Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

I know it's super early for this review, but hey, just spreading the word about an amazing book. I kept it spoiler free too, so enjoy! P.S. I read this book as part of Adi's arc tour, which was awesome!

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
Image from goodreads.com

High school is more full of clichés than it is with students. A lot of contemporary YA novels avoid these clichés like the plague while others mix them in naturalistically with a cast of characters on their own spectrum of cliché. In his upcoming novel Never Always Sometimes, which comes out on August 4th, author Adi Alsaid faces the clichés that define high school head on with an unforgettably quirky cast of characters and a meticulously defined setting.

Dave and Julia, the quintessential joined-at-the-hip best friend teen duo, write a list of things never to do in high school shortly before they become freshmen. When they re-discover the list towards the end of their senior year, they decide to complete the items on the list, embracing the ordinary things teenagers do instead of their usual isolated plans.

Dave is funny, insightful and real. He isn't just the typical guy following his eccentric best friend around like a puppy dog. He is open-minded, observant and smart. The first part of the novel, telling his side of the story in the third person (as the whole novel is) felt grounded, relaxed and intriguing. There were times where I laughed with him, felt his pain and wanted to shake him and yell, "STOP THAT!" But overall, he was relatable, mostly likable and felt like someone I would be interested getting to know in person. He held my interest and I was interested in his story because his thoughts felt real and I was emotionally invested in his longing for Julia from the very first page.

Speaking of Julia, she is a whirlwind of energy, passion and bright pink hair dye. By far my favorite character in the novel, she felt like the character with the most wit and the most to lose. The story of her mother and two dads was endearing. I saw a lot of myself in her, and I think anyone who has ever rebelled against their past, their present or their future will relate to her. Her banter was funny, her actions reckless. The parts with Mr. Marroney were by far my favorite. You'll have to read to find out what happens there. I don't want to spoil that.

I can see how she might not be the novel's most likable character, but she felt the most honestly written and real. The only problem I saw with her character is that it made Gretchen, who Dave meets at a party, and one of the other more developed characters, fall a little to the background. This isn't necessarily a problem, but it would have been nice to see her come through a little more.

The humor between Dave and Julia was excellently written. Alsaid is a master of writing easy-flowing dialogue that is smart, catchy and entertaining. Even the scenes that were the hardest to read because I was doubled over laughing or cringing from the consequences I knew were in the pages to come were well done. Alsaid's relaxed, modern style makes Never Always Sometimes a fun summer read, even as it raises difficult questions about the way we judge people and the emotions we feel in high school.

But perhaps my favorite part about this book was the setting. I haven't been to California before, but Alsaid's novel and his descriptions of the place, the sunsets, Dave and Julia's room, made me feel was there. Everything felt present, immediate and real in the novel. At times, it was the setting that was the driving force in keeping me turning the pages.

My only critique of this brilliantly written novel is that some of the loose ends in the plot left me wanting more. I wanted to know more about Julia's dads, what happened to her bizarrely fun mother, more about Dave's mother and his relationship with his dad. What ever happened to some of the kids at the party they went to? My other small concern was I thought the whole not dating your best friend line on the list would have been more of an issue from the very beginning. Still, it's an amazing story.

Never Always Sometimes is the perfect summer read. Since I loved Let's Get Lost and thought that was the perfect summer read last year, I was a little worried that I'd be disappointed. I wasn't, however, and whether or not you've read Let's Get Lost, Alsaid's new book is a great book that demands to be read on a late summer night. Whether you're in high school now, just graduated, in college or beyond, read this book and laugh and cry at the end like I did.

4.5 stars