I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU
by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin
Publication Date: Septembe 5, 2019
Published by Wednesday Books
Pages: 344
Source: Library
Synopsis
Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)
We're still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G
So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two of them document every wild and awkward moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?
My Thoughts
I'm sure that I uttered the words in the title I HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU to my best friend multiple times throughout my life and it makes me laugh even now. Did I really hate everyone? No, but at times it sure did feel like it and those memories are what sparked my interest in reading this book about best friends whose lives are separated when they go to college.
I really liked this book a lot and found the changes in Ava and Gen's friendships relatable to what I experienced with my best friend after we graduated high school. Our lives became filled with other people and we weren't attached at the hip twenty- four seven. Our friendship changed and became strained, and like Ava and Gen, we struggled with who we were and who we were becoming.
What I liked:
- that it's a story about best friends
- the format - emails and texts
- reading about the college experience from each perspective
- the awareness of Ava's mental illness and how it is discussed openly
- Gen's discovery of self - she doesn't have it all figured out and at 18 she shouldn't
- how I related to this story
Laugh-Out-Loud Quote:
P.S. I think college is a pyramid scheme. Think about it.
Now that's funny. I enjoyed this book and the characters Ava and Gen and I'm happy to know that their story continues in the follow-up book PLEASE SEND HELP. I know that I'll read that one soon.
Disclaimer: I obtained a copy of this title from my local library and am providing my honest review. I was not compensated in any way for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
I remember loving the format of this book, and I am always onboard for YA-goes-to-college books, but I didn't like the characters that much, and it sort of kept me from loving the book. Gen really rubbed me the wrong way, but I still appreciated their friendship and struggle with adapting to college.
ReplyDeleteI understand where you're coming from - it's hard to like a book when you don't care for the characters or find them unlikeable.
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