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It Sounded Better In My Head Paperback – 6 Aug. 2019
When her parents announce their impending separation, Natalie can’t understand why no one is fighting or at least mildly upset. And now that Zach and Lucy, her two best friends, have fallen in love, she’s feeling slightly miffed and decidedly awkward.
Where does she fit in now? And what has happened to the version of her life that played out like a TV show—with just the right amount of banter, pining and meaningful looks?
Nothing is going according to plan.
But then an unexpected romance comes along and shakes things up even further.
It Sounded Better in My Head is a tender, funny and joyful novel about longing, confusion, feeling left out and finding out what really matters.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherThe Text Publishing Company
- Publication date6 Aug. 2019
- Reading age14 - 18 years
- Dimensions15.4 x 2.6 x 23.3 cm
- ISBN-101925773914
- ISBN-13978-1925773910
Product description
About the Author
Nina Kenwood is a writer, who lives in Melbourne. She won the 2018 Text Prize for her debut young adult novel, It Sounded Better in My Head.
Product details
- Publisher : The Text Publishing Company (6 Aug. 2019)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1925773914
- ISBN-13 : 978-1925773910
- Reading age : 14 - 18 years
- Dimensions : 15.4 x 2.6 x 23.3 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: 3,672,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 749 in Fiction About Loners & Outcasts for Young Adults
- 22,937 in Romance for Young Adults
- Customer reviews:
About the author
Nina Kenwood is the author of The Wedding Forecast, Unnecessary Drama and It Sounded Better in My Head. She won the Text Prize for her debut YA novel, It Sounded Better in My Head, which went on to be published in six languages, was a finalist for the American Library Association’s William C Morris Award, as well as being shortlisted for several Australian awards. Her second book, Unnecessary Drama, continued her success both in Australia and overseas. The Wedding Forecast is Nina’s first novel for adults.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonTop reviews from United Kingdom
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- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2020A funny, accurate portrayal of a teenage girl trying to figure out what she wants and who she wants to be.
It sounded better in my head is about eighteen year old Natalie, newly graduated from high school when her parents drop a bombshell on her that they are splitting up. Juggling her feelings for this, a new love interest and trying to avoid feeling like the spare part to her best friends relationship, Natalie finds that maybe some things are better said inside her head.
First of all, this book was hilarious. I chuckled a lot and Natalie was so relatable. She was a well developed character with realistic decisions and thoughts and she reminded me exactly of the type of girl I used to be (or probably still am).
I think Alex was a great love interest. I was invested in their romance and I liked that they had this thing between them for a while before it was ever labelled.
Zachary and Lucy were good secondary characters and added a lot of substance to the story. I think the dynamic between Alex and Zach’s relationship was interesting and I liked that the Zach/Lucy/Natalie trio was a topic of discussion.
This is definitely the type of book I would read around a book, on a summers day or when I need a pick me up. It’s a feel good story with a good ending and a relatable storyline!
5 stars!!
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2020I loved this so much!
The book follows Natalie, an introvert and very intelligent 18yr old who is insecure about her acne and starts the story dealing with her parents’ separation.
She has two best friends, Lucy and Zach, who are dating each other which in turn makes her feel like a third wheel half the time.
When Natalie is invited to a party by a friend of Zach’s older brother, she hesitantly accepts. I say hesitantly because here’s the thing, Natalie doesn’t like parties or even most people. She overthinks and silence makes her uncomfortable. Walking into uncharted territory is not something she does often. But watching her best friends constantly attached by the hip and with Lucy’s enthusiastic encouragement, she ends up accepting.
At the party she feels awkward. Owen, Alex’s friend, is nowhere to be seen and she doesn’t know anyone else at the party so she hides in a bathroom. But things take a better turn when both Owen and Alex show up. She’s still not completely comfortable and doesn’t even enjoy Owen’s company, who doesn’t even pay much attention to her despite having invited her, so she finds herself spending time with Alex to whom, by the end of the night, she feels drawn to.
I think my favourite part of the book is Natalie. Her character is very relatable and so endearing that even when she was acting unreasonably I couldn’t help but side with her. Her insecurities about her appearance and what she wants to do in uni felt incredibly real.
Her relationship with Alex was super cute and I loved the bed sharing trope! I do wish we got to know if he was the one who made Owen ask Natalie to join them at the party because I got the feeling that Alex had been attracted to her even before the party. I’d have also liked to know when was the time before the party that he had wanted to kiss Natalie.
I loved her relationship with Lucy and how supportive they are of each other without any resentment over Lucy and Zach getting together. Female friendships are always my favourites.
Vanessa was also super cool and I like that Natalie and her get along and are friendly towards each other.
I could ramble on and on about how much I enjoyed this book but I reckon I’d be writing about it all day. Needless to say I highly recommend it. It’s cute, fun and super relatable!
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 August 20223.75⭐
I enjoyed this a fair amount HOWEVER I found Natalie a bit deluded, immature and extremely insecure which created problems that didn't really exist. There was so much talk about sex and I felt like it wasn't necessary. Zach was incredibly annoying. Natalie's mum was annoying. I liked Alex and Lucy though. I'm glad it was a HEA because otherwise I would have lost it.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 August 2020This book is simply amazing was glued to it for hours on end and finished it within 3 days! The plot is very compelling and is quite quick pace which I like a lot ! Perfect for any teenage girls plenty of romance . Loved it !
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2020*4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book!
First of all, I adore the tropes that we're used in this book (I won't say what tropes were used because spoilers). It was so fun, but also covered more difficult topics like divorce and self-confidence. I loved Natalie! Her anxiety and self-esteem issues really struck a chord with me - I think I would have loved reading this when I was younger too!
I really enjoyed the relationships - the friendships were sweet, the romance is one of my favourite tropes, and I really loved the sibling relationship - it felt very natural and real.
The writing was quick and fun and I enjoyed Natalie's inner-monologue. I did knock it down half a star because there was quite a bit of arguing in it between the couple, which just annoyed me a little bit because it was a bit overdramatic. But overall, it was super fun.
It was a funny, cute, light-hearted, coming of age read. I'm so glad I got to read this book early and I would highly recommend picking up a copy.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 May 2020It Sounded Better In My Head is so easy to connect with, the main protagonist is slightly dramatic but as the story unfolds you see why and she becomes very relatable to.
It's a story we've all been through in form so it was easy to put yourself in her shoes.
A great read about growing up. finding yourself and first loves.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2021Bought as a present so no review
Top reviews from other countries
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Carolina TorresReviewed in Mexico on 27 November 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars 10/10
Muy bueno el libro además llegó intacto y super rápido.
- SuadReviewed in the United States on 2 March 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Sweetest book!
This book tugged at my heartstrings. Having grown up with severe eczema, I dealt with all those sorts of skin conditions and have been through most everything that Natalie seemed to have experienced. Body shame, lack of confidence, lack of self-esteem, emotional abuse, it was terrible. I could even recognize the medication she's taken, and some of the bizarre solutions she's tried in an attempt to cure her condition.
Natalie is everything you'd want in a protagonist. She's your average girl that is relatable on so many levels. She's your 18 year old teenager, graduating from high school and ready to head into new territory with her two best friends. Everything is in limbo as they all wait for their acceptance letters, hoping to get in the same university. Zach and Lucy are in love and dating, and they are also Natalie's best friends, but that means, she's always left third-wheeling them. She doesn't mind it so much, but sometimes, it does get to her.
Natalie is an introvert, through and through. She's not a fan of socializing, happy with her two friends, does not like partying or drinking and loves her routine. Except one night, on a whim, she decides to go to a party with Zach's older brother Alex and his best friend Owen. Owen is good looking, and she thinks maybe there could be something there, but then once she gets to the actual party, she realizes Owen is the farthest thing from her mind and Alex is the one she can't keep her eyes off.
It was such a sweet read. Everything about it made me melt. I loved their chemistry, I loved the slow burn of their first kiss, I loved it all. I did think their romance was a bit too quick and slightly, very slightly, fluffy, but this is exactly what I needed when I picked it up and it did not disappoint in the least. I did not like Zach very much though. I wish I could say I understood his point of view, but I didn't, and outing his brother like that was not cool.
I did feel for Alex after that. He had a lot to prove, and it wasn't fair on him, but he tried, and I appreciated Natalie and the way she handled the whole thing.
Can't wait for more Nina Kenwood books!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on 15 August 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and deftly written
Nia Kenwood beautifully captures the messiness and beauty of being eighteen and on the verge of big life changes. Natalie is such a relatable character; her experiences will undoubtedly strike a chord with young people who've ever felt as though they don't quite fit in.
- IniysaReviewed in the United States on 25 March 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars Teen Romance Drama
When Natalie's small world begins to implode she has to figure out what this new life where her parents are civility divorcing, her two best friends are dating and they are all going to completely separate places after graduation, despite promises to all stay together! Then Natalie finds a possible romance.
This is a fun, standard teen drama that you will enjoy if you want an easy, fun read.
- GracieReviewed in Australia on 16 October 2024
3.0 out of 5 stars love Natalie and I feel I relate to her a little too much hahaha
I have mixed feelings 😭 I love the character but I feel like I wanted to see more of Alex, Natalie and their relationship. I feel like it could have had more depth but other than that I love what the story is trying to tell me :)) I just felt like we should have seen more of Alex and Natalie’s growth rather than told it.