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A review by maresi
With You All the Way by Cynthia Hand
4.0
I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperTeens. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
After Ada Bloom’s first time with her boyfriend doesn’t go as (he) planned, she finds herself alone – still being a virgin. As she travels to Hawaii with her family on one of her mother‘s work trips, she vows to change at least one of these issues. Soon she finds that her own problems may not be the only ones she has to take care of, as she soon realizes that her mother and her older sister also need some taking care.
“With You All The Way“ is a young adult contemporary novel that is marketed as a modern Judy Blume which is not an exaggeration. Cynthia Hand‘s most recent novel deals with traditional topics such as first love, loss of innocence, sisterhood and family, but she does a great job of adding a modern flair to these issues. Ada is not a “typical“ YA heroine since Hand tried hard to make her extra relatable, making her not the typical quirky leading lady but like an authentic teenager. Sometimes, however, the characterization feels a bit off. Abby for example, Ada‘s five year old sister frequently uses words or phrases that are very atypical for a child that age. Ada does state in her narration that Abby is special, but the way she articulates feels weird nonetheless. I also didn‘t particularly like the way Nick was introduced and how he further developed as a love interest (?). Even though Ada and he were roughly the same age he felt so much younger and more immature than her at the beginning and then all of a sudden, as the plot required, they were both equally mature at some point. I feel like the author wanted to stress that we were getting Ada‘s unreliable first impression of Nick, but it still felt a bit strange from a reader‘s perspective, not to say cringy.
What I really liked was the relationship between the Bloom sisters, especially Ada‘s and Afton‘s relationship was very relatable and authentic.
All in all I enjoyed this book a lot and I flew through it while reading it, mostly due to the narrative style of Ada telling the story almost as if the reader were her BFF. I did have the feeling that the end was a bit predictable and everything felt a little rushed once the final showdown came, but I can still recommend it if you want a light and breezy YA read that will swoop you in a summery mood.
After Ada Bloom’s first time with her boyfriend doesn’t go as (he) planned, she finds herself alone – still being a virgin. As she travels to Hawaii with her family on one of her mother‘s work trips, she vows to change at least one of these issues. Soon she finds that her own problems may not be the only ones she has to take care of, as she soon realizes that her mother and her older sister also need some taking care.
“With You All The Way“ is a young adult contemporary novel that is marketed as a modern Judy Blume which is not an exaggeration. Cynthia Hand‘s most recent novel deals with traditional topics such as first love, loss of innocence, sisterhood and family, but she does a great job of adding a modern flair to these issues. Ada is not a “typical“ YA heroine since Hand tried hard to make her extra relatable, making her not the typical quirky leading lady but like an authentic teenager. Sometimes, however, the characterization feels a bit off. Abby for example, Ada‘s five year old sister frequently uses words or phrases that are very atypical for a child that age. Ada does state in her narration that Abby is special, but the way she articulates feels weird nonetheless. I also didn‘t particularly like the way Nick was introduced and how he further developed as a love interest (?). Even though Ada and he were roughly the same age he felt so much younger and more immature than her at the beginning and then all of a sudden, as the plot required, they were both equally mature at some point. I feel like the author wanted to stress that we were getting Ada‘s unreliable first impression of Nick, but it still felt a bit strange from a reader‘s perspective, not to say cringy.
What I really liked was the relationship between the Bloom sisters, especially Ada‘s and Afton‘s relationship was very relatable and authentic.
All in all I enjoyed this book a lot and I flew through it while reading it, mostly due to the narrative style of Ada telling the story almost as if the reader were her BFF. I did have the feeling that the end was a bit predictable and everything felt a little rushed once the final showdown came, but I can still recommend it if you want a light and breezy YA read that will swoop you in a summery mood.