Read Harder Review: The Unexpected Everything - Morgan Matson

Though I have actually already beat this prompt several times (thanks Shadowhunters!), I have decided to use Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything for the Read Harder prompt "Read a book over 500 pages long". 

Synopsis

"Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.
Important internship? Check.
Amazing friends? Check.
Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?" (Goodreads)

The Contemporary Tome

The Unexpected Everything isn't the first YA book over 500 pages long, but that doesn't mean it isn't a rarity. More often than not, the long YA reads are fantasy or sci-fi. And, okay, 519 pages might not really qualify for "tome status", but still. I wanted to make it my Read Harder 500+ page book because fun summer reads over 500 pages don't come around very often. As someone with a bookshelf filled with contemporaries, I can tell you that most of the books that fall into this category are somewhere between 300-350 pages (big name authors, too, like John Green and Rainbow Rowell!). This is the 3rd book I've read by Morgan Matson and all of her books are quite long. The shortest one is 344 pages, with the rest being over 400. In the acknowledgements, Matson even said that this book was almost longer. Let me tell you, that isn't really necessary. 519 pages wasn't even necessary. Luckily, it was an enjoyable read. 

Summer of Self-Discovery

Much like Matson's other books, The Unexpected Everything focuses on a character that is about to experience a significant change. While a lot contemporaries focus on introverted characters that don't always see themselves in a positive light, Andie, our protagonist, is very aware of her potential. She is confident and in control. She can break rules while still maintaining a pristine appearance for her congressman father. She has best friends and she has had plenty of boyfriends. Her life, in both her mind and from an outside perspective, appears perfect. Still, it's summer and that means it's time for life-changing moments. Her transition is a little different than the usual coming-of-age story. Her life isn't necessarily bad, but it definitely could use some re-working. I liked this angle.

Characters You'll Love

To be frank, I kinda hated Andie in the beginning. She was clipped and controlling, and it wasn't a character I was excited to be in the mind of. A large part of that has to do with the fact that she only focuses on the surface of her life. As we started to get deeper, it was easy to get in step with Andie. Then we have her best friends: Palmer, Toby, and Bri. These girls were great. In fact, I wouldn't have minded more time with them (especially since we had 500 pages to do so!). Tom, Palmer's boyfriend, had me laughing out loud when I first met him. And then there's Clark. Oh, Clark. Matson hit the nail on the head with this one. If she wanted people to crush on Clark, she got me. He might be one of my biggest book crushes. He's a great character and I loved every scene with him. Basically, it's going to be hard not to care about what happens with everyone in the book. Each character is fleshed-out enough that you care about what happens to them and believe that they work well as a group. 

Cover Love

Morgan Matson's last book, Since You've Been Gone, has a really fun cover. Photo-based covers are really hard to nail, but that one was perfect for the story. The Unexpected Everything is another fun cover that positively screams "Summer!" You'll want to pick it up to read by the pool, beach, or on a lounge chair outside. It is perfect for this time of year and for this type of story. A+ work.

Overall

4 very happy stars! 

This is a solid YA contemporary that will have you smiling and feeling the feelings. With a great cast of chraracters and an enjoyable plot, this is the perfect book to pick up for a book slump or place on your summer reading list.