I really enjoyed this novel more than I expected. I wasn’t sure at first because the main character was someone you had to learn to like.

It’s YA novel about family, friendships, love and learning how to live life after high school.

The author did a great job at showing what it’s like in a teenage girls head. I look forward to reading more books by her.

Thanks Netgalley for the copy!

This is a great young adult read! I could see a lot of myself in Natalie. Quirky and socially awkward. Stuck in that phase between teenager and adult, trying to figure herself out. It's full of love, and friendship. It deals with complicated subjects like divorce that is hard regardless of your age. I laughed out loud and hurt when she hurt. Such a great story, and put together book.

this book?! oh my god?!
i would say it's the perfect book for a teen who's still struggling in their lives and not knowing what the right decision is, but anyone else will enjoy it too (since i am not a teen)
the friendships, the family dynamic, and the love in this book made me feel so connected to it<3
I felt everything the main character is going through because i've been there at one point in life, so seeing her try to work through everything and go to the next part in her journey is so refreshing.
and the LOVE??? god it made me soooo happy i was smiling the whole time!! yes they struggled but omg it just made me so happy<3

i'm %100 excited for anything new the author might write in the future!

<b>“I am an adult now (sort of, kind of, not really).”</b>– The title of my autobiography.

<i>Thank you to Flatiron Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital Arc in exchange for an honest review! All quotes featured are from the Arc and therefore subject to changes.</i>

<strong>This book really came for me personally</strong>. It unearthed some of my deepest thoughts and worries and I was like how??? did you see into my mind??? Some of the things were so accurate it was scary. The main character is basically me if I was more of a Slytherin. In general, the book was a comfort and made me feel so understood. Coupled with a swoony romance, friendships and a fast-paced, easy to read writing style It Sounded Better in my Head slowly crept into my heart and <strong>surprised me by becoming an instant favorite</strong> and absolute must-read for everyone who loves an awkward, relatable main character being confronted with stepping out of their comfort zone. In a way, this book really reminded me of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde, two of my all-time favorite books about anxiety, friendship and lots of nerdiness 🥰

<strong>"They want to be something. They'll have real jobs. And money. I don't know what I want to be. I mostly trained myself to do well at school as an antidote to all the dark thoughts, the ones that said 'no one likes you very much' and 'you have nothing to show for your life except schoolwork'."</strong>

<strong>I related to the main character Natalie SO SO MUCH!</strong> ➽ Sometimes it felt like we were almost the same person, there were so many little details and thoughts that seemed to be plucked right from my head and it honestly blew my mind. Like me, Natalie struggles a lot with opening up and being intimate with someone (safe for a few friends that she trists), as she's not really good with people and often prefers to spend her time alone in her comfort zone. The way that she would stay home all weekend and read, as well as be super awkward in conversations resonated with me so much.<strong> I felt Natalie's apprehension of leaving her comfort zone and the fact that she wasn't one for parties, felt super uncomfortable around new people as well as all the overthinking</strong>. I definitely see her as socially anxious like myself as we had a lot of the same experience that made me feel so <i>seen</i>. Unlike me, Natalie <strong>struggled with severe acne in her early teens and I really appreciated that the book gave us an insight into the topic</strong> and how it affected her mentally, as I hadn't seen that before. A lot of the anxiety that Natalie has now stems from her experience with severe acne and how it made her so uncomfortable in her bully and the suspect of nasty comments and bullying. This got to the point where she felt ashamed of her body and was obsessing over her experience and how to cover her face. It was a long and painful process for her to find medication that helped her in the long run, yet left her with scars, both physically and emotionally. That's why she hates standing out and is always afraid of letting anyone close in the fear that she will be rejected.

Another thing I appreciated about Natalie was <strong>how her fears sometimes made her self-sabotage her relationships</strong>. It could be frustrating to read about, but I got it because the deep fear of rejection made her push others away. Then there's also the fact that her neat world seemed to fall apart when her parents decide to get a divorce. some of the fights Natalie has with her parents felt so real: they were messy and included both sides saying hurtful things in the heat of the moment, even though they loved each other. She also <strong>feels stuck in limbo as the book is set between graduation and college</strong>, a time I know is weird as the future is still a bit uncertain and like myself, Natalie didn't have this one big plan and career that she wanted to pursue, unlike her friends. She signed up for things that sounded interesting, yet mostly craved the security of academic learning and not yet having to commit to anything. To sum it up: Natalie was so much like me, safe the fact that she's a self-declared Slytherin 🐍

<strong>Some more relatable moments ...</strong>
➽"'What's the best thing about having three brothers?' I ask, partly because it seems like an engaging question, but also because I am paranoid about the things I might have missed out on not having siblings. Like, could there have been a whole other Natalie, a better Natalie, who would have existed if she'd had a cool older sibling to show her the way in life, or a younger sibling who looked up to her."<i><strong> - oh my god I thought I was the only one who wondered this</strong></i>

➽ "Normally I'm good with silence, but this feels like very pointed 'we are two people with nothing to say to each other' silence, which is the most stressful silence after 'I am mad at you' silence." <i><strong>- someone gets it</strong></i>

➽ "'I do like to be out doing things and talking to people.'
'I like to be home, not doing things, talking to no one.'" -<strong><i> it's me</i></strong>

➽ "Of course I hate the beach. It's the next logical step after hating summer, and I hate summer. It's not a blanket hatred. I like sunshine. I like looking at and walking alongside the ocean."<strong><i> - Summer Haters Unite</i></strong>

➽ "I will do arts, then maybe honours and a PhD (I am the kind of person who will just keep automatically doing the next study option until there are none left)." <i><strong>- I feel attacked</strong></i>


<strong>"'I feel very reassured. In fact, it feels like we're in separate rooms. Separate houses even.' I say. 'That's the power of a good pillow barrier,' he says, and his voice has a smile in it."</strong>

<b>The romance was swoony and complicated and warmed my heart.</b> ➽ There are so many things I like about the romance, as it hit a lot of amazing tropes. I mean there is the bed-sharing trope in full force (😉) as well as <strong>some great opposites attracts as Alex and Natalie couldn't be more different</strong>. Alex is Zach's oldest brother (another spicy fact that stirs up some difficulties and drama) and an aspiring chef who often feels like he's not good enough to please his family, especially with Zach's own accomplishments. He's also way more outgoing and extroverted than Natalie, who doesn't like parties and isn't appearing as confident. Nevertheless, Alex is a good guy who respects Natalie and grew up with a mother who thought that it was important to teach her sons how to respect women (Alex and Zach's mom is the best). <strong>Their banter is off the charts flirty, swoony and funny</strong>! You can see the instant chemistry that both of them have, a way of being together despite their differences and a dedication to making it work against the odds. Natalie herself has no dating experience unlike Alex and still struggles with the aftermath of her acne, so there is some insecurity, fear to open herself to other people and a few rough patches in general in their romance. However, I still loved their emotional Arc and the hope to make it work, as both clearly cared about each other 🥺💕

<strong>"'Okay, tell me your top five tips,' I say, suddenly realizing Alex is going to be here any minute.
'I'm not a BuzzFeed article.'
'Quick, just tell me the most important things.'"</strong> #friendshipgoals

<strong>I also loved the friendships!</strong> ➽ I especially loved the friendship between Natalie and Lucy, as I'm all here for <strong>strong female friendships</strong>. Even though Natalie sometimes struggles with Lucy having more dating and sexual experience, she never looks down other because of that and both girls embrace their differences. (It's refreshing to have a book with no subtle slut-shaming). Lucy herself is a caring, loyal friend who is popular but genuinely nice and interested in Natalie, despite having a large friend group. She's also under a lot of pressure to be perfect and become a lawyer by her mother and trying to do her best. I could relate to her inherent need to make the best of every situation and try to smooth over the waves of tension that arose. I always strive to maintain harmony as well. Natalie's second, best friend is Zach, who I struggled with a bit more as he said a lot of mean things that hurt her in the middle, but later you get the reason why and that he was only worried his friend would get hurt. Despite their differences, Natalie and Zach have great banter between them and are very close. Another thing, that was discussed was the fact that Zach and Lucy are dating ... leaving Natalie feeling insecure at times, like she's the third wheel. I <strong>loved that both her friends tried to make her feel included, but yet I also appreciated the discussion about how awkward having your two best friends date could be</strong> (and how sometimes jealousy and ugly thoughts arise) and how it's difficult to find a medium between letting them have some date time and also doing things as a friend group.

<strong>"I always had this vision of myself doing something important during my teen years. I didn't think I would be a child prodigy, but I thought I would be something very close to it, and now I'm almost out of time. Before I know it, I'll be twenty-one and no one will be impressed by anything I do."</strong>

<strong>In general, the book was amazing as it addressed a lot of important topics</strong> ➽ I always appreciate stories that don't shy away from discussing difficult topics but also don't make it sound preachy or forced. The way that the book incorporated talking about heteronormativity (even asexuality was mentioned, something that sadly doesn't find notice in a lot of books), feminism, safe sex and feeling uncomfortable with your body was amazing. It was done in a<strong> subtle way that felt very real and relevant.</strong> Natalia struggles a lot with her body image (part of it because of her acne) and the question of if there's something wrong with the way her body looks or if it's supposed to look a certain way. Her worries felt real and I honestly haven't read a book that is so open about the more 'taboo' topics that often don't get touched upon. Everything about It Sounded Better in my Head feels honest and like the author understands what it's like to be a teenager.

<strong>IN CONCLUSION.</strong> ➽ <i>It Sounded Better in my Head </i>was simply amazing. <strong>It had everything that I could have asked for</strong>: a super relatable, awkward main character struggling with her own fears and insecurities as well as a swoony, banter-filled romance and a lot of great friendships. This book just gets it and made me feel so understood 💖

A quick and easy read that felt pretty genuine and authentic. I did find the MC dramatic and slightly annoying at first. But I saw her growth, and I appreciated that a lot. The romance felt slightly... unexplained? It felt like it started without a true basis, but I still rooted for it! And I love the aspect of this being set in the limbo time right before university, when nothing is clear and choices need to be made and life is unclear. It sounded better in my head is a good story about expectations and how things don't always go at all in the way imagined or hoped for. It was cute and it was one of the quickest reads in a while for me. Take it as a 3.5 star rating, but highly enjoyable and fun!

This book was a sweet story about friendship and relationships. What future holds. Also it is about coming in terms with yourself and not worry about the future. Loved the stories and characters.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I have never read a book set in Australia (that I can remember) but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From the first chapter, I was laughing out loud and continued to do so throughout the entire book. I relate a lot to Natalie and see a lot of myself in her (especially 18-year-old Jade). I read this in practically one sitting and wish I could go back and read it all over again.

I really enjoyed all of the characters, even in their flawed moments.

I will definitely be keeping on eye out for Nina's next release as I really enjoyed her writing style and how she made me fall in love with all of the characters in a short space of time.

This might be one of the first books I´ve read that takes place in Australia! Loved it! The main character was engaging, funny, quirky and I enjoyed reading from her pov. This is such a good YA novel, the plot is relatable, characters are well written and you get to know a lot of their history. I found some of the "drama" unnecessary while reading it however it all ties up nicely in the end. The only reason this isn´t getting 5 stars from me is because of those parentheses that I just can´t get over.

2,5 / 5

Quando me deparei com esse livro pela primeira vez, logo fui atraída pela capa, admito. Em segundo lugar, porém a sinopse também me interessou. Pareceu levar à uma leitura leve e envolvente que, ao mesmo tempo,,iria abordar questões diversas de amizade, família, autoestima e afins, um combo interessante, e acabei me jogando na leitura sem pensar duas vezes.

Eu nem havia criado reais expectativas com a leitura. Simplesmente queria algo que fosse leve e tranquilo de ler, mas que não fosse bobinho, e de fato encontrei um pouco disso no livro. Pena que o plot em torno disso tudo pareceu soar melhor só na sinopse mesmo.

Primeiro de tudo, até uns 40, talvez 50% do livro, a trama seguia ok. Nada grandioso, mas nada também muito abaixo do que eu esperava, então fui seguindo. A narrativa, pelo ponto de vista da protagonista, tem um quê de simplicidade de que muito gostei e foi de longe um dos pontos altos do livro, escrita muito fluída. Só não mais fluída porque a história não o deixava, já que Natalie fazia o "favor" de, do nada, em meio a uma cena ou diálogo, relembrar por inteiro um ponto do passado que poderia ser resumido em dois parágrafos, mas que, por terem sido descritos com tamanhos detalhes e até de diálogos, quebrava a leitura e me deixava meio distante da cena de real importância que ocorria no presente até então, tornando a leitura arrastada.

Os personagens também foram responsáveis por me desanimar da história ao longo da leitura. O mínimo de conexão que eu havia sentido com eles no início, principalmente com a Natalie em meio a sua autoestima baixa devido a um problema sério de acne, foi se desmanchando à medida que os personagens tomavam atitudes ou falavam coisas que soavam aleatórias e baguçadas em alguns momentos, talvez até forçadas, de forma a me irritar.

E aí tivemos o romance que a sinopse prometia ser um grande ponto de virada na vida da protagonista mas que eu não consegui levar o mínimo à sério porque os próprios envolvidos pareciam estar fazendo daquilo quase como ora uma brincadeira, ora uma pura obrigação, e lá vieram mais cenas equivocadas que só me fizeram ficar mais desligada da trama.

Acabei insistindo na leitura, a partir daí, puramente para saber - talvez até entender - onde tudo aquilo iria dar e se teria um fundamento maior que eu havia deixado passar, e, bem, meio que até teve, principalmente sobre a dificuldade de encontrar-se como indivíduo enquanto se está saindo do ensino médio e prestes a entrar na vida adulta e sobre como não podemos ter o controle de tudo, como Natalie tanto pensava que tinha, mas... Tudo acabou sendo tão forçado que, nesse ponto, eu já não estava me importando quando o final chegou. Li o último capítulo, fechei o arquivo e... OK. Não consegui sentir nada além de indiferença com a história, infelizmente. E se eu indico a leitura ou não, bem, releia essa e outras resenhas e decida-se se vale a pena dar uma chance ou não.

Overall rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars

Theme - YA romance/ friends to lovers

I received an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

What a cute, funny and completely realistic book it was! and also without unnecessary drama but yes it had its moments. It was a fun read but at the same time, it was clever too. I loved it.

This book is centered around eighteen year old Natalie and her two best friends Zach and Lucy. They were out of high school and would start college in a few months time but with changing relationships, first love, start of a whole new life without your protective shields(best friends) - Natalie's life was about to change.

I don't always read YA romance these days but I really loved this one for a number of reasons. Firstly, Natalie was very relatable and her point of view made me realise that may be she is talking about me lol. But it's not often that a book deals with polycystic ovarian syndrome and its affects on a girl's confidence level. Especially a teen girl. Zach and Lucy's characters were not the forefront of the book but their lives actually effected Natalie. The author made involved their live without taking the spotlight off the main protagonist and I really think that it's amazing. I loved Alex. He was the sweetest guy ever and his relationship with Natalie was realistic which made this book a complete joy to read about.

If you are looking for YA stories that deals with love, relationships and a bit of drama then it's for you. This story is refreshing, realistic and very cleverly written. It's kinda short-ish and I wasn't bored for a moment. It had an opposite effect and I finished it in one sitting. If you are looking for a short and sweet read then I will definitely recommend it. This one is a really lovely book.

Hope you all like it as much as I did.

Stay safe and happy reading!

AVAILABLE NOW.
P.S. Alex russo reminds me of Wizards of Waverly Place.

A refreshing teen read.

First of all, I need to say that romance is not my usual genre. I like a good romance but usually as part of a bigger story. Even so I was drawn to concept of this book and though it is primarily about romance, it is also about so much more.

Secondly, working as a school librarian, I have had to read a lot of books, some of them are ones I would have read any way and others are books I didn't enjoy but know exactly who I would recommend it too. I am happy to say this book ticks both those boxes.

The story follows Natalie and her friends in the summer before they head off to university. Her parents have just announced they are divorcing, her friends are now a couple and she the perpetual third wheel when they used to be equals, and her anxiety and low self esteem have turned her into a recluse. Then she gets invited to a party by her best friends brother and everything changes.

I liked the basic plot of this book, it was simple and not overly complicated. I enjoyed that the story started quickly so I was immediately into the story. I also liked that we got all of the story from Natalie's POV, it gave us an insight into her character that was incredibly relatable even to a 30 year old like me and I already have about 10 students that I want to recommend this book to based solely on Natalie's hilarious but heartwrenching inner monologue. Her struggles with low self esteem and her body image were handled so well I found myself almost nodding along to some of things she said. Her crippling anxiety over her acne scars verses her guilt that there are worse things in the world to be worrying about, is a conversation I have had with myself, friends and students so many times, it was refreshing to see this openly discussed in a book. I loved the moments when Natalie would have conversations in her head or imagine how a situation would go and be disappointed when things didn't go the way she planned as this is something I do all the time. I felt like I knew Natalie instantly and was completely drawn into her world.

While I enjoyed the overall plot, I did feel like it could have been paced better. The relationship moved so quickly, I was disappointed I didn't get to stay in it for longer. I would have liked to have the two of them stay secret and sneak around for a bit, just so I could enjoy it a bit more. I also felt that this quick pacing meant that the obstacles to their relationship were obvious, they didn't know each other and then got angry about it! It would have been nice if we had gotten to see their relationship develop a bit more before all the drama as it felt so rushed that it took from all the other great aspects of the book.

Though I did feel like the secondary characters were slightly under developed, I actually think this is because this book is about Natalie and how she sees the world, I enjoyed the small tidbits we got into the other characters lives that contradicted Natalie's opinion of them, like when she walks into someone's room and notices how clean it is, making her rethink how she sees them or when she catches her dad looking sad on a park bench and realises he might not be as okay with the divorce as he's making out.

I will definitely be getting this book for my school library as it is a refreshing romance, there's no bad boy, no one has to change who they are to fit in and best of all no tedious love triangle! It is realistic and perfect for 14+ boys or girls who are struggling to come to terms with their bodies, self worth and even changing relationships with their friends.

This book was absolutely delightful! I've found that oftentimes, characters in YA/Teen novels sound like they were written by adults who are trying to remember what it was like to be teenagers. This was most certainly NOT the case in It Sounded Better In My Head - the writing was witty and engaging, but never felt precocious or patronizing. The characters were well developed, beautifully written, and so genuine! Natalie, a recent graduate who is quirky and neurotic and searching for her place in the world, is the most relatable main character I have read in a while. In fact, I often found myself texting my best friend lines from the novel and saying "OMG it's us, this is so real". It's lovely also to read a book that is realistic in it's coming-of-age romance. Natalie struggles with body image issues, first love, family issues, and parental issues in a way that would make any teenager (or anyone who was, at one point, a teenager) root for her. A lovely debut from Kenwood - I can't wait to read more of her novels!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review!

This as a stunning debut novel which dealt with teenage anxiety that results from hormonal changes, puberty, family problems and more.

Natalie's parents have been separated for about a year and having been lying to her about it. Now, when they finally come clean, they have dealt with their issues and are calm about it while Natalie struggles to come to terms with it.

With school ending and a new part of her life on the horizon, she is stuck in a middle phase where she doesn't know what she is doing or going to do in the future. There is a lot of uncertainty and questions that are still to be answered, which helped me relate to the her even more since I'm more or less in the same place as her.

The story evolves slowly and steadily as Natalie develops a crush on her best friend, Zach's elder brother. There is a beginning of a romance which is cute and sweet but is also full with problems since Natalie and Alex are polar opposites.

Natalie is insecure, socially awkward, doesn't drink and despises going to parties while Alex loves going to parties, has a lot of friends and is a kind of playboy. Through the story, they deal with them in a realistic and harsh manner which made the book even more wonderful!

Nina Kenwood accurately captures the emotions and feelings one goes through in their teen years and portrays them in a manner that is fun and easy to read!

Such an easy and cute read! I love how the main character started out as a super insecure 18 year old and as the story progressed she gained more and more confidence in her own body. Great story about self-love, love, family and friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A fun quick read. Pretty typical YA romance, but I liked Natalie's honest self-consciousness. It was a nice break from the heavier reading I've done lately

Whenever I see an Australian author I just have to read their book (need to support a fellow Aussie). I love Aussie books and I admit I never read enough of them. And I’m glad I picked up this book.



In ‘It’s Sounded Better In My Head’, we follow the protagonist, Natalie, as she navigates through her life upon discovering that life isn’t going the way she imagined it to be. Her parents? Divorcing. Her two best friends? Dating. Herself? Awkward and sometimes the borderline third-wheeler.

There were many aspects I liked about this book. I loved how the narration is engaging and very distinctive. The tone is humorous throughout the story yet it can be serious when covering topics such as divorce, self-acceptance, and so on. I actually laughed aloud on several occasions whilst reading this book.



I like how Natalie is such an authentic character with relatable fears and real insecurities (regarding her skin—and the effects it had on her both psychologically and emotionally). I also appreciate how the love interest allows Natalie to set what she’s comfortable within the relationship. I also love how this book depicts genuine friendships. I loved the dynamics between the trio.

This was such a charming and heart-warming coming-of-age book. With only 272 pages, this was an easy and fast-paced read. I’d recommend this book to fans of YA contemporary and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was so cute. I loved it really. I liked the representation of the main charater. Natalie was struggling with very bad skin, and I just felt that. While my bad skin wasn't as bad as Natalies, I did feel the insecurity that came with it. And the fact that she wanted to hide her back while swimming, and her face in school, afraid people would judge her for her skin. I also felt that PCOS rep, because me.

Anyways, cute story, love the romance, and I like how it's set in Australia, instead of the US. I have been reading a lot of American fiction, so this was nice, and I'd like to read more. I can understand how the romance in this book would be awkward for some of the characters, but on the other hand, it's great, and I felt it. I wanted more of it though! I liked that we got a whole lot of backstory for our main character and why she behaved certain ways.

I would definitely recommend it. It's short, and it's a nice and quick read. I mean I read it before I went to sleep, and started reading again after I woke up. Yay for this book! Probably like 4,5 stars even!

3.5
Natalie has just finished high school, she has 2 best friends, Zach and Lucy who are dating, making Natalie kinda the third wheel. And her parents are getting separated. Then there is Alex, Zach's older brother.

This is a cute coming of age story, covering issues which I find quite relatable to my teens.

This is not a love story as I didn't feel the romance (though it was cute) was the main focus here, I felt the friendships and family were what held the story together. That and Natalie's overriding complexes about her supposed short-comings, aka bad skin. Natalie is smart, funny, "interesting", but she was blind to all of these because of one shortcoming.

I liked reading this story. I have just a small complaint though. Up until 40% of the story, Natalie was constantly whining about her acne/backne situation. It's understandable, but it got to be too much. Even till almost the end I felt Natalie had not come to accept her body as is, though in all other aspects she seemed to have matured. It's just my opinion though.
I liked the writing and would recommend this book.

A funny, accurate portrayal of a teenage girl trying to figure out what she wants and who she wants to be.

It sounded better in my head is about eighteen year old Natalie, newly graduated from high school when her parents drop a bombshell on her that they are splitting up. Juggling her feelings for this, a new love interest and trying to avoid feeling like the spare part to her best friends relationship, Natalie finds that maybe some things are better said inside her head.

First of all, this book was hilarious. I chuckled a lot and Natalie was so relatable. She was a well developed character with realistic decisions and thoughts and she reminded me exactly of the type of girl I used to be (or probably still am).
I think Alex was a great love interest. I was invested in their romance and I liked that they had this thing between them for a while before it was ever labelled.
Zachary and Lucy were good secondary characters and added a lot of substance to the story. I think the dynamic between Alex and Zach’s relationship was interesting and I liked that the Zach/Lucy/Natalie trio was a topic of discussion.

This is definitely the type of book I would read around a book, on a summers day or when I need a pick me up. It’s a feel good story with a good ending and a relatable storyline!

5 stars!!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this e-book!

It Sounded Better in My Head is about Natalie and her struggles while going through the ringer with puberty, self-image issues and juggling friendships/relationships.
This discussed topics that can seem dark to some people but the author was able to deliver it in more of a light-hearted way. It was effective and I can see many adolescents really enjoy this story because they can find great representation within it. I did feel like the whole story needed more substance - I needed more details with certain scenes but overall, it was a great read!