Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything

by Morgan Matson
May 3, 2016

496 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

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?

Review

Initially I was wary of the monster size that is The Unexpected Everything but wow does Morgan Matson write a timeless story. Family. Friends. Boyfriends. She brings it all and makes them perfectly relatable.

The Unexpected Everything had the perfect balance of awkward interactions between family, fun events with friends and sweet moments with boys. I love how it's the unexpected things that led to the characters having an unforgettable summer. The good times but also the not so pleasant times proved to be beneficial for them.

 

The friendship between Andie, Palmer, Bri and Toby was bright and shiny. These girls had the sweetest friendship ever! I love how comfortable and supportive they were with each other- sharing their feelings, secrets and giggles about boys and first times. It was fabulous. The emoji challenge between Palmer and Toby was loads of fun. It reminded me of a time when I was dared to use all emoji at an online student club meeting. Now I wasn't as creative as Toby was (toe bee!) but it was still a ton of good laughs ;)
 

My love for Bertie the giant adorable white dog runs deep (he's on the cover!). How do you not love him? He brought Andie and Clark together! These two are so cute they're totally meant to be. I feel like Clark's geeky/shy side offsets Andie's planner side well. He's so simple, so natural it sort of forces Andie to go with the flow- throw out all her rules. (I hope that makes sense?) As Andie comes to learn, great things happen even when you didn't plan for them. Especially in times you're not prepared for, in the most unexpected moments~

I love the scavenger hunt! The sneaky tricks and the unexpected (father/daughter) bonding chance were adorable. The story really picked up and gained intensity from that point on. Andie and Clark's relationship became a lot more serious, Toby was so much more desperate over her 'curse' and to me, Bri's guilty conscience kicked up a notch. I seriously wanted to poke my eyes out because I was scared. This side fling was so obvious I couldn't believe nobody suspected a thing or called it out. Though I guess when you're an insider, sometimes it's hard to see clearly. Especially since all the girls were busy with their summer jobs and boyfriends.

I'm really pleased with how Ms. Matson resolves each situation she created. Realistic with a dose of reverence to the characters. Andie goes out of her comfort zone to hold onto what she wants while the other girls learn to be themselves. They're all starting to grow up.

If you love a well-told contemporary then pick up  Morgan Matson's books. She's the master at crafting sunny fun reads intertwined with important messages. So I repeat, Morgan Matson = BUY!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.