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The Unexpected Everything
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2016)Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?
519 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2016
About the author
Morgan Matson
15 books13.3k followersMorgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
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June 8, 2016
Watch my review video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA3rl...
Watch my interview with Morgan Matson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVqHE...
Morgan Matson definitely did not disappoint with this book! Filled with books, dogs, ice cream, scavenger hunts, and a swoon-worthy new romantic interest, Clark, The Unexpected Everything was an addictive read. I love the message of this book, learning how to live in the moment, and all of the characters were strong and (some of them) easy to love. ALSO CLARK. What a babe. A nerdy, beautiful babe.
I definitely recommend this and all of Morgan Matson's other books, especially during summer!
Watch my interview with Morgan Matson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVqHE...
Morgan Matson definitely did not disappoint with this book! Filled with books, dogs, ice cream, scavenger hunts, and a swoon-worthy new romantic interest, Clark, The Unexpected Everything was an addictive read. I love the message of this book, learning how to live in the moment, and all of the characters were strong and (some of them) easy to love. ALSO CLARK. What a babe. A nerdy, beautiful babe.
I definitely recommend this and all of Morgan Matson's other books, especially during summer!
August 10, 2018
“If whole galaxies could change, so could I. ”
It’s seriously impossible for me not to fall in love with the summer season while reading a Matson book. The Unexpected Everything was exactly what I was looking for right now.
It is the ultimate summer read, filled with hilarious, thrilling, and poignant characters that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this one as much as her last book because of the length, but Morgan Matson really knows how to make the pages fly by. Her pacing in books makes it completely unputdownable— She perfectly captures that feeling during those magical summer nights where time seemed to stop. Seriously, hours passed in what felt like seconds while reading this book.
This review contains *spoilers*.
The story all starts with a conference in front of Andie’s house, she’s the only daughter of a prominent congressman, who’s suddenly caught up in a scandal that threatens to upend not only his career but the next national election.
When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.
After the conference, Andie plans to leave home for the summer to participate in her pre-med (pre-pre-med-med) program, until an unfortunate phone call informs her that her perfect summer isn’t going to play out just as she’d planned.
Andie not willing to give up on her plans for a great summer yet, starts anew with a mysterious dog-walking job. Which I absolutely adored, especially when she met her boss, Maya, for the first time. I was smiling so much. So I just had to then spent some time on Tumblr looking at cute dogs. And I’m still amazed with how utterly beautiful these pictures are:
Source
While doing said dog-walking job, she meets Clark. And he turns out to be a lot more than Andie was expecting. Their meet-cute was hilarious with the whole Bertie the dog situation.
I also really liked Clark’s initial nervousness around Andie, especially when he tried to ask her out:
“I was just . . . trying to get a sense of your schedule.” He blinked, like he’d just heard himself, and I could see the tops of his ears were starting to turn red. “Wow, that sounded creepy. I didn’t mean that in, like, a weird way. I think I’m making this worse. Oh god.” He took a breath, then swallowed hard. “I was wondering, you know, what you do. At night.” He stared at me in horror after he said it, like he couldn’t quite believe the words had come out of his mouth. “Oh, man,” he muttered, closing his eyes behind his glasses for a moment. “This isn’t going well.”
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from smiling wide.”
Me too, Andie, me too…
Oh, and when her dad and Clark met I was laughing so hard and feeling just as baffled about Clark’s life.
“Dad, this is Clark Goetz-Hoffman,” I said, just as Clark said, “McCallister.”
“What?” I turned to look at him.
“Clark McCallister,” Clark said.
“I thought your last name was Goetz-Hoffman.”
“You two need a minute to confer?” my dad asked, looking between the two of us.”
Clark wrote the book, he wrote the book, he wrote the book—throughout The Unexpected Everything we got little snippets of another story called A Murder of Crows written by a certain C. B. McCallister.
And I was pretty impressed with him when I connected the dots. (Also, I’m really glad it was explained early on in the book and not dragged out.)
“I blinked at him, trying to figure this out. I had assumed Clark was my age, or close to it, though I was now starting to question everything. Because people who were my age, or close to it, didn’t write bestselling fantasy books. They didn’t have movies based on their books with huge movie stars in them. How was this even possible?
“I published the first one when I was fourteen,” Clark said, clearly reading the confusion on both our faces. He gave an embarrassed shrug. “Homeschooled kids have a lot of time on their hands.”
And even though their actual first date was really awkward, I’m glad it went that way because no insta-love.
“But it was too bad, I realized, as I looked at his profile, lit up by his dashboard light. He was really, really cute. And he seemed nice. But apparently, somehow, that wasn’t always enough. (I made a mental note to be sure to tell Toby, since this seemed to run counterintuitive to everything her Rom-Coms had told her.)”
It’s the first time I remember reading a book where the first date didn’t go in the most spectacular way. So thank you, Morgan Matson, for that!
But they have a good talk with one another when Andie comes over because of Bertie. I was so glad the dog recovered. And also glad for the really nice conversations they had while watching over Bertie.
“As Clark went on, telling his story, I realized that I wasn’t trying to stop him, or control the conversation, or keep him from asking me something I didn’t want to answer. It was like talking to my friends—and I would just have to see where the conversation took me. And so, surprising myself, I leaned forward to listen.”
Matson really knows how to develop her romances because just them holding hands for the first time left my heart beating too damn fast.
“I took a breath to continue the story when Clark’s hand brushed against mine, and all the words left my head.
I wasn’t sure if it was an accident, so I kept my hand stretched down by my side, within easy reach, and what felt like a lifetime later, Clark’s hand brushed mine again, sending a spark through me that I felt all the way in my toes. He kept his hand touching mine, and then, moving a millimeter at a time, curved his fingers around so that they were resting against my palm, just brushing it, so lightly. Then he moved up, over the curve of my thumb, and ran his index finger over the inside of my wrist in a slow circle.”
Meanwhile, the whole deal Toby made with Palmer concerning her excessive use of emojis made me crack up.
“You need to dial it back,” Palmer said as she pulled out her phone. “Like this afternoon, you texted me ‘I’m so whale, dancing girl, dancing girl, blushing smiley, nervous-teeth smiley, star, star, pizza.’ ” She looked up from her phone. “What was that supposed to mean?”
Seriously so entertaining.
Also also, a Since You’ve Been Gone reference showed up:
“Whoa,” Palmer said, drawing back slightly from me, her expression surprised. “I mean,” she said, regrouping, “hi, Andie. Um . . . rough night?”
“Is it that bad?” I asked, tucking my hair behind my ears, slinking down farther in the booth. As I did, I caught the eye of a guy sitting across the restaurant and felt my stomach sink as he gave me a smile and a quick wave. It was Frank Porter, who I’d had a micro-crush on last year when I heard he broke up with his longtime girlfriend. But he came back to school in the fall so clearly besotted with Emily Hughes that I’d quashed my crush immediately. That still didn’t mean I wanted to look awful in front of him, though. He was sitting across from Matt Collins, who was saying something that made Frank laugh, and I turned my back on them.”
I’m so, so happy and I reallywant to reread it now.
“We’re doing a scavenger hunt, and we need something that has a business slogan with a pun,” I explained.
“Ah,” Dawn said, turning to Emily. “So you’re trying to check items off a list?” she asked, nudging her. “What’s that like?”
“Ignore my friend,” Emily said to us, rolling her eyes. “She’s inhaled too many pizza fumes today.”
I've missed them so much, why didn't I reread it before picking this up???
And the references to Matson's other books didn’t stop there, I was extremely giddy when all her characters randomly (and not so randomly) showed up. There were so many references and it made my heart lighter and my cheeks hurt from smiling too much. Thank you, thank you ,thank you.
And then when Andie finished Clark’s second book, I was cry-laughing over the texts she sent to her dad:
And then it gets even better:
“Palmer and Tom both looked at Clark. “What did you do?” she asked.
“He killed Tamsin,” I said, glowering at him, while across the table from me, Palmer’s jaw dropped.
“You what?” she gasped.
“Fictionally,” Clark explained hurriedly. “It’s not like she was a real person.”
“Clearly not, to you,” I huffed.
“You bastard,” Tom said, now glaring at Clark as well.
“Wait, why are you upset?” Clark asked, sounding baffled.
“Because it’s all coming back to me now,” he said, shaking his head at Clark. “Really, how could you have done that?”
I absolutely love them.
The texts in this book were spectacular. Morgan has something special in each of her books, and this one did not miss out!
And speaking of Andie’s friends, I was amazed with how well all their friendships were written. Their group dynamics were pretty much all I could think about. It was both complex and lighthearted at times, especially with Bri and Toby—it was so great reading about such a close friendship. And even when they took a break, I was really glad for it. I could really relate to them and am extremely grateful that Morgan Matson ended it in that way.
“Do you know how horrible I’ve felt over the last two weeks?” Toby asked, turning to look at all of us. “It’s been the worst time of my life. And I couldn’t even talk to my best friend about it, since it was her fault.”
“I felt the same way—” Bri started, but Toby talked over her.
“I realized I don’t know who I am if I’m not your friend,” she said. “Like I have no idea at all. And that’s a problem.”
“So that’s it?” Bri asked, and I could hear the fear beneath her words. “We’re done?”
“Yes,” Toby said, her voice cracking. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”
I was definitely crushed, but this was something so real that I couldn’t help but agree.
“I didn’t know what my life looked like if we weren’t all still friends. It was a reality I couldn’t even fully grasp. For the last five years, it had been the four of us, what I had always believed to be an unshakable unit. The thought of not having them—the thought of some reality I might have to accept where I didn’t have them—was making me feel like I wanted to scream, cry, and throw up, all at the same time.”
Those parts really hit home for me.
“And it was Maya’s words, coupled with severe boredom and loneliness, that led me to reach for my phone and scroll through my contacts until I got to Topher.
ME:
Hey. You around?
TOPHER:
It’s about time.”
So I have to mention it because it’s gonna really bother me if I don’t, but I absolutely hated Topher. I almost forgot that I did because we hadn’t focused on him for a while but the hate came back so quickly. Especially when he contacted her while she was with Clark. Topher just gave off a bad feeling.
"I could feel it happening, this pattern we always fell back into, but for some reason it didn’t feel like it normally did. It was feeling more like the time Bri accidentally took my shoes after a sleepover and I had to wear hers all day, aware with every step of how they didn’t fit me right.”
This description is so specific, yet weirdly relatable and accurate. How does Morgan do it??
She clearly has a talent for writing incredible friendships:
“You know you can always come by.” Palmer nodded and took a breath. But before she could speak, I jumped in. “I really, really messed up,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know it was coming from a good place,” Palmer said, shaking her head. “But—”
“I know,” I said. “I was trying to control everything, because the thought of not having you guys . . .” I let out a shaky breath. “But I shouldn’t have interfered like that.”
Palmer nodded. “I know you were trying to help, in your own, very not helpful way,” she said, and I smiled. “But I overreacted. And I’m sorry, Andie.”
I really liked that we got some closure with those two. And there was a short roadtrip towards the end, which I’m all for. (I really want to reread Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour.)
I just love how Morgan Matson weaves both friends and family in her books.
The situation with her dad started out rocky, but thanks to a supply of great movies and the warm weather, they started to bond— which, of course, melted my heart. I adore close families in books.
And I'm pretty happy with that ending, even if it was a bit cheesy. I can't wait to read more of Matson's future books, and hopefully reread her old ones.
4.5 stars
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Unexpected Everything, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with http://Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
It’s seriously impossible for me not to fall in love with the summer season while reading a Matson book. The Unexpected Everything was exactly what I was looking for right now.
It is the ultimate summer read, filled with hilarious, thrilling, and poignant characters that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.
I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this one as much as her last book because of the length, but Morgan Matson really knows how to make the pages fly by. Her pacing in books makes it completely unputdownable— She perfectly captures that feeling during those magical summer nights where time seemed to stop. Seriously, hours passed in what felt like seconds while reading this book.
This review contains *spoilers*.
The story all starts with a conference in front of Andie’s house, she’s the only daughter of a prominent congressman, who’s suddenly caught up in a scandal that threatens to upend not only his career but the next national election.
When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.
After the conference, Andie plans to leave home for the summer to participate in her pre-med (pre-pre-med-med) program, until an unfortunate phone call informs her that her perfect summer isn’t going to play out just as she’d planned.
Andie not willing to give up on her plans for a great summer yet, starts anew with a mysterious dog-walking job. Which I absolutely adored, especially when she met her boss, Maya, for the first time. I was smiling so much. So I just had to then spent some time on Tumblr looking at cute dogs. And I’m still amazed with how utterly beautiful these pictures are:
Source
While doing said dog-walking job, she meets Clark. And he turns out to be a lot more than Andie was expecting. Their meet-cute was hilarious with the whole Bertie the dog situation.
I also really liked Clark’s initial nervousness around Andie, especially when he tried to ask her out:
“I was just . . . trying to get a sense of your schedule.” He blinked, like he’d just heard himself, and I could see the tops of his ears were starting to turn red. “Wow, that sounded creepy. I didn’t mean that in, like, a weird way. I think I’m making this worse. Oh god.” He took a breath, then swallowed hard. “I was wondering, you know, what you do. At night.” He stared at me in horror after he said it, like he couldn’t quite believe the words had come out of his mouth. “Oh, man,” he muttered, closing his eyes behind his glasses for a moment. “This isn’t going well.”
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from smiling wide.”
Me too, Andie, me too…
Oh, and when her dad and Clark met I was laughing so hard and feeling just as baffled about Clark’s life.
“Dad, this is Clark Goetz-Hoffman,” I said, just as Clark said, “McCallister.”
“What?” I turned to look at him.
“Clark McCallister,” Clark said.
“I thought your last name was Goetz-Hoffman.”
“You two need a minute to confer?” my dad asked, looking between the two of us.”
Clark wrote the book, he wrote the book, he wrote the book—throughout The Unexpected Everything we got little snippets of another story called A Murder of Crows written by a certain C. B. McCallister.
And I was pretty impressed with him when I connected the dots. (Also, I’m really glad it was explained early on in the book and not dragged out.)
“I blinked at him, trying to figure this out. I had assumed Clark was my age, or close to it, though I was now starting to question everything. Because people who were my age, or close to it, didn’t write bestselling fantasy books. They didn’t have movies based on their books with huge movie stars in them. How was this even possible?
“I published the first one when I was fourteen,” Clark said, clearly reading the confusion on both our faces. He gave an embarrassed shrug. “Homeschooled kids have a lot of time on their hands.”
And even though their actual first date was really awkward, I’m glad it went that way because no insta-love.
“But it was too bad, I realized, as I looked at his profile, lit up by his dashboard light. He was really, really cute. And he seemed nice. But apparently, somehow, that wasn’t always enough. (I made a mental note to be sure to tell Toby, since this seemed to run counterintuitive to everything her Rom-Coms had told her.)”
It’s the first time I remember reading a book where the first date didn’t go in the most spectacular way. So thank you, Morgan Matson, for that!
But they have a good talk with one another when Andie comes over because of Bertie. I was so glad the dog recovered. And also glad for the really nice conversations they had while watching over Bertie.
“As Clark went on, telling his story, I realized that I wasn’t trying to stop him, or control the conversation, or keep him from asking me something I didn’t want to answer. It was like talking to my friends—and I would just have to see where the conversation took me. And so, surprising myself, I leaned forward to listen.”
Matson really knows how to develop her romances because just them holding hands for the first time left my heart beating too damn fast.
“I took a breath to continue the story when Clark’s hand brushed against mine, and all the words left my head.
I wasn’t sure if it was an accident, so I kept my hand stretched down by my side, within easy reach, and what felt like a lifetime later, Clark’s hand brushed mine again, sending a spark through me that I felt all the way in my toes. He kept his hand touching mine, and then, moving a millimeter at a time, curved his fingers around so that they were resting against my palm, just brushing it, so lightly. Then he moved up, over the curve of my thumb, and ran his index finger over the inside of my wrist in a slow circle.”
Meanwhile, the whole deal Toby made with Palmer concerning her excessive use of emojis made me crack up.
“You need to dial it back,” Palmer said as she pulled out her phone. “Like this afternoon, you texted me ‘I’m so whale, dancing girl, dancing girl, blushing smiley, nervous-teeth smiley, star, star, pizza.’ ” She looked up from her phone. “What was that supposed to mean?”
Seriously so entertaining.
Also also, a Since You’ve Been Gone reference showed up:
“Whoa,” Palmer said, drawing back slightly from me, her expression surprised. “I mean,” she said, regrouping, “hi, Andie. Um . . . rough night?”
“Is it that bad?” I asked, tucking my hair behind my ears, slinking down farther in the booth. As I did, I caught the eye of a guy sitting across the restaurant and felt my stomach sink as he gave me a smile and a quick wave. It was Frank Porter, who I’d had a micro-crush on last year when I heard he broke up with his longtime girlfriend. But he came back to school in the fall so clearly besotted with Emily Hughes that I’d quashed my crush immediately. That still didn’t mean I wanted to look awful in front of him, though. He was sitting across from Matt Collins, who was saying something that made Frank laugh, and I turned my back on them.”
I’m so, so happy and I reallywant to reread it now.
“We’re doing a scavenger hunt, and we need something that has a business slogan with a pun,” I explained.
“Ah,” Dawn said, turning to Emily. “So you’re trying to check items off a list?” she asked, nudging her. “What’s that like?”
“Ignore my friend,” Emily said to us, rolling her eyes. “She’s inhaled too many pizza fumes today.”
I've missed them so much, why didn't I reread it before picking this up???
And the references to Matson's other books didn’t stop there, I was extremely giddy when all her characters randomly (and not so randomly) showed up. There were so many references and it made my heart lighter and my cheeks hurt from smiling too much. Thank you, thank you ,thank you.
And then when Andie finished Clark’s second book, I was cry-laughing over the texts she sent to her dad:
And then it gets even better:
“Palmer and Tom both looked at Clark. “What did you do?” she asked.
“He killed Tamsin,” I said, glowering at him, while across the table from me, Palmer’s jaw dropped.
“You what?” she gasped.
“Fictionally,” Clark explained hurriedly. “It’s not like she was a real person.”
“Clearly not, to you,” I huffed.
“You bastard,” Tom said, now glaring at Clark as well.
“Wait, why are you upset?” Clark asked, sounding baffled.
“Because it’s all coming back to me now,” he said, shaking his head at Clark. “Really, how could you have done that?”
I absolutely love them.
The texts in this book were spectacular. Morgan has something special in each of her books, and this one did not miss out!
And speaking of Andie’s friends, I was amazed with how well all their friendships were written. Their group dynamics were pretty much all I could think about. It was both complex and lighthearted at times, especially with Bri and Toby—it was so great reading about such a close friendship. And even when they took a break, I was really glad for it. I could really relate to them and am extremely grateful that Morgan Matson ended it in that way.
“Do you know how horrible I’ve felt over the last two weeks?” Toby asked, turning to look at all of us. “It’s been the worst time of my life. And I couldn’t even talk to my best friend about it, since it was her fault.”
“I felt the same way—” Bri started, but Toby talked over her.
“I realized I don’t know who I am if I’m not your friend,” she said. “Like I have no idea at all. And that’s a problem.”
“So that’s it?” Bri asked, and I could hear the fear beneath her words. “We’re done?”
“Yes,” Toby said, her voice cracking. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”
I was definitely crushed, but this was something so real that I couldn’t help but agree.
“I didn’t know what my life looked like if we weren’t all still friends. It was a reality I couldn’t even fully grasp. For the last five years, it had been the four of us, what I had always believed to be an unshakable unit. The thought of not having them—the thought of some reality I might have to accept where I didn’t have them—was making me feel like I wanted to scream, cry, and throw up, all at the same time.”
Those parts really hit home for me.
“And it was Maya’s words, coupled with severe boredom and loneliness, that led me to reach for my phone and scroll through my contacts until I got to Topher.
ME:
Hey. You around?
TOPHER:
It’s about time.”
So I have to mention it because it’s gonna really bother me if I don’t, but I absolutely hated Topher. I almost forgot that I did because we hadn’t focused on him for a while but the hate came back so quickly. Especially when he contacted her while she was with Clark. Topher just gave off a bad feeling.
"I could feel it happening, this pattern we always fell back into, but for some reason it didn’t feel like it normally did. It was feeling more like the time Bri accidentally took my shoes after a sleepover and I had to wear hers all day, aware with every step of how they didn’t fit me right.”
This description is so specific, yet weirdly relatable and accurate. How does Morgan do it??
She clearly has a talent for writing incredible friendships:
“You know you can always come by.” Palmer nodded and took a breath. But before she could speak, I jumped in. “I really, really messed up,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know it was coming from a good place,” Palmer said, shaking her head. “But—”
“I know,” I said. “I was trying to control everything, because the thought of not having you guys . . .” I let out a shaky breath. “But I shouldn’t have interfered like that.”
Palmer nodded. “I know you were trying to help, in your own, very not helpful way,” she said, and I smiled. “But I overreacted. And I’m sorry, Andie.”
I really liked that we got some closure with those two. And there was a short roadtrip towards the end, which I’m all for. (I really want to reread Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour.)
I just love how Morgan Matson weaves both friends and family in her books.
The situation with her dad started out rocky, but thanks to a supply of great movies and the warm weather, they started to bond— which, of course, melted my heart. I adore close families in books.
And I'm pretty happy with that ending, even if it was a bit cheesy. I can't wait to read more of Matson's future books, and hopefully reread her old ones.
4.5 stars
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying The Unexpected Everything, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with http://Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This review and more can be found on my blog.
May 9, 2016
Clearly the downside of having a theoretical crush on someone you knew nothing about was the crashing realisation that you actually knew nothing about them.
This is my third and favourite read by Matson, despite the 3-star rating. In the past, I have found myself liking Matson's premises and her writing style, but being put off by the immaturity of her characters. In my opinion, they are 17/18 year olds with the "voices" of 12 year olds. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem here.
The Unexpected Everything is, for the most part, a really good book. It manages to straddle the line between fun summer beach read and a deeper contemporary about family life. It appears to be something of a romance - and it sure is, to a certain extent - but it's also at least as much about friendship, growing up, loss and family.
The narrator is Andie - a congressman's daughter whose life starts to unravel in the wake of her father's political scandal. She's Type A, ambitious and independent, and up until this point, she had everything figured out months in advance. Now her carefully-constructed world is crumbling and she finds herself forced to fill the summer gap in her resume by walking dogs.
I actually found the sympathy Matson constructs around Andie to be realistic and genuine. It didn't even matter to me that, on a surface level, Andie was a white, privileged narrator. I felt for her when she discovered that even after working so hard, walking the line and doing everything right, factors beyond her control could just come flying in and ruin it all.
The way her father's career has affected her life is told so well, as is their relationship. I loved the family parts of the book most of all, and enjoyed how the author turned Andie's father into a frustrating, obtuse, but oddly likable human being who is dealing with his own pain. This book could have turned into a stream of Andie angst, but it's cleverer and more thought-provoking than that.
There are also many great friendships in the novel, further solidifying this as a book more about the process of being a teenager and growing up, than it is about that cute boy over there. The cute boy surfaces, of course, but he is dorky and awkward, which made a nice change from all the smirking bad boys who've had hundreds of girls before they've even made it out of high school.
It's a sensitive and fun novel; not nearly as melodramatic as it easily could have been, but still important too.
Okay, so the big question: why only 3 stars? Well, all of the positives I've listed above were notes I made during the first half of this book.
The sad truth is, The Unexpected Everything is way too long. I'm not exaggerating by saying that the book could have been cut in half. It's rare to find a contemporary YA that needs to be over 500 pages, and this one certainly didn't. I felt like we should have been approaching the finish line at the halfway point and so much of that second half dragged.
I was enjoying the story so much and it was sad to see it dampened by slow, overlong stretches. Austen once said: "if a book is well written, I always find it too short." But I disagree. One of the things about writing a good book, series, or TV show, is knowing when to stop. Matson didn't get that here.
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April 4, 2023
I just...didn’t care about this book.
And I feel like I really should have?? It’s a Morgan Matson book, for one thing. Also, the main character is a dog walker. Also also, the love interest is a nerdy writer (!!!) and there’s a solid group of friends at the core and there’s a lot of texting. And if anyone knows anything about me, it should be that I inexplicably love when texting is incorporated into books. These are all very good things.
BUT NONE OF IT CLICKED.
All of it felt so eh. Andie, the main character, full-on does not do it for me. I think she was probably intended to be a character kind of unlike those we get in YA, but instead she just felt like the any-person flat undeveloped contemporary girls of any 2013 romance, who are just a blank slate for preteens everywhere to project themselves onto while the boy gets some devilish edgy archetype.
Minus the devilish boy part.
I did like the circle of friends, and I truly wish we got even more time with them. Which isn’t to say we didn’t get a lot, because we did. Mainly I’d just read about the internal workings of the relationship dynamic between the waitresses at the diner they frequent if that meant getting out of Andie’s head more often.
And while I really wanted to like Clark, the aforementioned nerdy-writer-subject-of-romancin’, I didn’t. He also felt kind of underdeveloped and boring. As did Andie’s father, and her relationship with him, even though that takes up a lot of the book.
Basically, I think I am astonished at the fact that this book could casually be exactly eight thousand seven hundred and forty-two pages long (or 519, same difference) and still feel so flat/boring/underdone/half-baked/overwhelmingly eh.
Having said that, this book was still written by Morgan Matson, which means it feels like summer and takes thirty seconds to read and will always have at least occasional seconds of fun and one to two heart-wrenching Emotional Speeches And/Or Moments.
Which puts it above most contemporaries anyway.
Bottom line: Not my favorite Morgan Matson!!! But still by Morgan Matson.
Reread addition: While I expected to boost this up a half star for reread-ability reasons, I found the final act drama unbearable!! And contemporaries with fantasy insertions are my pet peeve. So we remain at a firm three.
-----------------
reread updates
it's not summer until i've read a morgan matson book
-----------------
pre-review
the reread-every-morgan-matson-book-before-her-new-one-comes-out-a-thon is: COMPLETE.
the emotional turmoil that was that bonanza comes to an unbearably meh finish with this book.
or in other words: oh my god this book was so eh.
review to come
And I feel like I really should have?? It’s a Morgan Matson book, for one thing. Also, the main character is a dog walker. Also also, the love interest is a nerdy writer (!!!) and there’s a solid group of friends at the core and there’s a lot of texting. And if anyone knows anything about me, it should be that I inexplicably love when texting is incorporated into books. These are all very good things.
BUT NONE OF IT CLICKED.
All of it felt so eh. Andie, the main character, full-on does not do it for me. I think she was probably intended to be a character kind of unlike those we get in YA, but instead she just felt like the any-person flat undeveloped contemporary girls of any 2013 romance, who are just a blank slate for preteens everywhere to project themselves onto while the boy gets some devilish edgy archetype.
Minus the devilish boy part.
I did like the circle of friends, and I truly wish we got even more time with them. Which isn’t to say we didn’t get a lot, because we did. Mainly I’d just read about the internal workings of the relationship dynamic between the waitresses at the diner they frequent if that meant getting out of Andie’s head more often.
And while I really wanted to like Clark, the aforementioned nerdy-writer-subject-of-romancin’, I didn’t. He also felt kind of underdeveloped and boring. As did Andie’s father, and her relationship with him, even though that takes up a lot of the book.
Basically, I think I am astonished at the fact that this book could casually be exactly eight thousand seven hundred and forty-two pages long (or 519, same difference) and still feel so flat/boring/underdone/half-baked/overwhelmingly eh.
Having said that, this book was still written by Morgan Matson, which means it feels like summer and takes thirty seconds to read and will always have at least occasional seconds of fun and one to two heart-wrenching Emotional Speeches And/Or Moments.
Which puts it above most contemporaries anyway.
Bottom line: Not my favorite Morgan Matson!!! But still by Morgan Matson.
Reread addition: While I expected to boost this up a half star for reread-ability reasons, I found the final act drama unbearable!! And contemporaries with fantasy insertions are my pet peeve. So we remain at a firm three.
-----------------
reread updates
it's not summer until i've read a morgan matson book
-----------------
pre-review
the reread-every-morgan-matson-book-before-her-new-one-comes-out-a-thon is: COMPLETE.
the emotional turmoil that was that bonanza comes to an unbearably meh finish with this book.
or in other words: oh my god this book was so eh.
review to come
February 14, 2017
SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK
Review to come!
Review to come!
May 17, 2017
4.5/5 stars
This is probably my least favorite Morgan Matson book so far, which isn't saying much because I still LOVED IT.
Lots of the elements were even more true to life than her other books, which is something I really appreciated. I loved the friendship and family and romance elements all coming together in one book and really melding well.
Clark is the absolute definition of precious cinnamon roll to good for this world, too pure. HE EMBODIES THE MEME.
The further out I get from this book the more I love it, so I'll probably be rereading it again in May for #MonthOfMatson
Reread for month of matson 2017
I still stand by pretty much everything I said. I LOVE Clark and I love the relationship Andie forms with her dad. Toby annoyed me more this time, but I overall liked the story so much.
This is probably my least favorite Morgan Matson book so far, which isn't saying much because I still LOVED IT.
Lots of the elements were even more true to life than her other books, which is something I really appreciated. I loved the friendship and family and romance elements all coming together in one book and really melding well.
Clark is the absolute definition of precious cinnamon roll to good for this world, too pure. HE EMBODIES THE MEME.
The further out I get from this book the more I love it, so I'll probably be rereading it again in May for #MonthOfMatson
Reread for month of matson 2017
I still stand by pretty much everything I said. I LOVE Clark and I love the relationship Andie forms with her dad. Toby annoyed me more this time, but I overall liked the story so much.
January 28, 2019
there was a brief time when i thought i was outgrowing morgan matsons books. YA can be a fun genre for an old fart like me, but sometimes a story can feel a little too teenager-y and i was worried MM was heading in that direction. and although this book has some moments like that, im relieved to say i still enjoy her storytelling!
true to morgan matson style, this book is everything you want from a contemporary - its lighthearted, fluffy, and very carefree. but what i really enjoy most about her stories, and this one in particular, is the personal growth her MCs go through. i love the relationship andie has with her best friends (even if i did find some of them annoying), i think the closeness she develops with her father is very touching, and dont even get me started on clark. clark is literally book boyfriend goals personified. swoon.
this book is quite long for a YA novel, especially for being as predictable as it is, but i know the diehard MM fans will appreciate that. this is a story full of life, love, and everything in between - perfect for any upcoming summer TBR!
↠ 3.5 stars
true to morgan matson style, this book is everything you want from a contemporary - its lighthearted, fluffy, and very carefree. but what i really enjoy most about her stories, and this one in particular, is the personal growth her MCs go through. i love the relationship andie has with her best friends (even if i did find some of them annoying), i think the closeness she develops with her father is very touching, and dont even get me started on clark. clark is literally book boyfriend goals personified. swoon.
this book is quite long for a YA novel, especially for being as predictable as it is, but i know the diehard MM fans will appreciate that. this is a story full of life, love, and everything in between - perfect for any upcoming summer TBR!
↠ 3.5 stars
February 8, 2017
ANOTHER MORGAN MATSON AMAZING BOOK!
VIDEO REVIEW COMING SOON!
VIDEO REVIEW COMING SOON!
August 19, 2018
All I can say is that this book has been my everything for the past few days and I want a Clark of my own and I will not stop until I find him. That is all.
February 10, 2017
On sale for $1.99 on kindle 1/15/2017 Another one of my favs
This book is so good and it made me cry. Okay, I know, I always say that, but I always cry in books whether it's happy or sad.
You have Andie who's father is a politician and they haven't really spent time together in about 5 years. Andie's mom isn't around but you can read about that in the book. I love Andie's friends. Palmer, Toby and Bri are all best friends with Andie and yes those are girls. :-) They have Tom and Wyatt as the guy friends.
Andie has it all planned out for the summer. She's going to the Young Scholars Program at John Hopkins, but there is a big scandal with her father and she gets turned down. I mean seriously, this had nothing to do with Andie and it isn't fair but that's life. And her father wasn't guilty either but it is what it is right?
Now Andie has no idea what she's going to do, but her friends are happy she's going to be with them over the summer. Andie decides to at least apply for a job and this happens to be in the form of a dog walker :-) Yes, doggers! I love it!
One of the dogs she walks is Bertie the Great Pyrenees. She actually meets Bertie and his caretaker, Clark Bruce McCallister, when Bertie got away from him and sort of had a run in with Andie. She wasn't a dog walker at the time, but when Clark found out she had a job walking dogs she hired the company she was working through.
At first Andie is really down that she had to stay home for the summer, but it turns out to be the best summer EVER! Her dad is home now and they got off to a bad start but then it ended up really great for them. I was so happy for them in the book. Andie has a great time with her friends. AND.... there is always the AND... she finds love with wonderful Clark. I love Clark. He's a teenage fantasy writer (yeah teenage writer!) and he's dreamy.
Watching Andie and Clark slowly get together was so sweet.
--->EXCERPT<---
I wasn't sure if it was an accident, so I kept my hand stretched down by my side, within easy reach, and what felt like a lifetime later, Clark's hand brushed mine again, sending a spark through me that I felt all the way in my toes. He kept his hand touching mine, and then, moving a millimeter at a time, curved his fingers around so that they were resting against my palm, just brushing it, so lightly. Then he moved up, over the curve of my thumb, and ran his index finger over the inside of my wrist in a slow circle. I could feel my pulse fluttering beneath his fingertips, and I had to remind myself that I knew how to breathe, that I'd been doing it my whole life. And then our palms were touching, perfectly lined up, though I could feel how much bigger his hand was than mine, feel his fingertips curving over the tops of mine, despite what Bri had always called my "weird large tree-frog hands." We stayed that way for just a moment, and then, like we'd talked about it before, like we'd mutually picked the time, our fingers interlocked and we were holding hands.
OMG, I could be in that moment and then they walked and talked. They at one point FINALLY kissed and it was "ahhhhhhhhhh." Yeah, I'm a little/alot crazy!
Even though there were so many fun things that happen in the book, there are the upsetting things. The things brought up about unhappy pasts, things that happen within the group of friends, but we always have to take the bad with the good. Even in a book or if it's too bad you can just throw the book across the room or something.
Either way, I loved the book, the characters, the whole story line. I hope Morgan Matson keeps popping these books out. I want more and more! ♥
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
August 12, 2017
"I looked up at him, and a thought passed through my brain before I could stop or analyze it. It’s you—of course it is. There you are."
♥ buddy read with my favorite, Sharon ♥
3.5 stars. Because of all the hype surrounding Morgan Matson & her books, my high expectations just weren't met. I really enjoyed so many aspects of this book overall, but there were just some annoying things I couldn't ignore.
From the beginning, I couldn't bring myself to like or relate to Andie. Politician's privileged daughter who at one point almost doesn't take a dog-walking job because she feels like she's above it..... How was I supposed to ignore that? THANKFULLY, Andie does show some character development, and I loved the way her relationships with her friends, Clark, and father evolved.
Enter Clark. Aka nerdy, sweet, kinda awkward fantasy writer. *cough* dream guy *cough*. No, but really, CLARK'S EVERYTHING. He was always so honest about his thoughts and feelings & I found him to be the best part of this book because of that. There was no drama in his department, unless it was Andie who was starting it lmao.
Some other great parts of the story were:
ANDIE'S FRIEND GROUP. Omg. So, so cute. Palmer, Toby, and Bri were such different individuals, but they understood each other so well & were so supportive of each other through everything. I loved their little rituals, their little texting convos, etc. So cute.
Andie + her father. I cannot stress how much I disliked her father in the beginning. He's the typical 'fake' dad who acts like he's there to everyone, but really isn't. And then suddenly he tries to be strict w/ Andie after realizing she's practically been raising herself.... OK THEN. Their growth was everything though. It was one of my favorite parts of the story, so no spoiling from me!
❝“And Clark stole my keys, so I might need to borrow your car.”
“He did?” my dad asked, starting to smile.
I frowned at him, and his expression grew more serious.
“I mean, of course he shouldn’t have done that to you. ❞
Overall, a good book imo! I expected more romance, but despite that I don't think the lack of it was what made this a 3-star read. It was mainly Andie being annoying lmao. I wouldn't tell anyone to clear their tbr lists for this one, but I liked it. I will definitely try to read more of Matson's stuff in the future, though :D
December 27, 2023
This was maybe my very favorite Morgan Matson book. It was the perfect blend of friendship, family relationships, and a really touching romance that I loved watching unfold. Andie is the daughter of a congressman, and never lets things get serious with any guy.
When her father gets investigated, and her summer internship falls through, they are stuck together for the summer, and she winds up meeting a cute guy, Clark, while dog walking. This one is ADORABLE if you are a pet lover. Bertie, the main dog character, is such a cutie. And so is watching Andie work things out with her dad. One of the best summer-themed reads I’ve found!
When her father gets investigated, and her summer internship falls through, they are stuck together for the summer, and she winds up meeting a cute guy, Clark, while dog walking. This one is ADORABLE if you are a pet lover. Bertie, the main dog character, is such a cutie. And so is watching Andie work things out with her dad. One of the best summer-themed reads I’ve found!
June 24, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
AFTER READING
MY THOUGHTS
I was looking for a feel-good read and thought that Morgan Matson would be a great choice and this is one that I hadn't yet reread. It also has puppers, a character who writes, and it takes place in the summer, so it really felt like a perfect book to reread! Rereading this book I realized that there were so many details I still retained but I still immensely enjoyed reading it! Some things were different than I remember, but it's still a great Morgan Matson book.
Andie's plans include an all-important internship at a med school. Not only will it help her future and look good on a resume, but it lets her out of the house after her dad (a congressman) got involved with a scandal. But when said scandal causes Andie to get pulled from an internship, she doesn't know what to do. All of the other internships and jobs are already taken and she can't have a gap in her resume. She has to find something to do and sure it wasn't walking dogs, but maybe she can find greatness in this summer after all.
This indeed has a lot of feel-good to it (the puppers help). One of the reasons why I love Morgan Matson's books is that while her books can sometimes be predictable, her books are incredibly realistic because there is complexity to them. Yes, this book has a romance in it, but it's not just about romance. There is a lot about trying to figure out what you are doing when the unexpected happens (which is definitely relatable) and trying new things. There are themes are sticking with your friends and fixing relationships. There is even Andie still dealing with her mother's death years later and the father that is so caught up in work that he has no time for her. Speaking of Andie, there was just so much growth in her character in the book and even growth in the characters surrounding her as the book progressed.
The characters in this book are just fantastic! I loved seeing the group texts between Andie's friends! I also loved that Andie's dad was a part of the book and we see their relationship change from a nonexistent relationship to a close relationship. I honestly just loved seeing everyone react around each other. Again, it goes back to the complexity that Morgan Matson includes in her books. Each character is dynamic with their own unique personalities. They all feel like real people which made all of the emotions feel real. Let's not forget the dogs! I love love love dogs. If you asked me what my favorite animal was it would be, no question, dogs! So that was a big part of why I wanted to reread this book. Even the dogs get their personalities showcased! The main dog we see is Bertie who is a Great Pyrenees and I am just full of happiness just thinking about him! I volunteered walking dogs in the past and I kept getting reminded two Great Pyrenees, a brother and sister that the shelter was trying to get adopted together. They were just sweet furballs and I adored them. Thankfully they are now in a happy home!
Okay, I'll stop talking about dogs (even though I don't want to) and get to what disappointed me during my reread. My first time reading I gave this 5 stars, this time it gets 4 stars. This is mainly is due to the last part of the book, which I completely forgot about. Near the end, there is a large portion where the feel-good drops and we get a lot of conflict. I don't have a problem with the fact that there is conflict, because in real life there is conflict, I have a problem with the reasons why there was a conflict. A lot of it seemed stupid, avoidable, and it took up a lot of space in the book (this isn't a short book) It really just made me frustrated.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did enjoy rereading this book! Part of the later part frustrated me, but I just loved all the characters and the friendships and the puppers! This is a really great summertime read and I'm glad that I gave it another read!
BEFORE READING
I don't even need to know what this book is about.
IT IS BY MORGAN MATSON
It could be about purple unicorns and their adventures in a dentist office and I would still want to read it.
AFTER READING
MY THOUGHTS
I was looking for a feel-good read and thought that Morgan Matson would be a great choice and this is one that I hadn't yet reread. It also has puppers, a character who writes, and it takes place in the summer, so it really felt like a perfect book to reread! Rereading this book I realized that there were so many details I still retained but I still immensely enjoyed reading it! Some things were different than I remember, but it's still a great Morgan Matson book.
Andie's plans include an all-important internship at a med school. Not only will it help her future and look good on a resume, but it lets her out of the house after her dad (a congressman) got involved with a scandal. But when said scandal causes Andie to get pulled from an internship, she doesn't know what to do. All of the other internships and jobs are already taken and she can't have a gap in her resume. She has to find something to do and sure it wasn't walking dogs, but maybe she can find greatness in this summer after all.
This indeed has a lot of feel-good to it (the puppers help). One of the reasons why I love Morgan Matson's books is that while her books can sometimes be predictable, her books are incredibly realistic because there is complexity to them. Yes, this book has a romance in it, but it's not just about romance. There is a lot about trying to figure out what you are doing when the unexpected happens (which is definitely relatable) and trying new things. There are themes are sticking with your friends and fixing relationships. There is even Andie still dealing with her mother's death years later and the father that is so caught up in work that he has no time for her. Speaking of Andie, there was just so much growth in her character in the book and even growth in the characters surrounding her as the book progressed.
The characters in this book are just fantastic! I loved seeing the group texts between Andie's friends! I also loved that Andie's dad was a part of the book and we see their relationship change from a nonexistent relationship to a close relationship. I honestly just loved seeing everyone react around each other. Again, it goes back to the complexity that Morgan Matson includes in her books. Each character is dynamic with their own unique personalities. They all feel like real people which made all of the emotions feel real. Let's not forget the dogs! I love love love dogs. If you asked me what my favorite animal was it would be, no question, dogs! So that was a big part of why I wanted to reread this book. Even the dogs get their personalities showcased! The main dog we see is Bertie who is a Great Pyrenees and I am just full of happiness just thinking about him! I volunteered walking dogs in the past and I kept getting reminded two Great Pyrenees, a brother and sister that the shelter was trying to get adopted together. They were just sweet furballs and I adored them. Thankfully they are now in a happy home!
Okay, I'll stop talking about dogs (even though I don't want to) and get to what disappointed me during my reread. My first time reading I gave this 5 stars, this time it gets 4 stars. This is mainly is due to the last part of the book, which I completely forgot about. Near the end, there is a large portion where the feel-good drops and we get a lot of conflict. I don't have a problem with the fact that there is conflict, because in real life there is conflict, I have a problem with the reasons why there was a conflict. A lot of it seemed stupid, avoidable, and it took up a lot of space in the book (this isn't a short book) It really just made me frustrated.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did enjoy rereading this book! Part of the later part frustrated me, but I just loved all the characters and the friendships and the puppers! This is a really great summertime read and I'm glad that I gave it another read!
BEFORE READING
I don't even need to know what this book is about.
IT IS BY MORGAN MATSON
It could be about purple unicorns and their adventures in a dentist office and I would still want to read it.
April 4, 2019
5/5 STARS
What it is about!
This book is a typical Morgan Matson book..meaning it is a wickedly realistic and an awesome contemporary.
This story surrounds the title character Andie (short for Alexandra) as her summer takes a surprising turn. With her summer plans ruined, Andie rushes to find something to do with her summer. Through scandals, love, family and friends this book definitely takes you on a wonderful journey. This story ventures into father-daughter relationships that are REAL, fun and relatable friendships and a true coming of age story. Andie learns a lot about herself and how to approach the world in this contemporary novel. She is experiences a lot of growth in many aspects of her life.
My Review! Contains spoilers!
This book took me on a journey. I connected to the characters extremely well and found some of their situations realistic and how each of the characters reacted to situations to be extremely fascinating and understandable. The character development and little details make this book so refreshing. The little quirks of the MC, her friends, her dad and everyone else in her life really make the book worth while as they are seen in day to day life. I loved the writing, the story, the characters and especially the ending. It wasn't a happily ever after for all of the characters and it showed that things will change and some friendships won't last forever. I LOVED IT.
CLARK IS ONE OF THE BEST LOVE INTERESTS I HAVE EVER READ ABOUT IN A NOVEL! He is a huge dork, but decently built, writes fantasy novels, loves big romantic gestures and is a bit socially awkward. Toby has some super relatable lines even though she can be a bit annoying, but her friends accept her for it. Andie's relationship with her dad is weak and fragile at the beginning of the story and takes a really long time to repair. Do you know what's great about that? IT'S RELATABLE AND REAL! Her life isn't perfect, her relationships with the people around her or how she conducts herself isn't perfect. She has her insecurities, her trust issues, her comfort zone. She has her likes, dislikes and where she draws the line.
This novel will draw you right into the characters. It's a smooth read and extremely enjoyable. I recommend you guys pick it up and try it! Then tell me what you thought!!!
What it is about!
This book is a typical Morgan Matson book..meaning it is a wickedly realistic and an awesome contemporary.
This story surrounds the title character Andie (short for Alexandra) as her summer takes a surprising turn. With her summer plans ruined, Andie rushes to find something to do with her summer. Through scandals, love, family and friends this book definitely takes you on a wonderful journey. This story ventures into father-daughter relationships that are REAL, fun and relatable friendships and a true coming of age story. Andie learns a lot about herself and how to approach the world in this contemporary novel. She is experiences a lot of growth in many aspects of her life.
My Review! Contains spoilers!
This book took me on a journey. I connected to the characters extremely well and found some of their situations realistic and how each of the characters reacted to situations to be extremely fascinating and understandable. The character development and little details make this book so refreshing. The little quirks of the MC, her friends, her dad and everyone else in her life really make the book worth while as they are seen in day to day life. I loved the writing, the story, the characters and especially the ending. It wasn't a happily ever after for all of the characters and it showed that things will change and some friendships won't last forever. I LOVED IT.
CLARK IS ONE OF THE BEST LOVE INTERESTS I HAVE EVER READ ABOUT IN A NOVEL! He is a huge dork, but decently built, writes fantasy novels, loves big romantic gestures and is a bit socially awkward. Toby has some super relatable lines even though she can be a bit annoying, but her friends accept her for it. Andie's relationship with her dad is weak and fragile at the beginning of the story and takes a really long time to repair. Do you know what's great about that? IT'S RELATABLE AND REAL! Her life isn't perfect, her relationships with the people around her or how she conducts herself isn't perfect. She has her insecurities, her trust issues, her comfort zone. She has her likes, dislikes and where she draws the line.
This novel will draw you right into the characters. It's a smooth read and extremely enjoyable. I recommend you guys pick it up and try it! Then tell me what you thought!!!
May 31, 2016
YES MORGAN MATSON YES!! THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC. ok, the beginning is kind of slow and I was meh about it, but after you get past the first 100 pages, it just gets better and better. oh, AND CLARK. UGH CLARK IS SO CUTE. this book made me happy and I HIGHLY recommend reading The Unexpected Everything!!
(I'll post more in depth review on my blog!)
(I'll post more in depth review on my blog!)
June 19, 2016
Well. I finally finished this massive book. It's no secret Morgan is one of my all time favorite authors and so the bar is so high for any of her books. This was the first 4-star read of hers for me. I loved her writing and attention to detail as always, but I struggled to connect to the plot and MC for quite awhile. Ultimately, it started to pick up about 200 pages in, but my favorite parts weren't the main parts (I.e., Andie's relationship with her dad). The book was a lot of fun and has great messages about friendship. Not always believable but still wonderful to read and experience :)
December 23, 2016
Maybe 4.5 stars! ;)
As expected from Morgan Matson, it is “Everything Unexpected” and perhaps my most delightful read from the author as to date. It’s the perfect encompassing summer story about family, friendship, relationships, moving on from loss of a loved one, falling in love, making important life decisions and embarking on new adventures. It’s a lot more fun than I expected it to be. Although the story sometimes read a bit like rom-com movies making it a bit predictable, it was still very enjoyable and heartwarming. (I can’t stop laughing at Toby’s emoji language).
I especially appreciate the themes on taking life one day at a time and accepting risks and challenges because these things are really what life is all about. I also love that the story is very realistic and yet it still manages to have fantastical elements to it. You’ll get what I mean when you read the book. And most of all, I love that there are dogs in it, on the cover no less! (It’s one of the reasons I bought the book. ;). I just love Morgan Matson- her kind and wonderful personality that her writing and stories naturally exude.
August 11, 2016
This was very sweet, I loved the message behind it, and come on, how often do we get a 500+ page YA contemporary romance?! The writing was wonderful, as expected and Morgan Matson fans will delight in this (plus it's total nerd girl reading porn - you'll get what I mean when you read it.) Personally though, the romance was just not for me and I never connected to it or the love interest - and since that's the main narrative I really couldn't give it more than 3 stars. I very much enjoyed the family and friend dynamic of this novel though, as I always do with Morgan Matson's work.
September 6, 2016
"Sometimes we get a little bit of a facade. We think we have people. Family, friends...but in the end, it's just you and the darkness. Everyone leaves eventually, my young friend. It's better, really, to learn it early. This way, you can save yourself some disappointment."
The Unexpected Everything is my first Morgan Matson book. Technically, it's supposed to be the second, because I once tried to read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour but didn't like it then. However, after finishing this one, I definitely will give her other books a shot. What I really, really love about this book is that I can relate to almost everything in it and let's say the story touches my heart deeply.
Normally, YA Contemporary isn't a genre I'd go for when choosing a book but who knows? I think I'm just lucky enough to pick the right one and it soon becomes one of my all-time-favorites. The Unexpected Everything tells a story of a teenage girl, Andie, who always sticks to her plan and maps out her future beforehand. But when her summer program is cancelled at the last minute, she suddenly doesn't know what to do next. She's completely lost and well, that's how everything unexpected drops from the sky.
For example, she never thinks she'll end up walking dogs--real dogs--for an entire summer instead of preparing for her pre-med courses in some sort of prestigious school, nor will she consider getting a longer-than-three-week boyfriend in the process. I like that books bring them closer and makes their relationship stronger, because well, apparently when a guy who writes/reads meets a girl who doesn't read...they'll find a way out eventually. #bookwormproblems
I nodded, like this was normal, to hear someone my age talking about their readers. "So what is it?"
"Oh," Clark said, and adjusted his glasses quickly. He tilted his head slightly to the side, like he was trying to figure something out. "You're not...I assume you haven't read them."
I shook my head. "I don't really read, you know, books." Clark's eyebrows flew up, and it was like he took a step back from me, even though I was pretty sure his feet didn't actually move. "I know how to read," I said, seeing the alarm in his expression. "I just don't love fiction. You know, novels."
"If you don't love fiction novels," Clark said, and even though I tried to fight it, I could feel a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, "what do you read?" He shook his head, and it was like I could practically feel how baffled he was. "Wait, I'm sorry, but how do you not read books? Like--what do you do on planes?"
Another thing I like about their relationship is that both of them are super awkward in lots of situations. The first time they talk, their first coincidence, their first date...etc. Unsurprisingly, it's not often seen in other stories because most of the time, fiction isn't reality. But in this book, the author describes every single detail occurring in our lives really well, as if telling us that it's fine to be awkward, and there's nothing perfect in the real world!
"So," he said, and I held my breath, feeling my heart pound in my chest. "Do you think you might want to, I don't know...try the dinner thing again?"
I felt myself smile, big and dorky and taking over my face. "Yes," I said without hesitating. There didn't seem to be any point in pretending I had plans or telling him I'd have to get back to him.
As for Andie's group of friends, in my opinion, it's probably what makes me love the story so much. Sometimes we take our friendship for granted and forget how precious it is, how much it means to us, and not until something terrible threatens it do we realize the importance of its presence. In the story, Andie has her beloved childhood friends, Toby, Bri, Palmer, Tom, and Wyatt, since years and years ago. She used to think they'll stay as besties forever, that nothing can destroy their bond...until a harsh truth is discovered and unfortunately, wrecks everything. Therefore, it seems like her life is crumbling all of a sudden and once again, she does not expect any of these to happen.
Fortunately, while her friendship may not be as solid and perfect as the old days, her relationship with her congressman dad improves day by day. I'm genuinely happy for her, because somehow I know the feeling of being ignored in a family. Take my aunt for example, she's a journalist and a total workaholic so when I was little, I seldom saw her in daytime, or even when I did, she'd be busy listening to CNN and reading lots of newspaper at the same time. She never speaks to me willingly, and always asks the same questions like "When does the school start?" or "Have you read the article about how to lead a successful life I just sent you?" Thus, I kind of get used to her indifference towards our family members and don't expect anything more than
To sum up, The Unexpected Everything is a book about family, friends, and love along with every trifle in daily life that warms and breaks your heart, makes you laugh and cry; above all, it'll encourage you to take the first step and help you grow up. So, I highly recommend it to everyone who's looking for a light, fun and simple read. :) Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to strategize the best dog walking routine that'll somehow end up meeting a cute Dogboy soon! *wink wink*
September 12, 2019
Well, it wasn't that bad so there you go brains!
------------------------------------
Me: You know what would be a good idea?
Brain:
Me: Reading a Morgan Matson book.
Brain: We hated her books, remember?
Brain: One was a 1 star and the other 2 stars.
Me: Buuut this could be different.
Brain: How so?
Me: We never read her books in September.
Brain: I'm moving out!
------------------------------------
Me: You know what would be a good idea?
Brain:
Me: Reading a Morgan Matson book.
Brain: We hated her books, remember?
Brain: One was a 1 star and the other 2 stars.
Me: Buuut this could be different.
Brain: How so?
Me: We never read her books in September.
Brain: I'm moving out!
May 10, 2016
CUTE NERDY GUYS THAT WRITE BESTSELLING FANTASY NOVELS! REALISTIC FATHER - DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP! AWESOME CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! REALISTIC PORTRAYAL OF FRIENDSHIPS! MATURE YOUNG ADULTS! BEAUTIFUL WRITING! DOGS!!!
Come on, if that didn't make you pick up this book right now, I seriously don't know what else to say to you.
Oh, wait...
CUTE NERDY GUYS THAT WRITE BESTSELLING FANTASY NOVELS AND WEAR STAR WARS AND DOCTOR WHO T-SHIRTS!
Boom.
In all seriousness, I absolutely loved this book. It had it's flaws, but it was still so enjoyable and captivating. Like with my previous Morgan Matson book, Since You've Been Gone, I had to push myself to read past those first 10% because she always puts a lot of details and a lot of characters whose names I have to remember. But after that, everything just goes smoothly. I would recommend this one to all you YA readers who are sick of books with immature characters and lack of parents' appearance in them.
Come on, if that didn't make you pick up this book right now, I seriously don't know what else to say to you.
Oh, wait...
CUTE NERDY GUYS THAT WRITE BESTSELLING FANTASY NOVELS AND WEAR STAR WARS AND DOCTOR WHO T-SHIRTS!
Boom.
In all seriousness, I absolutely loved this book. It had it's flaws, but it was still so enjoyable and captivating. Like with my previous Morgan Matson book, Since You've Been Gone, I had to push myself to read past those first 10% because she always puts a lot of details and a lot of characters whose names I have to remember. But after that, everything just goes smoothly. I would recommend this one to all you YA readers who are sick of books with immature characters and lack of parents' appearance in them.
August 18, 2020
The Unexpected Everything was a really fun summery read. It follows the story of Andie who is a politician's daughter. Because of the scandal behind her father's name, her summer plans changed and she finds herself a job as a dog walker.
Along the way, she meets a cute guy and you can all guess where the story goes from there…
The story also focuses on friendship and how, with time, we can just grow apart.
With some cute scenes, swoony moments and some predictble situations handled in an unimaginable way, this book is one that should be on your tbr list for this summer.
I highly, highly recommend it to every ya contemporary lover.
Who could say no to this adorable cover anyway?
Along the way, she meets a cute guy and you can all guess where the story goes from there…
The story also focuses on friendship and how, with time, we can just grow apart.
With some cute scenes, swoony moments and some predictble situations handled in an unimaginable way, this book is one that should be on your tbr list for this summer.
I highly, highly recommend it to every ya contemporary lover.
Who could say no to this adorable cover anyway?
November 22, 2016
4 stars!
“You have to try. You have to take your chances. Go and attempt and see what happens. And even if you fail - especially if you fail - come back with your experience and your hard-won knowledge and a story you can tell. And then later you can say, without regret or hesitation... 'Once, I dared to dare greatly”
Morgan Matson has proven once again she is the queen of contemporary young adult novels for girls. This book is the story of Andie, responsible daughter of a politician recently under fire from the press. When her scheduled summer plans fall through, she's left without a plan for what to do with her life for the summer. Every one of her friends already have plans, and Andie finds a job as a dog walker. What lies ahead is a summer of learning new things, romance and the test of friendship.
“I could do this. If whole galaxies could change, so could I.”
I really enjoyed this book, I think like Matson's other books it gives teen readers a hint that life isn't all you plan it to be and to sometimes let things go and see what happens. The beginning was pretty slow, I really had to push to get to a point where the book really flowed. My favorite parts of the book were when Andie and her father spent time together and learning more about the character of Clark. I like that the author brought in a quirky, nerdy hero instead of some kind of life guard stud or something. Yay for the nerd boys!
I was very much enthralled by the book, but once I put it down I noticed some things didn't match up entirely. There were subplots that seemed to go nowhere, friendship drama that seemed unnecessary except for the sake of drama, and this book was way too long. I had a few moments where I wondered if long paragraphs were important to the plot (spoiler alert, they weren't). But this is a fantastic teen contemporary read, great for the summer time. Once I got in the flow of things I found it hard to put this book down!
“The idea that you could rethink the thing you'd always thought you wanted and change your plan - it was almost a revolutionary concept. That you could choose what would make you happy, not successful."
“You have to try. You have to take your chances. Go and attempt and see what happens. And even if you fail - especially if you fail - come back with your experience and your hard-won knowledge and a story you can tell. And then later you can say, without regret or hesitation... 'Once, I dared to dare greatly”
Morgan Matson has proven once again she is the queen of contemporary young adult novels for girls. This book is the story of Andie, responsible daughter of a politician recently under fire from the press. When her scheduled summer plans fall through, she's left without a plan for what to do with her life for the summer. Every one of her friends already have plans, and Andie finds a job as a dog walker. What lies ahead is a summer of learning new things, romance and the test of friendship.
“I could do this. If whole galaxies could change, so could I.”
I really enjoyed this book, I think like Matson's other books it gives teen readers a hint that life isn't all you plan it to be and to sometimes let things go and see what happens. The beginning was pretty slow, I really had to push to get to a point where the book really flowed. My favorite parts of the book were when Andie and her father spent time together and learning more about the character of Clark. I like that the author brought in a quirky, nerdy hero instead of some kind of life guard stud or something. Yay for the nerd boys!
I was very much enthralled by the book, but once I put it down I noticed some things didn't match up entirely. There were subplots that seemed to go nowhere, friendship drama that seemed unnecessary except for the sake of drama, and this book was way too long. I had a few moments where I wondered if long paragraphs were important to the plot (spoiler alert, they weren't). But this is a fantastic teen contemporary read, great for the summer time. Once I got in the flow of things I found it hard to put this book down!
“The idea that you could rethink the thing you'd always thought you wanted and change your plan - it was almost a revolutionary concept. That you could choose what would make you happy, not successful."
May 14, 2016
Pros:
- DOGS!
- Wholly realistic friendship dynamics
- Hilarious exchanges
- That thing where you're unsure of whether the author is celebrating emojis or mocking them
- A teen author
Cons:
- About 150 pages too long
- Heeeeere, little plot! Come here, little plot! Where have you gone off now, little plot?
- DOGS!
- Wholly realistic friendship dynamics
- Hilarious exchanges
- That thing where you're unsure of whether the author is celebrating emojis or mocking them
- A teen author
Cons:
- About 150 pages too long
- Heeeeere, little plot! Come here, little plot! Where have you gone off now, little plot?
July 29, 2016
It only took me 20 pages to know that I was going to love this book... And after 517 pages I can safely say it fully deserves a solid 5 star rating!
I wanted a cute, realistic, summer read and that's exactly what I got! Morgan Matson has done it yet again!
From start to finish this book honestly felt so real. The characters and their relationships were so well written and it was almost as though I'd known this gang of amazing characters for years! I related to all of the characters in different ways and I honestly loved each one! Their group chats messages had me smiling from ear to ear and the use of emojis was just so on point! I loved how there was both boys and girls in the main group of friends, it was nice to see a mix of genders and personalities.
I was loving this book already but then my love massively increased when the nerdy, super kind guy comes along! I honestly related to Clark so much and I could see myself being great friends with him and Tom. Clark and Andie are the cutest fictional couple I've met in a while, they're just so great for each other and I rooted for them from the start!
Another thing I thought this book did brilliantly was the character's relationships with their parents! I feel like you never really get to know the parents in YA novels, they're either non existent or happy clappy, but in this book the relationships were real, honest and well developed!
Although I did find myself rolling my eyes at how predictable some parts were I literally did not care because I felt as they added to the whole experience of the book! At first I was expected it to drag as it's pretty big for a YA book but honesty it's such an easy and enjoyable read you won't want it to end!
It's safe to say that I will be reading any book Morgan Matson writes in the future! Her books never fail to make me realise how precious life is and how much we should value each other!
I wanted a cute, realistic, summer read and that's exactly what I got! Morgan Matson has done it yet again!
From start to finish this book honestly felt so real. The characters and their relationships were so well written and it was almost as though I'd known this gang of amazing characters for years! I related to all of the characters in different ways and I honestly loved each one! Their group chats messages had me smiling from ear to ear and the use of emojis was just so on point! I loved how there was both boys and girls in the main group of friends, it was nice to see a mix of genders and personalities.
I was loving this book already but then my love massively increased when the nerdy, super kind guy comes along! I honestly related to Clark so much and I could see myself being great friends with him and Tom. Clark and Andie are the cutest fictional couple I've met in a while, they're just so great for each other and I rooted for them from the start!
Another thing I thought this book did brilliantly was the character's relationships with their parents! I feel like you never really get to know the parents in YA novels, they're either non existent or happy clappy, but in this book the relationships were real, honest and well developed!
Although I did find myself rolling my eyes at how predictable some parts were I literally did not care because I felt as they added to the whole experience of the book! At first I was expected it to drag as it's pretty big for a YA book but honesty it's such an easy and enjoyable read you won't want it to end!
It's safe to say that I will be reading any book Morgan Matson writes in the future! Her books never fail to make me realise how precious life is and how much we should value each other!
June 12, 2018
“I could do this. If whole galaxies could change, so could I.”
I adored this book. Morgan Matson is one of my favorite authors and she has such a lovely way with words. Since You've Been Gone is one of my all time favorite books and by far still my favorite Morgan Matson book, but The Unexpected Everything is a close second. The Unexpected Everything follows Andie, a politicians daughter who takes a summer job walking dogs when her internship falls through. Andie, in my opinion, is the weak point of this book. I didn't really like her as a main character, which is surprising because Morgan Matson usually has super relatable main characters but I couldn't relate to Andie at all, and her character is the reason I couldn't rate this book higher. I didn't connect with her and most of the time I thought she was acting selfish and spoiled (more about this below). However, luckily Andie's awesome group of friends and her love interest Clark make up for what Andie lacks, and they made this book great.
Clark is Andie's love interest and he's one of my new favorite male characters ever. Clark is a freaking fantasy author and he wears glasses and he has an amazing sense of humor and a great personality and I ADORE HIM. He's basically my dream guy so I was swooning over him the entire time and his character is easily the highlight of this book. He's so sweet and so good to Andie (even when she doesn't deserve it honestly) and I loved him in this book! Also, Andie's group of friends are so awesome and they all had their own unique personality traits that made it easy to tell them all apart. My favorite of her friends is Toby because I relate the most to her and I would actually love to see a book with Toby as the main character. She's the friend who is always feeling left out and all of her friends have boyfriends and she's just lonely. (That was me in high school.) I also loved Andie's relationship with her Father who started off as this dedicated politician who was never really a Father to her, but their relationship grew so much and I loved it. Their relationship felt so realstic and they grew closer over the cours eof the story and it was sweet.
I loved seeing Andie wlaking the dogs all summer and finding herslef actually liking it. I am a huge dog lover so I was imediately put off when Andie said she isn't a dog person (or animal person really) and she says she doesn't read books either which also made her hard to relate to. And the fact that she has never had a realtionship that lasts longer than 3 weeks and basically goes from one guy to the next just making out with them. I hated how in the beginning she acted as if she was above dog walking as if she's so much better than everyone else, her attitude just bugged me, but I was happy to see her character grow and develop over time. I love how Andie and Clark would write their own story out loud while walking the dogs, it was so cute and creative. This book kind of reminded me of Fangirl in some aspects with the way Clark's book passages are weaved into the story like Cath's fanfiction in Fangirl is. I loved reading the snippets from Clark's fantasy novel.
I was so excited to see characters from one of Morgan Matson's other books make an appearance in this one and I freaking love when authors do that shit. I loved all of their group texts with her group of friends and they bet one of their friends to use nothing but emoji's in her messages and it was entertaining trying to decipher it.
The only problems I had with this book: it started out slow (the story didn't get intresting till about 100 pages in), it's a little too long in my opinion and I rarely ever read contemporaries that are longer than 500 pages (unless it's Morgan Matson but still it's 100 pages too long), and Andie as a main character was annoying and I didn't relate to her very much at all.
The great things about this book: CLARK, he's adorable and nerdy and he's an author and he wears shirts about superheroes and James Bond and Star Wars and he's so awesome. Definitely my favorite character in the book. Andie's group of friends is amazing and I loved their friendship (they were friendship goals for sure) and I especially related to Toby. Even though this book is 500+ pages I flew through this book because Morgan Matson is a great writer and the book just flows so nicely. Yes, it could have been shorter but I hardly noticed the length and I read more than 400 pages yesterday afternoon and barely even noticed.
I definitely recommend this book. If anything, read it for CLARK. He's wonderful. This book is my second favorite Morgan Matson book, nothing can beat Since You've Been Gone in my opinion. But I still really loved this one and it's a perfect summer read! I also wanted to add that I love Morgan Matson's book covers and the typography and the way the picture always captures the story perfectly. So creative and cute and I appreciate it. I love this cover so much.
I adored this book. Morgan Matson is one of my favorite authors and she has such a lovely way with words. Since You've Been Gone is one of my all time favorite books and by far still my favorite Morgan Matson book, but The Unexpected Everything is a close second. The Unexpected Everything follows Andie, a politicians daughter who takes a summer job walking dogs when her internship falls through. Andie, in my opinion, is the weak point of this book. I didn't really like her as a main character, which is surprising because Morgan Matson usually has super relatable main characters but I couldn't relate to Andie at all, and her character is the reason I couldn't rate this book higher. I didn't connect with her and most of the time I thought she was acting selfish and spoiled (more about this below). However, luckily Andie's awesome group of friends and her love interest Clark make up for what Andie lacks, and they made this book great.
Clark is Andie's love interest and he's one of my new favorite male characters ever. Clark is a freaking fantasy author and he wears glasses and he has an amazing sense of humor and a great personality and I ADORE HIM. He's basically my dream guy so I was swooning over him the entire time and his character is easily the highlight of this book. He's so sweet and so good to Andie (even when she doesn't deserve it honestly) and I loved him in this book! Also, Andie's group of friends are so awesome and they all had their own unique personality traits that made it easy to tell them all apart. My favorite of her friends is Toby because I relate the most to her and I would actually love to see a book with Toby as the main character. She's the friend who is always feeling left out and all of her friends have boyfriends and she's just lonely. (That was me in high school.) I also loved Andie's relationship with her Father who started off as this dedicated politician who was never really a Father to her, but their relationship grew so much and I loved it. Their relationship felt so realstic and they grew closer over the cours eof the story and it was sweet.
I loved seeing Andie wlaking the dogs all summer and finding herslef actually liking it. I am a huge dog lover so I was imediately put off when Andie said she isn't a dog person (or animal person really) and she says she doesn't read books either which also made her hard to relate to. And the fact that she has never had a realtionship that lasts longer than 3 weeks and basically goes from one guy to the next just making out with them. I hated how in the beginning she acted as if she was above dog walking as if she's so much better than everyone else, her attitude just bugged me, but I was happy to see her character grow and develop over time. I love how Andie and Clark would write their own story out loud while walking the dogs, it was so cute and creative. This book kind of reminded me of Fangirl in some aspects with the way Clark's book passages are weaved into the story like Cath's fanfiction in Fangirl is. I loved reading the snippets from Clark's fantasy novel.
I was so excited to see characters from one of Morgan Matson's other books make an appearance in this one and I freaking love when authors do that shit. I loved all of their group texts with her group of friends and they bet one of their friends to use nothing but emoji's in her messages and it was entertaining trying to decipher it.
The only problems I had with this book: it started out slow (the story didn't get intresting till about 100 pages in), it's a little too long in my opinion and I rarely ever read contemporaries that are longer than 500 pages (unless it's Morgan Matson but still it's 100 pages too long), and Andie as a main character was annoying and I didn't relate to her very much at all.
The great things about this book: CLARK, he's adorable and nerdy and he's an author and he wears shirts about superheroes and James Bond and Star Wars and he's so awesome. Definitely my favorite character in the book. Andie's group of friends is amazing and I loved their friendship (they were friendship goals for sure) and I especially related to Toby. Even though this book is 500+ pages I flew through this book because Morgan Matson is a great writer and the book just flows so nicely. Yes, it could have been shorter but I hardly noticed the length and I read more than 400 pages yesterday afternoon and barely even noticed.
I definitely recommend this book. If anything, read it for CLARK. He's wonderful. This book is my second favorite Morgan Matson book, nothing can beat Since You've Been Gone in my opinion. But I still really loved this one and it's a perfect summer read! I also wanted to add that I love Morgan Matson's book covers and the typography and the way the picture always captures the story perfectly. So creative and cute and I appreciate it. I love this cover so much.
May 17, 2016
The Unexpected Everything was an incredible story of firsts and finding your own feet. Andie seemingly has it all, a wonderful group of friends, living in a beautiful home, intelligent, beautiful but unpretentious. But five years ago, Andie lost both of her parents. Her mother to ovarian cancer, while her father campaigned for the community, a congressman who left nannies and advisors to raise his grieving teen daughter. Now he's home pending the corruption investigation and for Andie, it's too little too late. One of the loveliest aspects of The Unexpected Everything was the relationship between Andie and her father. Slowly and through perseverance, they begin to repair their tentative relationship and help one another through the grief they both share. It felt so lovingly written and realistic, leaving me reflecting on my own life and a father who refused to relate to his own daughters.
Andie's circle of friends were hilarious. Each incredibly well developed with their own quirks and personalities. They are supportive on not only Andie, but also one another. So when Andie stumbles upon Clark, quite literally, there's no jealousy or backhanded compliments, just genuine support for their friend. It was so incredibly refreshing. Lately it seems that so many young adult novels enjoy creating toxic friendships between it's female characters, which I know during your teen years is realistic but also needs to be balanced by positive female friendships and The Unexpected Everything is a wonderful example.
Clark although slightly older than Andie, was the epitome of a book boyfriend. He's not described as a vision of physical perfection, he's often painfully shy and although not having completed his education, is a young and acclaimed author who has landed in Andie's in the hope of braving his writers block. Oh how I loved Clark. He and his placid yet monstrous companion in Bertie seemed to be a calming influence in Andie's life, and for the first time Andie also believes in the possibility of falling in love.
Morgan Matson has crafted an incredibly and light hearted contemporary that also touches on real issues, such as absent or working parents, the scrutiny that teens face and the friendships that bind one another. It was not only sex positive with Andie and Clark having discussed the physical aspects of their relationship, but menstruation. It's rare to find a young adult title that mentions it beyond a tampon spilling from a characters handbag, and even then it's painted as a horrifying experience. I adored the romance. Not only between Andie and Clark, but also Andie's best friend Palmer and her long term boyfriend Tom. I loved the group dynamics and friend Toby who was forced to spend the summer unable to text, but rather could only communicate through emoji images. I had no clue what she was saying, but it added a sense of fun throughout the storyline.
The Unexpected Everything is wonderfully written with humour and charm, making it one of the loveliest young adult contemporaries this year. You know that feeling when you sleep in on a rainy Sunday morning. Cookies where the chocolate chips are still warm. When you spend a cold winters day reading and drinking tea or one of those bone crushing bear bugs to let you know you've been missed?
The Unexpected Everything is that feeling and I adored each and every moment. And the dogs. Don't forget the dogs.
Andie's circle of friends were hilarious. Each incredibly well developed with their own quirks and personalities. They are supportive on not only Andie, but also one another. So when Andie stumbles upon Clark, quite literally, there's no jealousy or backhanded compliments, just genuine support for their friend. It was so incredibly refreshing. Lately it seems that so many young adult novels enjoy creating toxic friendships between it's female characters, which I know during your teen years is realistic but also needs to be balanced by positive female friendships and The Unexpected Everything is a wonderful example.
Clark although slightly older than Andie, was the epitome of a book boyfriend. He's not described as a vision of physical perfection, he's often painfully shy and although not having completed his education, is a young and acclaimed author who has landed in Andie's in the hope of braving his writers block. Oh how I loved Clark. He and his placid yet monstrous companion in Bertie seemed to be a calming influence in Andie's life, and for the first time Andie also believes in the possibility of falling in love.
Morgan Matson has crafted an incredibly and light hearted contemporary that also touches on real issues, such as absent or working parents, the scrutiny that teens face and the friendships that bind one another. It was not only sex positive with Andie and Clark having discussed the physical aspects of their relationship, but menstruation. It's rare to find a young adult title that mentions it beyond a tampon spilling from a characters handbag, and even then it's painted as a horrifying experience. I adored the romance. Not only between Andie and Clark, but also Andie's best friend Palmer and her long term boyfriend Tom. I loved the group dynamics and friend Toby who was forced to spend the summer unable to text, but rather could only communicate through emoji images. I had no clue what she was saying, but it added a sense of fun throughout the storyline.
The Unexpected Everything is wonderfully written with humour and charm, making it one of the loveliest young adult contemporaries this year. You know that feeling when you sleep in on a rainy Sunday morning. Cookies where the chocolate chips are still warm. When you spend a cold winters day reading and drinking tea or one of those bone crushing bear bugs to let you know you've been missed?
The Unexpected Everything is that feeling and I adored each and every moment. And the dogs. Don't forget the dogs.
May 7, 2016
Another 5 star read! I loved this book so much!
May 9, 2016
I can finally say I have a favorite Morgan Matson book.
Family drama + Falling in love + Friendship + Pizza + ice-cream + Summer
Bonus: Dogs
Unexpected Everything contain all of Morgan Matson’s trademark quirks. It is usually a hit or miss for me but, this story surprised me in a delightful way.
At this rate, there is nothing relatively new from Matson. She utilized the same formula. A bunch of privileged white straight teenagers navigating their summer plans. Unfortunately, The Unexpected Everything didn’t steer clear from that.
It follows the story of Andie, the politician’s daughter who knows her boundaries, who has a plan for her life. This summertime isn’t any different. She is headed for an important internship. Though after the scandal that rocked her father’s career, she finds herself with no position.
Then, all of a sudden Andie found an alternative. Someone hired her for a part-time job, and it requires walking a ridiculous amount of dogs.
Without doubt, this is a notable improvement from Matson’s preceding works. The writing suits me, the five hundred pages didn’t bothered me. It made me feel reckless and delirious. A perfect read to unwind.
Characters
After the death of Andie’s mom five years ago, the distance between she and her dad expanded. This summer is about reconnecting with her only family. I love how Matson crafted this specific story line. There are resentment and awkwardness. But, soon enough, you’ll see the father and daughter come together. Their interactions are truly heartwarming.
This story also integrated tight knitted, and complicated friendship. It’s endearing. I would’ve have loved it more, maybe, if there’s characters of color as well.
Romance
The romance is so cute. I was initially worried, because there seems to be no sparks. Gradually, it started flying out of nowhere. Clark and Andie instantly become one of my favorite YA couples. Their relationship started with a handful of awkwardness, hesitancy, tight lipped smiles. It’s the kind of romance that is difficult to grasp at first. Where they are fumbling for the right conversations to talk about, and when the wall between them started to melt, everything are rewarding.
The Unexpected Everything made me laugh, squeal. It pulled my heartstrings at the right direction. Highly recommended to Matson’s fans, and contemporary readers.
March 11, 2019
I think MM works are becoming one of those sweet-albeit slightly cliché-overall fun books that I just want to pick up when I'm interested in something light and entertaining. So far my feelings towards her books are similar to the ones I have for Kasie West novels. Though admittedly, MM books are longer.
The Unexpected Everything is my second MM book I've read. First one being Since You've Been Gone, which I also gave 3 (and a half) 'I liked it' stars to. If I was to compare the two works, I'd say I had more fun with SYBG, mostly because the storyline was much better there - I really enjoyed the List idea that was prevalent throughout the novel, as well as the various flashbacks - and no parts (at least mostly) felt like a filler, whereas here I felt like a lot of them were.
The plot of TUE felt more slow and, at some parts, boring. I liked that this book focused on dogs, Andie became a dog walker over the summer. But the plotline just didn't feel as... clearly thought through from the beginning to the end, as interactive and adventurous. It felt like it was mostly Andie walking (cute) dogs and hanging out with her friends and a (cute) shy writer guy.
I really felt these 500 pages here, while I didn't notice the about 460 pages in SYBG as much. TUE could've been shaved off of at least 150-200 pages and very little would've changed.
The friendship aspect of the book: I liked them overall as a friend group, but none of them were such interesting characters on their own. Toby, who I liked at the beginning, I got fed up with later on, as well as Bri, and the drama. Palmer and Tom was pretty great though. Wyatt: you are boring and kinda seem like you could secretly-be-an-asshole and no one cares about you. Bye.
Aside for the cute and fluffy dogs aspect of the novel, what I also liked was Andie's slow character development. She was a good, flawed MC and I did like how she's grown, when her carefully crafted plans for the summer were upended.
As well as her relationship with her dad was very lovely, and some of the fun moments between them were my favourite from this book (ehm the Scavenger Hunt).
I also couldn't forget about Clark: the nerdy, cute, bespectacled fantasy writer who is the romantic lead of this book. And yes, his name is Clark and he has glasses... His parents must have been a big fans. If I was to compare the romantic aspect of this book to the one of SYBG, I'd say I actively shipped this one here quite a bit more, because of reasons (one) I shall not spoil for those who have not read SYBG.
Overall: while the plot could reaaally drag sometimes (and from the name - The Unexpected Everything - I expected a bit more adventure coming into this tbh) I really liked a lot of things about it - the DOGS, the adorable writer love lead, the family as well as the overall (for the most part) friendship aspect.
Recommended for when you just want to pick up a cute and mostly fluffy summer book. Morgan Matson's, just like Kasie West, books remind me a bit of a rom com movies. Cheesy and absolutely feel good.
The Unexpected Everything is my second MM book I've read. First one being Since You've Been Gone, which I also gave 3 (and a half) 'I liked it' stars to. If I was to compare the two works, I'd say I had more fun with SYBG, mostly because the storyline was much better there - I really enjoyed the List idea that was prevalent throughout the novel, as well as the various flashbacks - and no parts (at least mostly) felt like a filler, whereas here I felt like a lot of them were.
The plot of TUE felt more slow and, at some parts, boring. I liked that this book focused on dogs, Andie became a dog walker over the summer. But the plotline just didn't feel as... clearly thought through from the beginning to the end, as interactive and adventurous. It felt like it was mostly Andie walking (cute) dogs and hanging out with her friends and a (cute) shy writer guy.
I really felt these 500 pages here, while I didn't notice the about 460 pages in SYBG as much. TUE could've been shaved off of at least 150-200 pages and very little would've changed.
The friendship aspect of the book: I liked them overall as a friend group, but none of them were such interesting characters on their own. Toby, who I liked at the beginning, I got fed up with later on, as well as Bri, and the drama. Palmer and Tom was pretty great though. Wyatt: you are boring and kinda seem like you could secretly-be-an-asshole and no one cares about you. Bye.
Aside for the cute and fluffy dogs aspect of the novel, what I also liked was Andie's slow character development. She was a good, flawed MC and I did like how she's grown, when her carefully crafted plans for the summer were upended.
As well as her relationship with her dad was very lovely, and some of the fun moments between them were my favourite from this book (ehm the Scavenger Hunt).
I also couldn't forget about Clark: the nerdy, cute, bespectacled fantasy writer who is the romantic lead of this book. And yes, his name is Clark and he has glasses... His parents must have been a big fans. If I was to compare the romantic aspect of this book to the one of SYBG, I'd say I actively shipped this one here quite a bit more, because of reasons (one) I shall not spoil for those who have not read SYBG.
Overall: while the plot could reaaally drag sometimes (and from the name - The Unexpected Everything - I expected a bit more adventure coming into this tbh) I really liked a lot of things about it - the DOGS, the adorable writer love lead, the family as well as the overall (for the most part) friendship aspect.
Recommended for when you just want to pick up a cute and mostly fluffy summer book. Morgan Matson's, just like Kasie West, books remind me a bit of a rom com movies. Cheesy and absolutely feel good.
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