Before Reading:
I love books like these. It seems promising, and I want a book to break my contemporary reading slump (Spoiler alert: it did cure my contemporary reading slump.) From the synopsis itself, the book draws attention and a lovely thought: loving oneself before anything else. I badly need this one, alright.
Title: Everyone We’ve Been
Author: Sarah Everett
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery
Date Published: 4th of October 2016
Series: None
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Paperback, ARC for the blog tour
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary:
Addison Sullivan has been in an accident. In its aftermath, she has memory lapses and starts talking to a boy that no one else can see. It gets so bad that she’s worried she’s going crazy.
Addie takes drastic measures to fill in the blanks and visits a shadowy medical facility that promises to “help with your memory.” But at the clinic, Addie unwittingly discovers it is not her first visit. And when she presses, she finds out that she had certain memories erased. She had a boy erased.
But why? Who was that boy, and what happened that was too devastating to live with? And even if she gets the answers she’s looking for, will she ever be able to feel like a whole person again?
Here’s why you need to read this lovely book:
1. It may sound clićhe, but it’s not.
Girl in a small town rediscovers herself with the help of the people from her past. That’s the general storyline. But the main point here is that it does not stop there. When things started to get a bit weird, I buckled myself in. I expected that there will be paranormal elements, since Addie is seeing things from her past that no one else can see. Yet it is so much more than that. What I can say without spoiling you guys is that it does not dive deep into the paranormal aspect as the story stays true to its form in the entire book. If less means more, then Everyone We’ve Been shines in that aspect. It delivered a poignant story that made the main character shine, and it succeeded that way.
2. Addie is wonderful lead to follow.
It is very comforting when we get a lead whose voice is easy to understand. She is equally relatable as well, and I find her charming and unique. Addie has this sweet and innocent voice, and it adds up to the build up of the story. Chapter by chapter, her voice intensifies, leading up to the point where the story takes its stand. She blossoms into this amazing girl who is one with her music.
3. It is all about support.
Last but not the least, it is not always smiles and sunshine when it comes to the family notion behind this story. Yet, it becomes a key to the story that puts pieces together.
Addie has a wonderful family that was pulled apart by a divorce. It was not an easy decision, and bit by bit, we see it unfold in the story. Developing the bond of this family is no easy task, and I admire the author for helping the character find herself through the people that she loves.
This book is refreshing on its own, and I love how different it is despite being cornered as a book that seem to be like other ones. It’s not really, and all you have to do is to pick this wonderful book up and see for yourself. Go on a journey with Addie, and you may find yourself as well.
Thank you so much to Inah at The Bibliophile Confessions for letting me join this blog tour. Check out the rest of the tour below:
Inah at The Bibliophile Confessions
Areli at Books at Photographs
Nicka at Read by Nicka
Hazel at Stay Bookish
JM at Book Freak Revelations
(Click to proceed to giveaway)
Now, have you read Everything We’ve Been? Why have you not read it yet? How did you find it? Comment below!
Great review! I’ve been wanting to read to book for a while now, I’ll probably pick it up when I have the chance to. This sounds like a wonderful contemporary read. ❤
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It’s a refreshing read. 🙂 Especially if you’re looking for a contemporary that deals with self-love. ❤
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