Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills
Published by: Henry Holt & Company
Pub Date: January 15, 2019
Pages: 320
Format: arc| Source: publisher
Genres: young adult, contemporary
Rating:

For Sophie, small town life has never felt small. With her four best friends–loving, infuriating, and all she could ever ask for–she can weather any storm. But when Sophie’s beloved Acadia High School marching band is selected to march in the upcoming Rose Parade, it’s her job to get them all the way to LA. Her plan? To persuade country singer Megan Pleasant, their Midwestern town’s only claim to fame, to come back to Acadia to headline a fundraising festival.

The only problem is that Megan has very publicly sworn never to return.

What ensues is a journey filled with long-kept secrets, hidden heartbreaks, and revelations that could change everything–along with a possible fifth best friend: a new guy with a magnetic smile and secrets of his own.

I loved this from the opening page- it’s trademark Emma Mills, the way she writes friendships and these fully realized characters. She makes you care about them immediately. Their dialogue sounds like I’m eavesdropping on real people and I love that so much! I also loved that it was a group of friends who lived near each other and knew each other since childhood. Her biggest strength is creating these dynamic, diverse friendship groups and I live for the interactions between them both positive and negative because it feels so REAL. In the best way.
I really liked the neighbors she babysat for as well- it was cool to have other adults in her life that weren’t her parents because it’s a different relationship dynamic (they’re “cool” haha) and the kids were really cute. Babysitting was a huge part of my life in high school and college and it was nice to see it reflected in Sophie’s life. Her burgeoning friendship/relationship with August was also super wonderful. It was different that her other MCs and love interests- their relationship developed faster in some ways and also the fact that he was the new guy instead of her lent an interesting note to the group.
Something was slightly missing from the book for me the more I read, although there was a lot more kissing than her previous books which I loved of course!! And there were a few sad things I didn’t expect that really took me by surprise and affected me. That being said, I will read everything Emma writes, forever 🙂 Her friend groups and the emotions she evokes are unparalleled.

Have you read the latest Emma Mills book yet? What is your favorite book of hers? Let me know!