Reviews

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

rlstrayer1's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5 stars

Okay maybe hate is a bit of a strong word.
I really really really really really did not like this book.

The story kicks off with a press conference. Our MC, Andie, is standing on a stage next to her father, the former Congressman of a New England state (maybe they say? I just didn't care). The former Congressman did something Bad, and now he is being put on paid leave until an investigation can be conducted. Thus starts the summer of Unexpected Everythings.

So initially I really liked this book. I liked how there was a lot of conflict between Andie and her dad, and I really liked the friendship between Andie, Palmer, Toby, and Bri. I love strong female friendships, especially in the YA/teenage years because those friendships can be for life. I am 27 and I still keep in contact with some of my high school besties. That aside, this book had a lot of potential. And yet....

Andie is a pretty terrible character. I don't think the author wants us to like her at the beginning, but she doesn't get any better. She's inconsistent and irrational. For example, one night she forgets to tell her dad that she's not coming home because of a work emergency.
Spoiler He gets all "fatherly" with her, and even after not being a "dad" for 5 years (which should really cause a LOT of issues of abandonment and other stuff), she fights back for like 2 seconds and then is like "oh yay my dad is being a dad we're bffs now woohoo". Yeah no. Sorry. That happened like 20% into the book and then they got along great for the rest. This was super disappointing as I was hoping to see some real work at getting their relationship back on track. It was way too easy for all the supposed pain and abandonment Andie said she felt.


The romance isn't much to brag about either. Andie pretty much brags about her past. She dates guys for three weeks and then dumps them. Basically keeps them around long enough to get to second base and then adios. BUT CLARK IS DIFFERENT! HE IS THE ONE! Yeah whatever bitch. Also, Andie is a self-proclaimed walled-off person. She is very private with her thoughts and feelings. A life in the media will do that to you. But yet
Spoiler after spending one night just chatting with Clark all of the sudden she lets down all her walls. I don't believe this. For someone to go through such a dramatic character change is pretty unbelievable. Clark has done nothing to prove to Andie that she can trust him, yet she does cause he's got adorable dimples.


The friendship was so strong!......until
Spoiler A FUCKING BOY CAME IN BETWEEN THEM. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. A FUCKING BOY. And the author still didn't get everything cleared up before ending the book. Seriously, with how close Toby and Bri are, we are to believe that one stupid boy will destroy an entire lifelong friendship? UGHHHHHH
.

Another note...and this is my personal opinion. So sex is a pretty big topic in this book. Andie and her friends discuss it, some of her friends have had sex, and
Spoiler Andie and Clark are talking about having sex
. If you are going to write a book about teenagers and include sex, please understand your audience. Sex was very romanticized in this book. There was no education done whatsoever. Teenage pregnancy is a major issue in our society (this is something I see everyday with my job. I am qualified to make this statement). If you want to include teenagers and sex in the same sentence, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE also include a blurb about the importance of safe sex. I hated how flippantly sex was treated in this book, both in the emotional sense as well as the physical sense.

Overall, I would not recommend it. 520 pages is way too long for a story of this type. Read that other book you've been wanting to read instead.

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Omg I hated this book.

So much

RTC. I'm taking a break from reading to watch Netflix

georgiawilson993's review against another edition

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4.0

4.5 * I enjoyed this , but that was expected since it is a morgan matson book

booksofkings's review against another edition

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funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

christiana's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars from me. I liked the blending of a lot of great books in this one: the friendships of Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the slight writer aspect of Rowell's Fangirl, the fictional summer world worthy of Sarah Dessen (complete with cameos). I liked the dog aspect, the way it ended, and this rad cover. But I don't know, I really missed a bit of Matson in this one. I missed the playlists and sometimes it would seem I was just getting glimpses of these characters and their summer without living it with them, which bummed me out some. Obvs, I'm still a Matson fan but my hopes from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour and Since You've Been Gone just made my hopes too high for this good-not-great (but still way fun!) story.

kaeliesreads's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is really long but really good.

laineybird's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5

delaneysmith's review against another edition

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5.0

Guys. I actually don't think I can express to you just how much I LOVED (literally actually one hundred percent L O V E D) this book.

I loved every single thing about this book. First, Andie. Her character development and how she changed and just got better and better throughout the novel. I LOVED IT.
Secondly, CLARK. I LOVE CLARK. I love how he was nerdy and nervous and funny and a super sweet guy and I really love Clark.
I also love the friendships!!! Everyone in this book was perfect (not literally, ya know, teenage mistakes) but honestly I can't actually express how much I loved reading this novel. It's 100% one of my favorite YA contemporary reads of all time. It's a must read, in my opinion!

inneedofbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

This book, omg. I've never been in such a mess. I literally had to pause just because I was crying so bad. I'm a mess and I don't know how I survived reading it. It was that good

chellyloveesbooks's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

Great focus on friendships. few YAs really develop friendship and Matson did it nicely. Not my favorite, still think since you've been gone is her best book that I've read so far

characters didn't have the best development as Individuals and the main character Andie got on my nerves several times. the only redeeming character in my opinion was Clark.

steph01924's review against another edition

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4.0

I normally would've sat on this book longer, but I was looking for something fun and easy to read on a plane trip. This is much in the vein of Matson's other works. Light and breezy style, similar main characters, an unusual love interest with much more depth than most who make the MC realize what she's been missing (I don't mean that in a snarky way. I actually like Matson's male love interests the best out of all of her characters), and just enough emotion to stop the book from being completely shallow. This isn't a book I'm going to remember months later, but it was good for a read when you don't want to think too hard.

Some thoughts:
- I started rolling my eyes hardcore and skimming a few pages when
SpoilerAndie was doing her 'I can't get too close to anyone' shtick and broke up with Clark. I get the reasons behind the arc but it just felt very shoehorned in so we could have the grand finale scene at the bookstore and the fight itself didn't feel organic.

- The friend drama definitely made me aware of my more A than Y status. Toby, Bri - please, get over yourselves. (Though I know I would've been over it even if I was a teenager reading this, because I've never had time for drama. I've been a secret old-lady for years.)