The Accidentals

BySarina Bowen

Release Date: 2018-07-10
Genre: Coming of Age Fiction for Young Adults

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 98 Ratings

Description

Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth.

I’ve been listening to my father sing for my whole life. I carry him in my pocket on my mp3 player. It’s just that we’ve never met face to face.

My mother would never tell me how I came to be, or why my rock star father and I have never met. I thought it was her only secret. I was wrong.

When she dies, he finally appears. Suddenly I have a first class ticket into my father’s exclusive world. A world I don’t want any part of – not at this cost.

Only three things keep me going: my a cappella singing group, a swoony blue-eyed boy named Jake, and the burning questions in my soul.

There’s a secret shame that comes from being an unwanted child. It drags me down, and puts distance between me and the boy I love.

My father is the only one alive who knows my history. I need the truth, even if it scares me.

"A brilliant story." USA Today
"With intense, honest depictions of hope and rejection, The Accidentals will break your heart. Highly recommend." - Miranda Kenneally, author of Breathe, Annie, Breathe and Catching Jordan

Reviews

Beautiful Story!
5
By CJraptor
I loved this book so much! The people were real and flawed. My heart broke for Rachel but it was still such an awesome story! I’m babbling because I just finished reading it and I can’t believe how much I loved it!!!!
The Accidentals
5
By Mememe2016
Different from Sarina’s other books, but I loved it. The story held my interest on how Rachel would handle the life handed her.

Good read, loved the story line.
Absolutely amazing!!
5
By Laura__F
This book is a lesson on why not to start reading at 9pm. Once I started, I couldn't stop until I reached the end at 2am when I had work the next day.

This book is everything I've come to expect from Sarina Bowen. It has amazing characters, made me laugh, and, at parts, made me cry. I loved everything about this book!!
The Accidentals
5
By NovemberGirl1
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wonderful story
5
By Ygoslow
I loved this book. Sarina Bowen really knows story development. Highly recommend.
Interesting new book
5
By Ghelka
I really enjoyed this new effort. It mixed a lot of all the things I love about Sarina's writing. Snowboarding, hockey, school shenanigans, and tricky relationships. I can never resist a complicated heroine trying to figure it all out. Excellent read! Will there be a second one? I sure hope so.
Extraordinary Young Adult Debut
5
By Aurora H (Whoo Gives A Hoot)
The moment I heard Sarina Bowen was writing a young adult romance, I knew that I needed to get my hands on it the moment it released because I have absolutely adored all of her previous releases and I had no doubt in my mind that this story was going to be just as amazing! I mean come on the woman can write any genre she sets her mind to and young adult is no exception!

The Accidentals is a brilliantly stunning and phenomenally captivating story that had me feeling emotionally drained at times. My heart wept for the pain Rachel felt after losing her mother and the anxiety she experienced when she finally meets her father after seventeen years of wondering if he ever thought about her besides the two seconds it took him to send a check each month. She's not sure if she can let him in, but she is about to find out because suddenly he wants to be in her life.

Frederick and Rachel are about to get a crash course in father-daughter 101. They are both about to discover that there are going to be some bumps in the road, but together they will learn more about themselves then either one of them every expected. Readers see their relationship develop throughout the entire story and was the perfect element that was needed to help strengthen their nearly discovered bond. Not only do we get the father-daughter aspect, but both Frederick and Rachel find themselves in relationships with some really awesome significant others! I really enjoyed this aspect and thought it was the perfect combination that was needed in this story!

After devouring Sarina Bowen's first attempt at young adult, I cannot wait to see what she comes up next in this genre!
Heartfelt Coming of Age Story
5
By Bookbruin
This was such a heartfelt and poignant coming of age story. It packs a huge emotional punch and I didn't want it to end. This is Sarina Bowen's first YA novel and I hope this is the start of many more to come.

The Accidentals is such a relatable story. The situations and challenges may not be the same, but the emotions and feelings will resonate with readers. Haven't we all felt lost and confused? Angry and overwhelmed? Wanting all the answers, but scared of the answers we seek? This book is a love story, but not just in a romantic way. It is also a love story between parent and child, between friends - new and old, and to those we call family - by blood or by choice. The beauty of this book is that each character is so wonderfully human. They make mistakes and horrible decisions. They're sometimes selfish and clueless. They hurt others when that's the last thing they want. What makes these characters endearing though is that they get back up and keep trying. They may not get it right the first time (or the 20th), but they don't give up. Add in a wonderful cast of secondary characters (loved Jake, Ernie, and Aurora!) and you've got something pretty darn close to perfect.

The relationship between Frederick and Rachel evolved through the entire book in such an honest and realistic way. Both had their lives flipped upside down and irrevocably altered so quickly. When we first meet them, there is so much baggage from the past and a minefield of questions and secrets they have to wade through. I loved seeing both characters grow, change, and mature. Hard truths had to be faced and yes, there were some heartbreaking moments as the past and present came together. Through it all though, Sarina Bowen weaves a tale of hope. Hope that where everything wrong turns right.

I didn't want this book to end and as much as I hope that we might see more of these characters again in the future, I also feel that Sarina Bowen leaves readers exactly where they need to be as they turn the last page. I can't recommend The Accidentals enough!

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*