Pull by Jaime Winn follows the life of Mischa, a high school student who is attempting to navigate the stress and relationships that come with being a teenager. All while trying to avoid a ‘flare’ up from her lupus, and strange recurring dreams. When she eventually starts a relationship with Casey, the boy of her dreams, things begin to get even more weird, and everything starts to get a little out of control.

The flow of the story and the steady build up of tension throughout the novel are written excellently. Within each chapter the reader can feel the anticipation building and it leaves them curious as to what is going to happen next. As each chapter changes narrative perspective from Mischa to Casey, it allows readers to get an overview of what both teenagers are going through and see the story unfold from multiple perspectives. By using specific descriptive language, Jaime Winn is able to transport the story to specific settings. For example phrases such as ‘hanging in the air like that fruity body mist’ or ‘chlorine in the pool hallway… give me a headache’ focus on the senses and allow the reader to imagine they are once again walking the hallways at their old schools.

Pull by Jaime Winn is a fantastic young adult book that steadily builds intrigue and tension towards the climax. The underlying story throughout keeps the reader engaged, but I felt that the story could be a little slow in places. The dialogue is short but engaging and echoes the awkwardness that most teenagers go through. Pull is a riveting novel that is punctuated by emotional turmoil that feels authentic and relatable.

Pull will be available August 2, 2022