Review #68 // Everything Leads to You – Nina LaCour

After promising her brother she would do something epic with his apartment while he was away, Emi finds a letter meant for the daughter of a Hollywood Icon named Clyde Jones. Except, Clyde is known for having no descendants, and never marrying. Emi and her best friend Charlotte decide to find this daughter, which leads them on a hunt all over Los Angeles.


Why this book?: The January book of the month for the Keep It Diverse book club!

 

Light and heartwarming

When I had originally heard of this book, quite a few years ago, I had thought it was a light and fluffy romance. While I still got that, it was also mixed into this easy-going, enjoyable mystery that really drew me in. Everything Leads to You is an amazing blend of romance and mystery, with an addition of the flare of the movie life.

I really enjoyed all of the characters. There was a wide range of them throughout the book, all of which were really nice and interesting. Emi, Charlotte, and Ava were all very well developed, and I found all of them very charming and entertaining.

In all honesty, there’s not much to say about this book. It was a cute, fluffy mystery with a side of F/F romance that I just loved. LaCour made sure to give the characters flaws as well as perfections, and that made all of the characters so much more real.

Endearingly simple

The writing was elegant and simple enough that I was never confused, and always intrigued. I loved how you got to know so many aspects of the movie industry. Something else that was also appreciated was that it showed how you can still be friends and work with your ex despite having a rocky relationship. It all just depends on how you end up breaking it off.

Something that did bother me was how vague descriptions were. While there were multiple people of color, including Emi being mentioned as biracial, my problem with this was that it never mentioned anyone being a POC. It implied Jamal and Theo being POC, but there were no descriptions to back it up. No one was explicitly described as people of color. While I am thankful that LaCour was diverse in more than just sexuality, I just wish she was more explicit about it.

Final Rating: ★★★★☆

Overall?

I really enjoyed this one, and I have very few complaints. I went in wanting a cute, fluffy romance, and that’s what I got, with an added mystery that was ultimately enjoyable.

Would I Recommend?

Totally! I really enjoyed this one, and am very happy that I finally managed to read it after quite a few years of hearing about how cute it was. With this being my second Nina LaCour book that I enjoyed, I think she might be an author to watch!


Additional Information:

Published: May 15th, 2014

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 312

Genre: YA/Contemporary/Romance

Synopsis: via Goodreads

A love letter to the craft and romance of film and fate in front of—and behind—the camera from the award-winning author of Hold Still.

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

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