ARC Book Review: Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen!

Life Unaware
by Cole Gibson
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Published: Entangled Teen
Genre: YA, Contemporary

Regan Flay has been talking about you. 

Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother's "plan" for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she's ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.

Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.

The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend's hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan's going through, but what nobody knows is that Regan isn't really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she's barely holding it together under her mom's pressure. But the consequences of Regan's fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched...

Especially Regan Flay.

“I had no idea that I was…destroying people.”

When I start reading, I usually don’t look at the synopsis nor remember what it says. I’m just forgetful. Imagine my surprise when the heroine is a real bully. Not just a popular girl who does nothing to stop her friends from bullying everyone else. It’s actually a story about the perspective of a bully and the bullied.

Regan Flay is a popular teen in her high school. She’s working hard to get in the cheerleading squad and to win as a student council. All of those things aren’t what she wants, but what she needs to do because of her Mother’s plans for her and also for her Mother’s political campaign. While being pressured into achieving the best, she also needs to deal with her anxiety attacks. She’s composed on the outside – which she learned from her mother – and chaotic on the inside.

The story was detailed on how all the things she tried to build and achieve came crumbling down on top of her. Regan’s feelings when everyone turned on her was greatly shown. One day, from a likable person, the next she became the hated. Texts, emails and every single mean word she typed and said was plastered all over the lockers. With all the cyber bullying, she actually thought of taking her pills and killing herself.

But amidst all the nasty looks and words thrown at her, she found a friend. His name was Nolan. Well, it was annoying at first since he was always holding a camera that I found so annoying. Lol. Little did I know how I would swoon at his persistence as the story progressed. He was there when she crumbled. He was just there for her. Even her best friend Payton was nowhere to be found.

I found the book enlightening. It’s never easy being bullied. I, myself, experienced this. But here in this book, we actually tried to solve it. Not just something that was a norm in the society, but bullying is viewed as a problem we need to fix. For the first time in my reading history, I somehow understood bullies. That for every person we meet every day, we have to be nice because we don’t know what they’re going through. We don’t know their story.

From what I’ve said earlier, I experienced bullying in my teenage life. What this book taught me is to break free with what usually society tells you what’s normal and be kind to one another. Revenge isn’t going to change anything but just makes it worse.

Aside from the social issues plaguing today’s society, I also loved Regan’s character. She wasn’t a total bitch or a weakling. She can stand on her own despite her problems. She also didn’t turn blind or deaf when she was developing feelings with the MC Hero. Over-all, I loved her.

The title was so fitting with the story. Regan’s character felt real and flawed. Life Unaware tackles eating disorders, mental illnesses and coming out. It caught the core of bullying and what we can do about it.

I love writing, day-old chinese food, and my nail polish is always chipped. My YA novel, KATANA, will be released, spring 2012 by Flux. You can check out my website at www.colegibsen.com Word to your mother. (But seriously, you should call her. She worries.)