I have wanted a Rosie story for the longest time and this was more than I could ever have hoped for. I love these three girls and really enjoyed being back with them.

I really loved getting another perspective on THAT meet up in Brighton, especially seeing Jade's side of things.

I also appreciated the perspective of someone who didn't enjoy their first year at university. It's an important perspective to see and one I think will help a lot of readers.

I've always been a big fan of Sara Barnard's books, I've always enjoyed them but sadly I just wasn't as interested in this one but I think it was more of a me thing than because of the book, I'm not a massive contemporary reader anymore unless it's mystery.

Don't get me wrong, I did like the story and it was nice to see the characters again but I was not keen on Rosie very much this time around.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie's story has been a long time coming and absolutely did not disappoint! I loved being back with Roz, Suze and Caddy and getting a better glimpse into Roz's new life at uni. It was refreshing to read about a uni experience that doesn't live up to expectations which I think is a lot more common than anyone knows. Roz's relationships with her new girlfriend, her best friends, flatmates and mum are all tested in this novel and I loved every second.

I was already familiar with the characters here from Beautiful Broken Things, and I'm so glad we finally got to see Rosie's story. I loved the insight to her time at uni, and it felt fresh and relatable to my time at uni way back then.

A definite recommendation to any fan of UK YA.

Something Certain, Maybe is a companion novel to two of Sara Barnard’s other novels, Beautiful Broken Things and Fierce Fragile Hearts. The trio of Suzanne, Caddy and Rosie are back and in Something Certain, Maybe we follow Rosie’s story.

Rosie is on her way to university and she is ready for her life to begin. She has waited so long for this and is ready to see what it holds. Problem is, university turns out to be different to what she had hoped and she doesn’t feel particularly happy. Then, she meets Jade and things seem to look a little brighter. Does that stop everything else from falling apart though?

I loved being back with Rosie, Caddy and Suzanne. I feel like I’ve seen them grown up throughout this series and I truly adore the trio. It was interesting to get even more insight into Rosie’s life and the things she is going through. It was also compelling to see more of the trio’s friendship and the ups and downs they are going through with both as a group and individually.

I feel as though this book shows a university experience that we don’t often get to see. The experience of those who don’t feel happy at university and don’t know if it is the right path for them. As someone who also left university after struggling with it all for a year I felt like I was finally having a similar experience to my own seen. As readers we get to see that university is not for everyone and the fact that that is perfectly okay. I would have loved to have this book whilst I was at university.

Sara Barnard’s writing is always so lovely and easy to read. It feels like comfort in a book even when heavier topics are being discussed. I’ve loved all her books that I’ve read and Something Certain, Maybe is definitely one of my favourites. I would highly recommend picking up her books.

This book discusses so many things I love seeing in YA. It realistically shows what it is like to grow up, let go of plans that have not worked out and how you can deal with the curveballs life throws at you. I loved how we see the character navigate friendships, romance and family dynamic throughout the story too.

Overall, Something Certain, Maybe is comforting, coming-of-age story that I adored. It continues a series that I will forever hold close to my heart. I cannot recommend it enough!

Headlines:
The first year of uni life
Trying to fit in
First LGBTQ+ relationship experiences

As a fan of Sara Barnard's previous books and in particular the two books related to Something Certain, Maybe (Beautiful Broken Things and Fierce Fragile Hearts), picking this book up was a no-brainer. But you don't have to have previous knowledge of Rosie, Caddy and Suzie, it can be read as a standalone. Content warnings at the bottom of this review.

This book focused on Rosie but with her two buddies there in the background. Leaving Brighton, her mum and friends behind was a bittersweet experience for Rosie but she had a plan. This story was all about that first year of her plan and it didn't play out how she expected.

Rosie spread her bisexual wings in this book and she dealt with some microagressions in relation to her bi-ness but any issues were dealt with really well on the page. Rosie's blossoming relationship with Jade was lovely reading and the positive focus of the plot. Rosie navigated some mental health challenges which felt authentic as well as deep family worries. Talking of authenticity this university lecturer (me) thought this first year at uni was written so darn well. Kudos to the real feels that were conveyed and the whole reason why I read and enjoy YA...it helps me connect with my students' experiences.

I loved seeing these three characters in an adult (young adult) light. Yes, there were dramatic moments and if you know these three, that felt just right. It felt like a sweet reward getting another book with these characters.

Thank you to Pride Book Tours and Macmillan Children's Books for the review copy.

Content warnings: anxiety, panic attacks, discussion of previous suicide attempts, bi-erasure

Sara Barnard is such a wonderful author for young adults. I felt instantly pulled in to Rosie's story, and loved seeing her change and grow. Sara's characters always feel so real, and she writes about teenage experiences and emotions with an authenticity that make readers feel truly seen. I loved the emphasis on friendship, first love, family (blood relations and chosen family) and taking time to work out what's right for you. I thought Sara's writing about uni and all the mixed emotions and expectations it can fuel was brilliantly thoughtful. This is a book filled with poignancy, beauty, hope and heart. Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman's fiction and Holly Bourne.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Sara Barnard has done it again!
It was such an easy read, despite the sometimes more difficult subject matter.
I'm a sucker for a book about university - anything that takes me back to that care-free time!

I feel that the pacing was a little off at times. Sometimes very fast in pace, and then at others incredibly slow! I think this book could have done with 50-100 pages less, and I would have enjoyed it a bit more.

Overall it was a nice read, I enjoyed it - but not sure how long it will stay with me.

Sara Barnard is one of my favourite authors and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read her latest book ahead of its release! The trouble with loving this author and her book 'A Quiet Kind of Thunder' so much, is that I end up comparing everything else she writes to that book, and nothing quite matches up in my head, BUT this book is still fantastic!

Something Certain, Maybe is a companion to her other books, Beautiful Broken Things and Fierce Fragile Hearts, and it follows Rosie, the final member of the trio. She's off to university, and straight away I could tell that she was attending UEA, which was so funny and also worrying to me because I have spent lotsssss of time at UEA due to my boyfriend being a student there, so I was excited and nervous to see how accurate it would play out. But it was so accurate, and I was thrilled to see that the author is actually an alum of UEA! It was completely accurate down to the descriptions of the Ziggs (if you know, you know), even down to the road names (shoutout to literally the road over from my boyfriend's house). The accuracy made it even more enjoyable to me, because I could feel completely immersed in the story and picture myself in every single scene.

I really enjoyed the more realistic take on university that this book offers. The idea of not enjoying it, regretting your course choice, changing your mind, struggling to make friends, not knowing if you're doing the right thing.... I felt all of that SO HARD, and it felt so nice to not feel alone in those thoughts, even if this character is fictional. We're shown that university is not for everyone, and how okay that is, and I think so many people need to hear that sometimes. It's so, so, SO relatable and definitely something that needs to be talked about more in books, and in real life for that matter. Sara Barnard has a really lovely, easy style of writing and I read this start to finish in a day, so that's always a good sign to me.

FINISHED: I adore everything Sara writes and honestly Rosie’s story is no different. I loved how this book celebrated friendship, family and making tough decisions. Rosie goes through a lot in this. I love these girls and I’m so glad we got her story! Bravo Sara, you legend

As wonderful as I hoped it would be. I loved being back with the three girls and particularly enjoyed Rosie's story. It was heartfelt and so very real. Definitely a relatable story for many students who find that the university experience isn't quite what they thought it might be

I loved this book so much! I loved seeing Rosie's story and I feel like I resonated with her experiences so much. I struggled alot in my first, second and third year of university for different reasons to Rosie but it still felt very familiar. I loved that we got to see Rosie fall in love and stay in love, even when things got tough. I also loved that it revolved around friends and family, especially her mum's diagnosis. It was so nice to be back with these girls and it was just so heartwarming and like a big hug.

I love reading a book knowing how much it's going to mean to the young people I teach - this is definitely going on the pantheon of Miss Harrison recommends, along with all of Sara's other books.
I'd struggle to think of many other YA novels that are set during the first year of uni, let alone ones that are unafraid to explore how the university of experience can be unexpected and may not live up to the time of the life we have been joyfully anticipating.
Here we return to our favourite Brighton trio - after being introducing to Caddy, spending time with Suze, it's now Rosie's turn. Rosie can be blunt, showing affection in her own unique ways - she has lived a life of constant and certainty. She's always known she would go to uni and get a degree, she's worked hard during her entire time at school to ensure it will happen. At uni she will find her people and work hard to get a good job and live a solid life.
Except, she's finally starting uni and it is not what she hoped or planned. Not at all.
A heart-moving, funny and profound examination of how it feels when life doesn't play out like you hoped it would.

Well written with a compelling storyline and a powerful message hand in hand with well developed characters that I took to my heart. I found this really relatable as a university student myself who had experiences similar to this, until i met a group of amazing friends. I think a lot of students/ ex students would find this relatable. I really enjoyed it.