Book Review: “What We Deserve” by Alyssa Nohar

“What We Deserve” by Alyssa Nohar (2020)

Genre: Contemporary, Fiction

Page Length: 330 pages (electronic edition)

Synopsis:

Amaya Bhatt is about to have the worst summer of her life.

Well actually, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, so let’s rewind a bit, shall we?

Last summer Amaya was finally diagnosed with social and generalized anxiety disorder after years of suffering in silence. She spent her Grade 12 year going to therapy sessions, adjusting to her new anxiety medication and overall just trying to get herself together, all while keeping her grades up. Amaya figured that after all of that, she would at least get to have a lovely, peaceful summer vacation before starting at university in the fall.

Unfortunately for Amaya, she is wrong about most things, this being one of them.

After her sister, Sonam, signs her up for a summer internship, Amaya is forced to work alongside four other recent high school graduates. Now instead of spending those glorious two months reading, sleeping and sunbathing, she now has to spend it socializing and trying her hardest not to act like the most awkward person alive.

Amaya Bhatt thinks that she is about to have the worst summer ever life, but fortunately for her, she is wrong about most things. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

What We Deserve is a contemporary fiction novel that follows the story of Amaya who is headed to college in the fall. She struggles with anxiety on a daily basis, making some of the simplest day-to-day tasks even more difficult. Amaya lives with her sister Sonam who has become a mother figure to her and helps her to work through her anxiety. She feels safe in her comfort zone until her sister suggest she tries something new, a summer internship.

Amaya has her reservations, but she agrees in order to challenge herself and build up her confidence. Upon doing so she and five other students from her high school start working together. As a person who struggles with anxiety myself, I found that I could relate to her character. Everyday with anxiety presents a new challenge.

This is a deeper slice-of-life novel. What I like about it is that it portrays diverse young adults from different backgrounds and shows their transition of growing up. Each character struggles with issues in their own lives such as sexuality, anxiety, parental problems, and more. Hearing them express their thoughts in their own point of views while talking to each made them feel realistic.

Little by little Amaya actually began to see the others for what they were: real people. They were no longer just foreign names and intimidating faces, but they were people just like her who had lives outside of school and the office. They had things that they cared about, that inspired them, that made them happy.

This aspect of the story makes it easy for the readers to connect with their characters. They show their vulnerable sides and are able to open up with their new group of friends. It was touching to see them give advice and comfort each other in times of need. I think many others will be able to connect with her narrative too.

I love seeing the growth in all of their characters in this novel. Each character has to face their deepest fears in order to feel more comfortable in your skin. Even though this book deals with some real and sometimes heavy issues, it felt like comfort read. It has a slice of life appeal with a realistic touch. It was easy to read and to get lost within the story.

Overall, this was a really wholesome and heart-warming read. The author takes experiences from her own life and infuses them into the story giving it a more personal touch. I do wish there had been some more action to propel the events in story the contents of the events instead feeling like they just coincidentally happened. But other than that this was an enjoyable read!

Final Verdict: