All Things New

By: Lauren Miller

Narrated by: Rachel Jacobs

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

From the author of Parallel and Free to Fall comes a novel about how it feels to be broken and what means to be real.

Seventeen-year-old Jessa Gray has always felt broken inside, but she's gotten very good at hiding it. No one at school knows about the panic attacks, the therapy that didn't help, the anxiety meds that haven't worked. But when a severe accident leaves her with a brain injury and noticeable scars, Jessa's efforts to convince the world that she's okay finally crumble - now she looks as shattered as she feels. Fleeing from her old life in Los Angeles, Jessa moves to Colorado to live with her dad, but things go from bad to worse when she realizes she's seeing bruises and scars on the people around her that no one else can see. She blames it on the accident, but as her body heals and the hallucinations continue, Jessa wonders if what she's seeing could somehow have a deeper meaning. In her quest for answers, she falls for Marshall, a boy with a heart defect whose kindness and generous spirit slowly draw Jessa out of her walled-off shell and into the broken, beautiful, real world - a place where souls get hurt just as badly as bodies, and we all need each other to heal.

All Things New is a love story about perception and truth, physical and emotional pain, and the messy, complicated people we are behind the masks we put on for the world, perfect for fans of All the Bright Places and The Fault in Our Stars.

©2017 Lauren Miller (P)2017 Lauren Miller

Enthralling and powerful!

Fiction is at its best when it takes the intangibles of life and puts them in a context where we can see them. Miller accomplishes that in this fantastic YA novel. Dramatic while fun to read; it's an absolute must-listen!

ALL THINGS NEW is a story for anyone who's known someone with anxiety disorder (or really, a story for EVERYONE, because we could all benefit from understanding more of that experience).

Fantastic!!!!

This was a wonderful YA story with fantastic narration and well developed characters. I listened to this with my teenager and we both loved it!


**I received a copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review**

All Things New

All Things New
: Lauren Miller

This is a new to me author, but will not be a last read. A YA novel that deals with anxiety disorder along with physical brokenness. Jessa survives a terrible auto crash, but her life becomes even more complicated than before. She deals with family. friendships, love and romance while trying to discovery where she fits and what she believes. This is a listen for all YA and adults.


The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Rachel Jacobs gave emotion to this novel. She took me from smiles to tears and back more than once.



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

All Things New

Overall I enjoyed this book. I liked the way the author approached the topic of mental health and thought it seemed like a fairly realistic portrayal of what our MC was going through. I also think the narrator did a good job bringing the story to life. That being said, I never really felt the romantic connection between characters. They seemed more like they were just friends with the romance being a little forced. That's totally just my opinion though. I know others have read it and had no issues with the romance at all! Overall a good book and totally worth the purchase and time to listen.

Loved every uncomfortable minute

Any additional comments?

This listen was uncomfortable. Not in a good or bad way but it was so well-written and performed that I felt every bit of the mental anguish of the main character, Jessa. I found myself just hoping upon hope that she would just 'snap out of it.' Mental health is more complicated than that, of course, so the time spent in Jessa's world was disconcerting, in a "Bell Jar" kinda way.

I absolutely loved the narration! This content could have easily been ill-perceived but Rachel Jacobs was excellent at creating Jessa's anxiety and her attempts at clarity. I even got my own heart palpitations as things got intense. Now THAT's great narration!!

The ending was interesting. I liked the infusion of faith into the discussion. (I was really hoping there was a return of Jessa to LA to confront Wren but whatev.)

All in all, I loved every minute of this very uncomfortable listen.

Story about personal growth and overcoming fear

Jessa was a normal girl until she turned fifteen. Her parents’ divorce triggered on her anxiety and numerous panic attacks, making her a loner and a specialist in hiding her true feelings. Two years later she had a car accident which caused aphantasia, a rare condition which implies mind’s eye blindness. Jessa starts a new life, moves with her father to a different state, and struggles with the consequences of her accident, which go further than aphantasia.

I loved this book. It is written in first person, from Jessa’s point of view. It is amazing how rich this character is, with so many complex emotions and thoughts. Jessa has lots pof issues, but I could often relate to what she was feeling and I could completely understand why she acted how she did. Some people may think some of her reactions were a bit extreme, but any introverted woman will see herself in Jessa at that age: second guessing everything and trying to hide any vulnerabilities at all costs. Jessa is troubled, she is afraid, but she has a reason for his insecurities. There is a great evolution in her, caused by what she had to live with her new friends. I love when we witness a character grow, and this is one of those precious cases.

I felt moved several times throughout the story, being nearly in tears in a couple of occasions. This is one of those books that makes you think, and realize that there is value in each one of us, even in people in which we didn’t expect it.

This is a story about personal growth and overcoming our own’s fears. It’s a good YA book but I would recommend it to anyone who still remembers her awkward young years.

Why did I give it just 4 stars, instead of 5? There is some religion involved towards the end of the book that I didn’t expect. I think the story would be much more universal without this tiny detail. Using religion to explain things just doesn’t work with many people, including me.

Rachel Jacobs delivered a really emotive narration. The book is very well written, but Jacobs’s narration enhanced the book in a way that I felt I was listening to Jessa. Rachel Jacobs transmitted Jessa’s emotions like if we were listening to the real character. She really brought Jessa and the other characters to life with her interpretation. The only drawback I can mention is that there are several audio edits throughout the book, and they are clearly noticeable, they sound a bit more flat and with a bit more reverb than the rest. I guess those were modifications requested by the author, but it is just a pity that they are so noticeable.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.