Come as you are by Jennifer Haupt

Name of Book: Come As You Are 

Author: Jennifer Haupt

ISBN: 978-1-77168-225-1

Publisher: Central Avenue

Type of book: 1987-2002, Seattle Washington, Alburqueque New Mexico, music, friendship, family, relationships, secrets, moving on, humanity, grunge scene, travel, dreams, decisions 

Year it was published: 2022

Summary:

Set against a backdrop of Seattle in the early '90s, Haupt's second novel is a compelling family drama and love story that explores the question: Can we alter our dreams and stories from the past to create a better future for our children?

 

Zane and Skye are two misfit teens drawn together by their love of music and their loneliness, both part of Seattle’s grunge scene in the early ‘90s. They dream of moving to L.A. together: Zane’s music career following the trajectory of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder, and Skye drawing Picasso-esque portraits on the Venice Beach boardwalk. When a tragedy violently catapults them from best friends to lovers, their bond is forever strengthened and their relationship destroyed. Ten years later, they must come together as parents, putting aside abandoned dreams and broken promises. The question is: can they face the truth of who they are, and become the parents their daughter needs them to be?

Characters:

Main characters include Skye, Zane, Aaron, Skyes older sister Lauren, and her daughter  and Zanes daughter Montana. When young, Skye is best described as loyal and a dreamer as well as a budding artist and a loner. When older, she is cynical, afraid of getting hurt and has trouble letting in people. Zane was Skyes best friend who suffered from terrible headaches and dreamed of becoming a rock star. He was talented but careless of whom he hurt and the consequences his actions had on others. When older he is remorseful and much changed although he still strikes me as flighty and very charismatic. Aaron is Skyes current boyfriend, a man of Indigenous ancestry who has taken Skye and her daughter in and isn't afraid of hiding from truth. He is ambitious, devoted his mother and loyal. Lauren is Skyes older sister who has died under mysterious circumstances. She was polar opposite of Skye and the two had a fraught relationship. Montana is Skyes daughter, a young and fearless girl who has talent with music and animals and who is very open hearted.  

Theme:

There is no such thing as finished business 

Plot:

The story is written in third place namely from Skyes and Zanes points of view and is divided into two parts: the first part can be seen as preparation as it talks about the history between Skye and Zane as well as Skye living life and preparing to visit her mother back in Seattle. The second part takes place in 2002 as both Skye and Zane are forced to confront one another and somehow attempt to heal and make decisions. The history research is well done and the story is very engaging as well as beautiful with a slight touch of whimsy.     

Author Information:
(From goodreads)

Jennifer Haupt's debut novel, In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills, was awarded the Foreword Reviews Bronze Indie Award for Historical Fiction. She is also the editor of ALONE TOGETHER: Stories of Love, Grief, and Comfort in the Time of COVID-19, which received the 2021 Washington State Book Award. Come as You Are, a contemporary family drama, will be published in March 2022.

Haupt's essays and articles have been published in O, The Oprah Magazine, Parenting, The Rumpus, Spirituality & Health, The Sun and many other publications. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two sons, and double-doodle Sasha Fierce. 

Opinion:

In early 00s, there is an author I loved and I had hoped to see another novel from her. When I discovered that the author, Jessica Davis Stein has died several years ago, I was very heartbroken because I loved reading COYOTE DREAMS. I was honestly surprised to be asked to review COME AS YOU ARE, but decided to take a chance, and I am very glad indeed to take a chance on her latest novel. I have to say the writing, the atmosphere as well as the realism, the messiness and beauty of humanity was deftly captured with words and strokes, bringing me back to the author whose style was lost to the world. None of the characters are perfect and all are too imperfect yet are struggling in a world without right or wrong. I hope to one day come back into that world once more. 

This was given for review 

5 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)