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Sarina Bowen
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The Accidentals Kindle Edition

by Sarina Bowen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,113 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
See all formats and editions
A YA novel from USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth.

I’ve been listening to my father sing for my whole life. I carry him in my pocket on my mp3 player. It’s just that we’ve never met face to face.

My mother would never tell me how I came to be, or why my rock star father and I have never met. I thought it was her only secret. I was wrong.

When she dies, he finally appears. Suddenly I have a first class ticket into my father’s exclusive world. A world I don’t want any part of – not at this cost. 

Only three things keep me going: my a cappella singing group, a swoony blue-eyed boy named Jake, and the burning questions in my soul.


There’s a secret shame that comes from being an unwanted child. It drags me down, and puts distance between me and the boy I love.

My father is the only one alive who knows my history. I need the truth, even if it scares me.

"With intense, honest depictions of hope and rejection, The Accidentals will break your heart. Highly recommend." - Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan
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  1. Print length
    322 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    July 10, 2018
  5. File size
    1563 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
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  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brilliant story." USA Today "Sarina Bowen delivers a beautifully written, richly textured novel that is unputdownable from the start." Natasha is a Book Junkie "The Accidentals' is one hell of a YA debut for Sarina Bowen" Hypable "With intense, honest depictions of hope and rejection, The Accidentals will break your heart. Highly recommend." - Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan

"What Sarina Bowen has created with this book is a symphony of words for the heart and soul. The Accidentals grabs hold of your emotions from the first page, and it won't let go until you've reached the very end." Ginger Scott, Bestselling and Goodreads Choice Nominated Author "A story of discovering who you are and finding love and belonging where you least expected it." Totally Booked "I'm proudly sporting dark smudges under my eyes this morning after pulling an all-nighter to read THE ACCIDENTALS in one sitting. I think it's Sarina Bowen's best work yet." Reading Frenzy

From the Author

Sarina Bowen answers your questions about The Accidentals. Q: Is this a romance?A: Yes and no! There is a lovely romance with a swoony hero. But there's also a whole lot more going on in this story. Q: Will I like it?A: Yes, if you like boarding school tales, Cinderella stories, a cappella singing, rock stars and dark family secrets. Q: Is this really a YA novel?A: Absolutely. It's suitable for teen readers. 

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07DH5MJ4X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tuxbury Publishing LLC (July 10, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 10, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1563 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1,113 ratings

About the author

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Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen

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Sarina Bowen's contemporary and LGBT romance novels have hit the USA Today bestsellers list twenty times. Formerly a Wall Street derivatives trader, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University. She lives in New Hampshire with her family, nine chickens, and far too much hockey gear.

She would be honored to connect with you at http://www.sarinabowen.com

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
1,113 global ratings
All the beautiful stars for The Accidentals!
5 Stars
All the beautiful stars for The Accidentals!
All the beautiful stars for The Accidentals! I'm no stranger to Sarina Bowen's writing, she's my most-read author after all! Her writing is always pure gold and easily pulls at all of your emotions. I expected nothing less for The Accidentals, but got so much more!"Music has always been my drug of choice."Rachel Kress is dealing with the loss of her mother just before her senior year of high school. She never met her father but kept him close as he's a famous musician. She knew everything about him. Then she finally meets him and there's a lot to be desired.Frederick Richards never took responsibility of anything, including his daughter. He figured that sending checks every month would suffice, but when he has to step up to the plate and parent, he has no clue where to begin."There's a difference between simple embarrassment and deep shame."There was so much growth in this book, typical to any well-written young adult novel, but the development of Rachel's character as well as Frederick's was beautiful. Their apprehension, friendship, and bond, it was so beautifully written. Sarina orchestrated teenage life perfectly with Rachel denying her best friend more of a relationship, building something with her new college friends, etc. Every paragraph was better than the last.I would hope that Sarina writes more in the YA genre. I really think she can do no wrong, and The Accidentals proves just that.
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Top reviews from the United States

Cassie
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing YA Debut
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
First of all, Sarina is a word goddess. I kind of can’t believe this is her YA debut. She seems to have mastered the essence of YA on her first “go.” She brings real issues and happenings of those coming of age and writes them gracefully and tactfully. She took the popular “happily ever after... for now” and nailed it. It left just enough happy that we could never hear of these characters again and know life was good while still leaving the door cracked to give us hope for more. This may be an unpopular aspect of YA but I happen to love the open book endings. It is like a personification of their youth.

Rachel has had the weight of the world dumped on her shoulders and heart. Reading her navigate through her new way of life was gut wrenching but beautiful. Besides the rockstar dad, Rachel is an insanely believable character and is someone most people can . Her inner battle of good vs angry vs bad Rachel is relatable to any teenager and/ young adult. Sarina nailed the “voice” of a tragedy-stricken teen.

Jake. First, I love him. Second, I REALLY love him. He is the quintessential YA hero but has his own quirks that make him stand out. He is patient, passionate, and possibly the hottest nerd I have ever read. He is still a guy and definitely had his moments which made him all the more believable. I love that he is sweet, but is also easily frustrated when challenges arise emotionally and sexually. It shows his youth and growth potential because no 18 year old is a saint.

Again, Sarina is a word goddess. This book is John Green level with a pinch more romance. It is clever, it is packed full of situations and lessons teens learn, and it is written beautifully. If YA is your thing then don’t miss out on this one. And even if you don’t read YA, this book is still worth it. ANYONE who reads this book will most likely enjoy it.
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Corina Paris
4.0 out of 5 stars Reading this book was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2018
Verified Purchase
4.5 stars

Reading this book was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.

The Accidentals was so much more than just a YA novel. But it was also so very different from what I came to expect form the YA trope.

Sarina Bowen’s first YA novel was emotional, touching in an understated way but that didn’t hold back the punches.

Like I mentioned before, reading this book was easy. It’s the epitome of a feel good novel that should be on anyone’s reading list. This book had everything I love about a Sarina Bowen novel. It had wonderful writing, dialogues that made me laugh out loud, and characters that were charming, genuine, and immediately likable.

There was nothing in this book I didn’t like.

It didn’t have the WOW or OMG effect. What it did have instead was the ability to leave me glowing with a feeling of being fully satisfied and utterly surprised by this heartwarming story. This book felt very differently compared to many other YA books. It felt genuine and hear-felt even without the typical emotional rollercoaster. It rather concentrated on relationships, their intricacies, nuances, and how imperfect they truly are, but also how much love they can give.

Mistakes can turn into life lessons. And the willingness to change the status quo, opens new doors to new and meaningful relationships. Giving second chances, not giving up, and just being open to the shortcomings of all things human was the overall message that pulled on my heartstrings.

I read this book in two days, and if I hadn’t been traveling and was forced to being an adult, I would have finished this book without interruptions, because honestly I didn’t want to put it down.

This heartwarming and unique story touched my heart and didn’t let go.

The Accidentals was way more than what I could have imagined. And I can only recommend it to anyone that loves a wonderful story, that leaves you smiling and utterly satisfied.
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Lenoreo @ Celebrity Readers
5.0 out of 5 stars YA Perfection
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
I received a free copy through the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4.5 stars — For a first foray into young adult, Ms. Bowen really nailed the feel of it — I ADORED IT!!! I loved all the different struggles we got to experience with Rachel. From navigating through her grief, adjusting to a father she’s never met, friendships that change and grow, and first love, it was all beautifully poignant, but not without its humour as well.

Rachel was pretty easy to like. I felt for everything she was going through, and I even recalled some of my own struggles with grief as a teenager. While I was fortunate enough to have a loving mother to hold me up, I still recognized that great sense of loss. A strange thing that I appreciated in Rachel was that she didn’t always behave the best, or make the best choices…she very much felt like a teenager testing boundaries, experiencing fear, and becoming irrational over different things. It can make it hard to read sometimes, but it also made her feel more authentic.

I also appreciated that while we eventually learn a few things about Frederick and how his role as Rachel’s father played out, there wasn’t some magical reason why he was absent. Ms. Bowen didn’t let him off the hook, because sometimes people just make bad choices and then they have to live with those consequences. I appreciated the way their relationship developed over the course of the book. It might have seemed smoother at the beginning, but that’s partially because Rachel wasn’t opening herself up to him out of fear of being abandoned. So it was interesting to see her act out in different places once she became a bit more sure. Frederick had a lot to learn himself, and I appreciated that he didn’t magically become super Dad, but we saw him fumble his way along with good intentions.

I loved the side plot with Jake, and the romance that developed there. I wouldn’t classify the book as a romance, but we did get lots of great goosebumpy stuff between the two of them. I was in love with Jake from the first email, and he was swoonworthy through the whole thing. I love a good nerdy boy, he was so sweet and just…GAH! I also appreciated that we got to see his own insecurities, and that they had their own stumbling blocks. Again, it felt very real.

So many other great side characters. I LOVED Rachel’s roommate Aurora…she was sassy and funny, and while it was totally foreshadowed to the reader what she was hiding, I thought it played out in a satisfying way. And I came to really appreciate Norah as well, even as Rachel struggled with her. I love how so many of these little storylines really showcase all the fumbling blocks of being a young adult, and showcase Rachel’s growth in different ways. I will admit that Alice didn’t grow on me as much, but I think she wasn’t supposed to. It was interesting to see so many flawed characters in this story…all with their own baggage. I could understand them even as I wanted to throttle them. But the trifecta of Franklin, Ernie, and Carlos was perfection. It was so nice to see such genuinely good guys in the background.

I could write more and more, though at this point I feel like I’m just repeating myself. I ADORED the musical touches in the story, from the rock side, to the a cappella side, to bits of musical theory. Straight shot, this was YA perfection in my opinion. I kind of wish I’d had more time to dedicate to reading it start to finish, without large gaps in between. Guess I’ll have to save that for a reread.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gina
5.0 out of 5 stars Relaxing little road trip
Reviewed in Canada on October 10, 2022
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Just what I needed to escape reality a bit! I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I enjoyed everything in it and found it refreshing and so very enjoyable. I teared up a couple times too. Great read! Thanks so much to the writer!
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Jessica
5.0 out of 5 stars The Accidentals
Reviewed in Germany on January 21, 2021
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Rachel hat ihren Vater noch nie persönlich getroffen. Seine Stimme jedoch kennt sie nur zu gut, denn er ist ein Rockstar und Rachel hört seine Musik oft an. Als nun jedoch ihre Mutter stirbt, wird ihr Vater eingeschaltet und er holt sie zu sich. Rachel, die bisher nur in Florida war, kommt nun erst nach Kalifornien, nur um dann nach Vermont an ihre neue Schule zu kommen. Eine ganz neue Welt eröffnet sich ihr. Neue Freunde, neue A-cappella Gruppe und auch die Beziehung zu ihrem Vater und seiner Familie vertieft sich.
Die Bücher von Sarina Bowen schaffen es immer wieder mich zu begeistern. Ich mochte bisher alle ihre Bücher und auch hier hat sie es wieder geschafft. Während ich von ihr bisher nur New Adult und Romance gelesen habe, war dies mein erstes YA. Es gibt eine Liebesgeschichte, hierauf liegt jedoch nicht der Fokus des Buches. Der liegt eher auf Rachel und der Beziehung zu ihrem Vater, die sie langsam aufbaut und aber auch auf ihr selbst. Ihre Trauerbewältigung und wie sie Schritt für Schritt mehr zu sich selbst findet nach der schrecklichen Zeit, die sie hinter sich hat.
Der Tod ihrer Mutter hat sie ganz schön mitgenommen und auch wenn ihr bester Freund ihr in der ganzen Zeit beigestanden hat, hat er sich nicht immer richtig verhalten. Ihr Vater, zwar auch nicht, aber er versucht es auf seine Art wieder gut zu machen. Und dass Rachel diese Beziehung zu ihm aufbauen will merkt man sehr schnell. Wenn es nach ihr gegangen wäre, hätte sie ihn schon viel früher kennengelernt. Aber die Ablehnung ihrer Mutter und seine Abwesenheit, haben sie vorsichtig werden lassen. Vertrauen aufbauen fällt ihr nicht leicht. Zwar findet sie schnell Anschluss und 2 gute Freunde, von denen einer mehr als nur ein Freund sein könnte, dennoch bleibt ihre Angst wieder verlassen zu werden da. Und gerade dafür lässt die Geschichte sich Zeit.
Auch die verschiedenen Orte fand ich sehr schön beschrieben und einiges an Handlung spielt sich in ihnen ab. Während wir in Florida Rachels altes Leben kennenlernen, trifft sie in Kalifornien auf die Band ihres Vaters und in Vermont auf ihre neuen Freunde und besucht ihre neue Schule. Ihre neuen Freunde mochte ich wirklich sehr. Auroras offene Art macht es Rachel leicht sich zu öffnen und Jake fand ich ja schon nach der ersten E-Mail toll. Und das hat sich beim weiteren kennenlernen nicht geändert. Nette Typen haben einfach etwas an sich das ich mag.
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Client Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Très bon roman.
Reviewed in France on November 12, 2020
Verified Purchase
J aime cette auteure, son style, ses idées. Donc, il est normal que j apprecie ce roman. J attends la prochaine sortie pour son nouveau livre maintenant.
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Susi
5.0 out of 5 stars Bookish Advisor review
Reviewed in Italy on July 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
Leggere i romanzi di Sarina Bowen è come tornare a casa dopo un lungo periodo di assenza. Ormai sono anni che leggo l'autrice americana ma mai manca di sorprendermi, emozionarmi e appassionarmi alle sue storie, che queste siano sport romance, romcom, semplici contemporary o come in questo caso, un bellissimo coming of age che si snoda in uno che è diventato subito uno dei YA più belli che io abbia mai letto.

The Accidentals è la storia di una ragazza che alla soglia dei 18 anni perde la madre e per la prima volta ha la possibilità di conoscere il padre, quella famosissima rockstar che ha potuto fino ad allora osservare solo attraverso la prospettiva di qualsiasi sua fan.
Voli di prima classe, una nuovissima carta di credito, smartphone di ultima generazione, villa nel cuore di Los Angeles, tutto sembra un sogno ma per Rachele non è assolutamente così: la mancanza della madre si sente quotidianamente, ancora di più quando scopre che il padre è come un qualsiasi altro genitore, ovvero, tanta voglia di far bene ma altre probabilità di fare o dire le cose sbagliate. Il tutto si complica quando ad ingarbugliare la vita ci si mette il cuore, una promessa da mantenere e il primo anno in quella che è sempre stata la scuola dei suoi sogni.

Io adoro gli YA, soprattutto quelli che sono propriamente dei coming of age e che si prediligono di sviluppare l'adolescenza dei ragazzi in contrasto con le aspettative della società, le proprie aspettative ma anche l'affrontare i tiri mancini che la vita sa lanciarci quando meno ce lo aspettiamo. The Accdentals di Sarina Bowen è proprio uno di questi romanzi, quelli che ti raccontano della vita, quella che fa soffrire – terribilmente e dolorosamente – e lo fa senza indorare la pillola. Se ho sempre amato i libri della Bowen è per il suo modo di raccontare storie che sono vere, per i dialoghi, per i personaggi rappresentati, per le dinamiche in cui si svolgono gli eventi, ed è per questo che questo romanzo, più di tanti altri letti nel corso nella mia vita mi ha lasciato di stucco, completamente spiazzata e senza parole, The Accidentals è uno di quei romanzi che ti colpiscono allo stomaco perché il finale non è quello da favola, non tutto funziona come vorremmo ma questo proprio in relazione al fatto che per quanto finzione possa essere un romanzo della Bowen la sua è una rappresentazione quanto più reale possibile, e sappiamo che nella vita di tutti i giorni non tutto va come vorremmo che vada.

Rachel è una di quelle protagoniste che amo leggere: intelligente, grintosa e con tantissimo amore da dare. Ha avuto una vita intera per amare il padre da lontano ma quando ha la possibilità di stare con lui subentrano in scena tanti di quei sentimenti contrastanti che le è difficile costruire quel rapporto che ha sempre sognato di avere con lui: sensi di colpa, incomprensioni, disagio, tradimenti voluti o meno porteranno Rachele in un turbine di eventi che la costringeranno a dare un nome a quei sentimenti che le turbinano nello stomaco ma che non ha ancora il coraggio di dire ad alta voce.

Al suo fianco compaiono una serie di personaggi che è impossibile non amare, come il finto nerd Jake – appassionatissimo di astronomia – la compagna di stanza di Rachel, il suo migliore amico d'infanzia. Ma in definitiva i personaggi che colpiscono più degli altri sono i grandi, forse perché come le stelle hanno il potere di cambiare il corso delle traiettorie, tutti personaggi che sebbene compaiono non troppo spesso hanno avuto nel corso del romanzo parti fondamentali nel percorso di crescita della protagonista.

The Accidentals, come può esserlo un qualsiasi coming of age, non è propriamente un romance, ma questo non toglie che l'amore abbia un piano principale e che condizioni non poco alcuni eventi narrati nel romanzo, questo perché mette in risalto alcune tematiche importantissime, e che lo divengono ancor di più nel contesto di un pubblico YA: la prevenzione sessuale, il diritto di dire no, la libertà di scelta e che l'amore è amore in qualsiasi forma lo si guardi.

The Accidentals è un romanzo che ti rimane dentro, un YA come non ne leggevo da tempo ma che coglie in pieno l'esistenza di un adolescente alle prese con il dolore e i cambiamenti.

Scritto con un'attenzione ai dettagli unica, coinvolgente ed appassionante come solo Sarina Bowen sa rendere i suoi romanzi, il tutto reso speciale da una narrazione fluida che ti immerge nel romanzo e che non ti lascia andare se non quando si giunge all'epilogo.

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BananaTricky
5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable YA/NA romp with rock star Dad and boarding school and a Capella
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2018
Verified Purchase
Another triumph by Sarina Bowen.

Rachel is having a really bad Summer. Her mom died of cancer, her aunt doesn’t want her and she’s living in a group home. Even worse? She is at Summer school to retake the exams she missed through her mom’s illness. And then, like a fairy-tale the father she never knew, music legend Freddy Ricks (real name Frederick Richards) turns up out of the blue apparently anxious after seventeen years to get to know his daughter.

Despite having been Freddy Ricks’ greatest fangirl growing up Rachel is reluctant to let Frederick know that not only does she know everything about him (at least what’s been published) but that she has seen him in concert and is also a singer. Soon she is whisked away from her old life in Miami and her best friend Haze, first to Freddy’s home in California and then to an exclusive prep school.

This is heart-warming and sweet, it doesn’t shirk some of the issues teenagers face like sex, alcohol and bereavement but it treats them in a realistic and sympathetic way. I’m not saying that Freddy’s parenting skills are necessarily a gold standard but I love his take on drugs “Rachel, you know drugs are for a$$holes, right?”. [direct quote edited to meet Amazon guidelines]

I think if your idea of heaven is being the secret daughter of a rock star and going to boarding school where you try out for the Bellas a Capella singing group then you will love this. I know I did, it’s part Cinderella, part Harry Potter, part Pitch Perfect and all glorious.
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