Reviews with content warning for Cancer - Some Other Now

There were some stellar lines here. And I loved the dynamic of Jessi basically having a surrogate mother in the form of Mel. You can find family outside of biological ones, and I was thrilled to see it.

In addition, Jessi has a unique relationship with her biological mother whose struggles with mental health/depression has left her parental role seemingly vacant. The mental health conversations were excellent.

Jessi acknowledges she knew her mother was sick and never faulted her for that, but that it was understandably weird and not earned than her mother wanted to suddenly make up for years of no parental guidance in a year. Depression can be messy, and I think the book showed that well.

Much like those Tiffany Jackson stories, it’s always so frustrating and intriguing to try to figure out what happened. I thought it was cute how Jessi was crushing on one of the brothers, but it got a little draining and stressful, to be honest. I really wanted to like her with Luke, but there was too much drama surrounding them; he was salty, but it takes a good while to find out why. On the positive, Jessi felt like a real teenager to me. Overall, I liked this. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author as well.

5 stars - the story, familial relationships, the drama, Jessi's character development, Naomi
3ish - the fake dating, Luke, Ro(wan)

Semi-spoiler:

it never fails “Both the brothers are hot, and they want me omg!!!” always ends messy.

SN: One of the characters defers college for a year. I haven’t really seen that in YA fiction before

3.5

Content Warnings

starryorbit12's review

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I like the way the two timelines were handled, and the author does a good job at balancing the emotional aspects of the "Now" and suspense of what truly happened in the "Then." As more details about what truly happened with Rowan and Mel are revealed, it doesn't feel like it's being artificially drawn out and the pace the past fits in well with the future. I do think the relationship between Jessi and Luke shows a great deal of who they were, what they could have been, and potentially still could be.

I enjoyed that they didn't resolve all their issues and become a definite couple at the end. It's left up to the reader to determine what you think happened after they decided to start over with a blank slate. It leaves the ending ambiguous, but it's still hopeful. Jessi still grown regardless if they get together.

I disliked how manipulative Luke was when he initiated the fake dating.

He basically used his brother's own death to gaslight and guilt-trip Jessi into his plan knowing that their were best friends and she felt responsible for his death. I also felt the reveal that Roland was in love with Jessi was predictable and not built up well. We go from a story about a girl growing apart from her best friend and unsure of her place in hai family to the conflict suddenly being that he's in love with her and jealous of his brother. Also, I would push away a guy who suddenly kissed me without my consent regardless of how well I knew him. Jessi had shown no prior hints of liking Rowan as more than a friend. Why did she get lost in his kiss at all? It felt jarring.

I also disliked how this book revolves around illness, both physical and mental, but it beats around the bush when it comes to naming these illnesses.

It isn't until near the end of the book that it's actually acknowledged that Jesse's mother has depression that occurred postpartum after her birth. It just beats around the bush about her problem and her recovery, and it still only mentioned in one page. They never even name what Mel's illness is, but it heavily alluded to it being a form of cancer.

if you're going to write a book that deals heavily with an illness. You should at least be able to talk frankly and name that illness in more than just passing.

Also, the whole thing where Jessi and Luke have sex in the bathroom at Mel's funeral is gross. This book would be 4 stars, but that just knocked off a quarter star for me. It never even addressed. Jessi mentions not seeing Luke since the funeral, but they never address the sex.

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noellerose's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was quite a quick read, even if the subject manner was serious and heartbreaking. I liked how the story was split up into Then and Now, and how we saw Jessi's interaction with the Cohen family before and after the accident that put a stop to their friendship. I liked how apparent the character's flaws were, and that even the 'good' characters had their imperfections.

I have to admit, I did find Jessi a tad bit melodramatic. I understand she felt extremely guilty for what happened, but she pretended like everyone hated her and that she didn't deserve to be loved, and the conversations were written as if we were supposed to feel sorry for Jessi. Also, I thought it was a bit weird that there was barely a mention of Rowan in the Nows. He was her best friend, but we didn't really see any of her grieving process. That was a bit unfortunate.

All with all, this was a great read for me.

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rendz's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow. What a book. Incredible. Emotionally destructive. A full RTC!

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katiescott's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Thank you Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Some Other Now was described as a must-read for fans of This is Us and it definitely serves up an emotional punch! We follow Jessi, growing up and figuring out who she is in dual time periods -- we'll say Before "The Big Bad" and After.

Jessi has always been viewed as an honorary member of the Cohen family, fitting in right alongside Luke and Rowen (Ro) and considering Mel, their mom, as a second mother. As time moves on however, Jessi finds herself both in the middle of the family and slowly being pushed aside.

I really liked how author Sarah Everett portrayed growing up, finding love, and navigating family issues in Some Other Now. There are some side stories that kind of bogged down the plot, and the ending was a bit rushed. Be forewarned when picking this up that it does deal with tough topics and will be an emotional read!

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phoebereads's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

'Some Other Now' is a quiet and emotional journey of a girl trying to pick up the pieces of the friendships and family that managed to shatter over the course of just over a year. Main character Jessi's life, like in the book's narration, has been split into "Then" and "Now". It's through these two disjointed periods of her life that the story of how things ended up the way they did becomes clear. It's a story of guilt, grief and loss, but one of love too. Romantic love, motherly love, and the fierce love of friendship too. Love that Jessi is convinced she doesn't deserve anymore. I really enjoyed the way this book tackled a lot of difficult questions and conversations and how no matter how flawed these characters were, the story reminds them, and the reader, that they are not the sum of their mistakes and that life must go on, even amidst and after terrible things. It's a really meaningful story and one that I think will resonate with a lot of readers.

** Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings

myblackbookish_life's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

*Arc provided by NetGalley. Review to come*

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