If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson Book Review

Title: If I Fix You
Author: Abigail Johnson
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Pages: 320

When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker’s mom walks out—with a sticky note as a goodbye—only Jill knows the real reason she’s gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.

Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.

With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .

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My Thoughts

Jill Whitaker is such a thoughtful character and I love that about her. Another thing I thought was well written was the father-daughter relationship. You can tell that family matters a lot, especially at this time. Jill has spent time working together at her father's shop since she was a younger girl, where her father helped her discover her love for mechanics and cars. Jill's fascination for mechanics differs her from the other girls and makes her character unique.

I rolled out on my creeper, sat up and spun to face him in a way that still made me grin like a four-year-old. I didn’t even mind that the momentum made my dark blond braid slap me in the face.

Since the incident between her mom and best friend (also her long time crush), things have been hard for Jill. Every day she avoids Sean because looking at him brings back the pain from that one Tuesday night. Claire, another close friend of Jill's, who is also her running buddy, steps in and tries to solve the tension between Jill and Sean. A while after the three of them start running together, it didn't hurt Jill as much to see Sean. 

Maybe all the years spent listening to my parents fighting had anesthetized me to clipped and angry speech, but the slimy slithery feeling in my gut was dissipating.

Jill's first time meeting her new neighbor isn’t ideal, but soon she finds out that Daniel, like her, also has family problems of his own. Jill finds herself trying to fix Daniel's problems, but Daniel’s problems (and scars) might not be so easy to fix. She realizes that she might need to fix herself first before moving on. When a certain someone shows up in front of Jill bringing unexpected news, she is now forced to face her own problems and come up with a solution for fixing.  

It's a good debut novel

Star Rating: ★★★★☆ (4)

It was a good book, and overall I liked it. The author portrayed Jill as such a thoughtful person and it broke my heart to see her hurt. Going on Jill's emotional rollercoaster was hard, but that means the author did a good job making us feel that way. Jill was also very mature and it showed a different perspective to teens than how we normally see them.

One thing I thought could have been better would be the romance part. It wasn't the best but I definitely think it wasn't the worst either, but the book was more focused on the importance of friendship and family so I understand why the romance was a little more on the side. I think family and friendship is important, so I appreciate the author making that a big deal in the novel.

Continue reading to discover how Jill is portrayed in the book. Let us find out together about the unexpected that shows up in front of Jill and what kind of news he or she brings (not giving any spoilers)! Discover how Jill navigates her summer in the practice of fixing herself first. Happy reading!

About the Author

Abigail Johnson was born in Pennsylvania. When she was twelve, her family traded in snowstorms for year-round summers and moved to Arizona. Abigail chronicled the entire cross-country road trip in a purple spiral-bound notebook that she still has, and has been writing ever since. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, writing and directing a high-school production of Cinderella, and riding roller coasters every chance she gets. She is the author of several young adult novels including If I Fix You and Every Other Weekend.