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nmarie523's review against another edition
3.0
Sydney is 16 and has a slight problem - she's pregnant. And when she and her friend Natalia are caught stealing Natalia's parents' car, neither share Sydney's condition or the fact they were on their way to tell the father, Tommy.
Sydney's mom sends her off to her dad who decides her punishment is to go on a month-long canoe trip with no technology. Sydney actually can't wait to go. One more surprise, Natalia is also going. Sydney knows she's getting an abortion, but Natalia tries to change her mind. And instead of letting her forget about being pregnant, Natalia brings it up while dealing with her own birth issues. Along for the ride comes boys, friendships, and food poisoning that ends in Sydney's ultimate decision.
Sydney isn't really a great character at first - she gets into trouble and can't explain why to her mom. However, she seems like an average and typical teenager. Her feelings about forgetting about the pregnancy, ignoring it. The only thing I wish the book had were some resources for people in her condition in the back. The book is entertaining and very realistic.
Sydney's mom sends her off to her dad who decides her punishment is to go on a month-long canoe trip with no technology. Sydney actually can't wait to go. One more surprise, Natalia is also going. Sydney knows she's getting an abortion, but Natalia tries to change her mind. And instead of letting her forget about being pregnant, Natalia brings it up while dealing with her own birth issues. Along for the ride comes boys, friendships, and food poisoning that ends in Sydney's ultimate decision.
Sydney isn't really a great character at first - she gets into trouble and can't explain why to her mom. However, she seems like an average and typical teenager. Her feelings about forgetting about the pregnancy, ignoring it. The only thing I wish the book had were some resources for people in her condition in the back. The book is entertaining and very realistic.
arieslibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Surprisingly good! The characters seemed real and modern.
samripplezzz's review against another edition
5.0
This book was beautiful. I'd read the summary about a month or so ago on The Story Siren and when I saw it in the library, I had to pick it up. Not only did it delve into what most teen shows and movies are afraid to, it was written beautifully. I think I've become addicted to the quiet, simple prose that Gramont writes - it isn't so intense and poetic, but when I read it, I just wanted to keep reading for the language. Some people may disagree with Sydney's choice, but she thought long and hard about it - throughout the whole book. I like that abortion was a choice for her, which is something that a lot of young adult books and movies and TV shows ignore. She definitely grew as a person throughout the entire book, but it was so natural that I didn't even notice until the last pages.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It was absolutely wonderful.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It was absolutely wonderful.
jennc's review against another edition
4.0
A surprisingly good book. I really enjoyed it and it made me even think camping sounded fun (Of course I quickly came back to my senses and remembered I don't camp.)
amyedreger's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. I was blown away by the beauty of this book. de Gramont is a gifted writer who so eloquently captures the thoughts of a 16-year-old pregnant girl amidst the backdrop of the beautiful Canadian wilderness.
The cover of this book does it such an injustice. It looks like some flakey teen romance which it is anything but. When we meet Sidney, she is a 16-year-old in trouble; a girl who has recently found out she is pregnant due to a fling she had with a boy from the "wrong side of the tracks." Her mother is tired of her rebellion (although she does not know about the pregnancy) and sends her to live with her father and her step-mother for a few weeks. Her father decides that Sidney needs some time away and sends her to the remote Canadian wilderness to take part in a rustic 4-week canoe trip. What follows is a coming-of-age story in which Sidney comes to terms with what she has done, where her life is headed and how she is going to confront the secret that only she and her best friend, Natalia, know about.
I loved the language in this book and how Sidney grows and matures as the story progresses. At first I thought "if I were pregnant at 16, I would be freaking out - how can Sidney be so calm?" But I see now that she knows exactly what she is going to do from the start and her personality is a lot calmer than that of those around her. Throughout the story, she struggles with her decision, particularly because of Natalia's influence. But in the end, she comes to terms with her decision and moves ahead, just as most teen girls would do. I liked the honesty in this book and how de Gramont does not necessarily shove one choice or the other down the reader's throat. All alternatives are looked at in respectful ways and in the end, Sidney chooses the option best for her.
The imagery in this book is lovely. It makes me want to travel to the Canadian wilderness with just a backpack and a canoe.
Good stuff.
The cover of this book does it such an injustice. It looks like some flakey teen romance which it is anything but. When we meet Sidney, she is a 16-year-old in trouble; a girl who has recently found out she is pregnant due to a fling she had with a boy from the "wrong side of the tracks." Her mother is tired of her rebellion (although she does not know about the pregnancy) and sends her to live with her father and her step-mother for a few weeks. Her father decides that Sidney needs some time away and sends her to the remote Canadian wilderness to take part in a rustic 4-week canoe trip. What follows is a coming-of-age story in which Sidney comes to terms with what she has done, where her life is headed and how she is going to confront the secret that only she and her best friend, Natalia, know about.
I loved the language in this book and how Sidney grows and matures as the story progresses. At first I thought "if I were pregnant at 16, I would be freaking out - how can Sidney be so calm?" But I see now that she knows exactly what she is going to do from the start and her personality is a lot calmer than that of those around her. Throughout the story, she struggles with her decision, particularly because of Natalia's influence. But in the end, she comes to terms with her decision and moves ahead, just as most teen girls would do. I liked the honesty in this book and how de Gramont does not necessarily shove one choice or the other down the reader's throat. All alternatives are looked at in respectful ways and in the end, Sidney chooses the option best for her.
The imagery in this book is lovely. It makes me want to travel to the Canadian wilderness with just a backpack and a canoe.
Good stuff.
bananaphive's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the reality in this book, something I could relate to but not as boring as real life. I like that this book discusses abortion as a viable option in an unwanted pregnancy, instead of the WORST THING IN THE WORLD! I think it's incredbily important to have a working discussion that involves abortion as more than a choice that will end with someone dying, or everyone hating you and the world ending because having an abortion makes you evil.
bookedinsaigon's review against another edition
5.0
With freshness and immediacy, Nina de Gramont takes us deep within the complex mind of a pregnant teenager in the absolutely incredible EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD. But this is more than just a book about teen pregnancy: it’s also a lovingly detailed celebration and dissection of all different types of human interactions and relationships.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA book that gives such insight into human and teenage nature. Sydney’s voice never feels forced, despite the astonishing range of observations she provides us, many of which are things we could only dream of having learned as a teen. The tensions she experiences in her relationships with the important people in her life are perfectly written and balanced.
In this sense, then, EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD is so much more than a story about teen pregnancy: as Sydney canoes through the Canadian wilderness, she learns about friendship, lust, unrequited crushes, parents, and what really matters to her. This book doesn’t try to present a moral; rather, it’s an exploration into one teenager’s mind. We may not necessarily agree with everything Sydney does, but after reading this book, we come to appreciate the thought processes that go into people making different decisions.
EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD is so much more than it appears to be upon first glance. Read this for a beautiful and amazing in-depth look into teenage interaction and decision-making.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA book that gives such insight into human and teenage nature. Sydney’s voice never feels forced, despite the astonishing range of observations she provides us, many of which are things we could only dream of having learned as a teen. The tensions she experiences in her relationships with the important people in her life are perfectly written and balanced.
In this sense, then, EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD is so much more than a story about teen pregnancy: as Sydney canoes through the Canadian wilderness, she learns about friendship, lust, unrequited crushes, parents, and what really matters to her. This book doesn’t try to present a moral; rather, it’s an exploration into one teenager’s mind. We may not necessarily agree with everything Sydney does, but after reading this book, we come to appreciate the thought processes that go into people making different decisions.
EVERY LITTLE THING IN THE WORLD is so much more than it appears to be upon first glance. Read this for a beautiful and amazing in-depth look into teenage interaction and decision-making.
caumann's review against another edition
3.0
I had a really hard time getting into this book at first, bit after 100 pages I was hooked. Its not your typical YA book. It has a little more depth. Sydney really sturggles with the problem she is facing. Her best friend Natalia discovers a crisis of her own. I really liked this book in the end.
sruggeri's review against another edition
4.0
I grabbed this book thinking it would be another coming-of-age story at camp. Totally overused plot. Then as I started reading, I realized I had missed a big detail: she's pregnant! The main character seems really dumb and makes crappy decisions. As the book progresses, she rediscovers herself and becomes much more likeable. I thought the way this book was executed was unique and powerful. Be prepared for a suprising ending... it stuck with me. But i won't spoil it!
situationnormal's review against another edition
4.0
I'd like to give this book 3.5 stars, but since that's not possible, I'll help it out rather than take away from it. The writing in this book is very solid--the characters are believable (if not a little ridiculous at times, but who isn't?) and the plot isn't over-the-top or extreme. It's excellent as a first person narrative and really gets to the root of all of Sydney, the narrator's, problems and thoughts and feelings.
It's not a great novel of literary merit, but it does rise above the typical chick lit about best friends and boys (although there's plenty of that here) that I'm used to reading.
However, I still found myself bothered by the stupid phrase "my pregnancy" on every single page at least once. I read the phrase "my pregnancy" so many times that I began to hate the word pregnancy. If that was the intention of the author, well, kudos, but the last thing I want from a book is to become so disgusted with some part of it (however small) that it makes me want to put it down in frustration.
All in all, despite my tendency to nitpick, I liked "Every Little Thing In The World."
It's not a great novel of literary merit, but it does rise above the typical chick lit about best friends and boys (although there's plenty of that here) that I'm used to reading.
However, I still found myself bothered by the stupid phrase "my pregnancy" on every single page at least once. I read the phrase "my pregnancy" so many times that I began to hate the word pregnancy. If that was the intention of the author, well, kudos, but the last thing I want from a book is to become so disgusted with some part of it (however small) that it makes me want to put it down in frustration.
All in all, despite my tendency to nitpick, I liked "Every Little Thing In The World."