AUTHOR: Emma Mills

SERIES: Standalone

GENRE: YA, Romance, Contemporary

PUBLISHED: October 13th 2015 by Henry Holt and Co.

GOODREADS I INDIEBOUND I BOOK DEPOSITORY

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Synopsis: “Devon Tennyson wouldn’t change a thing. She’s happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon’s cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn’t want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.
Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.”

I received this book in October’s Uppercase box, a monthly YA book subscription service that I adore! I was thrilled because I have heard a lot of great things about First & Then, and it was one of my anticipated releases for the month of October!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. First & Then follows Devon Tennyson as she navigates her senior year, through the frustrating college application period and the confusing friendships and relationships that get stirred up when her quirky younger cousin Foster moves in with her family.

My first impression when reading was that Devon is definitely a relatable character. I mean, although I am a university student graduating next year, I remember what it feels like to be a senior stressing out over applying to college and experiencing the overwhelming realization that you are utterly average- and it’s too late to fix yourself for your applications.

“She would say I was wanting in singularity. Staunchly average. Spectacularly… insufficient, in situations like this. In the face of all caps ACHIEVEMENT. Because what if you don’t have it in you?… I felt like I had never done anything. I had never suffered. I hard never triumphed. I was a middle-class kid from the burbs who had managed to be rather unspectacular for the last seventeen years. A triumph over mediocrity– that was what I needed.”  p 6-7

Devon’s voice rings true; it captures what it feels like to be that scared senior hoping to get into the right school, all the while trying to navigate relationships that are suddenly changing all over the place. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that Emma Mills is a student of biomedical research, and has been writing since high school! She started writing First & Then when she was 17, which is the age of her protagonist Devon. It is not surprising, then, that she accurately captured the emotions of a high school senior!

This is advertised as “Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights,” but that does not mean that it is a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice. Rather, First & Then captures the emotions that come along with a good ol’ Jane Austen novel, but does so in a Friday Night Lights style setting.

The only thing that I was worried would ruin the book for me was the large amount of football in the story. It was a big part of the lives of the characters, and I am not a football fan, at all. Luckily this story is one that can be enjoyed by anyone, even people who aren’t football fans. The relationships and characters truly stand out against the familiar back drop of high school football.

My favorite character has to be Foster, if i’m being honest! Foster had a really bad home life in California, leading Devon’s parents to bring him to live with them during her senior, and his freshman, year. Foster is a weird kid, but is incredibly endearing. He speaks his mind, asks uncomfortable questions, and doesn’t really have a grasp on the social norms of an american high school. Foster is so genuine and sweet, though, and I just loved his character. I enjoyed seeing how Devon and Foster grew together into a really supportive sibling relationship, but the sweetest relationship was between Foster and Ezra.

“Ezra, with that inexplicable look of concern. Ezra, who was patient with Foster, who didn’t question it when we needed him.” p 226

Just in general, though, I love the relationship between Devon and Ezra. Ezra is such a good character, reminiscent of the quiet, stand-offish, yet strong and sweet character of Mr. Darcy. I think that he is supportive and kind. Not perfect, but exactly what Devon, and Foster, needed.

“And so we stood. And it wasn’t so much a hug as me trying to put into action what I couldn’t put into words. I wanted Ezra not to look so heartbroken. I wanted him to feel as safe as he made me and Foster feel.” p 177

First & Then captures senior year, with all it’s ups and downs, perfectly. The relationships are sweet, characters genuine, and the story is rich with emotion. I loved this contemporary romance, especially with it’s Jane Austen feels and relatable characters. I highly recommend this book!

OVERALL RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS!