Now That I've Found You

by Kristina Forest

Overview

"Through this pitch-perfect rom-com, Kristina Forest explores the legacy of family and what it means to be young and full of artistic passion. I was utterly charmed from start to finish." —Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know

Now That I've Found You is a YA novel about searching for answers, love, and your eccentric grandma in all the wrong places.

Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . .

Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears.

With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250792044
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	08/24/2021
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	384,265
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kristina Forest is the author of the Young Adult romance novels, I Wanna Be Where You Are, which The New York Times called, “a big hearted story about being brave enough to go for what you want,” and Now That I’ve Found You, a Book Riot Best Book of 2020. Her next YA romance, Zyla & Kai, will publish in Summer 2022 with Kokila/Penguin Young Readers. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing at The New School, and she can often be found rearranging the books on her huge bookshelf.

Editorial Reviews

"In Now That I've Found You, a sweet love story unfolds on the streets of New York City alongside an old Hollywood mystery. Through this pitch-perfect rom-com, Kristina Forest explores the legacy of family and what it means to be young and full of artistic passion. I was utterly charmed from start to finish." —Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know

“This glowing blend of romance, mystery, and New York City warmed my heart and made me laugh out loud.” —Ashley Woodfolk, author of The Beauty That Remains

"[A] swoonworthy ending straight out of the movies." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

06/08/2020

Evie Jones is on the way to stardom, having landed a role in a high-profile film, until her best friend releases a video—of Evie drunkenly impersonating the director—that gets Evie fired. Now the 18-year-old is hoping to get back to work by using her connections to her famous grandparents: Hollywood royalty who appeared in the first big romantic movie with black stars but who no longer speak to one another. Evie’s been asked to present her grandmother, Evelyn, with a lifetime achievement award, but after Evelyn takes off, Evie turns to 19-year-old Milo, a musician-on-the-rise and a friend to her grandmother, for help tracking her down. The dash to find her before the awards ceremony gives Forest’s (I Wanna Be Where You Are) sophomore novel a madcap quality, and hunky, soulful Milo makes a good love interest, but Evie’s privileged attitude—she’s sure everyone is trying to use her, and she’s too wrapped up in herself to notice what’s going on with her grandmother—grows tiresome. Press releases and articles about Evie’s grandparents and their on-again, off-again relationship stud the first-person narrative. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Acting and filmmaking are in Evie Jones's blood. Her parents are successful documentary producers, and her eccentric grandmother Gigi is the legendary film star Evelyn Conway. After landing a role in an upcoming thriller, Evie feels like everything has fallen into place for her rise to fame. Her ascent is quickly halted and her dreams are shattered when she is betrayed by her best friend. With aspirations of a second chance, Evie flies to New York to spend time with Gigi and hopefully use her grandmother's fame to land another starring role. Adventure ensues when Evie's elusive grandmother disappears, leaving only a grocery store delivery boy as the possible key to her location. As the two embark on a journey through New York City to locate the missing Gigi, Evie finds out that Milo is much more than just a delivery boy, and that things may not be as dire as she had previously suspected. This is a romantic adventure story full of life lessons and laughs. Multifaceted characters and an entertaining plotline make for an engaging story that teens are sure to enjoy. VERDICT For fans of Mary H.K. Choi's Permanent Record, Kasie West's Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss, or Maurene Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love.—Ellen Fitzgerald, Naperville P.L., IL

School Library Journal

Listeners are in for a romp around New York City when disgraced teen starlet Evie Jones arrives at her famous grandmother’s doorstep, looking for one last chance to save her career. Narrator Shayna Small evokes Evie’s easy confidence and West Coast attitude, which are shattered when she discovers that her grandmother has run away. Small also channels the grace and wisdom of Evie’s grandmother, who was a movie star in her day. Small removes years from her voice as Evie explores scenes from her grandmother’s past. In these moments Small’s performance conveys the warmth and love of their tight bond. Evie scours the city with Milo, a young musician whose bandmates bring plenty of boisterous energy and humor to the narration. Family and new friendships make this a romantic and heartfelt listen. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

AUGUST 2020 - AudioFile

2020-03-29
When an aspiring actress wrecks her big shot, she needs her grandmother’s help to salvage her career.

Right before high school graduation, Evie Jones finally gets her big break, and it’s a starring role. But when her jealous best friend, who also auditioned for the part, posts a video of Evie impersonating the director, she is fired. Desperate to continue her family’s legacy—her parents are documentary filmmakers; her grandmother Gigi is a legendary actress—Evie makes a deal with her grandmother’s least favorite person, James Jenkins, who is Gigi’s ex-husband and Evie’s former stepgrandfather. The former couple co-starred in a film that became a cult classic, and he wants to remake it, but without her grandmother’s approval, he won’t cast Evie as the female lead. When Gigi disappears, Evie enlists her grandmother’s handsome, 19-year-old musician friend Milo to help find her before time runs out on her comeback opportunity. Evie’s character development is slow, and she comes off as self-centered for most of the book; Milo, by contrast, stands out, and readers may be disappointed that more time isn’t spent on him and his hilarious, quirky friends. The pacing is also off, with the most interesting action packed into the final chapters, but the novel is a light, sincere look at parental expectations and artists’ dreams. The main characters are black, and there is a diverse cast of supporting characters.

Predictable but pleasant, with a swoonworthy ending straight out of the movies. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews