If Only
Adele Broadbent
OneTree House
pub. 2020

February 8, 2021

If Only is a novel about Kayla Ferris who is fifteen, has a best friend, laughs about boys and loves movies. But one day she breaks the rules. She lies, and that changes everything.

The book describes how Kayla reacts to problems with her friends and family which a lot of teenagers have to deal with and think about when they get older. It tells a story of how one night can change everything and how it can really open people’s eyes. As Kayla starts to befriend a boy who saves whales she starts to realise who her real friends are.

I believe that this book is written very comparably to another fantastic read named Confessions of an Angry Girl written by Louise Rozett. In Louise Rozett’s 2012 novel she lets the main character narrate the story and tell the readers her thoughts and feelings. The same happens in If Only. Both of the girls are in their early years at high school and are going through some difficult times with themselves and others.

I believe that Adele Broadbent wanted all readers to make connections with the characters and situations in the book and to get swept away by the storyline.

If Only involves so much suspense that it makes you not want to put it down. A good book makes you cry, get angry, smile and laugh and this book ticks off all of the boxes. This one is told by the main character and at the end of every chapter, there is one sentence that leaves you on edge. It’s a story about the love of whales that could bring people together or break them apart.

Project Jonah is an environmental organisation in New Zealand that helps marine mammals with strandings and the project looks after their home. I love how parts of this book are based on how Project Jonah saves whales on our beaches. If you want to learn more about what this organisation does, you can go to their website here.

I recommend this book to readers who are interested in romantic, animal or mystery stories. The author has done a great job of letting the reader feel everything the characters are going through. Many people who read the first chapter will get hooked in on the story and relate to the character’s situations. Adele Broadbent has done a fabulous job of the blurb about the book by adding the title of the book into the sentences and giving it a mystery feel.

Overall, I believe that this excellent read has soul and meaning to it. It takes a few days to read but leaves you wondering what the outcome would be if things in the book took a different turn. In my opinion, the moral of the story would be to be true to yourself and others around you. If Only is a book with an unthinkable storyline that keeps you wanting to know what’s on the next page.

• Sophie Whittaker is a student at Awahono School on the West Coast.