Rating as a movie: PG-15 could be PG-13 with the editing of some of the profanity and underage drinking

Gradually add the warmed vegetable broth, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Continue this process until the rice is cooked through and creamy, about 18-20 minutes. Goffney’s ability to delve into such complex and nuanced themes to create a compelling, three dimensional story always has me in awe—and My Week With Him is no different. Taking a slightly darker tone than her previous books, the story centres around eighteen year old Nikki and the toxic relationship with her abusive mother. Book Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult, Young Adult ContemporaryWOW!!! This is the first book I'm reading from this author and I am absolutely blown away!! I don't often pay much attention to the synopsis so I went into this pretty much blind; I expected a sweet YA romcom and although it wasn't quite that, it was incredible and I'm so so glad the author went in the direction she did!! I loved the time-keeping, it would've been very easy to shove too much into a week but the time-stamps and the way events unfolded was done very skilfully, which made it read like just a very busy week!! I was a big fan of Joya Goffney’s previous books, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry and Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl so I was eager to read her latest, but something just didn’t hit the spot with My Week With Him. It is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional if you suspect your baby has this, as it requires medical intervention,” it concludes. I push it further, describing symptoms of serious dehydration and asking for advice, and again it begins its answer: “I’m not a doctor” before reciting a long list of things “you could consider doing”.

From Joya Goffney of Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, comes a stirring YA coming-of-age, best friends-to-lovers romance about a girl named Nikki who plans to run away from small-town Texas, but ultimately finds that her oldest friend, Mal, just might be the one who’s been there for her all along. Filled with heart and humor, this novel captures complex family drama, friendship, and love. For fans of I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest and Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan. For ChatGPT, I ask it a detailed question, listing every circumstance of my trip that I think is relevant – the size of my family, my daughter’s Down’s syndrome, where in Tokyo we would be staying, and so on – and then ask it to answer each question three times, from the point of view of a British tourist, a British expat and a Tokyo native, explaining after each answer which parts of my own circumstances make it a relevant answer. I like how we got to explore all aspects of Nikki’s emotions, from the hate she has for her mother (rightfully so), the love, the anger. It was so hard to see Nikki hope, and to hope along with her that things would start to be okay, and to see her hurt again. It was a complicated relationship, to put simply. I like at the end we did get some growth (I won’t spoil too much) yet not all was forgiven, nor did characters magically change overnight in to perfect versions of themselves. It was messy, but it felt real.I like the way this booked balanced all the different themes and plots. To the complicated and abusive family relationship, the complicated romance (so many complications!), to exploring what it’s like to be adopted…it all felt so well done and well handled. Ooo and oh my gosh, the scene where Nikki was moisturizing Mal's hair!! Ahhh i love it!! Something about acts of service is so beautiful, loving, and intimate to me! 😩❤️

One aspect of Goffney’s writing that I’ve always enjoyed and found to be her strength is the strength to make me feel. This book really had me emotional. Like I said, I was feeling all of Nikki’s hurt. When she felt betrayed by her sister, I was so angry and found it difficult to swallow when Nikki seemingly wasn’t as angry as me anymore. When Nikki cried, I cried. This book was an emotional journey.I heard through the grapevine that Joya was quite nervous for how "My Week With Him" would be received. I totally understand why, it's a lot grittier than her previous work - a lot more swearing etc, but I found that it made it more believable. Having lived through a difficult mother/daughter relationship throughout my teens, I found "My Week With Him" so relatable & realistic. Nikki was forever in a state of limbo with her mother, never knowing where she stood with her.