Book Review: It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood

Pages: 304
Publish date: April 7, 2019
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 9781925773910
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

When her parents announce their impending divorce, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting, or at least mildly upset. Then Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, hook up, leaving her feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward.

She’d always imagined she would end up with Zach one day―in the version of her life that played out like a TV show, with just the right amount of banter, pining, and meaningful looks. Now everything has changed, and nothing is quite making sense. Until an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.

It Sounded Better In My Head:

I’ve been waiting to read It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood for some time as soon as it won the Text Prize really. I got it the week it came out, and while it did take me a while to read it, I finally did a little while ago. And overall, I really enjoyed It Sounded Better In My Head. It’s one of those books that when I finished it. I just smiled.

It Sounded Better In My Head follows Natalie as she tries to navigate life after high school and what’s it’s like to be an adult. After her parents announce that they are planning on divorcing, her two best friends get together and everything that Natalie understood is falling apart. Thrown in an unexpected romance and Natalie is left trying to figure out what to do with her life.

Nick Jio

The stage between the end of high school and the start of university, TAFE or what every someone chooses to do, is always hard. There are so many emotions running through your system, so many choices. And so many different ways that you could go. And I think that’s what Nina Kenwood mastered here in It Sounded Better In My Head. While I finished high school a little while ago now, I still remember clearly how I felt. The uncertainty, the overwelling nature of it all.

Natalie was a really easy protagonist to get along with. I was able to connect with her in so many ways and that just made her feel so real. One thing I loved about Natalie was a very honest character. And while she didn’t say things to other characters the reader is able to see through Natalie in those moments. Natalie didn’t have a great teen life. There were a lot of things stopping her from stepping out and being herself. She just wanted the world to swallow her whole. From a body that went against her all the time, too painful ache Natalie didn’t feel like she had the confidence to show everyone who she is – because, in reality, she didn’t know who she was.

I loved this refreshing look into being a teenager. We see and hear a lot of insecurities in YA – but I haven’t felt it like I did in It Sounded Better In My Head. The reader is able to feel everything that Natalie went through and felt. We are able to put ourselves in her shoes and fit. And when then when Natalie thought everything was going to change, it just went the other way.

Kate Williams

The notion of family and friendship is a massive theme throughout It Sounded Better In My Head. And I really loved how it showed as complicated, beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking. At the start of the novel Nina finds out about her parents’ divorce and that really tears her to pieces. She doesn’t really understand what’s going on or how to deal with everything. And then her best friends are together it just breaks Natalie for a little while I think. But we slowly see her out those pieces back together. The reader is there cheering for Natalie in every corner. Hoping that she not only mends these relationships but also feels good about them.

And while for the part really enjoyed Natalie and the friendships she had. I also felt that they treated her like she was 5 and didn’t know anything about the world. It’s something that really did bother me throughout the novel. And while I think they thought they were coming from a good place, they didn’t consider Natalie is her own person and can look after herself pretty well.

The romance in It Sounded Better In My Head was totally adorable. It utilised one of my favourite tropes and did it in such a great way. I really enjoyed Alex as a character and the reader is able to see how much he likes Natalie and enjoys her company. The slow pass of the romance and how they both slowly started to fall for each other was perfect.

I also loved that Alex was absolutely great with Natalie and her concerns. He let Natalie go at her own pace and never really pushed her for anything. Which is something that you rarely see in YA and it was done in such a positive light. In saying this, I do wish we got a little more of their relationship throughout It Sounded Better In My Head, but really that is it.

Everton Vila

It Sounded Better In My Head also had a great sense of place. I always find that #LoveOzYA novels, especially those sent in Australia, have a really beautiful way of writing place. I can always imagine and picture everything in these novels. Maybe it’s because I like in Australia, and Melbourne in this case. But everything just seems more real.

What Nina Kenwood has done in It Sounded Better In My Head, is write an honest, heartwarming coming of age novel. It truly captures all those feelings of leaving high school and the anxieties of what to do with life as an ‘adult.’ It explores family breakdowns, friendships out of high school and pure romance that just made me melt. While doing all this, It Sounded Better In My Head is also run, charming and left me with a smile. If you are looking for a YA contemporary that isn’t going to tear you apart but still makes the reader feel so many emotions.

Have you read It Sounded Better In My Head by Nina Kenwood? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s chat! On a quick side note, this has a publish date of April 2020 in the US, so add it to your TBR.