Scan barcode
A review by perksofharriet
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry, Rachael Lippincott
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I had originally bought this book because of five feet apart and I thought ‘surely if I liked that then I’ll like this?’ And then I read this and knew there was a reason I DNF it the first time I tried to read it last year.
We start off the story with the main character, high school senior Kyle getting broken up with by his on again off again girlfriend Kim at their school prom. They get in to a fight over this while in Kyle’s car and end up getting in to an accident, caused by a freak storm. Kim dies and Kyle then has to learn how to live a life without Kim, and find out who he is as a person. At this point I already didn’t like Kyle that much as a character. He was whiny and selfish and unwilling to accept that as a person he’s problematic.
As the story unfolds and the next year of Kyle’s life progresses- he differs from UCLA, is healing from the accident, learning how to cope with his grief of losing Kim, trying to keep his friendship with his best friend Sam, trying to find out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. And then there’s Marley, the girl he meets at the graveyard where Kim is buried, where Marley’s twin sister is buried and they bond over their grief and trauma.
Over the next year of (sometimes too sickly sweet) friendship turned to a relationship both characters grow as people and learn to deal with their grief, and find new meanings in their lives. Which you know I’m all for a good character arch and redemption so I could get by with this. But it all seemed too good, too fanfictiony… and then the plot twist happened. And that’s when I just had to sit back and things ‘what have I just been reading?’.
All the progress, all the development that happens in the year after the accident is immediately undone. I thought the book had redeemed itself but I was wrong. Kyle becomes obsessive and deranged following the plot twist making him unlikeable as a character again. His loved ones and his health pushed aside to try and live up to his crazy dreams.
And then right at the end, in the very last few pages… another plot twist. I will admit it did have me a little bit teary eyed but again made me sit back and think. ‘What did I just read?’.
The book had so much potential to be better but with an unlikable main character, unnecessary plot twists and an… interesting conclusion it’s safe to say this was not my favourite thing I’ve read. Like I said it felt like a fan fiction. I suppose if you can get by all those things you might enjoy it but this book was not for me.
We start off the story with the main character, high school senior Kyle getting broken up with by his on again off again girlfriend Kim at their school prom. They get in to a fight over this while in Kyle’s car and end up getting in to an accident, caused by a freak storm. Kim dies and Kyle then has to learn how to live a life without Kim, and find out who he is as a person. At this point I already didn’t like Kyle that much as a character. He was whiny and selfish and unwilling to accept that as a person he’s problematic.
As the story unfolds and the next year of Kyle’s life progresses- he differs from UCLA, is healing from the accident, learning how to cope with his grief of losing Kim, trying to keep his friendship with his best friend Sam, trying to find out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. And then there’s Marley, the girl he meets at the graveyard where Kim is buried, where Marley’s twin sister is buried and they bond over their grief and trauma.
Over the next year of (sometimes too sickly sweet) friendship turned to a relationship both characters grow as people and learn to deal with their grief, and find new meanings in their lives. Which you know I’m all for a good character arch and redemption so I could get by with this. But it all seemed too good, too fanfictiony… and then the plot twist happened. And that’s when I just had to sit back and things ‘what have I just been reading?’.
All the progress, all the development that happens in the year after the accident is immediately undone. I thought the book had redeemed itself but I was wrong. Kyle becomes obsessive and deranged following the plot twist making him unlikeable as a character again. His loved ones and his health pushed aside to try and live up to his crazy dreams.
And then right at the end, in the very last few pages… another plot twist. I will admit it did have me a little bit teary eyed but again made me sit back and think. ‘What did I just read?’.
The book had so much potential to be better but with an unlikable main character, unnecessary plot twists and an… interesting conclusion it’s safe to say this was not my favourite thing I’ve read. Like I said it felt like a fan fiction. I suppose if you can get by all those things you might enjoy it but this book was not for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Blood