Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly's mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she's getting desperate to feel something, anything—so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul's kisses are a welcome diversion...and it's nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren't so simple with Saskia around. Paul's real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly's choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had. (from goodreads)

Nothing Like You is a startlingly beautiful book.

It's written with such spare, honest prose which cuts right to the core.

I really responded to Holly's story ~ while the storyline is simple, the execution is superior and the emotional impact resonates. It's all the little details that pulled me into Holly's life that made me care immensely about her.

The story opens with Holly having sex in a car with popular guy Paul. And from there you're pulled into Holly's life. She lives with her dad and is still grieving the loss of her mum. She's suddenly in a sexual relationship (her first) without it being a relationship, and she's stuffing up while searching for something to fill an ache inside.

The cast of characters are all distinct and fleshed out: 

• Her best friend Nils who hangs out in their childhood cubby house together, listening to records. They have a great chemistry together from years of familiarity but also mixed up with a kind of suddenly unsure relationship that is changing as they are getting older. 
• Paul ~ who is not a stereo-typical popular guy, but enigmatic and complicated 
• Saskia ~ Paul's girlfriend who becomes Holly's friend ~ in a new friendship that makes you ache and feel hopeful and also anxious 
• Her dad, her teachers and even her mum (as shown in memories) are all characters in their own right ~ behaving with their own motivations and not just there to move the plot forward. 

I also appreciated the subtle tenderness in which Lauren Strasnick handles many aspects of this story ~ never once making a drama out of themes that so often become melodramatic in YA (such as sex and relationship entanglements between best friends/boyfriends and the death of a parent).

It's honest, ache-y, hopeful and mesmerising. 

hard cover

It's an older YA read with mature themes and an ending that feels like the truth and leaves you a little bit breathless and maybe even tear-y :) I absolutely recommend it to all fans of compelling, realistic contemporary YA.