👶👶👶👶: Come As You Are: A Novel, by Jennifer Haupt

I am so thrilled that I discovered Jennifer Haupt in 2018. I have mentioned before that she is an author with such a big heart and it undeniably comes across in her stories. In 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝐴𝑠 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐴𝑟𝑒, Haupt's second novel (and third literary project), the reader is taken on a coming-of-age journey that is filled with the raw emotion and uncertainty that overwhelms us all in our youth. With characters that grab hold from the first page, and don't let go until long after the last page is turned, this story is one of depth and tenderness.

I felt as though I was growing up right alongside Skye, sharing her childhood dreams and the ultimate realities that come with impulsive decisions and having to grow up too fast. Her hopes and fears became mine, and though I disagreed with many of her choices, I still understood that it was all part of her story, her growth process, her renewal. I appreciated Haupt's nod to the difficulty of parenting - sometimes unintentionally handing down our imperfections to our children, and perhaps not realizing it until it's too late. And yet, somehow it all has a way of working out in the end. All of this, Jennifer Haupt skillfully communicates in this heartfelt tale.

Many thanks to @jenniferhauptauthor and @centavepub for gifting me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️TW: alcoholism, mental illness, teen pregnancy