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kdurham2's review
3.0
Another MG read. First I must say that I loved this little book. A girl who loses all control of her life because of events that happen to her parents and she is at an age where her opinions are not taken into account for the changes that happen to the entire family.
I found this story to be real, endearing and just a great read. I have read in a few places that there is dislike between the current cover and the story. I would have to agree, I didn't think the cover went along with the story at all, nor did the girl match anywhere close to who I pictured as Irene. This may change, but I definitely wasn't a fan of the cover.
I would pass this book along to both my younger and older readers. I would warn my older readers that this is definitely a MG read and not at all mentally deep or challenging. I think youngers readers would love to relate to a character who is able to grow in the story and learn how to express her voice.
I found this story to be real, endearing and just a great read. I have read in a few places that there is dislike between the current cover and the story. I would have to agree, I didn't think the cover went along with the story at all, nor did the girl match anywhere close to who I pictured as Irene. This may change, but I definitely wasn't a fan of the cover.
I would pass this book along to both my younger and older readers. I would warn my older readers that this is definitely a MG read and not at all mentally deep or challenging. I think youngers readers would love to relate to a character who is able to grow in the story and learn how to express her voice.
nagam's review
3.0
Overall, this book was really sweet and innocent. Irene is a thirteen year old girl, whose whole life changes when her dad loses his Vice-President job for a large company. Because of her parents poor financial decisions, they lose their NY penthouse and many of their belongings. They leave the city at the end of Irene's school year and move in with her grandfather in the country.
As this was something many people in our country were faced with trough the recession, I was anxious to see the scenario from a teenager's perspective. I do agree with many of the other reviewers that I didn't know this focused on a 13 year old girl; I typically like YA books that are targeted to older teenagers. (It is true that it isn't until page 50 that you finally find out Irene's true age). Not knowing her age made her seem pretty immature in the beginning. The girl on the cover looks like a much older girl to me, so I assumed she was incredibly immature based on some of the questions she asked her parents or grandparents.
As soon as her age was confirmed, I took the book more at face value and understood the immaturity. I began to enjoy Irene's character a lot more as well. The friendship she formed with Meg was one of my favorite parts of the book. Meg was sweet, kind, quiet, but also incredibly wise beyond her years and so understanding. Meg was one of the main reasons I wanted Irene to end up staying in the small town instead of moving back to NYC.
There aren't enough books that so strongly portray such a wonderful grandparent. He was my other favorite character. He listened, guided, and taught Irene in a gentle way that her parents didn't know how. He was for her what her parents couldn't be because they were so focused on getting their old life back.
A great story about selflessness and the coming of age of a thirteen year old.
pollywog28's review
4.0
I read this book through netgalley. The story is about thirteen year old Irene who has to give up her lavish life in New York City for her grandpa's farm in the country. This drastic move is due to her father losing his job and her mom continuing to live beyond their means. It doesn't take Irene to adjust to her new settings especially after meeting the Fox family.
Irene definitely acted the way a girl of her age would. She was a character that any teenage girl can relate to. Her grandpa was a very likable character. He tried his hardest to make sure Irene was adjusting well. Her father was also likable except for his acceptance of his wife's behavior and decisions. Irene's mother was the most unlikable character. She frustrated me a lot during the book. The Fox family added a lot to the story and Irene's development.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is an accurate portrayal of a young teenage girl having to face change and make the best of it.
Irene definitely acted the way a girl of her age would. She was a character that any teenage girl can relate to. Her grandpa was a very likable character. He tried his hardest to make sure Irene was adjusting well. Her father was also likable except for his acceptance of his wife's behavior and decisions. Irene's mother was the most unlikable character. She frustrated me a lot during the book. The Fox family added a lot to the story and Irene's development.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is an accurate portrayal of a young teenage girl having to face change and make the best of it.
nextbestcoast's review
Is it possible to feel absolutely no emotion when you finish a book?
I have several arguments, mainly about the cover. Ok: it has NOTHING to do with the book. I mean, she swims several times. She kisses Jim in the pond. That's all. The girl on the cover looks to be around 17. Irene, the protag, is 13. What is that? Again, she's 13. What's she doing kissing Jim. It mentions at one point that she's insecure about her body, but never follows up on that. Dear author, what is the point of telling us that she's insecure if it is not a) vital to the story, b) vital to the development of her character, or c) something that you're going to follow up on. Were you giving her an insecurity so we, the readers, could identify with her? Because if so, it didn't work.
To conclude: this book was, basically, background noise while I watched the King's Speech. It served its purpose, but I won't be picking this one up again.
I have several arguments, mainly about the cover. Ok: it has NOTHING to do with the book. I mean, she swims several times. She kisses Jim in the pond. That's all. The girl on the cover looks to be around 17. Irene, the protag, is 13. What is that? Again, she's 13. What's she doing kissing Jim. It mentions at one point that she's insecure about her body, but never follows up on that. Dear author, what is the point of telling us that she's insecure if it is not a) vital to the story, b) vital to the development of her character, or c) something that you're going to follow up on. Were you giving her an insecurity so we, the readers, could identify with her? Because if so, it didn't work.
To conclude: this book was, basically, background noise while I watched the King's Speech. It served its purpose, but I won't be picking this one up again.
librariann's review
3.0
Ages 11+ (some mild romance, an upset teen yells "fuck you")
Dear book,
Thank you for not being annoying.
love, Ann
Dear book,
Thank you for not being annoying.
love, Ann
chrissymcbooknerd's review
3.0
(I read EVERYTHING I WAS via NetGalley)
EVERYTHING I WAS is the story of Irene, a young teenage girl accustomed to a lavish Upper West Side penthouse kind of life who is suddenly relocated to a small town farm to live with her grandfather after her father loses his job. In her new home, Irene meets a sweet family (with lots of kids) and falls in love with a new lifestyle revolving around togetherness and friendship rather than material items.
The narrator's voice feels very young and very innocent... much like that in books I read when I was younger, like The Baby Sitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins, for example. This is one of those stories where everything (pretty much) works out and nothing (terribly) tragic seems to happen. I'd recommend this for younger teen readers around the 13-15 age, I think... it'd be a nice, refreshing change for them.
I'm really not sure how the cover relates to this story, though. The girl on the cover looks much older than the main character and it seems to imply a situation much more emotionally ominous than anything she encounters. I think this would be best with a sweet, wholesome farm-girl type cover, like perhaps a modern day "Little House on the Prairie" appeal.
EVERYTHING I WAS is the story of Irene, a young teenage girl accustomed to a lavish Upper West Side penthouse kind of life who is suddenly relocated to a small town farm to live with her grandfather after her father loses his job. In her new home, Irene meets a sweet family (with lots of kids) and falls in love with a new lifestyle revolving around togetherness and friendship rather than material items.
The narrator's voice feels very young and very innocent... much like that in books I read when I was younger, like The Baby Sitters Club or Sweet Valley Twins, for example. This is one of those stories where everything (pretty much) works out and nothing (terribly) tragic seems to happen. I'd recommend this for younger teen readers around the 13-15 age, I think... it'd be a nice, refreshing change for them.
I'm really not sure how the cover relates to this story, though. The girl on the cover looks much older than the main character and it seems to imply a situation much more emotionally ominous than anything she encounters. I think this would be best with a sweet, wholesome farm-girl type cover, like perhaps a modern day "Little House on the Prairie" appeal.
buuboobaby's review
4.0
This was a great book! I think the cover is awful, though, and it doesn't fit the story at all. I also think that MG readers will enjoy this more than YA fans.
mon_ique's review
2.0
Childish. 2022. Never thought I'd describe a children's book as childish, since most facets of middle grade can be viewed with humor. But this was the annoying childish. The writing touched on descriptions of people and their bodies that didn't pass the line of weirdness, but it was odd. And uncomfortable. And what's the point of this story? Childish. And those eyes on this cover... Odd.
kit_e's review
4.0
This was a really good read. It was fairly short (I plowed through it in a few hours) and written in a way that made it really flow off the page. Like many YA books, this is a coming of age story mixed with a little bit of fish-out of water drama. What I really liked was that it dealt with real issues. At its heart is Irene a young girl whose family lost everything when her father lost his job. With nowhere else to turn they head to her grandfather’s farm upstate.
I kind of love this family. Especially Grandpa- he wants what's best for his son and especially what's best for Irene. He's willing to give them a place in his home despite the fact that he's not so enamored with Irene's mother. Not only is Irene adjusting to this new life, which is supposed to only last the summer, but we also see her whole family trying to get their bearings. Her father seems pretty content to be back on the farm, but her mother is still living in a world of denial, and she's pretty sure life will be right back to normal in no time, and until then she's operating in "fake it til' you make it mode". It makes for some uncomfortable, but totally realistic moments.
I also really love that Irene meets up with the neighborhood kids and finds herself fitting in better then she could have imagined. Soccer in the yard, bike rides, canoeing in the lake- it was a nice introduction for Irene into small town living. In the end Irene has to decide what she really wants and how to get it. I really enjoyed seeing her go from city girl to small town gal over the course of the book. You turn the last page knowing that everyone is going to be all right!
I kind of love this family. Especially Grandpa- he wants what's best for his son and especially what's best for Irene. He's willing to give them a place in his home despite the fact that he's not so enamored with Irene's mother. Not only is Irene adjusting to this new life, which is supposed to only last the summer, but we also see her whole family trying to get their bearings. Her father seems pretty content to be back on the farm, but her mother is still living in a world of denial, and she's pretty sure life will be right back to normal in no time, and until then she's operating in "fake it til' you make it mode". It makes for some uncomfortable, but totally realistic moments.
I also really love that Irene meets up with the neighborhood kids and finds herself fitting in better then she could have imagined. Soccer in the yard, bike rides, canoeing in the lake- it was a nice introduction for Irene into small town living. In the end Irene has to decide what she really wants and how to get it. I really enjoyed seeing her go from city girl to small town gal over the course of the book. You turn the last page knowing that everyone is going to be all right!
emma_mo's review
2.0
I picked up this book because the cover was so intriguing to me. An older girl, who looks like she is going to drown in her own sorrows, sigh. Sounds wonderful, right? I like covers, and this is one case where the cover betrayed me.
Things I liked: There was very little in this that I enjoyed and I think it's being targeted for the wrong audience. I guess what I liked best was the whole concept of this book. As a kid who moved around alot, I can relate to the feelings of displacement and confusion that come along with moves. I was the shy kid, just like Irene, but I feel as though she was almost too passive. I also liked Meg and Jim's entire family. I thought that they were one of the bright shining points of the novel. They brought personality and spunk to an otherwise dreary plot.
Things I didn't like: The entire plot was unmotivated and bland. Irene's parents were hardly explored at all. We get no real interaction between Irene and her parents, unless it's an argument. We know precious little about them - save that her mother is incredibly superficial and a social climber. Even at the end of the novel, there is no redemption for her. Irene's father learns to better understand his daughter, however it almost seems like her mother is happy to have another child out of her life. I was really disappointed by the lack of communication and resolution that the family reached. The story felt very stagnant, moving slowly from one idea to the next. Irene's voice was more like the voice of a 12 year old, as opposed to a teenager - very immature and childish. I was very disappointed. The romance between Jim and Irene also felt very underdeveloped and, to be honest, kind of unmoving. I think a good romance should make you want to move heaven and earth for the couple to end up together, or at least have some tension. There was none. No tension, no love triangle, nothing to make me root for the characters.
My rating: 2 out of 5, I can't even express how much the cover let me down.
Things I liked: There was very little in this that I enjoyed and I think it's being targeted for the wrong audience. I guess what I liked best was the whole concept of this book. As a kid who moved around alot, I can relate to the feelings of displacement and confusion that come along with moves. I was the shy kid, just like Irene, but I feel as though she was almost too passive. I also liked Meg and Jim's entire family. I thought that they were one of the bright shining points of the novel. They brought personality and spunk to an otherwise dreary plot.
Things I didn't like: The entire plot was unmotivated and bland. Irene's parents were hardly explored at all. We get no real interaction between Irene and her parents, unless it's an argument. We know precious little about them - save that her mother is incredibly superficial and a social climber. Even at the end of the novel, there is no redemption for her. Irene's father learns to better understand his daughter, however it almost seems like her mother is happy to have another child out of her life. I was really disappointed by the lack of communication and resolution that the family reached. The story felt very stagnant, moving slowly from one idea to the next. Irene's voice was more like the voice of a 12 year old, as opposed to a teenager - very immature and childish. I was very disappointed. The romance between Jim and Irene also felt very underdeveloped and, to be honest, kind of unmoving. I think a good romance should make you want to move heaven and earth for the couple to end up together, or at least have some tension. There was none. No tension, no love triangle, nothing to make me root for the characters.
My rating: 2 out of 5, I can't even express how much the cover let me down.