The Accidentals

This author I recently discovered and man I did a few of her books on audio and i freaking loved it. So she became another author that is an automatic one click for me.
And this one was another awesome read.

Rachel grew up alone with just her mother, who was a nurse. The only thing she knew about her father was that he was a famous Rock Star. So the only way she communicated with him was listening to his music. So when her mother dies when she is 17 her whole world changes. Her father is suddenly there and wanting to make up for lost time.

Needless to say things don't go so well. Rachel is suffering a bit. Even though she is excited to finally meet the man who has become a sort of hero to her its difficult to all of a sudden have a father. Rachel has never had a dad before and Freddy has never been a dad.

This story was heartbreaking and sad for me. Rachel to me was just an ordinary girl going through a traumatic time in her life. Meeting different people and I have to say I absolutely loved Jake. Nerdy, funny, thoughtful and attractive. But I think this story isn't about the romance its about a girl who meets her father for the first time, and having to navigate all these new things in her life and coping with it all and also feeling some guilt about loving the father she never knew and feeling like she is betraying her mother. The only thing that I felt was that some parts of the story was rushed and some characters didn't get the attention that I think they needed. (Jake) All in all I enjoyed the story, kept me interested from the beginning until the end. Maybe we will get another book and some more depth to the other characters in this story :-)

So full of meaning, 'The Accidentals' is a story that is precious in every way. In this journey stemming from loss to finding how imperfections can turn into something wholly perfect, the honesty, understanding, and love found in this story was incredible! 

I loved Rachel's character, and my heart went out to her for being totally uprooted from life as she knew it. She was forced in a direction she had always longed for, yet under the worst circumstances possible. The transition from 'Angry Rachel' to a 'Happy Rachel' was not easy, and It was heartbreaking at times yet uplifting as well to see Rachel blossom and grow through it all. 

Although the story was told from Rachel’s point of view, I definitely fell in love with all of the secondary characters in the story. Bowen does such a great job of incorporating unique qualities into both her characters and their relationships, and each played such an important role in Rachel's healing process. This is not really a 'sexy times' story, but Rachel's relationship with Jake was sweet and romantic in a very special and refreshing way. Just the same, Rachel's father Frederick had a genuine honesty with her which actually helped bridge the gap between them, and I adored his determination in building his relationship with her!

Sarina Bowen's writing was orchestrated perfectly with its crescendo throughout the four parts of the story, which were all filled with emotion. Like the story, the cover was also beautiful and unique, and along with Bowen's quaint touches and adorable characters, this made for an incredibly sweet and enjoyable read!

Loved it and highly recommend it!

THE ACCIDENTALS is a departure from other Sarina Bowen books that I’ve read but I enjoyed it a lot.

Rachel’s journey into adulthood is a painful one. She’s lost her mother, she’s never met her rock star father, she’s finishing high school and heading off to college. As a result, she’s losing the only home she’s known as well as her small support network.

Rachel is the book’s narrator. While I never felt disconnected from the book, I did feel at times that Rachel is spectator in her life. It makes sense given the shaky foundation of her life and this distance adds to the isolation she feels. It took me a while to come to this conclusion, and I did spend the early part of the book thinking the story felt directionless given the little interaction between characters.

Hers is not the only story we focus on. The themes – friendship, relationships, coming of age, developing maturity, love – apply to most of the characters, including the adults. Each character shows a complexity that at times makes them likeable, and at other times unlikeable; no one, including Rachel, comes out of this book as significantly more agreeable than any other character. This appeals to me because it makes the characters more human in their actions.

The writing is engaging. The varied emotions of characters are conveyed really well. I also enjoyed that often the story reveals itself in the things that are not said as much as the things that are. Overall I found THE ACCIDENTALS to be a highly enjoyable read.

A truly outstanding new take on YA from Sarina Bowen! I'm so glad she's decided to branch out once again and she's delivered a compelling YA story about love, loss, and the power of music.

Rachel's world has devolved into chaos. She's daydreamed about her rockstar father for years, despite her mother's protests. Now, her mother's passed away and left Rachel in his hands just as she's to turn 18 and experience the world on her own. But the imaginations of a little girl rarely match up to reality. Her dads not all rock god; he's just a man with imperfections who's suddenly had a 17 year old daughter he never knew thrust into his arms.

As Rachel is dealing with the loss of her mother, she's worked away to her fathers home in LA and away from her best friend. Navigating their changing relationship as hormonal teenagers as she's ripped away because an additional stressor. To add in to her frustrations, she's now moved on to a prep school for her senior year. New friends and a new love interest complicate all matters.

Rachel is thrown around like a sock in a washer when it comes to her emotions. The loss and heartbreak over her mother comes out through anger at others. Her confusion on who to love comes through to her old best friend and her new lover. The Accidentals truly emulates the rag-tag combination of teenage heartbreak and over abundance of emotions. It had me crying, it had my heart breaking, but the power of Rachel's love of music and her family pulls readers through in the end for a warm ending worthy of any story.

The Accidentals by Sarina Bowen

I love Sarina Bowen’s writing and The Accidentals is no exception. I admit I hesitated briefly because Young Adult novels can be either a hit or a miss for me but I really needn’t have worried.

Following the death of her mother, Rachel is placed into the foster care system until her absent father turns up to take her into his custody until she turns 18. When I say absent, I mean completely: all Rachel knew of her father were the tidbits her mother had given, that he sent monthly cheques, and also what she’d gleaned from the internet over the years. Given that her father is a pretty famous rock-star, there was plenty online to keep her going but while she idolized him from afar, she had a burning desire to know him in a much greater capacity.

To me, The Accidentals was a journey for Rachel to - as cliché as it sounds - find herself. She moves away to Claiborne Prep, makes new friends and leaves behind old, builds new relationships, and becomes a daughter to a rock-star. I enjoyed all aspects of this book and witnessing Rachel’s growth in many areas was special. The Accidentals certainly has romance in it but it’s not the focus of the book. The only reason I’m not giving this book five stars is because I felt the book ended too abruptly. I wanted - no, I needed - Rachel and her father to work through more of their past.

*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog

The author says this is her first time writing YA lit, but it's like she was born to do it.

The Accidentals is one of the most heartfelt, deep, bittersweet and beautiful things that I've read this year so far, and I'm thankful with the author for having this book in my life now.

The way the characters were developed, even though you experiment the whole thing from a single point of view, is wonderful! There's no way to read The Accidentals and don't connect with Rachel and her story, to cry with her in sadness, to laugh with her in excitement, to love, and to be afraid... and live through the music in her ears and in her soul.

The Accidentals is full of musical references and analogies, epic quotes and feelings, but also of a light and fresh sense of humor that will keep you smiling the whole time.

This book means a lot to me, because same as Rachel music has been part of my life and I felt that connection with her as she was telling me her story. The evolution of the characters in the book was a beautiful thing to see, as it was Rachel facing her fears, opening her heart and letting herself go.

This isn't an epic love story of two teens, it's the story of a girl who lost someone important in her life and found different kinds of love to help her mend her heart: Friendship, family, music and love. And those are the ingredients that make this book something special and unforgettable.

I close my laptop, feeling irritable. Somewhere there’s a boy named Jake standing on a beach in Massachusetts and waiting for a star to explode. I have a picture of him in my mind, staring up at the sky, his hands jammed in his pockets.
My subconscious has made him cute, in a harmless kind of way. With sandy hair and blue eyes. I could probably find a social media account with pictures of him. But I don’t think I will. It’s more fun not knowing.
**
I was super excited to read Bowen’s first YA book. And it was such a fantastic read. A read that held my attention throughout the whole story. I hated putting it down, but loved picking it back up.

Rachel was a hard girl to get a grip on. I adored her but there were times I needed her to express her feelings a little better than how she was going about it. But she grew on me and in the end I loved her.

I see what Bowen meant when she said this wasn’t a romance but it has romance in it. And it was done perfectly so. I loved every bit of it and could definitely see myself doing a re-read of it. Or even better yet, how about Bowen add another book and make this bad boy a series.

A fun read...an emotional read...a gut me to the core read. THE ACCIDENTALS was a page turner that could have went on forever and I would have been perfectly ok with it. 5 Stars!

A sweet, emotional story and I loved every minute of it. I think I can say with certainty that "The Accidentals" is one of my favorite books of Sarina Bowen.This story has an interesting pilot, charismatic characters and although it is not the main point of the story also has a sweet romance.

Here we know Rachel, a young teenager about to turn 18 years who just lost your mom and your dad though I have knowledge that is the famous star of music loved by all, the only contact she had with him were the checks arriving every month.But this is about to change now that he gets custody of her and she moves in with him.

I loved to see how the author developed the relationship of these two throughout the book. It was simply amazing to watch these two go by strangers for father and daughter.It was great to see the conflicting feelings of Rachel throughout, because he always was your Idol while she feels hurt by your absence, and throughout this entire process, we have a very cute romance between Rachel and boy she meets in this new life.

The Accidentals is a captivating story that I couldn't stop reading and that left me with a smile on her face at the end.So I'm here wishing that this isn't the first Ya book written by Sarina, Bowen, because I need more of her stories in this genre.

Sarina Bowen’s debut YA novel is the ultimate coming of age story about loss, forgiveness and falling in love. The Accidentals is angsty, raw, witty and swoony. It broke my heart a few times before completely stealing it from me. It begs the question: can a burned bridge ever be repaired?

This isn’t a fluffy tale of a lovesick teen. In fact, while there is romance, it isn’t the main focal point of the story. Instead, we find Rachel Kress, who is struggling after the death of her mother, who raised her as a single parent. As if losing a parent isn’t hard enough, Rachel has no one else to turn to. Or so she thinks, until she in introduced to Frederick Richards, aka “Freddy Ricks”, the famous musician. He is her father, and after 17 years of being absent, he wants to help take care of her. Suddenly Rachel is living a life completely different than the one she is used to, with a man she isn’t fully sure she even wants a relationship with. Cue the overloads of feelings. Sarina used my heart as a punching bag multiple times. We also see Rachel entering her senior year at a new boarding school, dealing with a roommate, new friends, and maybe even a new love.

Everything in this book felt genuine. It made me smile, laugh, swoon, and even tear up. This book was simply wonderful.

A wonderful young adult read following 17 year old Rachel as she is thrown into a new life with a rockstar father she doesn’t know. As well as dealing with the death of her mother and the lack of a relationship with her father she also has to deal with all the drama that comes with being a teenage girl - school, college, friendships, and of course boys. Told entirely from Rachel’s perspective I was totally inside her mindset, I understood her fears, her desires and her mistakes. Her friendships are strong, which says a lot about her character. The relationship between her and her father is strained to say the least, but I so admired Frederick for finally manning up and trying to become the father she deserved. An emotional read that kept me engrossed from the first chapter. A beautiful coming of age drama with a far from perfect father who it seems is also dealing with becoming an adult, proving that it’s never too late to do the right thing. A perfect five star read with a couple of added twists. The audio version of this book proved to be one of my favourites so far this year. Kate Rudd is a new narrator to me and one I will definitely be looking out for in future audios. Five stars across the board.

Rachel is 17 when her mother passes away and life as she knows it is turned upside down. She will be going to live with the father, Frederick, she has never met while dealing with the grief of losing her mother and believing that there must be something wrong with her or otherwise he would have been a part of her life. She has known who he and admired his musical talent but moving to California with a man who is essentially a stranger is another matter.

Rachel goes from her and her mother to an extended family who are very close and aren’t shy to let their feelings be heard. She lives on the cusp uncertain if she is going to be rejected by her new family like she was by her father as she tries to fit it and learn why she had never been included before. Along the way she meets Jake who becomes her friend and confidant and he was the support that she so desperately needed as she transitioned into her new reality.

This is really a story of family and relationships. I liked that even though Frederick was learning as they went he didn’t stop trying and even after all Rachel had endured she was willing to open her heart to her father. I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book.

How do I articulate my thoughts after this book? I am going to try but I need to add a disclaimer. I am a MESS after this story. It took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I admit I was so touched that I went back and reread parts to make sure I understood. Rachel is probably one of the strongest characters I have ever read but mixed with a realness that makes her even more believable. Yes you will get a sweet love story with Jake as a amazing, interesting love interest. Also intertwined into this telling is a young girl meeting her father for the first time at 17 after the loss of her mother. You live and feel all her insecurities and questions. Ugh I well up just thinking about it. I was prepared to not like her rockstar dad Freddy but that wasn’t necessary because through this telling you come to find he already is very much aware of his failings. Yikes I won’t talk anymore about the story because spoilers tick me off. Lastly I will say this story resonated with me on a personal level due to some similarities from my youth but truthfully it was more than that. I want EVERYONE to read this book. Happy Reading!

Sarina Bowen dives into YA and takes us for through a journey of self discovery.

After the devastating loss of the only parent she’s known Rachel’s is all of a sudden face to face with her rock star father. She’s built in her head a bit of what he is like but reality is never what we picture in our heads.

This story shows Rachel trying to navigate growing up, dealing with loss, facing an uncertain future and trying to find where she belongs. Getting to know her father and having questions as to where he’s been for the last 17 years of her life. I’ll tell you I felt for her and just like her I wanted all those answers. Throw in a new school and a boy who makes her heart flutter and you’ve got a story that appeals to your heart.

At times I almost felt that Rachel was more mature then her own father. Let me tell ya his decisions made me want to throttle him a time or two in this one. I could almost feel my maternal instincts kick in a time or two while reading this book.

A great YA read and I’ll be honest I’m hoping to see more from the cast of characters in this one.

Wow. This book was emotional, but it was great. I loved the storyline. It had ups, it had downs, it had angst. It had everything you needed. I would have, however, liked a bit more confrontation. I think everything, and there were some heavy subjects, that really needed an explosive confrontation.
I liked Jake and Aurora, they were great lights.
Frederick started out great for me, then majorly skipped in my opinion. The way he went about things just didn’t sit right to me. I know it’s symptomatic of how he always handled things, but after how he was at the start, it didn’t sit well with me.
Rachel was strange for me. I couldn’t get a read on her, which may have been the point, but I found it frustrating. There were so many times I wanted her to rage and instead she whimpered. I wanted a strong female lead and Rachel wasn’t it. I know she’s been through some stuff, but her anger could’ve stiffened her. Angry Rachel needed to make a bigger apparence.
At the end of the day though, this was a solid book, if not quite everything I was wanting.

Where do I start? There are so many different intersecting stories going on. You have Rachel and Haze, Rachel and her father Frederick, and then there is Rachel and Jake. Lets start with Haze. I really, really wanted to like his character. But unfortunately I just thought he was an a-hole. Way to make it all about you man. Then there is Frederick. I absolutely loved their storyline. There was a time or two that I really wanted to scream at him, but had to remember to grade him on a curve. Beginners and all that. Their relationship starts as a dirt road full of potholes. By the end, it is a smooth road with only a few bumps. I also loved Jake. The back and forth emails, calls and texts cracked me up. I like how their relationship began as friends and they really got to know one another. A slow, sweet burn. I cannot possibly tell you what my favorite part was as there were so many. I am a huge fan and was excited that she was writing a YA. She hit this one out of the park.

Reviewed for FMR Book Grind

This was an enjoyable easy to read story that really touched my heart.
Spending time in a group home since her mother passed away Rachel is waiting for her 18th birthday till she can leave! When the social worker for the home asks her to come in as her “father” wants to see her, needless to say things get rather interesting after that meet!

I admired Rachel and what she has been through must have been difficult but to come out with a father and the way they are together is rather endearing to see!
I really liked the way the story unfolded and how things became for Rachel! I fell in love with the characters, their story and how it develops especially when Frederik is a big deal in the music world! I really loved his mum and dad, such real folks, spoke their mind!
I loved hearing how the past shaped the way things are today and I wondered how everything would go with Rachel. Will she love having her Dad around?
A truly great feel good story! Makes you cherish how your own life is!

My first book by this author. What an emotional ride. I did cry, but it’s a story not to be missed and I really didn’t want it to be over. Once I was fully connected I could have happily stayed there for a few more hundred pages. I hope if we all ask enough maybe there will be another book. There were parts difficult to read. Poor Rachel’s life did break my heart for her. I don’t know if my own personal grief made this read harder but I found myself in tears a lot, yet I couldn’t stop reading, nor did I want to. An amazing read. I voluntarily received an arc copy of this book but purchased a copy as well

Rachel’s parents did wrong by her…from a good…ish place. Rachel’s mum Jenny had Rachel out of wedlock very young. Her mistake was keeping Rachel away from her father. Rachel’s father, Fredrick, is a world-famous musician. His mistake was keeping himself away from Rachel. Together, they gave Rachel a mixed-up twisted view of the reality of her beginning and how she

The Accidentals was a sweet and heartwarming story that I was hooked on the minute I started. It tells the story of Natalie who is at a crossroads of sorts at her life as the tragic death of her mother forces her into contact with the famous musician father she has never known but who she has always listened to. This story was a sweet and honest depiction of a girl who is forced to navigate the unknown while enduring both ups and down on the road to figuring out her place.

I really enjoyed this story and thought that Rachel was sweet and awkward but so honestly refreshing. I enjoyed her banter with Jake and thought the way she navigated her relationship with her father was realistic. I enjoyed the extended cast of characters and overall thought this debut YA story from this author was an enjoyable read. I would definitely read more YA books by this author in the future.
Bravo! 4 stars! ~Ratula

From page one this books tugged at my emotions. Rachel had the worst thing happen to her and her new normal was nothing to write home about. He father comes back into her life after a long absence, though he has his own issues he struggles with. Thus begins her journey of discovery, forgiveness and learning the reasons behind her own existence.

There are so many things that angered me about a few characters. I was upset at her Father for fifty percent of the book, her friend Haze for twenty five and Rachel for ten percent. I wanted her dad and Haze to get over themselves, but mostly, I wanted Rachel to finally let out all of the anger and hurt she's held in for so long.

Jake came into her life at the right time. He was the beacon of light that saw her through the emotional storm.

This book broke me, but put me back together in the end. Definitely worth the read. 4.5 stars

The Accidentals was beyond excellent and so much more. The journey that Sarina Bowen took her readers on was one that was filled with the right amount of angst. We get to go on a self finding journey with Rachel. She gets to meet her father for the very first time after a tragedy that no one usually comes back from. She gets to know this part of her life that she always questioned and it was so beautiful to watch her build a relationship with her father. Not only that but we get to see him try to juggle his personal life and with this huge change. I had all feels while I reading this books because it was filled with all these emotions. This book was so good that I wanted Rachel's story to go on foooooooorever!

Sarina Bowen did such a great job at writing this YA book that I believe with all my heart that she should continue to do so. She hit this one right out of the ballpark folks.

Contentment: (n.) A feeling of quiet happiness and satisfaction.
The key word is quiet. It’s not the happiness that makes you scream until your lungs combust or tremble with the pent-up energy that has to be diffused by running and sharing this joy with the world. It’s the type of happiness that resembles those moments when you bask in the sun; listen to the melody of a violin; feel the wind rustle your hair. That’s the warm feeling that blossomed in my chest while I was reading The Accidentals.

There are two things you need to know about Rachel: she has never met her father, a famous and extremely talented musician, and her mother just died. Being at the mercy of social services, Rachel has to endure a few months of humiliation and solitude until she can move to her dream prep- school, and fulfill her deepest desire: to discover what happened between her parents. Was she an accidental, the product of a one-night-stand? Or did her parents love each other, but a mysterious force tore them apart? Rachel always hoped, but never expected, that her father would show up. But he did. And he took her in, and cared for her when no one did. Between the fear of him leaving her again, the joy of joining a choir and the butterflies that seem to fly whenever Jake appears, Rachel struggles to find the truth about her past, overcome the obstacles of the present and plan a future that includes all those she loves but dares not say it.

This book was so lovely that I wish I could climb inside it and live there forever.
It was the first time I came across Sarina Bowen's work, and she already earned a fan; her words are like a warm blanket I clutch in my hands, its warmth sipped by my pores and reaching my very core. It’s been so long since I read a contemporary YA book laden with rich emotions, with the perfect balance between humor and heartache. There weren’t unnecessary dialogues or drama for the sake of drama; every sad event that made Rachel’s heart (and mine) splinter, every moment of camaraderie and love, every smile of a boy that gazed at the stars waiting for their explosion, they were all stops of a route that led Rachel to finding peace.

Every sentence had a purpose, and shed fluorescent light on these wonderful, three-dimensional characters. The writing was so fluid and soulful that made me sigh with satisfaction. The way Rachel’s was I not enough to make you stay insecurities and fear of losing her father again were utterly realistic, and painful, and so was her inner battle between good Rachel and angry Rachel, that tangled, livid version of herself that wanted answers to the questions she didn't have the courage to ask. Rachel's relationships with her late mother, her absent father, Aurora, Haze and, of course, Jake were depicted with masteful brushstrokes. The dynamic between Rachel and Frederik was fragile, delicate, a flower that took its time to bloom, but when it did, it was simply beautiful.

The romance was not the main aspect of the novel, but it was radiant, and Jake's support and devotion was a fundamental factor for the development of Rachel's character. I could hear the butterflies flap their wings in every scene they had together, they were sweet and heated, and I must admit that I had a crush on Jake since he confessed that his sheets have snowmen on them. He was nerdy and adorable, and I may or may not have swooned a couple of times.
Set in a school reminding of medieval castles, with music pouring from its pages, The Accidentals is a book that lulls you into blissful silence, a deafening silence that holds the power of thousands of perfect words and feelings.

I can't recommend it highly enough!

I received an advanced reader copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*

There is a beauty in storytelling and Sarina Bowen creates a spectacular YA book, filled with music, love for life, secrets and a speck or romance.

Rachel has been through a lot in her 17 years of life. No father and a mother has just died plus she is living in a group home that's too hard on her. As her father appears for the first time both she and he will have to face their shared new reality and Rachel will also have to get through her own depression. The story is raw and emotional and very different from the NA books I am used to reading Sarina Bowen.

Yet she delivers a stellar story that will leave you carving more YA from the author.

I really enjoyed The Accidentals. Sarina Bowen is one author I will read anything she writes.

As a child Rachel was raised by her mom. She didn’t know much about her father except what she read in magazines. By the time she was a teenager she knew the lyrics to most of his songs. When Rachel’s mom died her long lost father shows up.

Freddy isn’t sure how to be a dad. He knows he has a lot to learn about Rachel and how to build the relationship. They figure things out slowly but surely. My heart broke for both of Freddy and Rachel.

This book pulled me in from the first chapter. I loved all the characters as well as the secondary ones. This is a must read and will have you rooting for Rachel.

The Accidentals was a beautiful read.
Even if the romantic love is not the main focus of the story I've enjoyed it nontheless.

Rachel's growing journey is full of hurdles.Her mother has just died leaving her alone with a famous father she has never met before and the start of her last high school year in a boarding school far from Florida and her best friend.

This book was easily readable like the others Sarina Bowen's novels.She excels at depicting cities and colleges,and the atmosphere here is almost as "magic" as that in Hogwarts.

This story grabbed me and wouldn't let go,I felt so invested in the characters lives I couldn't finish it soon enough.

One of my favorite YA/NA themes involves bands and musicians. This is a great entry into that theme. Take one girl who's never met her dad, a mom who refused to tell her anything about him, add a love of a cappella singing, Mom dying unexpectedly, Dad suddenly entering her life and moving to a whole new world and mix well. What results is a dandy coming of age tale. Teens liking music, romance, family intrigue and a protagonist who finds the courage to ask tough questions will like this one a lot.

I loved this book. It was such a beautiful coming of age story. I would highly recommend reading it. I loved all of the different relationships in the story and seeing how they formed and progressed. It was all real and I could relate and the characters were just so well developed. I loved getting to know them all. YA is definitely a genre that I don't read enough of, but I always enjoy when I do. I definitely look forward to more stories of this type from Sarina and anything else she writes.

I rarely read Young Adult, but this book hooked me. I loved it and was very sad when it ended. I’m really hoping for a follow-up. There is so much more which can be explored in Rachel and Frederick’s relationship. I especially liked that it wasn’t the angsty type of story even though there were definitely heart-wrenching sections. Also, I liked that there was a major sub-plot on Frederick and his progression to being the adult in their relationship.