly attracted to Camden. They live in the same small town in upstate New York but attend different schools, so the relationship exists in Ari's head for a year. But the following summer, a chance meeting leads to a party invitation, and it's clear that Camden is also attracted to Ari. Even better, it turns out that he's also a fan of her favorite sci-fi television series, and he and his friends wear their Silver Arrow costumes to the party. Bonding through fandom, they begin to spend time together, even indulging in Arrowhead cosplay at the county fair. There, however, Camden sees something that recalls a trauma of his own. Nevertheless, all seems well, and the romance progresses until Ari tells Camden about her previous summer's crash. After that, reality increasingly encroaches on fantasy, threatening the romance. Castle nicely balances Ari's admitted fantasy life and her interest in cosplay with the increasing intrusions of real, flawed personalities, including Ari's, into the fantasy. Not only Ari, but Camden, her friends, and her family undergo stress and conflict, until Ari and Camden finally make their own choices. Aside from dark-skinned, possibly biracial Camden, the cast is largely white. A sweet, sensitive romance distinguished by its respect for fandom. (Realistic romance. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews