This book recommended in a blog post at https://booksbeyondbinaries.blog/2020/08/03/all-eyes-on-her/

You Don't Know Me But I Know You is a gorgeous example of a slice-of-life contemporary that takes time and care with its characters, allowing them room to grow, both by themselves and with one another. From the lovely, occasionally painful realism of the girls' friendships (Rose! MY ROSE) to Audrey's journey with her mother (and her birth mother), this debut is full of quiet moments that together form a poignant portrait. The options available to teen mothers are presented thoughtfully, with no more weight given to one than the others, and no judgment reserved for any. I particularly enjoyed watching Julian and Audrey together; their relationship isn't placed on a pedestal, avoids being romanticized (despite being deeply romantic), and contains what feels like a plot twist to this reader, too familiar with stories depicting a girl becoming pregnant and a boy reacting in less than ideal ways.

You Don't Know Me But I Know You is a wonderful read for contemporary fans, readers who love art and music, and anyone looking for an introspective novel on the many faces of family.

Low-key fave: Adam with that pork dumpling action! ( )

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: High School

This was good, a little slow but well developed characters that you care about. Good book for anyone finding themselves or someone they care about in this position. ( )

“The whole world is full of people trying to get through, making the best of what they have, pretending like they can pull it off. And there’s no shame in that.”

You Don’t Know Me but I Know You is a beautiful story of family, growth, and acceptance. It’s about making choices you aren’t ready for and finding the strength in yourself and those around you to know you will be okay. Audrey Spencer finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and must look at her own past, including her own adoption, as she faces questions she doesn’t know how to answer in this inspiring story of family and strength.

Things I Liked
GIRL FRIENDSHIPS IN STORIES. SUPPORTIVE GIRL FRIENDSHIPS IN STORIES. I’m all here for female friendships shown in all their many layered facets. We see Audrey, Rose, Maria, and Jen celebrate and support each other. We see them fight and get angry. We see them forgive and grow. I just really loved seeing their interactions, and how their differences didn’t create problems that couldn’t be resolved. And I loved seeing Olivia become a part of their group too!

I love stories about family, and I love that this book featured a non-nuclear family. I love that we see adoption, and Audrey’s mom isn’t married, but in a committed and meaningful relationship. It’s important to show that families come in many different forms and they’re all valid. I love that we get a MC who’s adopted, and her adoption is never used as a plot device to “surprise” or to create conflict between Audrey and her mom. I loved that there was no yelling, blaming, or shaming when her parents get the news about Audrey’s pregnancy. And even when there are fights, they from highly emotional situations that feel appropriate and honest, but they are always resolved.

I seriously loved Audrey and Julian’s relationship. They had so much fantastic open communication - about their fears and worries and hopes. It was great to see. They never blamed one another, and again their fights felt honest and in-the-moment, but they didn’t let their anger fester. They were both supportive and talked about their options. I liked that we got to see cute moments of them being together and happy in the midst of their now hectic lives.

Things I Didn’t Like
I liked how the fights were handled in their resolution, but I felt like miscommunication was the root of all problems in the story. Some of the fights, especially the smaller ones, were either miscommunication based or just because of highly charged emotions. While I understood the emotional toll and the uncertainty that led to miscommunication, I felt like some of the problems could have easily been resolved, if the open communication they had at the end of the fight was there at the beginning.

This was a great story, with fantastic character dynamics that feel honest and real. I love stories about family and friendship and people caring about each other. I loved seeing Audrey’s journey and seeing her opening herself to the possibilities of her future. You Know Me but I Don’t Know You is a beautiful story of possibility, love, and hope that warms your heart.

I received a copy of the book from HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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