Everywhere You Want to Be by Christina June

Title: Everywhere You Want to Be
Author: Christina June
Genre: Contemporary
Series: N/A

Trade Paperback, 284 Pages
Publication: May 1, 2018 by Blink

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher/Saichek Publicity in exchange for a honest review.

Buy|Amazon|B&N|

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes--not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly's mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she'll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends ... and new enemies. Tilly isn't the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can't help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly's future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother's path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

Everywhere You Want to Be is a story of coming of age and self discovery. Tilly is expected to attend college come fall per her mother’s wishes but Tilly is stuck at a crossroad; debating if college is the right path or joining a dance troupe, her one and only passion. And she only has summer in New York to figure everything out. Follow her dreams or her mother’s.  

This book is said to be a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, I could see some similarities but in my opinion it’s very, very loosely based. And honestly if it wasn’t part of the tag-line; I’d probably would of never made the connection. With that said I enjoyed June’s sophomore novel. She did a wonderful job capturing New York, I personally never been there but I can imagine it is just as she described. As for the character, Tilly was a pragmatic, kind and understanding heroine. In all profession, there is always someone who is willing to sabotage another to get to the top or to be noticed but Tilly was alway true to herself and did what she thought was right after being targeted relentlessly by another dancer in her class.

Another great thing about Everywhere You Want to Be is the strong and supportive female cast that surrounds Tilly from her Mother, Stepsister, Grandmother to Sage the dance director and roommate Charlotte. I absolutely loved that and it reinforces what type of person Tilly was or who she wanted to be. Tilly had a little quirk, she stress bakes as a type of release late at night. One scene I remember clearly was Tilly in the kitchen baking and then her stepsister Tatum and roommate came out to bake with her. They didn’t want to feel like she had to do anything alone; whether it was baking or what to do with her conflicted feelings about Sabrina, the other dancer. That scene perfectly describes this book: full of heart.

Overall an enjoyable, quick and light read about a young girl following her dreams and falling in love in the magical city that’s New York. Unlike most YA that are a bit too much drama borderline soap-opera, Everywhere You Want to Be found all the right balance for a realistic story of self, family and friends.