Anna K

Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.

Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather a sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie. {goodreads summary}

I haven't read Anna Karenina since I was the age of the characters in this book, so Anna K was a really interesting way to return to this story. I loved all the little hints to the original, but also the very fresh modern twist Jenny Lee gives her retelling. 

Anna K is a story of love, luxury and letting go of who the world expects you to be. Here are three reasons I would recommend it:

1) I loved all the main protagonists and was never disappointed when the viewpoint shifted - everyone's story line was unique and interesting, and I enjoyed them all. Having an insight into everyone's thoughts meant I was never suspicious of characters having ulterior motives. It was also great to see so much diversity in the characters - this is Gossip Girl for the 2020s.

2) This novel is full of moments of astute social commentary, addressing difficult topics which affect teenagers today, in particular mental health and social media. Kimmie's story arc was particularly strong from this point of view, but I also loved Steven and Lolly's discussions about the gender imbalance when it comes to cheating. Drugs featured quite prevalently in Anna K, but the novel explored their less glamorous, sometimes devastating, side to great effect. 

3) The ending took me completely by surprise - which is saying something as the ending was probably what I could remember most vividly from the original. 

Anna K was utterly addictive and a lot of fun, retaining the spirit of the original but bringing it firmly into 2020.

Thank you Penguin for letting me review Anna K via NetGalley.