Young Adult Fiction: An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann

I am always thrilled as well as incredibly humbled to be asked, either directly by the author or their publicist, to review a novel, as opposed to picking one out on my own. I will always do the latter, no matter how many requests I get, because I want to read what I want to read. Also, I can't say yes to everyone. But I did say yes to reading and reviewing An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann. It is no secret to anyone who even halfway follows this blog that I love YA books. And not only does An Authentic Experience fall into that category, but it is about the daughter of two ex-musicians who is trying to find her own way, and that was enough for me to be interested.

The Situation: Silvera "Silver" Abelli is a 15 year-old girl living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With both parents being ex-musicians from the punk rock era, Silver's music education is well-rounded, if a little biased. Silver's mother, Nicola, has worked hard to make sure her regular education is also well-rounded and complete, as she has always home schooled her, despite Silver wanting more than anything than to attend a "normal" school. Silver's divorced parents do not agree on much, but they do both agree that home schooling is the way to go. Even Nicola's surgery to remove a brain tumor does not derail this idea, though it does mean Silver has to temporarily move in with her father, Renz. Neither parent is currently a performing musician, but Renz still pines for his glory days, as well as the musician's lifestyle. Until Nicola is better, Silver will have to manage a somewhat chaotic existence under Renz's roof.

The Problem: It will be trying living with Renz, and dealing with Nicola's recovery will be no picnic either, though some things make everything better. There is Silver's cousin and best friend Natalie; her grandparents, whose bakery she often works at; and then there is Jake. Football star and all-around popular guy at the local high school, Jake is someone everyone knows. So when it he actually notices Silver at a party and the two begin hanging out, Silver cannot believe her luck. She has only been wanting this exact thing for forever. But even the attention of the most popular boy in class is not enough to ward of the pain and effects of an incredibly traumatic experience. Afraid to upset her mother, and thinking her father does not care, Silver attempts to keep it all together on her own, only for everything to keep falling apart. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult novel set in and around present day Milwaukee. With Nicola and Renz as Silver's parents, there is much discussion regarding music and music appreciation. Renz even has his own podcast with a faithful following, though it is not as large a following as he would like. Silver herself sings and plays the guitar, but her main focus is on being as "normal" a teenager as she can possibly be, given her circumstances. Not only are her mother and father former musicians (with band names Lift and Separate, and Wide Swath, respectively), but they insist on home schooling her. Also, they divorced when Silver was very young. She may live with her mother, but her father is only a few blocks away on the same street. After Nicola's surgery, Silver's grandparents move Nicola in with them in order to aid in her recovery, but this means Silver has to live with Renz for awhile, which is a less than ideal situation. It ends up being a summer where Silver has to deal with her obnoxious father, her sick mother, and an incident that would leave anyone, much less a teenage girl, question who they are and what in their past led them to here.

My Verdict: The characters in this book are solid. Silver is interesting, and complicated, but still very much a teenage girl. Her parents drive her crazy in the way parents always do, and Nicola's illness simply makes matters even more complicated. Even the grandparents are well thought-out, as are the other teenagers in the book, such as Natalie and Jake, and the exchange students Luis and Monique. I do wish that the general pace of the book was a bit slower and not so hurried. Maybe it is the world of teenagers that I am so far removed from, but everything in the story unfolds at an incredible speed, allowing little room for reflection. Also, it becomes obvious in certain areas that there are specific issues Wittmann wanted to tackle and points she wanted to make. Some scenes seem shoe-horned into the plot if only to bring up a current societal problem, while others are handled in such a way that make it clear where the author stands, which can feel like a cheat. At some points it becomes an issue of showing versus telling. Overall, Silver's story is one worth getting invested in and following through to the end.

Favorite Moment: When Nicola proved more than capable to be there for her daughter when she needed her.

Favorite Characters: Gramps and Dita are Nicola's parents and they own Tomasino's Bakery where Silver sometimes works. They are arguably the most stable force in their granddaughter's life and are willing to do anything for her.

Recommended Reading: I recommend Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride, another YA novel involving the effects of divorce, and how teenagers often have to act like the adults in the family.