Review: Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery

 Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday. The scent of chlorine. The blinding crack and flash of pain. Blood in the water.
When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen, too? Life went on without her while Bryce lay in a coma for five years. Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing—winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love—seems beyond her reach.
But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn’t. Things that happened while she was asleep. Things that haven’t even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.

Source: ALA

I absolutely enjoyed Anything But Ordinary because of the fantastic writing, intense emotions, and believable characters.

Bryce is officially one of my favorite contemporary girl characters because she was kick-butt. Even after being in a coma for five years, she fought hard to get her life back to normal. It was sad because when reading, you could tell she wanted to go into the water so bad but couldn’t.

The romantic relationship in this book reminded me of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It went slow and was really cute instead of hard to read about.  Also, Bryce’s relationship with her parents was strong and they would cheer her on when she wanted to do something.

This story was incredibly bittersweet. I got really attached to the characters in the book, so in the end the story left me sad. The writing was beautiful and the author channeled emotions well. There isn’t much more I can say about the book except that I really liked it. If you liked Saving June by Hannah Harington or any sad contemporary, you will like this book.

4.5 Stars