A YA novel from USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen. 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 … 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.
“With intense, honest depictions of hope and rejection, The Accidentals will break your heart. Highly recommend.” – Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan
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If you love secrets and angsty YA (and nerdy but hot boys) you will love this! So happy Sarina is (finally) publishing it!
The Accidentals is just a great story. Rachel hasn’t known her father, but knows who he is. And when tragedy strikes, he comes to help her. That is where her journey truly begins.
There’s something about all these characters. They have so many layers and it was a joy to get to know all of them. I was unsure at first how I was going to rate this. I enjoyed it, and when it came to an end I realized that Bowen takes you on this emotional journey. Rachel indeed grows as a character, and she starts to think differently. And eventually is able to open up about her true feelings. But I think if anyone was thrust into a different world, then there used to. They are unsure about a lot of things. Bowen did an excellent job of writing this story. Her writing style drew me in. I didn’t want to stop reading.
This truly is an excellent story of a girl, who has to find her way after a tragic loss. And soon discovers that she is exactly where she was meant to be.
Overall, Five Boundless Stars
I loved this book: I’ve reread 3 times already!
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!!
Loved this. Great characters, especially the young heroine, losing her mom, connecting for the first time in her 17 years with her biological father and being thrown into his world, then to boarding school where a sweetheart of a cute, geeky guy is waiting for her. Full of great emotion. So not your typical my-dad-is-a-rock-star book.
4.5 Stars
This was a bit of a departure of the type of books that I read. That being said, it was quite refreshing! Rather than focusing on the romance aspect of a relationship, this chronicles the relationship that a high school girl has with her father, a recently deseased mother, a roommate, a friend, as well as a new boyfriend.
Rachel’s mother recently passed away. Because of this, she is brought together with the father that she had never met, who also happens to be a famous musician. They are working to navigate their relationship; it’s not easy to bond when your father is a moody and tempermental musician, who is also a self-proclaimed “founding member of A-holes Anonymous”. Rachel goes away to boarding school for her senior year (this had already been planned before her mother’s passing), where relationships are formed and others dissolve.
This was such an emotional story. I loved Sarina Bowen’s storytelling ability and how she brought everything- and everyone- together. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with these characters.
As someone who does not normally gravitate toward Young Adult novels, I think The Accidentals may have opened my eyes to this genre again! I highly recommend (and look forward to rereading!)!!
The Accidentals by the outstanding author Sarina Bowen is her first YA Novel. And oh boy, she nailed it .
There are only a couple of authors I can rely on to write stories that speak to me every single time, and Sarina Bowen is one of them. I still remember reading Bittersweet, the first book in her True North Series, and how I was blown away. I was sucked in and instantly a fan of the author’s writing. That was the beginning, I haven’t regretted it once.
With The Accidentals, Sarina Bowen wrote a story that spoke to me in more ways than I can count.
Rachel Kress was my super hero. She was beyond awesome, despite her more than difficult circumstances she never gave up. I loved her. Not only for her strong personality, but also for the way she connected with the other characters in the story.
The Accidentals is told in a single POV; the book is a full length, standalone and one of my favorite reads in 2018.
The Accidentals was heart wrenching, at the same time sweet, romantic, enchanting, and just a story that needs to be read. If you haven’t read any of Sarina Bowen´s books yet, this is the book to start with. It was everything I could have asked for. A MUST READ!!!
Now, I don’t read much YA – nothing against the books or the genre, however I am an old fart and these books are usually to young for me, and I feel pervy thinking the guy in it is hot, when I could be his mother.
All that up there ^^ – forget about it, as The Accidentals was so much more than just a regular YA novel.
I was expecting a cutesy high school love story, but oh was I wrong. I should have known that Sarina Bowen would never leave me at just that.
Sure, there is some cutesy-angsty-teen-love, however Rachel’s story is so, so much more.
So much loss, so much pain, so much heartache. I was emotionally invested in this story from the first couple of chapters, and I didn’t put this book down until I was finished.
Rachel’s father, Frederick. I still haven’t figured out if I love him or loath him. He can be so great, but then he can also be such a d!ck that I want to throw my kindle at him! I do adore his and Rachel’s feeling each other out, trying to forge a relationship that they have never had, their walks are the best.
Sweet, tender, heartbreaking, frustrating – The Accidentals has a bit of it all, and I would love to see a bit more of Rachel and Frederick in the future.
If Ms Bowen writes more YA, I will definitely be reading it.
A YA coming of age “soft” romance novel with a little angst, some good old family drama, and lots of music.
It’s warm and cozy with a few cool drafts to keep the plot line real and interesting.
The female lead was at times a bit frustrating keeping everything bottled in but the nerdy hot guy on campus more than made up for what she lacked.
This book pulled at my heartstrings. I was so mad at her dad. I wanted to jump into the book and shake him. I could NOT PUT IT DOWN. I read all night. Great read!
I really loved this book. The characters were very likable and the story was good. Hope she writes a sequel!
This was a great little read. Had some sadness to it and the characters were good. The only issue I had was I expected more explanation about the history between her parents. All in all it was a good read that kept me turning the pages. Recommend it!
The Accidentals was an amazing story of finding your place in the world and finding peace with your life. I for one completely enjoyed this story from start to finish.
I was completely torn up in the beginning for what Rachel lost. The only thing left for her is a father that she has never met. Freddy is a rock star turned father. He feels the need to connect and give his daughter the attention and love that she needs. Freddy is learning to be this person for her, and he is not perfect in this but he is trying hard to get it right.
Rachel has plans to go to a boarding school that her mother attended and meets Jake. Jake and Rachel have undeniable chemistry and grow a strong friendship. When Jake finally makes his move she is read for him. Their journey is filled with Hope, Love and a sting bond.
Rachael struggles with her relationships and she has to grow up a little to get there. Unfortunately she hurts the bonds she has created to get there. She has to learn to communicate and push through the hard times. Her and her father have a communication issue and they both need to be better and they do get to the other side.
5 Fantastic Stars!
*4 Stars*
This was an interesting young adult novel to read. I’ve loved all Sarina’s books that I have read so far, so I knew I would enjoy this. Being a young adult book though, I wasn’t sure how much it would differ from her others book that I have read.
I liked watching the relationship evolve between Rachel and Frederick and also her two new friends. I really liked Jake and he was the perfect fit for Rachel. Such a lovely guy. I was not a fan of Haze at all. He annoyed me right from the start.
There were plenty of things that needed to be solved for Rachel in this one, and I felt that by the end she got most of them. But I did feel that there were a few things left unsaid. I would’ve like a little bit more closure.
I did really enjoy reading this though, and dealing with the more serious issues that it raised. For a YA novel it really dealt with some nice complexities. Definitely recommend, as always with Sarina Bowen books.
I don’t normally read YA, but this was WONDERFUL. I really hope that she continues the story and let’s us know how the relationships evolve.
A+ rating!!!! OMG, this book was so good. I loved the music themes, the GilmoreGirls style setting, and everything about Rachel’s incredible strength in the face of horrible tragedy. Several tears were shed while I read this one (omg, the concert revelations…sob), but I absolutely adored it.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
I adore Sarina Bowen’s romance books. Her romances are always steamy and realistic. And if anyone didn’t know, YA contemporary is one of my favorite genres. So when I found out Sarina was going to try her hand at YA contemporary I was ecstatic!
Here we meet Rachel. Her mother has just died and she finds herself moving in with her biological father, who is a famous rock star, and who she has never met. Growing up, she knew her father, Freddy Ricks, was a member of her favorite band but she never met him until he was contacted to take custody of her. She finds herself moving to L.A. for the summer before her senior year, waiting for her senior year to start so she can go to the boarding school her mother attended.
Rae and Freddy spend most of the book navigating their tremulous father-daughter relationship. There is anger on Rae’s side, confusion, anxiety, and hope, as well. Rae has no idea what it’s like to have a father, and Freddy has no idea how to be a dad.
This is always the main plot to the book. But besides that, we see Rae at her new boarding school. Making friends with her roommate. Coming out of her shell by auditioning to an a cappella group. And finding first love with a boy that lives in her dorm building.
This is a very quiet book. There are no huge wtf or omg moments. But it’s heartwarming story. You can feel Rae’s confusion and hurt, but this story has the perfect balance of humor and heartache. This was an amazing coming-of-age story!
Charming on every level. A terrific and realistically flawed main character, a great supporting cast, sparkling prose, an uber appealing boarding school setting — and a swoony love interest. What’s not to love?
The author says this is her first time writing YA lit, but it’s like she was born to do it.
The Accidentals is one of the most heartfelt, deep, bittersweet and beautiful things that I’ve read this year so far, and I’m thankful with the author for having this book in my life now.
The way the characters were developed, even though you experiment the whole thing from a single point of view, is wonderful! There’s no way to read The Accidentals and don’t connect with Rachel and her story, to cry with her in sadness, to laugh with her in excitement, to love, and to be afraid… and live through the music in her ears and in her soul.
The Accidentals is full of musical references and analogies, epic quotes and feelings, but also of a light and fresh sense of humor that will keep you smiling the whole time.
This book means a lot to me, because same as Rachel music has been part of my life and I felt that connection with her as she was telling me her story. The evolution of the characters in the book was a beautiful thing to see, as it was Rachel facing her fears, opening her heart and letting herself go.
This isn’t an epic love story of two teens, it’s the story of a girl who lost someone important in her life and found different kinds of love to help her mend her heart: Friendship, family, music and love. And those are the ingredients that make this book something special and unforgettable.
Love this book. A story starting with the death of the main character’s mother and daughter meeting her rock star father at almost 18 years old. Sad parts but ending is happy. Hope there’s a sequel, as I hated when I came to the end. Definitely recommend it.