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Worst Case

Beck Anderson (Goodreads Author)

4.41 · Rating details · 22 Ratings · 16 Reviews

Will she risk the fall and take a leap of faith?

Vivi Lewis just wants to stay in one place for more than a minute. It’s April of her senior year, for crying out loud, and here she is again, packed into a beat-up white Toyota with her anxiety-ridden single mom, fleeing the Washington coast. She hopes that this move—the one that’s taken them inland to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho—wi ...more

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Paperback, 301 pages

Published January 16th 2018 by Margot + Burke Press

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Dec 06, 2017 Jennifer Lane rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, psychology, dysfunctional-family-fun, funny

Face the Worst Case

Anxiety is weird. When we feel anxious, we try to avoid the thing that's jacking up our sympathetic nervous system. Too bad avoidance often increases anxiety. The best strategy for reducing anxiety is to approach it head-on--ask a honey out on a date, deliver public speeches, drive to a friend's over snowy roads--but who has the gumption to do that?

Vivi Lewis just might be the one.

Vivi is a 17 year old whose mother's nervous system is on overdrive. Convinced the world is dange ...more

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Jan 16, 2018 Suze Lavender rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Vivi has to finish her senior year at a new school. It's already April when her mother decides they need to move again. Vivi has to start over once more and doesn't have high expectations of her final weeks in high school. Vivi's mother's anxiety is the cause of the frequent moving around the country and they're taking it with them wherever they go. Their new hometown is Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Will Vivi be able to finish her last weeks at school in peace?

When Vivi meets Win she knows she's foun Vivi has to finish her senior year at a new school. It's already April when her mother decides they need to move again. Vivi has to start over once more and doesn't have high expectations of her final weeks in high school. Vivi's mother's anxiety is the cause of the frequent moving around the country and they're taking it with them wherever they go. Their new hometown is Coeur d’Alene in Idaho. Will Vivi be able to finish her last weeks at school in peace?

When Vivi meets Win she knows she's found a kindred spirit. Win understands her weirdness and spending time with him brings her freedom, something she badly needs to balance the stressful times with her mother. Vivi hopes she and Win will get the chance to get to know each other better. How can she make sure her mother will stay long enough for them to have a proper chance? It's close to her eighteenth birthday, is it time for Vivi to start having her own life and can she do that to her mother who obviously needs her?

Worst Case is an amazing story about friendship, true love and family. I immediately loved the connection between Win and Vivi. Win is an incredibly sweet guy and I liked his gentle nature and his open and disarming personality a lot. Vivi never had the chance to make friends, so he's a breath of fresh air in her life. Vivi is a gentle and caring girl. She doesn't know how wonderful she is, but by spending time with Win she slowly finds out. I really enjoyed reading about the deep bond they form, it felt genuine and precious and I couldn't turn the pages quickly enough to discover if they'd have a chance together.

Beck Anderson writes about mental illness in a beautiful honest way. I was impressed by her accessible and conscientious approach of the anxiety Vivi and her mother are dealing with. She writes about this subject in a terrific believable way and the relationship between mother and daughter is a complicated and loving one. I admire how Beck Anderson combines serious topics with a gorgeous love story that made my heart melt. Worst Case is a very special book. It's moving, dynamic, original and impressive. I highly recommend this mesmerizing story. ...more

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Jan 09, 2018 Angy Potter - Collector of Book Boyfriends rated it it was amazing

Book Review: 5+++ Stars

Worst Case is about young love, facing fears, family and friendship.

Vivi is a 17 year old girl who has moved from city to city enough times in her short life. The day she and her mom arrive to Coeur d'Alene, Vivis so sure it’s going to be just like the other times they. They’d stay in this town for a little time and then, go to another city. Again. She’s used to the routine and understands the reasons behind every move but she’s tired of it all, because she couldn’t hav ...more

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Jan 18, 2018 Ellen ✦ Book Bellas ✦ rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, young-adult-romance

Beck Anderson is a fantastic writer and this realistic and heartwarming YA romance is a great entry in the genre! Loved the Idaho setting. Give this author a try, you won’t regret it.

"I’d love to tell you I didn’t care what other people thought of us, but that would be a lie. I’d also love to tell you I don’t care now that I’m older, but that’s not particularly true either. "

I very much enjoyed this story about family and young romance. The writing is clear and blunt and very real. There is a Beck Anderson is a fantastic writer and this realistic and heartwarming YA romance is a great entry in the genre! Loved the Idaho setting. Give this author a try, you won’t regret it.

"I’d love to tell you I didn’t care what other people thought of us, but that would be a lie. I’d also love to tell you I don’t care now that I’m older, but that’s not particularly true either. "

I very much enjoyed this story about family and young romance. The writing is clear and blunt and very real. There is a lack of stereotypes and cliches which I found very refreshing. I find that very often, Young Adult books have one-dimensional characters and I liked the nuances of the characters and of the relationships in this book.

Vivi has moved to Coeur d'Alene with her mother just before the end of her senior yera in high school. It is clear very early on that something is amiss with her mother and yet Vivi soldiers on, making the best of her situation. While she is fearful of being the "New Girl" in school, she quickly makes new friends and finds herself feeling at home in her new surroundings.

Vivi meets an incredible boy named Win and they become fast friends. Win has his own family fears and his own anxieties but he shows Vivi a whole new world. Finally she is living life like a "normal" teenager" and she loves it. But she still must deal with her mother. I loved how Vivi grew and changed as a person an really learned to find her own voice. And Win! He was just fantastic.

"He touches me then, right above Great Aunt Agnes’s silver spoon that I bent into a bracelet, and that’s it. I’m done for. A good-looking guy speaks to me and makes physical contact? In my desperate little brain that’s tantamount to a marriage proposal."

This was a surprisingly rich and poignant story about facing your fears and overcoming your past.

"I wish I could have known him before Franny left. I wonder if he carried himself just a little taller, a little lighter. But we all are made of our history. Like sand deposited on a faraway beach, our lives add little grains to who we are every day."

I also absolutely LOVED the Idaho setting. If I had any complaint at all about this book it would that I would have loved a longer story! The characters all warranted it. If you love Young Adult romance, give 'Worst Case' a try. Beck Anderson has a very unique voice that gives life to her characters.

“Love you up and down,” I begin.

“Forward and backward,” she continues. She gives me a little kiss on the tips of my fingers in return.

“And always,” I finish.

...more

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Jan 18, 2018 Books Laid Bare rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Some stories make the make my world a better place…this is one of them.
Moving to somewhere new, is nothing new to Vivi, neither is living with the crippling anxiety that her mother deals with on a daily basis because while it is her mother that calls the shots, it is Vivi the deals with the consequences…like having to finish her education at yet another new High School, this time in the delightfully named Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
I felt an empathy for Vivi that drew her to me, instinct telling me tha Some stories make the make my world a better place…this is one of them.
Moving to somewhere new, is nothing new to Vivi, neither is living with the crippling anxiety that her mother deals with on a daily basis because while it is her mother that calls the shots, it is Vivi the deals with the consequences…like having to finish her education at yet another new High School, this time in the delightfully named Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
I felt an empathy for Vivi that drew her to me, instinct telling me that this character, her pain and her happiness would matter, I could almost hear my internal self, beginning to plead for a happy ever after for her.
With a few weeks left of school, I had high hopes that this uniquely beautiful young woman would find the peace that she needed to achieve her goals, so when she struck up a friendship with Win, I could feel a cloud lift , only to quickly be replaced by my overactive imagination and a plethora of what if’s…I mean she hasn’t had it easy up till now…always been at her mother’s heel so to speak but would her bond with the fabulously sweet Win be what she needs to find the true Vivi?
Win was a gem of character, he was a true friend to Vivi, encouraging her to cut loose and experience life as a normal (almost) 18-year-old. But could she see her bigger picture or would the tether of her mother and her anxieties always hang heavy over her?
The connection between Win and Vivi was deeper than I anticipated, their souls connected in a way that was genuinely disarming. Win brought out the best in Vivi, his breath of fresh air was all she needed to spread her wings and learn to fly. They grew together, they learnt much about not only each other but also themselves and laughed more than either would have considered possible.
I felt sorry for Vivi’s mother, the illness she suffered from, the anxiety that crippled her and blighted not only her life but that of her child was an all too real situation that I thought the author handled with the most delicate of gloves, she gave both mother and daughter the opportunity to feel their way through their relationship and to harness what they needed in order to keep their relationship as close as it could be, after all they had been through so much together, that is not something that can be swept under the carpet.
Watching the characters grow, seeing their eyes open to all that they have around them and encouraging them to explore and express what they’re thinking and feeling is Beck Anderson at her very best. This is an author that hides nothing, that lays it all out before you and takes you by the hand through the most difficult of subjects but with the deftest of touches, ensuring that you come away having not only experienced a most beautiful love story but that you also have an appreciation and understanding of a subject that may not have touched you before, that being the pain that is mental illness.
...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I’ll begin my review by saying that I hail from the same corner of the world as Beck Anderson, and we’ve both apparently visited many of the same incredible places. Any time I read one of Beck’s books, I have a giddy reaction to locations I know well.

Worst Case is no exception, and I delighted in the familiar setting of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. If you haven’t been to this beautiful resort town, you’ll just have to take my word for it. Beck describes it all elegantly – the geography, the atmosphere, ...more

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Feb 28, 2018 Clara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, sent-by-the-author-or-publisher, contemporary

2.5 stars

This book was sent to me by the author in exchange of an honest opinion.

I really wish I would have loved this book but unfotunately, it didn't work out for me. Everything was there: Hamilton/Star Wars/Anna Karenina references, a beautiful way to describe anxiety (from which I suffer too). But I couldn't get into the story, care about the characters or anything. Everything was too quick, the writing style didn't grow on me and I found it too simple, I didn't understand the characters and ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Susi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 1/2 Stars! This is the second book I’ve read by Beck Anderson and I truly enjoyed it. I really connected with the characters in many ways.

Full review coming up on blog soon.

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Jan 08, 2018 Trinette rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Full review to come.

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Feb 26, 2018 Brittany from Can’t Quit Books rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Worse Case is a YA book about anxiety and finding yourself.
Vivi is a senior in high school who has moved so many times in her lifetime. Her mom moves them when she gets scared. Win is also a senior who is dealing with his own troubles. Through the course of a month, Vivi and Win begin to develop a relationship. However, secrets are withheld, anxiety is at an all-time high, and their future is taking separate paths. Will these two decide that each other’s struggles are too much to handle, or wil ...more

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Apr 01, 2018 Kaitlin marked it as quit · review of another edition

I quit 7% in, and even so early on it felt like it was moving way too fast. I also felt like I noticed an overabundance of commas?

The two main characters - Vivi and Win - were also just a little too odd for me. Win isn't quite as bad, but he comes across as overtly social and too outgoing in his first interaction with Vivi and it's something that would make me feel a little awkward and uncomfortable if it was me.

Vivi decides to forgo homeschooling as a way to finish off the less than a month she ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Frank Finn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

ViVi just wants a chance to live the life of a normal high school student. But she finds herself dragged to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, by her phobic mother who sees disaster looming around every corner (earthquakes, tsunamis, you name it). So as Worst Case opens, ViVi's starting at a new high school in April of her senior year, no less. What could be weirder? But she's in luck--the first person she meets is the charming Win, a gregarious, handsome guy who recognizes in her a kindred spirit.

And so, li ...more

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Jan 23, 2018 Shala rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. This book amazed me. The anxiety representation is good in here. It doesn't romanticize it at all. Its a real look at what life with anxiety and PTSD is like. Our characters were real and flawed, which is always a plus for me.
2 small critiques.
1. There were some moments that could be triggering for those with anxiety, so please tread lightly.
2. There is one trope in here that I don't really love. It was subtle, but there no ...more

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Feb 24, 2018 Mervilyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: earc

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○ i have a physical copy
○ read an e-version, will definitely purchase physical book
● read an e-version, a physical book will be appreciated
○ read an e-version, not interested in its physical book
● a page-turner
● less than 500 pages
● diverse in any way (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
○ something’s lacking
● took me a long time to finish (but that’s because of extra school stuff)
○ an LMAO read
○ i laughed more than a few times
○ it’s j u s t awkward
○ gave me goosebumps
○ one of the best book ...more

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eugenia rated it liked it
May 01, 2018

Linda rated it really liked it
Jan 23, 2018

Zaira Contreras rated it it was amazing
Feb 16, 2018

Jan 25, 2018 JC rated it really liked it

I loved the palindromes and the cute puns. The lessons they learned was a good one. Winnie and Vivi were too adorable. They make me want to find a bf to have adventures with.

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Deperately rated it really liked it
Feb 28, 2018

Harley Phillips rated it it was amazing
May 13, 2018

Monica Anne rated it really liked it
Dec 20, 2017

Feb 21, 2018 ReadingWritingAndMe rated it it was amazing

Worst Case by Beck Anderson (308 pages)
Overview: Vivi has moved a dozen times in the thirteen years she's been in school. Her most recent move takes her and her mother from Washington to Idaho where, maybe, they can finally be safe. The move also brings her to Win, another high school senior she meets on the bus. While Win helps Vivi navigate the last twenty days of her high school career, they make plans for a future they both know will be cut short, either by Vivi's mom uprooting again or Win Worst Case by Beck Anderson (308 pages)
Overview: Vivi has moved a dozen times in the thirteen years she's been in school. Her most recent move takes her and her mother from Washington to Idaho where, maybe, they can finally be safe. The move also brings her to Win, another high school senior she meets on the bus. While Win helps Vivi navigate the last twenty days of her high school career, they make plans for a future they both know will be cut short, either by Vivi's mom uprooting again or Win leaving for college in Reno. But in their short time together, they may discover a few things about themselves they didn't know before. Overall: 4.5

Characters: 5 Vivi and Win are such vibrant, strong characters. From the moment they meet, you can feel the chemistry oozing from every interaction. Maybe it's a bit like insta love, but in a totally refreshing way. Win helps aimless Vivi think about a future beyond taking care of her anxious, single mother, and Vivi helps Win embrace some of his more complicated past. They have a really great relationship that is both swoon worthy and the perfect example of give and take.
The adults in the story are also very well crafted. As the story progresses, we get to delve farther into the source of her mom's anxiety and how it has possibly developed into more. I think that the storyline about caring for a parent with mental health issues perfectly complements the story and Vivi's issues with her own anxiety.
The character of Jack from down Lakeshore Drive is also a great adult-teen connection as Jack embraces Vivi as a granddaughter after they get to know each other better from Vivi's morning runs past his house. Jack's past experience as a high school councilor proves important to motivating Vivi to change some things about her life, and Jack's wife, Naomi, tries to give Vivi and her mother a social group they feel welcomed to.

Plot: 5 It was hard to put the book down after reading the first page. Even though the chapters are long, the scene breaks make them manageable and enjoyable to read. The events were both entertaining and great for the development of the story.

Writing: 5 Anderson had me from the opening scene where she beautifully gives you an idea of the story's basis and what Vivi and her mother have to cope with. Every word is expertly chose and draws you into the story so that you're living in Vivi and Win's world, not just reading about it. ...more

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About Beck Anderson

Beck Anderson

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Beck Anderson believes in the power of perfectly imperfect women and in the healing power of love.

A two-time Rita© finalist, she's the author of five novels including the Fix You series and The Jeweler. Her latest novel, Worst Case, is her first YA work and released 1/16/18.

Beck balances (clumsily at best) writing novels and screenplays, working full-time as an educator, mothering two boys, lovi ...more