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All We Have Is Now

Lisa Schroeder (Goodreads Author)

3.45 · Rating details · 1,658 ratings · 324 reviews

What do you do with your last day on earth?

Just over twenty-four hours are left until an asteroid strikes North America, and for Emerson and everyone else who didn’t leave, the world will end. But Emerson’s world already ended when she ran away from home. Since then, she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and on her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep ...more

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Hardcover, 272 pages

Published July 28th 2015 by Scholastic Inc.

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Aug 26, 2015 Camilla rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015, 2015-releases

This was such a waste of time, and easily one of the worst books I've read so far this year. So incredibly boring, terrible and shockingly full of dreary clichés and unbelievably lousy dialogues, and well, nothing else really. I am so disappointed, and a bit lost for words right now. I'll get back to why I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone soon.

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Apr 19, 2016 Anastasia rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2/5 stars

Trigger Warning: suicide

What do you do with your last day on earth?

Just over twenty-four hours are left until an asteroid strikes North America, and for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home. Since then, she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and on her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems 2/5 stars

Trigger Warning: suicide

What do you do with your last day on earth?

Just over twenty-four hours are left until an asteroid strikes North America, and for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home. Since then, she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and on her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them he has been granting people's wishes -- and gives them his wallet full of money.

Suddenly, this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant lots of wishes in one day -- maybe even their own.

“Some were safe. Some would live. Others would not.”

I had only read one other “asteroid is heading towards earth” book before All We Have Is Now. I didn’t really enjoy it because the characters were predictable and the ending wasn't what I was looking for. This book basically gave me the same exact feeling as the previous book. I feel like most of the characters were like: “An asteroid is heading towards Earth, big whoop.” And I personally cannot deal with characters that offhand important issues and make irrelevant situations, like relationships, into a big deal. Maybe this book is just proof that asteroid collision/end of the world aren’t for me.

“Let us live so we can love.”

The beginning of the book was definitely the highlight. We are introduced to our main characters, two homeless kids that ran away from home and have lives with each other for so long they are practically family. Their dynamic was well written and gave me the feeling that they found safety and security with each other. This helped with the rest of the book because certain heavy scenes have context and meaning. I enjoyed their “siblings/best friend” dynamic in the beginning of the book, but once we hit about half way their relationship started to shift. It changed from being natural and flowing easily to stiff and really awkward with all of the misplaced sexual tension. The relationship problems in this book took away from the imminent death in about 48 hours plot line.

“No,” she says. “If you haven't noticed by now, there’s nothing here for me.” She pauses. “Except you, of course.”

I have to admit I didn’t really love Lisa Schroeder’s writing style. It was really simple with a lot of dialogue and little to no detail. It was like reading about a black and white world. There were too many conveniently placed scenes and characters throughout the book. Whenever a problem arose the next chapter would hold the answer. This led to a lot of small and irrelevant problems that took away from the main problem...imminent death by asteroid.

“Nothing makes much sense, does it?” she asks. “I mean, really, what do we know for sure except that right now, in this moment, we’re standing here, breathing? The rest, who knows? Let’s stop asking questions. Let’s just stop trying to figure out everything and simply be happy we’re here. What do you say?”

My favorite aspect of this book was the “apocalypse make a wish foundation” they began. A kind man on the street gave them a wallet full of cash and told them to have the best last days they could, and all he asked for in return was for them to pay it forward. At first they were a little apprehensive about the “paying it forward part”. But, once they got the hang of it, they were helping people left and right. They brought joy to those that couldn’t take their minds off of death and an escape from reality even if it was only for a couple of hours.

“The past is the past. It's gone, you know? It doesn't matter anymore. All we have is now. Right now.”

All in all the characters were a little “cookie cutter problem teenagers”, the plot wasn’t well paced or flushed out, and the ending had me tearing out my hair. This would have been a pretty solid book if it hadn’t been for the ending. I don't know about you but if I am investing my time into reading a book I don’t really care for endings that feel like a copout. The problem was to easily resolved and the explanation had me scoffing. If you enjoy end of the world books you might enjoy All We Have Is Now. But personally, I can’t see myself picking up anymore books with the premise of an asteroid heading towards Earth.
...more

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Dec 05, 2014 Lisa added it · (Review from the author)

"Thoughtful, endearing, and surprisingly fun -- a reminder of what's really important in life." - Suzanne Young, NYT bestselling author of THE PROGRAM.

"ALL WE HAVE IS NOW is one of those books my teenage self needed -- a thoughtfully crafted reminder that every moment is a gift and that we should be kind, especially to ourselves." - Julie Murphy, author of DUMPLIN' and SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY

"Heartwarming and hopeful. I'd take this book with me to the apocalypse!" - Amy Plum, internationally ...more

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Apr 27, 2017 Joey Woolfardis rated it did not like it

Shelves: bookshelf, feminine, bloody-cack, ce21, 2017, septic

The world is a terrible place. There are people who get satisfaction from hurting others and there is nothing we can do about it. There are people who have so much money they can wipe their arses on it four times a day and it wouldn't even make a dent in their lifestyle and yet they feel no moral duty to help the less fortunate and there is nothing we can do about it. There are people who are so feckless and talentless and yet seem to be venerated by the masses for absolutely no reason and there The world is a terrible place. There are people who get satisfaction from hurting others and there is nothing we can do about it. There are people who have so much money they can wipe their arses on it four times a day and it wouldn't even make a dent in their lifestyle and yet they feel no moral duty to help the less fortunate and there is nothing we can do about it. There are people who are so feckless and talentless and yet seem to be venerated by the masses for absolutely no reason and there is absolutely a fuckload we can do about it.

You know what makes a good book good? Good grammar, good punctuation, good sentence structure and good character development. Good story, good atmosphere and the ability to write good chapters that let the story travel along at a decent pace without giving away too much all at once, or not a lot throughout. These things are factual. Grammar and punctuation, spelling and sentence structure are factual elements of writing that you cannot have an opinion on. You cannot have an opinion about a fact. That's a fact.

So, all those people who get off on hurting people and rich people who are just selfish are marked in the category we can't do anything about them. The people who have no talent in their chosen fields, like singers who need to use auto-tuning or WRITERS WHO CAN'T FACTUALLY WRITE WELL (I'm looking at you, E.L. James) are marked in the category of STOP BUYING THEIR FUCKING SHIT FOR FUCK'S SAKE and we can whole-heartedly do something about these wasters of my fucking time.

Now, this book. This is one of the worst books that has ever been written for factual reasons. There is no character development other than ridiculous teenage angst and the realisation that you are not, in fact, special but just like any other person that has ever lived. The only emotions these jokers show is jealousy when a guy wants to touch some other girls clitoris even though I said I didn't want it even though it's totally obvious I want him to touch my clitoris omg why won't he just touch my clitoris no don't touch my clitoris I'm so innocent omfg.

The story-line is evocative of Pay It Forward, which I've never read but I imagine that's where the idea was stolen from. I suppose the fact that America is going to be destroyed by an asteroid (or is it?!) needs the reader to feel any kind of sympathy for that event, but even then it was then bundled in to this really small, pathetic teenage view point of the end of the world by putting it in to the mind of a girl who is, in one word, utterly pathetic and who deserves to die (but doesn't!)

The chapters were also interrupted by a very pointless attempt to be creative, with poetry-style verse that is reminiscent of those utter bollocks quotes celebrities post on instagram that mean absolutely nothing. Not a tiny thing. On the surface it looks rather philosophical and, dare I say it, even like it means something, but in reality once you even just try to use your brain cells (try it, it's fun) and think about what it means it's just a load of bollocks.

Never has a book cheated its reader more than this. We are promised the death of these whinging, selfish and pathetic children at the end, and yet that does not come. There is no closure for the dear reader and America is not destroyed, which, let's face it, is probably the best thing for it considering the current political and cultural climates. And the actual climate, as well, now you mention it. The Ozone layer above America must be almost the consistency of scotch mist.

There are so many clichés abound it is physically impossible to keep track of them. One girl in France tried it and there is now a black-hole around the Perpignan area the size of an Edam cheese. Any more utter-bollocks quasi-philosophical statements and we are gonna have to send Stephen Hawking down there to seal it before the chaos from hell bursts through. Instead, the Royal Society are sending all the copies of Fifty Shades of Grey that have been donated to charity shops there to plug it up, so have no fear, it is good for something at last! ...more

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Dec 08, 2014 Tiff at Mostly YA Lit rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, contemps, arc-to-read, sci-fi, pub-scholastic

Review originally posted on Mostly YA Lit:
All We Have Is Now was on my 2015 most anticipated books list because frankly, I'ma little stressed by the idea of annihilation. The synopsis immediately gave me a heady feeling that what we do matters because the main characters in this journey decide to make their last moments on earth count by helping others fulfill their dreams. Does it sound noble? Yes. Is it a bit unrealistic? Definitely. But ultimately, the feelings I got while reading this book ...more

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Apr 24, 2015 Heidi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: five-star-favorite

Five stars: An impactful and beautiful read that you won't soon forget.

Emerson feels restless, especially knowing that life as she knows it will end in just a little over twenty four hours. An asteroid is scheduled to hit somewhere in Idaho tomorrow night. With a day left, Emerson is terrified. She quickly convinces her best friend, Vince, to go with her to the suicide bridge to end it all before the impact, but once they get there, they meet a man who changes their mind. Carl is also on the ...more

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Sep 17, 2014 Shannon (It Starts At Midnight) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-for-review, 2015, own-physical, july-2015

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
The first question in the synopsis was the reason I wanted to read this book. I wanted to be made to think, to be inspired, and to basically ask myself that very question: What would you do with your last day on Earth?

And for that goal, All We Have is Now absolutely succeeded. It also restored my faith in humanity a bit, but we'll get to that later.

It focuses mainly on Emerson and Vince, who have been homeless but sticking together. I This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
The first question in the synopsis was the reason I wanted to read this book. I wanted to be made to think, to be inspired, and to basically ask myself that very question: What would you do with your last day on Earth?

And for that goal, All We Have is Now absolutely succeeded. It also restored my faith in humanity a bit, but we'll get to that later.

It focuses mainly on Emerson and Vince, who have been homeless but sticking together. I guess this is technically Emerson's story, but it isn't just her story. It's Vince's story, and Carl's, and the story of a lot of other people they meet along the way. Carl plays a huge role for many reasons, but the most important one is that he is the catalyst for the wish-granting portion of the program.

Here's where my restored faith in humanity comes into play. Vince and Emerson could have done a lot of things with their last day, but they chose to help people. As did Carl, and the person before him. And the way the whole thing is written, it seems like it actually might be a thing a lot of people really would do. Of course there were the malevolent souls who were fully planning to steal, cheat, and pillage until the bitter end, but as a whole? There was certainly more good than bad.

More things that I really liked:

The characters were amazing. Emerson wasn't always the most likeable, but she was absolutely someone I could relate to. She kind of felt like she got dealt a bad hand, and she did. But Vince did too, yet he was her opposite: optimistic and positive no matter what, always challenging Emerson to better herself and look at the good in things. For such a short book with many characters popping in and out, I was surprised to easily connect to and care for both Emerson and Vince. Even the side characters, for no matter how short a time we were introduced to them, still had tons of personality, which I think is quite an accomplishment!
It was absolutely, undeniably thought provoking. I don't know how anyone would be able to read this book and not put themselves in the characters' shoes. Everyone Emerson and Vince encountered was trying to figure out what to do with the little amount of time they had left. They all had dreams and goals and "bucket lists" just as we all do, only their time was not only finite, it was imminently ending. Reading about the different reactions people had to this was of course intriguing, but made me question my own actions- not just at the potential end of the world, but every day.
Family is a big focus for everyone in this book. Even when she wants to resist thinking about her family, they are always on Emerson's mind. Vince is dealing with the loss of his mother, and Carl is devastated at the thought of never seeing his wife again. They run into people who are lonely and looking for family, mothers and children, some of whom have healthy relationships and some who definitely do not. They run into people of so many backgrounds, ethnicities, socioeconomic groups, all of whom faced the same fate.
So while this book was really great, there was one thing that did bother me a little. There wasn't a ton of information on the lead-up to the last day. I get it, it is a fairly short book, and I don't think that the message had anything to do with the lead up, but as a logic-driven kind of person, I really wanted answers! Vince and Emerson do spend some time talking about the "how"s and the "what if?"s but they don't really have a ton of answers themselves. This is likely more of a personal gripe than a universal one, but something to keep in mind if you are like me and want to know all the things. I also would have probably liked just a little more of an emotional connection, though I think too much of one would have gotten in the way of the message.

Bottom Line: This one was a win. Any book that can make me think (and continue to make me think even after I have finished) earns major points from me. The writing was lovely, the characters were enjoyable, and the message was important. I'll leave you with this quote* that I absolutely had to save:
"No, you see, you guys are looking at it all wrong," Vince says. "The amount of time isn't important. A hundred minutes of a hundred years. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just make it count."

*Quote taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change
**Copy provided from publisher for review** ...more

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Jul 03, 2015 mohamed rated it did not like it

Dear Art1misS

…well…RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!!..hehehe no no! , I’m just kidding, it’s not that bad, Or..is it?!!!!

There are reasons why books go big , I always thought it’s advertising , but I think you can only publicize a good book, no publicity budget can turn a bad book into a hit (except if it had a lot of between the holidays stuff) . I feel kind of sad that a writer would dive into his imagination and this is all what he comes up with.

Let me tell you about the genius plot, so basically ...more

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Dec 10, 2014 Amy Plum added it

Heartwarming and hopeful. I'd take this book with me to the Apocalypse!

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Jun 26, 2015 Kelly Gunderman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, favorites

Check out all of my reviews on my blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder is one of those books that I felt I absolutely needed to read. The premise sounded absolutely amazing - a young adult novel about making the most out of the small amount of time that you have left.

Teenagers Emerson and Vince have been living on the streets for years, hopping from one homeless shelter to another, never knowing when their next meal will be. The only thing they have is each other, Check out all of my reviews on my blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder is one of those books that I felt I absolutely needed to read. The premise sounded absolutely amazing - a young adult novel about making the most out of the small amount of time that you have left.

Teenagers Emerson and Vince have been living on the streets for years, hopping from one homeless shelter to another, never knowing when their next meal will be. The only thing they have is each other, and their friendship is the bright star in an otherwise dark and bleak night sky. While Emerson's mother kicked her our years ago, she has always felt she had family in Vince, and they've spent practically all their time together since.

Now, the experts have found that an asteroid is going to hit North America, most likely taking out everything in its path. Those who were able to moved to different parts of the word to get away from the impending destruction, but those who were unable to, or simply chose to stay, are running out of time. When the book begins, there is a little over twenty-four hours (28 hours and 25 minutes, to be exact), before the asteroid is set to hit.

Emerson and Vince have one more to day to spend together. But Emerson and Vince don't want to wait. They believe that they should make the decision of how much time they have left on their own terms, so they decide to take matters into their own hands. Except, they run into Carl, a man who is sure he has seen the last of his wife, who has gone to spend time with her family before the event occurs. Carl is on a quest to do nice things for someone who has done something nice for him. He decided to spend his last hours making the dreams and wishes of others come true, to the best of his ability. When he asks Vince and Emerson what they wanted, Vince said it would be nice to have some money. So Carl hands over his wallet, because really, what does he need it for at this point? He has only a small bit of advice for Vince and Emerson, which sets the stage for the remainder of the novel.

"Pay it forward, if you can. Look for those who have wishes or regrets."

So Emerson and Vince set off to try and help others, as Vince has helped them. This is how they decide to spend their last day, while coming to some important realizations about themselves, each other, and the people that they thought they no longer mattered to.

This book is one of those rare gems that I could not help but fall in love with from the very first chapter. With chapters from Vince and Emerson's point of view, and Carl's point of view, as well as poems about Emerson that complete the missing pieces of her story, it's an amazing, emotional read that will stay with you for a long time after you finish the last chapter.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Apr 01, 2016 Elise (TheBookishActress) rated it it was ok

Shelves: z-read-in-2016, what-was-this-romance, elise-unowned, that-rep-of-characters-of-color, gen-contemporary, 2-star

All We Have Is Now is pitched as an interesting story about a meteor striking earth. It is not. It is a cheesy romance with a cop-out ending and not much interest beyond that.

Emerson and Vince are flat, uninteresting characters, and the book feels driven by their romance with each other. Thankfully, they're a decent couple with a loving dynamic. They're actually cute! Unfortunately, that doesn't make me interested in reading a book that's entirely a romance.

Sure, this book might appeal to ...more

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Oct 03, 2016 ★Codie Abibliophobic ★ added it

Shelves: dnf

DNF

I was just bored.

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Aug 29, 2015 Kelly added it

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2015

An asteroid is about the crash into the Earth, and Emerson and Vince -- two homeless teens -- made the decision to end their lives before their lives are ended for them. But when they get to the infamous suicide bridge to go through with the deed, they meet a man named Carl who was about to do the same thing. Until he decided to do something nice for Em and Vince. . .which sets them on a course to pay kindness forward in the last hours of life.

This is a sweet story about kindness and generosity, ...more

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Jun 16, 2015 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-arc, around-the-world-arc-tours, june-2015, 2015-new-release

All We Have Is Now is one of those stories that will stay with you for a long time. After reading it I had to sit there and think about How I would react and what would I do and who would I spend my last day with.

Emerson and her best friend Vince have 24 hours to live before an asteroid hits where they live. Everyone is getting out of there but Emerson convinces her best friend Vince to stay with her and survive the asteroid. Vince agrees to stay because he and Emerson both have one thing in ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 Trisha rated it liked it

"Regret is a hard thing to shake."

This one was great for two reasons. One, it was a very good look at the hard moments at the end of the world. Would you do introspect and try to forgive, forget and say goodbye to everyone or would you YOLO and just live your life to the fullest before the end? Lots of tough moments and tough discussions but in the end, it was a little warmer and fluffier than I was expecting.

But the best part was re-visiting many spots in Oregon that I love. Vista Bridge, ...more

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Jun 08, 2015 jasmine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cover-crush, g-contemporary, favorites, g-romance, review-copies, g-apocalyptic, otp

I loved this so much but i can't even talk about it yet

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Oct 11, 2015 Tonyalee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, young-adult, 2015-read, favorites, i-cried

See this review and more on my blog, Lilybloombooks

All We Have Is Now was an impulse download on audio. I say this - because it wasn't one that I had seenMANY reviews on and it wasn't on my radar in the slightest. Seeing it was narrated by one of my favorites doesn't hurt either.

This book makes you think. If you had one day left on Earth - what would you do? That question sat with me for a long time, way after finishing and is a great topic for discussion.

Initially, it seems as if this is just See this review and more on my blog, Lilybloombooks

All We Have Is Now was an impulse download on audio. I say this - because it wasn't one that I had seen MANY reviews on and it wasn't on my radar in the slightest. Seeing it was narrated by one of my favorites doesn't hurt either.

This book makes you think. If you had one day left on Earth - what would you do? That question sat with me for a long time, way after finishing and is a great topic for discussion.

Initially, it seems as if this is just the story about Emerson and Vince. But as the story goes on, you realize there are so many elements weaving together masterfully and I loved how it all came about. Each person they encounter plays a part and I loved it.

Besides the overall message of the book, my other favorite aspect was Vince. Here is a kid - homeless, with no family yet he is the sweetest, most kind and open-hearted optimistic one in the bunch. His heart is so full of love for Emerson and all he wants to do is HELP everyone that they encounter.

While I did really enjoy this one - there are a few things that kept me from loving. First? I had a hard time with Emerson's character. All things considered, she had HUGE character growth and I applaud that. It could be because I didn't fully understand her logic in running away and why she was so terrified of seeing her family until later on in the book - and at that point, it was almost too late to redeem her character.

The second? Was the ending. (view spoiler)

All in all - it was a beautiful book. I loved the journey that Emerson and Vince took to finding themselves, happiness and helping others.

...more

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May 05, 2016 Jane rated it did not like it

I picked this up because I was under the impression that it was another book written entirely in verse. I've really enjoyed all of the verse books I've read so far, not that they really all fit into any particular genre, so I assumed I would enjoy this as well.

Not so much. The introductions to each chapter are prefaced with verse, but the rest of the novel is straight prose. That's not really why I didn't like it, but it did surprise me after I started reading.

Everything about this book was so ...more

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Jul 02, 2015 Sophie Marsden rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: gimme-gimme

Actual rating: 1.5 stars

Well. That was a disappointment.
So much potential was wasted in this book. It was unbelievably cheesy and the characters were SO cliché.
I also really did not like the voices that the audiobook narrator did for the characters, especially Vince. She made him sound like an old guy with lung cancer.
ALSO THE ENDING...(view spoiler) ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Kelsey van Dillen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2015-release, five-stars

Omg I LOVED this story. Vince wanting to help people, him and Emerson getting together, it was all so perfect. I even felt tears sting in my eyes a couple of times. This was not only the perfect lovestory but this book also has a strong moral and a valuable lesson. Life is too short to worry about things like money. And you give what you get. When you help people and you see them happy, it makes you happy too.

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Dec 05, 2014 Sarah added it

Aw, I really loved this! It feels the most "literary" of Lisa's books, particularly with one of the points of view being an adult, but also with the interesting use of poetry to reveal backstory.

Anyway, I love Lisa's writing and have gotten to be friends with her over the last couple years and I want to be sure to disclose that, but nevertheless, I think this is a book that will work for a lot of audiences.

And if Vince isn't named after Vince Howard, I'll eat my shoe.

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Jul 04, 2015 MJ rated it really liked it

Shelves: galleys

Fast-paced and poignant, All We Have is Now is a book to watch out.

This is a book I did not expect to like. I mean, if this is contemporary romance, I'm your girl but apocalyptic? Uh-uh. Not really my style. Despite this, I enjoyed reading this book, a lot.

Basically, the gist of the book was the world is going to end in just over twenty four hours. Emerson and Vince, best friends since Emerson ran away home and has lived on the streets, met Carl. He tells them that he has been granting people's Fast-paced and poignant, All We Have is Now is a book to watch out.

This is a book I did not expect to like. I mean, if this is contemporary romance, I'm your girl but apocalyptic? Uh-uh. Not really my style. Despite this, I enjoyed reading this book, a lot.

Basically, the gist of the book was the world is going to end in just over twenty four hours. Emerson and Vince, best friends since Emerson ran away home and has lived on the streets, met Carl. He tells them that he has been granting people's wishes and gives them his wallet full of money but in return he asks them to pay it forward. Suddenly, Em and Vince's last day seems full of possibility.

This book definitely reminds me of the movie Pay It Forward. Was it an inspiration of the story? Maybe, I don't really know. It made me think of this ridiculous plot where the origin of the story's pay it forward was the young student from the movie. I love the element of "paying forward." The looking for people who has wishes or regrets. I so love that. I love the kindness and hopefulness of this phrase.

This has a melancholic, almost nostalgic, feel to it. As I continue to read, all I could think of was, what would I feel if this happened to me? And I felt a bit shaken. This is probably why I admire the characters. Em and Vince are strong despite the challenges that faced them.
There were times where I was annoyed with Em, though. She has been through a lot, I'll give her that, but sometimes she comes off as bitchy especially when they're on the mansion. One month after I've read the book, Vince was still a mystery to me. The whole month, I tried to solve the puzzle that is Vince but alas, I was still left with a big question mark. I liked it that way, though. The realness of Em and the uncertainty of Vince, a great contrast if you ask me.

This book was written in alternating point of views, all of which are first person (as far as I could remember). That didn't sit really well with me. For an apocalyptic book, I would've like a more intimate approach, a longer point of view or something, anything to make it more personal.

The reason for this apocalypse is quite ridiculous, which was revealed at the latter part of the book. The ending was open-ended, I guess? I'm not sure what to think of the ending. If I were to rate the parts of the book, I'll say the ending would receive a low mark. It could've been better, really.

Overall, it was a joy to read a book such as this. I especially like it when a book leave me a kind of moral lesson. This book definitely left one. It reminds me that every moment that rotates at counter-clockwise is positive. Okay, bad Statics pun. In all seriousness, this reminds me that every moment is precious and a little kindness would help some people a lot.

This review is also posted @the bookdragon ...more

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May 16, 2015 Ashley (Loves Books) rated it really liked it

**This review will post to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**

What do you think you would do if you knew a huge asteroid was going to hit North America? Would you leave? Do you think you'd try to outrun it, even though you know it will alter life as you know it? Or would you stay and live out the last of your days as you wished?

Quite honestly, I don't know what I would have done. I'm nowhere near Emerson and Vince's situation, nor was I as a teenager…but I think I would have stayed. There's **This review will post to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**

What do you think you would do if you knew a huge asteroid was going to hit North America? Would you leave? Do you think you'd try to outrun it, even though you know it will alter life as you know it? Or would you stay and live out the last of your days as you wished?

Quite honestly, I don't know what I would have done. I'm nowhere near Emerson and Vince's situation, nor was I as a teenager…but I think I would have stayed. There's something about an unknown that seems doomed versus a doomed comfort, and I would be one of those to try and make the most of the last certain days. At least...I like to think I would.

Moving along. This book guys...it made me think, and it made me hope, and it made me sad, and ultimately, it made me feel a whole range of emotions--and it was so, so good. I love the idea of spending your last hours/days/moments trying to grant wishes and do good, and it was such a fun premise to the plot. The variety of people Emerson and Vince meet are this ridiculously amazing mix of interesting and tragic, and I really felt such a distinct sense of personality from each of them. It was a pleasure meeting all of them on the page.

Vince and Emerson themselves are a cute duo, and a sweet, sort of tragic story in itself. They really worked well together, especially in this tentatively-built safety zone of their friendship, and I enjoyed watching them go through their emotions together and with each other.

I do have to say, the "cult"/"revolutionist"/"skeptic" portion was a little...odd. Interesting! But odd. and I wasn't sure how I felt about it within the plot...it kind of felt device-y? I'm having a hard time explaining what I mean, especially without being spoilery. Just know that I found it a little strange.

All We Have Is Now is a wonderful YA book about our last days and what we find important in. There's elements of love and friendship and family, and I thought it had a wonderful message of doing what we can while we have the life and the time to do it. Highly recommend. ...more

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Sep 08, 2015 Jayvee "Writer For Misfits" rated it liked it

I'll be keeping this short and sweet since I don't literally have the time to be doing reviews... (why do I do this to myself?) All We Have Is Now discusses the issue of "What if the world ended? What will you do?"

This is not the newest concept I've ever actually encountered. I think it didn't help that I've read Tommy Wallach's We All Looked Up which tackled the same issue of the asteroid hitting a certain area.

What I liked about All We Have Is Now is how family is tackled and how one's ...more

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Feb 12, 2015 Kate rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars

This is a book
that makes you want to
savour
every
last
word.

I loved the characters right from the very first chapter. Em and Vince were so likeable despite their flaws. As they went about their day helping others, I found myself absorbed with each individual's story and could not stop reading. I have always been a fan of Schroeder's books because of her lyrical and descriptive writing and All We Have Is Now is no exception. The writing was amazing as always.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said ...more

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Aug 05, 2015 Claire Wood rated it it was ok

Shelves: disappointments

uh slow, boring & depressing! each character represents something fear love Hope etc.... the dynamic between Vince and em is cute butt so many of the other characters were rubbish pointless and annoying! the ideas and concepts of the book are great but the book failed to deliver. the story did have me rooting for the characters and emotionally invested but the ending is predictable and there was something missing a spark a a void in the story.

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Jul 30, 2014 Jen rated it liked it

3.25 stars

Once I read the synopsis of All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder, I immediately thought of We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach. Now, I tried reading that book a few months ago and y’all know that I DNFed it so hard because the plot exploded into a crazy, incomprehensible story. Humans have only 24 hours left to live before the asteroid hits earth, so they better make the most of it. By picking up Schroeder’s All We Have is Now, I hoped for a second chance at a better storyline for this 3.25 stars

Once I read the synopsis of All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder, I immediately thought of We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach. Now, I tried reading that book a few months ago and y’all know that I DNFed it so hard because the plot exploded into a crazy, incomprehensible story. Humans have only 24 hours left to live before the asteroid hits earth, so they better make the most of it. By picking up Schroeder’s All We Have is Now, I hoped for a second chance at a better storyline for this apocalypse-type story. While All We Have is Now is much calmer, logical, and thought-provoking, I did have my issues with it.

All We Have is Now, for the most part, is a solid contemporary read. We follow two main characters, Vince and Emerson, two teens who have been living on the streets of Portland for a year. When they learn about the imminent apocalypse, they find a man named Carl who has been “granting wishes” – doing good deeds for people who need them. Vince and Emerson decide that this is a good way to leave their mark on the earth, so they follow this same concept. From there, Vince and Emerson set off to help other people satisfy their last wishes before the asteroid hits the earth in 24 hours.

Throughout the story, we get the budding romance between Vince and Emerson, and learn about their family histories and struggles. The issue for me was that both Vince and Emerson are pretty flat characters, Vince more so than Emerson, but I didn’t find them to be particularly interesting. Emerson has more spark because she ran away from her family and sought independence, but Vince is just too nice. I understand that’s why Emerson grows to love him romantically: he’s kind, giving, and genuinely cares about helping others, especially strangers. But Vince seems to be without flaws, thus making him a little closer on the one-dimensional side than the three-dimensional side.

I don’t have much else to say about All We Have is Now. Schroeder includes some beautiful lines of poetry scattered throughout, but they felt a little forced, and didn’t seem to fit into the story 100%; nevertheless, the poetry added a nice touch of depth. I can’t say that this story is going to be memorable, nor did it leave its mark on me, but I can say that it was much better than We All Looked Up. Schroeder’s story is subtle, nice, and maybe a little too comfortable, but an overall good read.

Check out this review and more at Books and Other Happy Ever Afters
...more

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Aug 16, 2015 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Do authors know something that us normal people don't? There have been sooo many asteroid, meteor, world going BOOM books coming out lately and it really has me wondering. All We Have is Now is the first book in this category that I have read and I can say that I am not entirely impressed. The book wasn't terrible. In fact, there are a lot of redeeming moments and truly beautiful events that happen. But the overall fact of the WORLD IS ENDING just wasn't that great.

Emerson.... Eh. I have never Do authors know something that us normal people don't? There have been sooo many asteroid, meteor, world going BOOM books coming out lately and it really has me wondering. All We Have is Now is the first book in this category that I have read and I can say that I am not entirely impressed. The book wasn't terrible. In fact, there are a lot of redeeming moments and truly beautiful events that happen. But the overall fact of the WORLD IS ENDING just wasn't that great.

Emerson.... Eh. I have never thought of a homeless person as spoiled but that is how she comes off. She ran away from home just because her mother didn't want her bad ass around her new daughter. And, to be honest, she probably would have either crawled her ass back home or ended up dead by now if it hadn't of been for Vince. He loved her and all she could say was "Oh, I don't wanna get hurt again."

Vince was so amazing. For someone who had been through so much pain and suffering he truly enjoyed making other people happy. I know his choice to 'runaway' was just that, a choice, but his real family was gone. I don't understand how he had any empathy for Emerson. Her family was ALL still alive and she ran away because she got grounded and wanted to party. If I was Vince I would have told Emerson to go the ^%#@ home.

The book is told in some very interesting ways. First, it is told over the span of about a day. Each chapter has the current time and says how long until doomsday. Then we have chapters from Emerson and Vince's perspectives, Carl's perspective and then short pages told in verse that go between present time and flashbacks. I have read a few of Lisa Schroeder's other books and I can't say they were impressive. I actually can't even remember much about them. But I really did like the writing style of this book. It kept things interesting and I can appreciate that.

This book made being homeless in Oregon seem fairly easy. Yeah, some hard times were listed but considering Vince and Emerson had been homeless for 1 and a half years, at the time of the asteroid, and didn't mention any illness or injuries. Being in the elements and around so many other people they should have gotten sick or injured at least once.

The book was going to get a lower rating but towards the end I started to like some parts of it. And I knew the ending was going to be the way it was. I wouldn't be surprised if something like the plot of this book actually did happen. This world needs a HUGE wake up call.

Overall, I gave the book 3.5/5 stars ...more

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Sep 08, 2014 Joli rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, reviewed, read-in-2015

Rating 4.5 of 5

I am a fan of books that take place in a twenty-four hour period. They are usually filled with fun adventures and new experiences for the characters. A lot can happen in a day. Now add the fact that is the last day on earth. That changes everything! How do you spend your time and who do you spend it with? All We Have Is Now gives readers one answer with the story of Vince and Emerson.

What I loved:
*The close friendship of Vince and Emerson. Even though they kept secrets from each Rating 4.5 of 5

I am a fan of books that take place in a twenty-four hour period. They are usually filled with fun adventures and new experiences for the characters. A lot can happen in a day. Now add the fact that is the last day on earth. That changes everything! How do you spend your time and who do you spend it with? All We Have Is Now gives readers one answer with the story of Vince and Emerson.

What I loved:
*The close friendship of Vince and Emerson. Even though they kept secrets from each other, they trusted each other.
*Dual storylines
*How much I cared about the characters. All of them.
*The inclusion of poems among the chapters
*The various ways Vince and Emerson grant wishes and the people they meet along the way. Vince is imaginative and wants to make sure everyone has a memorable experience.
*The Mini-tour of Portland, Oregon - as Vince and Emerson grant wishes they spend the night all over the city
*Conspiracy theories and pumpkin pie (when you read it this will make sense)
*There's a ROAD TRIP! (How can that happen in 24 hours when the world is about the end- you'll have to read it and find out!

There are a lot of poignant moments as the characters consider their last hours on earth. Here are some quotes that stood out to me:

"Regret is a hard thing to shake."

"Doughnuts and Justin Timberlake," . . . "Now this is an awesome last day."

"No, see, you guys are looking at it all wrong," Vince says. "The amount of time isn't important. A hundred minutes or a hundred years. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just make it count."

"Tears sting her eyes, and she tries to stop them, but it's useless. It's not fair, her thoughts whisper over and over again. How can it be over now, when she's just getting to the best part."

All We Have is Now is a really special book. Readers will appreciate the depth of the story while still having a fun time with the characters. It will move readers and hopefully make them consider their minutes, all of them, and make them count. I really enjoyed it. A recommended read! ...more

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Aug 03, 2015 Berit☀️✨ rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Lisa Schroeder

Lisa Schroeder

2,031 followers

Lisa Schroeder is the author of more than twenty books for kids and teens. Her latest young adult novel is ALL WE HAVE IS NOW, and the latest novel for 8-12 year olds is SEE YOU ON A STARRY NIGHT, both with Scholastic. She lives in Oregon where she spends her time reading, writing, baking yummy treats, and hiking with her family.

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