The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson – Review

Title: The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Publication Date: May 3rd, 2016
Pages: 517
Publishers: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?

Generally, I don’t read contemporary books, but as I received this book in a The YA Chronicles subscription box and it was sitting on my shelf, I said why not!

I am so glad I picked this up.
As I don’t usually read books of this genre I don’t have too much to compare it to. However any similar book I read now has a high standard to meet.

MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS

Firstly I would like to talk about the actual book and writing, not the story. I really enjoyed the authors writing, it painted a picture so clearly in your head that it felt like you were the one living it. I also adored the fact that she used pieces of Clark’s book to emphasise the story.

Next onto my overall thought of the story. It was a book that you could relate to very easily. Which is something that some stories have trouble with and makes a book hard to enjoy.
I love that it used a reality that even if you are the most organised person, your world could fall apart with one simple thing that was completely out of your control. It shows that sometimes the best thing is to not plan and just let life happen.

I love how the characters developed in this story.

I really enjoyed the relationship that developed between Andie and her father (Alex). Losing her mother was difficult for Andie, even though she put on a brave face all the time. It didn’t help the situation that her father was never around and that when in public he pretended like Andie and him were close and everything was absolutely fine. In the beginning of this book I have to admit that I really didn’t like Alex, however in the close, he ended up being one of my favourite characters. I loved how he was when he met Clark and how he handled that, how he could act like a teenager again during the scavenger hunt and even though he barely knew what was going on on the trip to New Jersey he was so cool about it.

Palmer was the typical best friend. She was always around or just a text away and she was a really fun character. Even though Andie and Palmer’s friendship was hanging by a thread at one point Palmer was the first one to step out and forgive Andie. Then two minutes later they were on a road trip to stop Andie’s father from being publically humiliated and hunt down Clark. This is a display of real friendship. Also, Palmer’s Boyfriend Tom was a really enjoyable character. I feel like we all have a friend like that. I also really enjoyed the friendship he made with Clark and that this kind of made Andie feel like this could actually work out for the two of them.

Tobri (Toby and Bri) were also one of my favourite characters and friendship. Even though the book ended how it did with their friendship, I’m kinda glad it did. When you live in someone’s pocket most of your life and don’t know who you are without them its good to have a break. I think for both of them individualy they needed that and I’m glad that in the end, Toby finds a new group of friends but still keeps in contact with the others. I wish in the book there was a bit of an ending about Bri though, so we knew what she was doing and how she was going.

I even really enjoyed some of the more minor but still rather important characters in the book. When it came to Wyatt I had a feeling from when they first had a bit of a party at Clarks, when they found out he had a pool, that something was going to happen between him and Bri. There were just subtle hints in Morgan Matson’s writing that gave it away. No matter which way that they attempted to tell Toby about this relationship it would not have ended well. I do like how it turned out, so I’m glad it was written how it was.
Topher was a character that in the begin you didn’t really know what his purpose was. Besides the fact that he lived a similar life to Andie as they both have parents that are in politics it isn’t until that last meeting with them and then the text/phone call warning that you discover that Topher actually does care. I feel like in the last scene where they were together, at the party, that Topher actually all along had, not nesseciarly feelings but, a kind of bond with Andie. In that moment he realises it’s over and even though he accepts it and lets things move on he was still hurt about it.
I even enjoyed Peter’s part in the book. Even though I hated his character and from the get go you realised how obnoxious and controlling he is, I’m glad he was in the story. It added for that little bit of humour especially when you see how Alex handles the speech at the end and how he just drives off in the bus with Walt (the driver), Andie and Palmer and leaves Peter there.

Lastly, Andie and Clark, I won’t say too much as I don’t want to put too many spoilers in here.
I love how at the start it didn’t look like it was going to come to anything, maybe Andie was just going to be a dog walker to Clark. Then of all things the dog somehow brings them together.
That’s all I’m going to say in relation to them, you’ll have to read that story for yourself.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone! I loved it and I’m not even a
contemporary book reader.

FACEBOOK    /    TWITTER    /    PINTEREST    /    INSTAGRAM