The Unexpected Everything

by Morgan Matson

Andie has a plan and she always sticks to the plan.
Future? A top tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid as much as possible (which isn't that hard considering he's a Congressman and never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby - pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one's worth more than three weeks.
So it's no surprise she's got her summer all planned out too.
Until a political scandal cancels her summer pre-med internship, and lands both her and Dad back in the same house for the first time in years. Suddenly she's doing things that aren't Andie at all - working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark in closer than expected. Palmer, Bri and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but here's the thing ... can she?

• ISBN10: 1481404555
• ISBN13: 9781481404556
• Publish Date: 4 April 2017 (first published 3 May 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Edition: Reprint ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

~*Full review here on The Bent Bookworm!*~

Cute. Fluffy. Dogs. Sounds like an awesome time, right? I adore dogs and I’ve even contemplated trying to establish a dog-walking business myself to bring in some side hustle cash, so I thought for sure I would love this book! I kind of did…and I kind of didn’t. There is one huge, glaring issue in particular, but…

Good Things First

Dogs! Obviously.

Andie isn’t even particularly a dog person before the story starts, but after a chance encounter with one she quickly gets lured in. PUPPY LOVE! Anyone who can resist is either heartless or allergic. 😛 Anyway.

Friends! Andie and her three best girlfriends are tight. They care so much about each other, it just leaps off the page. I love the way the group texts were presented in the hard copy of the book, complete with emojis. It was awesome and hysterical and oh-so-accurate.

Cute. Andie and Clark are SO different and yet they work and are adorable together.

Andie is a sexual being and it is portrayed in a POSITIVE light. I loved this. For far too long it’s been the THING for guys to be players and have casual hookups and be cheered for doing so, while if a girl does the same she’s a slut. Not so here. Andie does have emotional struggles, which contribute to her inability (in the beginning) to connect with any of her boyfriends much beyond a fun and physical level. Even when she does begin to realize that oh hey, feelings are ok even if they’re sometimes annoying, she still enjoys the physical side of things. YES! The book doesn’t go into too much detail and is pretty tame as far as sexual stuff really, but the implications are there.

Not Great Stuff

This book is nothing but a HUGE basketful of privilege. White privilege, rich privilege, political privilege, straight privilege…all of it. This smacked me in the face even though yes, I’m white and straight. I am not and have never been from the kind of world this book exists in – where all teenagers have their own cars, the newest phones, perfectly safe neighborhoods, huge houses, don’t NEED a job but only work one to avoid boredom…WTF. There are no characters of any other nationality or color, or sexual identity. Like they don’t even exist. WHAT WORLD DO YOU LIVE IN?!? I was extremely bothered and this aspect alone is what brings my rating down. I understand that sure, in some places, this is how people live. But the characters in this book don’t seem to have any idea of how well off they are, or that there’s anything special about their lives. I guess, maybe, that this is supposed to be a light-hearted, escapism type read…but even if so I just can’t buy it. It’s not okay and I am extremely disappointed. I’m not sure I will be trying anymore Matson books. Looking at the other reviews on GoodReads, I seem to be one of the only people bothered by this aspect…so maybe I’m oversensitive or something. But it just rubbed me wrong, maybe because of the sheer cluelessness of the characters.

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[girlinthepages]

Let's be upfront here: This book was really good, but it was WAY too long. The length of Since You've Been Gone scared me off and I ended up DNF'ing at about 100 pages in, so I was wary about The Unexpected Everything, but I was super intrigued by the political slant of Andie's dad being a politician, so I picked up a paperback during an Amazon sale and decided to give Morgan Matson another try. I'm so glad I did, because despite another slow initial 100 pages, I really became invested in Andie (and her friend group, and her dad, and even Bertie) and it ended up being a super well rounded contemporary with great and diverse friendship portrayals.

Friendships

The book features a really fleshed out friend group (probably due to it's length) and I really appreciated the focus on friendship! I honestly was way more invested in this group of friends than I was the romances in this novel, and I loved the hilarious texting scenes and the function that each friend in the group played, as well as how they all brought out different sides of Andie. Also, potentially a mild spoiler, but I really appreciated how there was a falling out between some members of the group toward the end and they weren't able to fully bounce back from it. While it SOUNDS terrible, it's also incredibly realistic- friendships change and grow over time and some hurts can't be reconciled, and Morgan captured that devastation and shift in friendships really intimately I was shocked by how REAL Toby and Bri's fallout was and could definitely see both of their sides, but OUCH do I remember the sting of a high school friendship portrayal. Matson got that hurt exactly right.

Family

I really enjoyed the progression of Andie's relationship with her dad and how they really became reacquainted with each over the course of the summer. I even loved when they fought because it cleared the air and I loved how he even tried to teach her how to negotiate her punishments (he can't help his politician side coming out!). I loved the scenes where they were just watching movies or he was doing his best to wrap his mind around the teenage dramas or when he totally saved the day during the scavenger hunt (I totally want to be a cool parent like that). Honestly between the friendships and the strong family relationships in this book, I would have been fine without a romance, but I see how it was sort of what propped a lot of the plot up.

Scavenger Hunts!

I was a little wary by the scavenger hunt list that's printed in the beginning of the paperback because it reminded me of that list in Since You've Been Gone and that book nearly bored me to tears, so I was afraid it was going to be a repeat situation. But the scavenger hunt part was actually SO AWESOME. Like it TOTALLY captured that feeling of running around like a lunatic on a warm summer night in high school getting up to shenannigans with your friends (#nostalgia) and though I've never done a formal scavenger hunt like that I really want to do one now? Like maybe somehow working it into a Bachelorette party one day lol?

Dog Walking

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the whole Andie being a dog walker for the summer premise, because I am NOT a dog person. Like I don't think I've ever met a dog I wasn't nervous around, and we've always just had cats in my family (Miss Cupcakes is a totally unfair representation of cat behavior). However, I loved that it served as a summer job to almost humble Andie and take her off of the constantly-needing-to-overachieve path that so many high schoolers are pressured to take (It's seriously insane now what teenagers have to do to get into college! Kids need time to be kids too!) Also Bertie was 100% hilarious and his monogram game is more on point that any human's I know.

Overall: I am so glad that I stuck with this book despite my reservations about its length. It was such a nuanced and carefully crafted contemporary that fleshed out its characters despite being a stand alone, and I think Morgan Matson can become the new generation's Sarah Dessen. I can't wait for Save the Date!This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[ellieroth]

Pensé que me gustaría más

[liz089]

Read more about this review and others on my blog Freyja Eats Books

REVIEW.
So this is a standalone from Morgan Matson, an author I heard a lot about, but never have read anything about ! I’ve been meaning to grab one and read, but until now it just never happened. This one has been trending a lot, but because of the +500 pages I was kind of scared to start on it.
Because honestly? Most contemporary (romances) around that amount of pages gets dull after a while. I recently read The Problem with Forever and I was incredibly disappointed.. for such a big and trending book, it was definitely not worth it on hindsight.
But, because that one wasn’t for me, does not mean that I should not try again ! I’ve heard so many good stories about Morgan Matson’s romances, that my curiosity won out in the end.

And I’m glad I did choose to read it, because I ended up very pleased with this book, despite its length.

So this story is about Andy, a big control freak who has always been watched. Because of her father’s job she is always in the picture and needs to watch out what she does; everything can be harmful for her father’s career. She needs to be picture perfect. But when her father gets an unexpected break from his job things change last minute, her summer job gets cancelled and suddenly she finds herself at home with her father, who she hasn’t really seen or interacted with in 5 years.
She ends up finding a job as a dog walker and meets a cute guy along the way. But (mainly because of her father and their life) she hasn’t really been capable to keep a relationship. She has her walls up and when Clark starts to break them away she doesn’t know what to do anymore. Chaos has never been part of her life, and she has to accept the change and live with it to be happy.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Even though it was clear from the beginning who would end up with who, it did have some surprising elements in it that kept me hooked. She wrote so easily that I just flew through the pages and was finished before I knew what happened.

I liked the romance, it was cute and fluffy, and even though they did have some issues to work out before they could really be together, it all made sense and well… I LOVED the ending. It was movie worthy, an epic romantic ending that made me smile.

What I also really loved was the relationship between Andie and her father. How they realised that they weren’t a family anymore and both tried to change that. It added something extra to the story, to not only see her develop her relationship with the boy she likes, but how she and her father become a family again.

This just makes me realise that it is so well-rounded. She improves on every surface, with her romance, with her family, but also with her friends. We get to know them better as well, and learn from their mistakes too.

I also really liked the main character, she is not at all like me, I’m all for chaos haha, but I still related to her and felt along with her throughout the story. She really learned a lot over the summer and became a better person. I really miss this with a lot of romance books, but in this one there was a lot of character development.

And not just for the main character, but for the others too. Her father for example, and her friends. Like Toby and Bri, how they have been best friends forever, and how that made them kind of TOO close. That they needed some distance to get to know themselves as persons, what they like for themselves and not together.

The only downside? Once again this was just a little too long. Yes it needs time for the characters to develop and build relationships.. but 528 pages ? It is just too long and had some duller sections that she could have left out. The plus side though that I did not start skimming, and she did keep me interested enough to read every word.

FINAL THOUGHTS.
This is not a deep, hurtful book, but still it has a lot of emotions that made me all happy and fluffy towards the ending. It is just such a well-rounded book that hits every point. I would totally recommend reading this book, if you have the time to get through the 500+ pages, it was a great, romantic read with a lot of stuff on the side. I loved it, 4 Freyja’s !

[Bianca]

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.’ 

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: Solid four stars from me. The Unexpected Everything is a fun summer read which isn't afraid of the tough issues. My favourite part of this book was how the relationship between Andie and her father unfolded. On the whole, the treatment of the way the various characters related to one another was nuanced and displayed a great deal of depth. I enjoyed the audiobook a lot and didn't find anything wrong with the book. I just wasn't blown away enough for a five-star rating. Nonetheless, I do recommend picking up Morgan Matson's latest book.

[Kelly]

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.

[Amber]

Morgan Matson slayed again 3 She is SUCH a good author that my words are not going to be enough to do her and her books justice. I fell in love with her writing after reading Second Chance Summer, and Since You’ve Been Gone cemented my feelings for her and her books. The Unexpected Everything wasn’t as good as Since You’ve Been Gone, which was about Emily, someone who I connected to on all sorts of levels, but it was still pretty awesome.


Andie, the main character, is struggling to reconnect with her father over the summer as he’s on leave from his political duties. Her mother died and ever since Andie and her father have drifted further and further apart. This is, of course, only part of the story, but it was one of my favourite bits. Seeing Andie and her father work to become closer again was such a delight, and I ended up caring so much about their relationship that I nearly forgot about everything else that was going on.

The other major part of the book was the friendship between Andie and her three best friends. I loved that this book featured such a large friendship group, as normally you only get two female best friends, or three at most. But in this case there were four of them, each with their own personality and flaws. There was drama and tears and everything that comes with being in a large friendship group in your teens. And I was totally shipping two of the girls all the way through the book, and I was really shocked when they didn’t turn out to be gay/bi and in love with each other because there was so much chemistry between them. If these two had become a thing then I think I would have given this book five stars.

The love interest, Clark, is an AUTHOR. A PUBLISHED AUTHOR. That made him all kinds of awesome. I was a bit worried that he’d be too mature for Andie at some points, but they turned out to be a really good match. Not the most memorable ship, but Clark is more memorable than he would be normally because he’s a fantasy author and 3 HEART EYES.

There was, of course, the cliché second-act-breakup between various characters, and I was expecting it. But I didn’t mind so much because Morgan Matson was the one writing it. Normally that kind of think gets on my nerves, but I guess you can’t escape it in YA these days, especially YA contemporary. Oh well.

The Unexpected Everything was everything I expected it to be – a great summer novel with varying levels of friendships and relationships, featuring best friends, new romances, and a great father-daughter relationship. Add it to your TBR if you haven’t already!