Review: Anna K. Away, Jenny Lee

Anna K: Away (Anna K, #2) by Jenny Lee
Published by Flatiron Books on April 27, 2021
Genres: young adult, contemporary
Format: ARC
Source: Macmillan INTL, Flatiron Books, Edelweiss
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The sequel to Anna K, set over the course of the next summer, as the characters come to terms with Vronsky’s tragic death
How the mighty have fallen. Anna K, once the golden girl of Greenwich, CT, and New York City, has been brought low by a scandalous sex tape and the tragic death of her first love, Alexia Vronsky. At the beginning of the summer, her father takes her to the other side of the world, to connect with his family in South Korea and hide her away. Is Anna in exile? Or could this be her chance to figure out who she really is?
Back in the U.S., Lolly has forgiven Steven for cheating on her, and their relationship feels stronger than ever. But when Lolly meets a boy at her beloved theater camp, she has to ask herself how well Steven will ever really know her. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, everything between Kimmie and her new boyfriend, Dustin, is easy—except when it comes to finally having sex. And Bea escapes to LA, running away from her grief at her beloved cousin’s death, until a beautiful stranger steals her heart. Is Bea ready to finally forgive Anna, and let herself truly fall in love for the very first time?
Set over the course of one unforgettable summer, Jenny Lee's Anna K Away is full of the risk, joy, heartbreak, and adventure that mark the three months between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next.

I received this book for free from Macmillan INTL, Flatiron Books, Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

☂️ TRIGGER WARNINGS:

grief, loss of loved ones (in the previous book), drug and alcohol use, explicit sexual content, talk about overdose and sex scandal, cheating, divorced parents, addiction, mention of fractured leg, mention of bone cancer.

☂️ DIVERSITY: Korean-American main characters, Black & Jewish and adopted main character, queer main and side characters.

There are no spoilers in this review.

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I ENJOYED…

☂️

• Anna K. was one hell of a ride. Filled with drama, compelling characters and, well, a whole lot of drama, it was one of these books I couldn’t stop reading. Obviously, I was very eager to get to its sequel, Anna K. : Away and see what would happen next.
• Without spoiling too much, this book picks up where the first one left off, after a life-altering event turned our main characters’ lives around. Anna’s heading to Seoul to see her father’s family and slowly, but hopefully, starts picking up the pieces of her life. Bea escapes to Los Angeles. Lolly and Steven battle a new strain in their relationship, while Kimmy and her new boyfriend Dustin struggle getting closer.
• Like in the first book, we get to follow all of these characters’ perspectives and, while it might seem like a lot, I really enjoyed it. I found it easier to jump into each character’s point of view and I liked each of their personalities, too. I surprised myself by growing fonder of some characters I didn’t particularily enjoyed before, like Bea. It was lovely seeing her battle with the events of the first book and seeing her opening herself up to the possibility of love.
• The author’s writing and stories are so compelling, I felt eager to read on to know what would happen next. The switch in perspectives always made me eager to know more and follow each characters’ stories. I still found myself getting attached to them despite their shortcomings.
• If you enjoy Gossip Girl, or any kind of show with a lot of drama within the rich and famous, I DEFINITELY recommend you pick up this series right away. Anna K. : Away, in the vein of the first book, has its fill of scandal, secrets and extravagance. I loved it SO much okay.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…

☂️

• While I still had fun reading this book, I felt like some events were a bit… incomprehensible. Especially towards the end, something happens that, yes, brings its load of drama, but also feels unnecessary and not properly explained and dealt with, either. This kind of confused me?

OVERALL

☂️

If you’re a fan of books filled with drama in the Manhattan elite’s lives, you should LOVE Anna K. and Anna K : Away. This book series was really made for you, to don’t walk, RUN and read it and have fun with it!

FINAL RATING : 4 drops!

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Did you read Anna K. Away or do you want to? What’s the latest YA contemporary you read and enjoyed? Let me know in comments!

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