Come As You Are
A Novel
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4.5 • 2 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In this opposites attract romance for fans of Begin Again and Better Than the Movies, a fresh start doesn't have to mean changing yourself.
Hot on the heels of a broken heart, Everett “Evie” Riley arrives at Camden Academy ready for a new beginning - one far away from her cheating ex-boyfriend, the sister who stole him, and the best friend who let it happen. But her fresh start is stopped in its tracks when she's accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm, with no choice but to stay.
When rumors and gossip about Evie's housing predicament spread like wildfire, she decides the only way to survive is to lean into her questionable new reputation... but she's definitely going to require help. Her grumpy emo dorm mate Salem Grayson isn't exactly her first choice, but he does need her help to repair his relationship with his parents every bit as much as she needs his to learn how to be cool. And so they make a pact: he'll teach her how to be bad, if she teaches him how to be good.
It's a flawless plan, except while Salem thrives academically, romantically, and–annoyingly enough– even physically, Evie's quest feels like one dead end after another. But when Evie realizes what she wants more than anything, she'll have to contend with her thrice-broken heart and figure out how to become someone capable of chasing happiness.
Dahlia Adler’s Come As You Are is about refusing to accept less than you deserve, and realizing that the best relationships are forged with people who know exactly who you are.
"Heartfelt and hopeful. In Come As You Are, Dahlia Adler deftly combines the witty dialogue of a grumpy-sunshine romance with the emotional turmoil of searching for self-acceptance. This is the royal flush of YA romances!" - Kristy Boyce, bestselling author of Dungeons and Drama
"Dahlia Adler’s uplifting Come As You Are is full of snappy banter, personality-plus characters, and the chaos and complications that come with being sixteen. Plus, a giggle-inducing grumpy-sunshine romance. This fresh take on the boarding school story is a delightful way to spend the afternoon!" - K.L. Walther, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After her boyfriend cheats on her with her sister, high school sophomore Everett "Evie" Riley transfers to Camden Academy, a New Hampshire boarding school. Her plans for a fresh start are quickly scrambled when she's accidentally placed in an all-boys dorm—and is forced to stay. Hoping to shed her reputation as a "good girl," she makes a deal with her stoner, slacker dorm neighbor, Salem: she'll help him become an upstanding citizen to satisfy his parents if he teaches her how to be cool. While Evie begins to heal via new, supportive friendships—particularly with Salem's sister Sabrina—her relationship with Salem develops from reluctant allies to friends to something more. Though Evie's breezy, often sardonic narration belies her initial self-dubbed reputation as a doormat, it ferries the story along with humor and raw emotion, especially as she struggles with what she sees as her inability to be bad. Salem's mixture of sarcasm and genuine kindness is endearing, and the pair's bickering-but-caring dynamic, orchestrated by Adler (Going Bicoastal), is the star of the show. The main cast reads as white; Salem and Sabrina are Jewish. Ages 13–up.
