Review: An Authentic Experience by Kelly Wittmann / @kellywittbooks

Title: An Authentic Experience
Author: Kelly Wittmann
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Publisher: Sara Camilli Literary Agency
Release Date: February 13, 2018
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance (minor)
ARC Received From & Reviewed For: Kelly Wittmann

Fifteen-year-old Silver Abelli’s life has been as tumultuous as the punk rock she was raised on. Her divorced parents just don’t get along, even though they’re both musicians who stubbornly spurn the mainstream but secretly crave the limelight. Silver has always lived with her mom, Nicola, but when Nicola is diagnosed with a brain tumor, she must go to live with her obnoxious, hard-partying father, Renz. It’s a really bad time to fall in love, so you can pretty much bet that Silver will.

Enter Jake Sullivan…

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Dysfunctional. It seems like an accurate description for Silver's family, yet it doesn't. They don't function within the scope of normalcy that define families around her but how, exactly, is "normal" defined when it's describing family units? The discord and mindset of the adults in her family formed the foundation of her normal and solidified her own desire for more beyond what she knew.

I suppose almost all (if not all) teens experience the desires and longings that Silver did. Wanting a taste of what others have while learning that what one has is sometimes coveted by others as well. There also comes a time and place of accepting that what one has is just as beautiful as what others have, that the muddied surface of one's life only hides all that one really needs: love, caring, affection, and support.

It was interesting and difficult to read this story. Interesting because I wasn't like Silver at fifteen. Difficult because I remember wanting more than my family offered at the time. But, like Silver, I learned to see through my family's nuances to the gold mine underneath and I have to say they did a great job raising me. I feel Silver's parents did the same with her, despite their childish behavior and oft displayed selfishness.

I do like that Ms. Wittmann explored Silver's relationship with Jake. Standing just yards away from the edge of adulthood, Silver is comfortable enough in and with herself to pursue Jake and test the limits of her desire for him. And though it does seem like horrible timing that Silver and Jake begin dating, in a way it was also perfect timing. Life was already in an upheaval and Jake became a constant, much like her cousin and best friend Natalie was.

When Ms. Wittmann asked if would read and review Authentic, I was excited. I rarely read young adult; it's not a genre I prefer. I can't tell you how much my heart sank when I read page one. The angst that seems typical of teens bled through my ereader and I wasn't sure I'd finish. The amount of angst was nearly identical to what I find in new adult romances; I wasn't really in the mood for it. It took several tries to make it past the first few chapters, and even after I managed that I still had to take breaks reading this story.

It isn't horribly written. It isn't over the top. It was a lot, for me. Overwhelming but, I realized, beautifully done when I buckled down and read it from back to front in one sitting.

As a caution, parents may want to pre-read this story before letting pre-teen readers indulge, though teens may find it entertaining, amusing, and interesting to continue on their own. Overall, it is a good story, well-written with a character who is strong and sure. The supporting characters add depth and insight, mellowing that teenage angst I was ill-prepared to handle at the beginning.

Authentic is a thought-provoking journey of self-discovery; of understanding that authentic isn't a state of being or mindset that can be imitated; of realizing that authentic is birthed from ownership of who and what one is, where one comes from, of the people in one's life that have helped shape them.

I began writing books about 18 years ago as a way of coping with living long-term with a benign but debilitating brain tumor. I didn't know I had a brain tumor; over the span of about 25 years, I was repeatedly misdiagnosed with various mental illnesses. Eventually, my condition became so alienating and isolating that writing became my only job option, and in time, my career. I am now over 4 years tumor-free, and the author or co-author of 18 books. I hope you will enjoy them!

"It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles." --Gautama Buddha