I Wanna Be Where You Are
A debut young adult rom-com about an African American ballerina who finds love on the road to an audition.
In a world where it's easy to lose faith in love, I Wanna Be Where You Are is a brilliant burst of light. A dazzling debut. -- Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out When Chloe Pierce's mom forbids her to apply for a spot at the dance conservatory of her dreams, she devises a secret plan to drive two hundred miles to the nearest audition. But Chloe hits her first speed bump when her annoying neighbor Eli insists upon hitching a ride, threatening to tell Chloe's mom if she leaves him and his smelly dog, Geezer, behind. So now Chloe's chasing her ballet dreams down the east coast--two unwanted (but kinda cute) passengers in her car, butterflies in her stomach, and a really dope playlist on repeat. Filled with roadside hijinks, heart-stirring romance, and a few broken rules, Kristina Forest's I Wanna Be Where You Are is a YA debut perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon.BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
There is so much cuteness and black joy in this book. Chloe Pierce, our heroine, is a sweetheart and deserves the world. I love her passion and her strong family bond, even when it’s a little too strangling. She and her mom learn to communicate better and open up about their motivations and wants.
However, I think Chloe deserved someone so much better than her love interest. I was legitimately pissed off at him and his dangerous distractions while Chloe was driving. I know he didn’t have his parents supporting his dreams for most of the book and that they were rather antagonistic, but he was still so much a schmucky teenage boy that I can’t get behind their love story. Sometimes with love stories one or both of the characters that are the main couple are annoying or toxic or neurotic, but I can still understand why they would fall in love. Or I just shrug it off and get on with the story. But for some reason being an occasionally annoying teenage boy who makes a fair amount of unsafe decisions really irked me to the point of pulling out of the story. But on the other hand, real teenage boys are like that and still get the girl. Maybe heterosexuality is just confusing.
7.5/10 recommend, but with reservations
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