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A review by sandrareilly513
Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
3.0
An interesting realization of how our teenage years are a roller coaster ride of clichés, even if we try our hardest to avoid them. While we always want to believe we are unique, that no one else could possibly think or feel as we do individually, the truth is that we are all alike in so many ways -- maybe especially so as young adults.
Julie is hell-bent on not being your typical high school girl, to be "original" and to avoid as many of the usual high school clichés we all know and love. What she doesn't realize until near the end of the novel -- and with help from BFF/love-of-her-life Dave -- is that that makes her one big walking cliché herself. Then there's Dave, the boy who would do just about anything for his best friend, the girl he's been secretly in love with for years. Honestly, Dave is likeable but kind of wimpy because he just follows Julia's lead. Julia is definitely not as likeable. She is incredibly un-self-aware (so not a word, but you get the idea), yet acts as though existentialism is her driving force. It was refreshing to see Dave pull away and come into his own a bit, but cringe-worthy to watch the love triangle that ensues.
While I must say that the relationships are portrayed quite well and I honestly didn't know who would "get the boy" in the end, the story was not screaming with originality. I enjoyed how Alsaid explores the clichés and stereotypes of adolescence, and also that they exist for a reason, but I very much liked his first novel, Let's Get Lost, more. This is still a sweet teen romance for HS library collections, but most adults who like to dive into the YA book world will find this story a bit superficial.
Julie is hell-bent on not being your typical high school girl, to be "original" and to avoid as many of the usual high school clichés we all know and love. What she doesn't realize until near the end of the novel -- and with help from BFF/love-of-her-life Dave -- is that that makes her one big walking cliché herself. Then there's Dave, the boy who would do just about anything for his best friend, the girl he's been secretly in love with for years. Honestly, Dave is likeable but kind of wimpy because he just follows Julia's lead. Julia is definitely not as likeable. She is incredibly un-self-aware (so not a word, but you get the idea), yet acts as though existentialism is her driving force. It was refreshing to see Dave pull away and come into his own a bit, but cringe-worthy to watch the love triangle that ensues.
While I must say that the relationships are portrayed quite well and I honestly didn't know who would "get the boy" in the end, the story was not screaming with originality. I enjoyed how Alsaid explores the clichés and stereotypes of adolescence, and also that they exist for a reason, but I very much liked his first novel, Let's Get Lost, more. This is still a sweet teen romance for HS library collections, but most adults who like to dive into the YA book world will find this story a bit superficial.