Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything
 by Morgan Matson
pub 5/3/16 by Simon & Schuster
Young Adult - Contemporary

The Unexpected Everything is another winner from Morgan Matson! I look forward to every new book she releases and many of the reasons why can be seen here. Andie’s father is a politician, which means her life has been focused on how she appears to the public eye. She has to be perfect, so it’s no surprise that she’s got a type-A personality especially when it comes to her future (I so related to this!). But when a scandal breaks out involving her father, all her summer plans basically blow up. The prestigious internship she landed is no longer an option and for the first time in forever, she’ll be spending extended periods of time with her father in the same house. But Andie doesn’t allow herself much time to wallow. Her need to fix and gets things in order leads her to some unexpected (hah!) experiences.

I connected to Andie in a lot of ways. The intensity in which she approached applications and making sure her future was in order? I was totally like that my senior year of high school. I also had her tendency to not like change which is part of the reason why I enjoyed the book so much. I liked that all her carefully laid plans blew up in her face because it allowed her to have experiences she might not have been open to otherwise. Like walking dogs for the summer or really opening up to a cute guy for the first time. I loved the romance that sprung up with between her and Clark. It’s everything your first summer love should be. Clark is a very interesting character on his own (I wish I could say more!) and he was exactly what Andie needed. But surprisingly, I didn’t consider that the best part. For me, it was actually Andie’s other relationships. Namely, the one with her three best friends and her father. I loved (and felt super nostalgic) over the bond between Andie and her friends. We’re privy to their text messages, traditions and.. the inevitable growing pains. Which absolutely struck a chord with me. It was honestly painful for me to read those scenes at times because I completely got it. Likewise, I understood Andie’s tension with her dad. (You should’ve seen me & my mom during high school.) Watching them become close? Again, this struck a chord with me and provided for many heartwarming moments throughout the book.

(Some) reservations

I do think the poor formatting of my e-ARC affected my reading experience a bit and I found myself wishing I had the physical book so that the transitions between scenes were clearer. That said, I do think the book felt long at times (it’s 500 pages!) and some of the scenes could’ve been edited out to streamline the pacing especially considering certain plot lines were predictable.

Do I recommend?

I do! In spite of some of my reservations, the things I did like about the book I ended up really liking. The friendship stuff alone makes this book worth picking up.