Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi really moved up higher on my TBR stack when I saw Eric Smith tweeting about it. There’s just something about unbridled enthusiasm that convinces me to read a book. And so, I decided I need to read this book sooner rather than later. I absolutely do not regret this decision. I felt that this book was an endearing, excellent read about finding yourself and not letting your past define your future.
Autofocus follows main character Maude as she works on a project for her photography class. Maude is adopted. Her biological mom died soon after her birth due to an undetected heart condition. Maude has always been left with questions about her mother. She wants to know what they have in common, she thinks it will unlock the key to who she is. So, when she is assigned a photography class project around the word family, she decides to find answers about her mom.
This takes Maude to Florida State University, where she is visiting her best friend Treena. This is also where her mother went to school and grew up in the area. While at the school, Maude learns that Treena has changed a whole lot – she’s now wrapped up in this guy named Trey. Maude also makes some changes herself and finds herself getting close with this guy named Bennett.
Maude is the sort of character who really seems to have her head on straight. I mean, she’s a good girl but that’s not necessarily a negative. She’s always been pretty reserved with few friends. In fact, it seems she really has two friends – Treena and Celine. She is not one for going out and partying and hooking up with boys. Neither was Treena, until college. I liked that Maude was allowed to experiment and try drinking. She acted in a way that I thought seemed consistent with reality. I also liked how committed Maude was to being a good friend.
Actually, speaking of Maude, her journey to find more information about her family in Autofocus is so interesting. She hits a lot of dead ends. She comes across disappointment. Sure, Maude finds out some information about her mother Claire. However, ultimately we learn it is not about the destination, but the journey and it does change Maude for better. Also there’s a lot of discussion about nature versus nurture which makes this book one that I think is ripe for discussion.
Finally, the last two big factors regarding this book that I cared about were the college factor and the romance factor. Maude is visiting a college for what seems like the first time, on her own. She gets the real experience. She sees her friend Treena change from how she was in high school and just transform. Treena is now outgoing and dating some jock guy who is a bit of a ladies man. I liked that Maude engaged in partying, as I said above. I liked that she began to take her time and really think about what she wants from college.
Also? The romance with Bennett is super cute and progresses at a great pace. In all, I absolutely enjoyed this book and am so glad I happened to catch this recommendation at some point on twitter.
Other reviews of Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi:
- Great Imaginations – “more family-based, than romantic-based“
- Stay Bookish – “YA contemporary fans can happily devour“
- A Reader Of Fictions – “I liked it, but it doesn’t stand out too much“
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