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All We Left Behind
For fans of Simone Elkeles and Courtney Summers, this haunting debut novel is about two teenagers battling their inner demons as they fall in love for the first time.
When Marion Taylor, the shy bookworm, meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing quickly turns into a total mess. One moment they’re alone in the middle of a lake, igniting sparks of electricity. The next, they’re on dry land, pretending they’ve never met. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something real, terrifying, and completely unforgettable for them both.
As Marion and Kurt struggle to build a relationship from the fractured pieces of their pasts, every kiss they share uncovers memories both would rather keep buried. Marion desperately wants to trust Kurt and share the one secret she’s never told anyone—but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. Kurt is also still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back.
Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt seem totally wrong for each other—but could they turn out to be more right than they ever thought possible?
When Marion Taylor, the shy bookworm, meets sexy soccer captain Kurt Medford at a party, what seems like a sure thing quickly turns into a total mess. One moment they’re alone in the middle of a lake, igniting sparks of electricity. The next, they’re on dry land, pretending they’ve never met. But rather than the end, that night is the beginning of something real, terrifying, and completely unforgettable for them both.
As Marion and Kurt struggle to build a relationship from the fractured pieces of their pasts, every kiss they share uncovers memories both would rather keep buried. Marion desperately wants to trust Kurt and share the one secret she’s never told anyone—but some truths aren’t meant to be spoken out loud. Kurt is also still haunted by his mother’s death, by the people he hurt, and by the mistakes he can never take back.
Explosive together and hollow apart, Marion and Kurt seem totally wrong for each other—but could they turn out to be more right than they ever thought possible?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2015
40 people are currently reading
1541 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
November 16, 2015
First off, if I would have realized there was going to be sexual abuse in the plot, I would have never requested this.
I made it 35% of the way in before I started skipping around. It was enough to find out what was going on {even if it's presented in a really disjointed way} and realize that I didn't really care what the outcome was.
Marion and Kurt could have been interesting characters, but it don't feel like we really got to know them. The grief that they're both drowning is overwhelming. And while it's effective in a way, it made it difficult to find anything to latch on to and root for.
I've read other stories with similar plots and it didn't feel as suffocating as this one did. I'm sure other people will really enjoy it, but this definitely wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I made it 35% of the way in before I started skipping around. It was enough to find out what was going on {even if it's presented in a really disjointed way} and realize that I didn't really care what the outcome was.
Marion and Kurt could have been interesting characters, but it don't feel like we really got to know them. The grief that they're both drowning is overwhelming. And while it's effective in a way, it made it difficult to find anything to latch on to and root for.
I've read other stories with similar plots and it didn't feel as suffocating as this one did. I'm sure other people will really enjoy it, but this definitely wasn't for me.
**Huge thanks to Simon Pulse and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
October 18, 2015
Beautifully written debut novel by Ingrid Sundberg delivers real teen choices.
Marion carries the weight of a secret that she tries her hardest to forget but it's always there- under the surface and at moments breaking through into her life.
Kurt feels the loss of his mother, and doesn't acknowledge the truth, while his sister struggles with addiction and his father addresses his families' needs.
Marion and Kurt connect immediately. Romance always draws me in. Passion and young love has you flying through the pages. Challenges arise that remind us that life isn't always perfect.
This book makes you feel the real choices these characters make. At moments, you want to stand in front of them with a caution sign warning them from their actions. It's through these real choices that brings truth to the pages
Marion carries the weight of a secret that she tries her hardest to forget but it's always there- under the surface and at moments breaking through into her life.
Kurt feels the loss of his mother, and doesn't acknowledge the truth, while his sister struggles with addiction and his father addresses his families' needs.
Marion and Kurt connect immediately. Romance always draws me in. Passion and young love has you flying through the pages. Challenges arise that remind us that life isn't always perfect.
This book makes you feel the real choices these characters make. At moments, you want to stand in front of them with a caution sign warning them from their actions. It's through these real choices that brings truth to the pages
January 27, 2016
WARNING*** IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS BOOK, RUN AWAY!!
This book was 100% terrible. Let me explain. This girl Marion can not make up her damn mind. She is so I indecisive throughout the whole book and didn't pick someone until the very last minute. She could not choose between her ex-boyfriend Abe and her crush Kurt. She had some issues when she was younger and it affects her life growing up but my god don't sleep with someone and then decide to sleep with the other the same day to compare them. The fuck! Please don't waste your time. Choose a different book
This book was 100% terrible. Let me explain. This girl Marion can not make up her damn mind. She is so I indecisive throughout the whole book and didn't pick someone until the very last minute. She could not choose between her ex-boyfriend Abe and her crush Kurt. She had some issues when she was younger and it affects her life growing up but my god don't sleep with someone and then decide to sleep with the other the same day to compare them. The fuck! Please don't waste your time. Choose a different book
December 10, 2015
Intriguing... that about sums it up for me. This wasn't a traditionally written love story between two teenagers with pasts. There was almost too much happening for me to keep track of all the characters' problems! At times I found the language of one of the characters hard to read. At other times, a certain character begged me to toss her in front of a moving bus. I think perhaps this book tried too hard to hit it out of the park and ended up hitting the ball foul into the upper deck. What the heck do I mean by that? Well, the story was good, the execution just got muddled a bit.
First, let me tell you about the story. Marion is a quiet bookworm. She does well in school and she lives with her dad. Dad works late hours in the city and isn't home until late. She doesn't really have much of a relationship with him. As for her mom, she up and left her family when Marion was toddler.
On top of that, Marion has "issues" from her past that haunt her today but she's never been able to deal with them. Her best friend, Lilith, is no help there. Lilith is the character who needs to be smushed by a bus, by the way. Marion's ex-boyfriend/ex-best-friend Abe wants to help but Marion is so messed up, she doesn't know how to relate to Abe.
So you toss in a messed up captain of the soccer team, Kurt. He and Marion have a "moment" at a school party. For the rest of the book, Kurt and Marion try to figure out how to relate, be in the same room, be friends, be whatever!
There were sweet moments between these two and there were moments when I wanted to... you guessed it, cause bodily injury.
I guess where I got lost is in Marion's side of the narration. She gets metaphorical (it's a word, trust me!), very flowery with her words, as she describes a situation or how she's feeling. It was fine every so often but too much had my simple brain hurting trying to figure out the similes.
The missed execution did NOT prevent me from finishing the book; this is definitely still a solid 3 1/2 star book. Why?
Because Ms. Sundberg nailed the ending of the story. The most appropriate, fitting ending to Kurt and Marion's story. I liked it. Everyone got what they deserved...
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October 4, 2020
I thought this book was ok. I started off liking the main character, Marion at the beginning, but towards the end I couldn't stand her. I wanted to shake the book and scream "Who do you want to be with?!?" It was like she couldn't make up her mind! Other than that, I thought it was ok.
August 21, 2015
I love this book. I love this book. I love this book.
August 11, 2015
When Marion meets Kurt at a party, she doesn’t think much will come of their one interaction. Kurt is popular, & everyone loves him. He wouldn’t even remember her name. However, much more comes of it than she ever expected. As their worlds collide, Marion fears that her secret, a secret she has held close to her for years will destroy everything. What she doesn’t know is that Kurt has a secret too, one that has kept him an arm’s length away from everyone-even his best friend. As their secrets rise to the surface, Marion and Kurt wonder if they can reveal the things that have caused them the most pain. Ingrid Sundberg creates a tale that is tough and real, but also relieving and strengthening.
May 12, 2019
It's not my usual read but I did find it enjoyable. It makes you think about how people's lives aren't what they appear to be.
May 28, 2018
Marion was a really confusing character. Going from one guy to another all the time...
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June 22, 2019I think the theme of this book is to not change yourself for others. In this book Marion started to change herself and do things that made her uncomfortable to make other people happy. At the end she realized she just wanted to be happy and do those thing were not going to make her feel this way.
February 10, 2017
I debated the rating a bit, but I went with four because there really are bits of fantastic, even poetic, storytelling in this book. That said, it's a very bumpy ride when all is said and done.
We meet Marion & Kurt, our two deeply interesting protagonists who really aren't that interesting, or likable. To describe what I ended up feeling about them by the end is, simply enough, apathy. Their relationship felt incredibly forced, and that was made all the worse by a narrative that actively rooted against them- in a bad way- and a supporting cast that showed more depth and consistency than they did. They felt like bit players in their own book, and that is never a good thing. Also, I just didn't like their personalities. They both seemed like whiny, sometimes bratty, and often thoroughly thick-headed people, and if that was the idea I'm not sure why. They also went through wild mood swings, and never kept any kind of constant progression going. Like I said, it was a bumpy trip riding with them.
Now, as for the parts I did like, in terms of characters: Literally everyone else. I always like seeing the background people getting their share of the spotlight, and one thing this book does really well is flesh out all the other family members and friends in K&M's lives. Conner, Lilith, Josie, Abe, etc., all felt like actual people, more or less. Three-dimensional, relatable people. That was great, but on the downside I wound up feeling more empathy for them than the stars of the show. Oops.
Onto the actual story, there is a lot to like. There really is. My only problem was that so much of that story is bogged down by drama on top of drama on top of more drama mingled with melodrama and then some flat-out sadness, that I really became numb to it after a while. I started to not care about whether Kurt and Marion ended up together, and was actually hoping they wouldn't because they'd already proven how terrible they were as a couple. A bit more lighthearted stuff sprinkled in, rather than just throwing it all towards the end, would've worked out a lot better. For me, anyway. And I love drama.
The backstories of our protagonists are a bit cliche, yeah, but at this point...what isn't? Everything has been done by now, and if you say otherwise you're fooling yourself. They work well together, and what's interesting is that the chemistry should be there...it's just not. All the tools are there, all the puzzle pieces are laid out, but they just don't fit together for some reason. Kurt and Marion fit together about as well as a TV in a pizza box, but they haven't figured that out yet. All of that aside, though, each of them have some really good attributes and some not-so-good ones. For me, they tilted a bit towards the "ugh" territory, but I didn't hate them at any point. I just wished they'd make better choices. Certain things, like Kurt's relationship with his mother and his sister, are done really well. As is Marion's fragile mentality. They both have the potential to be really strong, well-rounded characters, but again- the overwhelming drama of the whole story did them a disservice in my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I could've done with a lot less drama, and a lot less forcing of the narrative, but to say that All We Left Behind is a bad book would just not be true. It's good, great at points, but it doesn't do much to make itself stand out. Great writing, a story with lots of potential, but it doesn't do much with that potential. Is it worth reading? Yeah, definitely. It discusses very topical issues. But, is it worth reading more than once? For me, I'm not sure. Do give it a try, though. See what you think.
We meet Marion & Kurt, our two deeply interesting protagonists who really aren't that interesting, or likable. To describe what I ended up feeling about them by the end is, simply enough, apathy. Their relationship felt incredibly forced, and that was made all the worse by a narrative that actively rooted against them- in a bad way- and a supporting cast that showed more depth and consistency than they did. They felt like bit players in their own book, and that is never a good thing. Also, I just didn't like their personalities. They both seemed like whiny, sometimes bratty, and often thoroughly thick-headed people, and if that was the idea I'm not sure why. They also went through wild mood swings, and never kept any kind of constant progression going. Like I said, it was a bumpy trip riding with them.
Now, as for the parts I did like, in terms of characters: Literally everyone else. I always like seeing the background people getting their share of the spotlight, and one thing this book does really well is flesh out all the other family members and friends in K&M's lives. Conner, Lilith, Josie, Abe, etc., all felt like actual people, more or less. Three-dimensional, relatable people. That was great, but on the downside I wound up feeling more empathy for them than the stars of the show. Oops.
Onto the actual story, there is a lot to like. There really is. My only problem was that so much of that story is bogged down by drama on top of drama on top of more drama mingled with melodrama and then some flat-out sadness, that I really became numb to it after a while. I started to not care about whether Kurt and Marion ended up together, and was actually hoping they wouldn't because they'd already proven how terrible they were as a couple. A bit more lighthearted stuff sprinkled in, rather than just throwing it all towards the end, would've worked out a lot better. For me, anyway. And I love drama.
The backstories of our protagonists are a bit cliche, yeah, but at this point...what isn't? Everything has been done by now, and if you say otherwise you're fooling yourself. They work well together, and what's interesting is that the chemistry should be there...it's just not. All the tools are there, all the puzzle pieces are laid out, but they just don't fit together for some reason. Kurt and Marion fit together about as well as a TV in a pizza box, but they haven't figured that out yet. All of that aside, though, each of them have some really good attributes and some not-so-good ones. For me, they tilted a bit towards the "ugh" territory, but I didn't hate them at any point. I just wished they'd make better choices. Certain things, like Kurt's relationship with his mother and his sister, are done really well. As is Marion's fragile mentality. They both have the potential to be really strong, well-rounded characters, but again- the overwhelming drama of the whole story did them a disservice in my opinion.
Overall, I enjoyed it. I could've done with a lot less drama, and a lot less forcing of the narrative, but to say that All We Left Behind is a bad book would just not be true. It's good, great at points, but it doesn't do much to make itself stand out. Great writing, a story with lots of potential, but it doesn't do much with that potential. Is it worth reading? Yeah, definitely. It discusses very topical issues. But, is it worth reading more than once? For me, I'm not sure. Do give it a try, though. See what you think.
November 27, 2015
All That We Left Behind is one of those novels that kept me up late at night reading because I had to know what was going to happen next. Marion and Kurt are two high school seniors who come from totally dysfunctional families. They meet at a party and something sparks between the two of them. But the secrets in their past cause some major problems in their ability to have an effective relationship.
Marion is the quiet nerdy type who has been comfortable hiding behind her friend Lillith. Lillith is everything Marion could never be - outgoing, wild, crazy, and comfortable with her body. Lillith makes it her mission to help Marion have sex their senior year so she can finally loosen up a bit. But Marion has never told Lillith her secret so she doesn't understand why Marion holds back.
Kurt is the captain of the Varsity Soccer team. He is gorgeous, athletic, and very drawn to Marion in ways he can't explain. It could be the loss of his mother, or the distress he feels over his sister, but he feels a connection with Marion that goes beyond physical attraction.
Abe is Marion's first love. He's also a quiet nerdy type and her partner in chemistry. Marion dumped him the summer after their Freshman year of high school. They haven't really spoken again until now. Despite what you may be thinking, this story really isn't a love triangle. However, Abe does play a pivotal role in the story.
Ingrid Sundberg's writing is beautiful and the story steadily builds throughout the book. I kept thinking I'd reached the turning point of the book when something else would happen. I loved all the twists and turns and I was continually surprised up until the ending.
I have seen some mixed reviews of this book. However, I really loved it and it just might make my Top 15 books of 2015!
Content: Language, underage drinking, drug use, sexual situations.
Marion is the quiet nerdy type who has been comfortable hiding behind her friend Lillith. Lillith is everything Marion could never be - outgoing, wild, crazy, and comfortable with her body. Lillith makes it her mission to help Marion have sex their senior year so she can finally loosen up a bit. But Marion has never told Lillith her secret so she doesn't understand why Marion holds back.
Kurt is the captain of the Varsity Soccer team. He is gorgeous, athletic, and very drawn to Marion in ways he can't explain. It could be the loss of his mother, or the distress he feels over his sister, but he feels a connection with Marion that goes beyond physical attraction.
Abe is Marion's first love. He's also a quiet nerdy type and her partner in chemistry. Marion dumped him the summer after their Freshman year of high school. They haven't really spoken again until now. Despite what you may be thinking, this story really isn't a love triangle. However, Abe does play a pivotal role in the story.
Ingrid Sundberg's writing is beautiful and the story steadily builds throughout the book. I kept thinking I'd reached the turning point of the book when something else would happen. I loved all the twists and turns and I was continually surprised up until the ending.
I have seen some mixed reviews of this book. However, I really loved it and it just might make my Top 15 books of 2015!
Content: Language, underage drinking, drug use, sexual situations.
February 12, 2016
One thing has been nagging at me since I read it and that thing was how the water off of Massachusetts is cold because the currents funnel in water from the Arctic. That is false. The western side of Europe receives water from the Arctic while the eastern side of the US gets water from the Gulf Stream flowing in from the South since the currents in the northern hemisphere move in a clockwise motion. So no, the water off of New England isn't cold because the currents flow from the north. It's because of its latitude and distance away from the equator.
July 4, 2018
I’m giving this book 3 stars not because of the story itself but because of the authors writing. For a first novel, I really like her writing and she had me intrigued the first chapter..
but then I started to get lost on few areas in the book. Especially, when the writer would go back in time. Sometimes I didn’t even realize that I was reading about a situation 2-4 years ago :/
I honestly, wish the writer had more details or better descriptions on what happened to Marion at her dads company BBQ.
Also, as much as I did like the writing I felt there was too much “silence”..
Review is gonna have some foul language and possibly spoilers..
I have to say Marion was annoying to me. I understand she had a traumatic experience when she was 12 and I also understand that everyone deals with certain situations different than others. But I felt for a protagonist the writer should have given her a thicker skin to wear. The way she played around her ex boyfriend was pretty shitty. Abe was nothing but good to her and she just throws it away. And then she goes and does stuff with Kurt and then a moment later she goes to Abe’s house?! Fuck her 🙄
Kurt was damaged as well but he didn’t do fucked up things like Marion did.
Overall, as much as I complained about the 2 protagonist and some of the writing areas.. I didn’t HATE the story but didn’t love it either. I wouldn’t go out of my way to tell a friend “read this book!”.
but then I started to get lost on few areas in the book. Especially, when the writer would go back in time. Sometimes I didn’t even realize that I was reading about a situation 2-4 years ago :/
I honestly, wish the writer had more details or better descriptions on what happened to Marion at her dads company BBQ.
Also, as much as I did like the writing I felt there was too much “silence”..
Review is gonna have some foul language and possibly spoilers..
I have to say Marion was annoying to me. I understand she had a traumatic experience when she was 12 and I also understand that everyone deals with certain situations different than others. But I felt for a protagonist the writer should have given her a thicker skin to wear. The way she played around her ex boyfriend was pretty shitty. Abe was nothing but good to her and she just throws it away. And then she goes and does stuff with Kurt and then a moment later she goes to Abe’s house?! Fuck her 🙄
Kurt was damaged as well but he didn’t do fucked up things like Marion did.
Overall, as much as I complained about the 2 protagonist and some of the writing areas.. I didn’t HATE the story but didn’t love it either. I wouldn’t go out of my way to tell a friend “read this book!”.
July 7, 2021
3.5/5 stars
I've had this book on my shelf for a long time-- I'm not 100% sure, but I feel like I got it in a bulk variety box from First Book. I thought this was going to just be a horny teenagers book from the cover and description, but it's actually a lot more than that. It's about processing (and not processing) trauma. We see it happen in different ways and to different people and how they deal with it and how it effects them is different. It was a quick, interesting read and I liked that it had this deeper element.
I've had this book on my shelf for a long time-- I'm not 100% sure, but I feel like I got it in a bulk variety box from First Book. I thought this was going to just be a horny teenagers book from the cover and description, but it's actually a lot more than that. It's about processing (and not processing) trauma. We see it happen in different ways and to different people and how they deal with it and how it effects them is different. It was a quick, interesting read and I liked that it had this deeper element.
May 9, 2021
ending gave me “hold on tight spider monkey” vibes.
there was so much text in between dialogue and it stressed me out. gave me “phill is a minor league baseball player.” vibes
there was so much text in between dialogue and it stressed me out. gave me “phill is a minor league baseball player.” vibes
December 16, 2015
I would say this book was intense, but that's not the right word. Because I usually use the word intense to describe the sexual tension between two people. But in this case, the relationship wasn't intense. Both main characters in this book are just bloody..... WOAH.
Humor me here, people, but is it just me or is there such thing as too overwhelming? I think some books can pull off that whole my-life-is-fucking-shit thing, with its BAM BOOM CRY SCREAM thingy. But some books just feel freaking overwhelming in that aspect. And no, I'm not trying to say that this book was horrible. Quite the contrary actually. I actually enjoyed it.
However, I find myself favoring one character over the other, and I know that's not a bad thing but there's just something about this other character that I have a love-hate relationship with. Marion. The female MC makes me feel all kinds of confused. She's messed up. Okay, actually both characters have their own messed up past, which I actually find really weird, because come on, two messed up people falling in love? Nuuhhhh-uh. I mean, really. I find that super duper unrealistic. Anyway, back to Marion. She was the intense one in this book. I honestly don't know how to feel about her. On one hand, I'm like girl, you're strong. But on the other hand, I'll be like Just cos you're messed up, does not give you the right to act like a slut. I don't know. And then there's the fact that there's too much problems. I get confused between Marion's and Kurt's problems. Like, there's too much happening such that I'm just there, rubbing my forehead. GAH.
So yeah. BUT I actually like Kurt and the story plot, hence the three stars. I actually look forward to reading Kurt's story and I feel that he's the one character that went through a whole lot of development, significant development in this book. I'm kinda disappointed that his problems were a bit downplayed, thanks to Marion's bigger problems.
This whole book was written in two different perspectives - Marion and Kurt. And I do really like the whole story line, like about Kurt's family stuffs and the sexual abuse in this whole story. Yep, I do like this book, and it had a satisfying ending. But. Marion makes me wanna bang my head against the wall.
Humor me here, people, but is it just me or is there such thing as too overwhelming? I think some books can pull off that whole my-life-is-fucking-shit thing, with its BAM BOOM CRY SCREAM thingy. But some books just feel freaking overwhelming in that aspect. And no, I'm not trying to say that this book was horrible. Quite the contrary actually. I actually enjoyed it.
However, I find myself favoring one character over the other, and I know that's not a bad thing but there's just something about this other character that I have a love-hate relationship with. Marion. The female MC makes me feel all kinds of confused. She's messed up. Okay, actually both characters have their own messed up past, which I actually find really weird, because come on, two messed up people falling in love? Nuuhhhh-uh. I mean, really. I find that super duper unrealistic. Anyway, back to Marion. She was the intense one in this book. I honestly don't know how to feel about her. On one hand, I'm like girl, you're strong. But on the other hand, I'll be like Just cos you're messed up, does not give you the right to act like a slut. I don't know. And then there's the fact that there's too much problems. I get confused between Marion's and Kurt's problems. Like, there's too much happening such that I'm just there, rubbing my forehead. GAH.
So yeah. BUT I actually like Kurt and the story plot, hence the three stars. I actually look forward to reading Kurt's story and I feel that he's the one character that went through a whole lot of development, significant development in this book. I'm kinda disappointed that his problems were a bit downplayed, thanks to Marion's bigger problems.
This whole book was written in two different perspectives - Marion and Kurt. And I do really like the whole story line, like about Kurt's family stuffs and the sexual abuse in this whole story. Yep, I do like this book, and it had a satisfying ending. But. Marion makes me wanna bang my head against the wall.
June 20, 2018
Normally I don't submit reviews on books that I have read - but I couldn't let this one sit. Please brace yourself for a less than flattering review with minimal spoilers.
First of all, I had high hopes for this book when I purchased it. Cute cover photo, interesting title, and a summary that seemed to follow the favored YA novel formula without being too melodramatic.
Unfortunately I discovered very early on into this book that the author really, REALLY (and I mean REALLY) likes similes. I enjoy as much as the next person a good flowery and fluffy writing style, but 100 pages in and I became bored - and quite frankly annoyed - with her descriptive choices.
In addition to that, it seemed as if the writing was trying desperately to be poetic and vague while touching on some very difficult subjects: death, sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and the like. I appreciate proceeding with caution, but at some point the use of ambiguous words to convey a concept just becomes bothersome to me as the reader. "Ocean," "mud," "creek," or my favorite "dandelion seeds." We get it - the ex boyfriend has curly hair she always wants to touch. I'm over hearing about the apple tree already.
I continued reading, hoping things would "get better." Also, I've made a deal with myself to always finish a book I've started (after this one I may rethink that promise...) Things never seemed to pick up for me as I finished the book. The characters felt underdeveloped, the relationships established felt very haphazard (the "best friends" of Kurt and Marion never really seemed to grasp the best, or the friend, part of the relationship), dialogue felt unrealistic and choppy scattered throughout the ridiculously short chapters, painfully angsty internal dialogue made for a rather uncomfortable read, and overall the kids were not that likable.
To spare this review from turning into a novel, I won't go into detail why I did not relate to, sympathize with, or even like most of the characters individually.. But what I will say is that although this concept could have been an interesting, and even rewarding read, the execution was lacking for me.
First of all, I had high hopes for this book when I purchased it. Cute cover photo, interesting title, and a summary that seemed to follow the favored YA novel formula without being too melodramatic.
Unfortunately I discovered very early on into this book that the author really, REALLY (and I mean REALLY) likes similes. I enjoy as much as the next person a good flowery and fluffy writing style, but 100 pages in and I became bored - and quite frankly annoyed - with her descriptive choices.
In addition to that, it seemed as if the writing was trying desperately to be poetic and vague while touching on some very difficult subjects: death, sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and the like. I appreciate proceeding with caution, but at some point the use of ambiguous words to convey a concept just becomes bothersome to me as the reader. "Ocean," "mud," "creek," or my favorite "dandelion seeds." We get it - the ex boyfriend has curly hair she always wants to touch. I'm over hearing about the apple tree already.
I continued reading, hoping things would "get better." Also, I've made a deal with myself to always finish a book I've started (after this one I may rethink that promise...) Things never seemed to pick up for me as I finished the book. The characters felt underdeveloped, the relationships established felt very haphazard (the "best friends" of Kurt and Marion never really seemed to grasp the best, or the friend, part of the relationship), dialogue felt unrealistic and choppy scattered throughout the ridiculously short chapters, painfully angsty internal dialogue made for a rather uncomfortable read, and overall the kids were not that likable.
To spare this review from turning into a novel, I won't go into detail why I did not relate to, sympathize with, or even like most of the characters individually.. But what I will say is that although this concept could have been an interesting, and even rewarding read, the execution was lacking for me.
November 2, 2018
More like 2.5.
I wanted to like this. I started out liking it, and I even put aside another book so I could read more of this one. But then the whole thing just devolved into a melodramatic mess.
First of all, the dialogue was ridiculous. By the end of the book, Kurt and Marion could barely form complete sentences. "Kurt, I..." [insert kiss or lingering stare] "Marion..." [insert several paragraphs about water, or fire, or music] "We can't..." [insert another paragraph about water, or fire, or music] "I don't..." [end scene with Kurt running away/someone getting in or out of a car/Marion going back to Abe]
And when characters did form complete sentences, it sounded nothing like how people actually speak, let alone teenagers. Like Lilith was basically this weird walking seductress who gave off insanely lesbian vibes with Marion and later reveals her plot to Like teenagers do ridiculous things but that was just so over the top, very obvious that it was written by an adult.
Also, come on, do people actually
And at the end of the day it's like, what do Marion and Kurt even see in each other? They barely talk. They don't even hook up that often. But she's ~not like the other girls~ (side note: not here for the sexism with Vanessa, yes I know teenage boys aren't exactly paragons of feminism, but still), and he's ~vulnerable~. Or something. Apart from angst, their relationship has no substance.
So, overall, this started out very promising, but then it became a disappointing slogfest with a rushed and underwhelming finale.
I wanted to like this. I started out liking it, and I even put aside another book so I could read more of this one. But then the whole thing just devolved into a melodramatic mess.
First of all, the dialogue was ridiculous. By the end of the book, Kurt and Marion could barely form complete sentences. "Kurt, I..." [insert kiss or lingering stare] "Marion..." [insert several paragraphs about water, or fire, or music] "We can't..." [insert another paragraph about water, or fire, or music] "I don't..." [end scene with Kurt running away/someone getting in or out of a car/Marion going back to Abe]
And when characters did form complete sentences, it sounded nothing like how people actually speak, let alone teenagers. Like Lilith was basically this weird walking seductress who gave off insanely lesbian vibes with Marion and later reveals her plot to Like teenagers do ridiculous things but that was just so over the top, very obvious that it was written by an adult.
Also, come on, do people actually
And at the end of the day it's like, what do Marion and Kurt even see in each other? They barely talk. They don't even hook up that often. But she's ~not like the other girls~ (side note: not here for the sexism with Vanessa, yes I know teenage boys aren't exactly paragons of feminism, but still), and he's ~vulnerable~. Or something. Apart from angst, their relationship has no substance.
So, overall, this started out very promising, but then it became a disappointing slogfest with a rushed and underwhelming finale.
October 12, 2016
This book as very interesting. I never knew really what was going to happen because it was from two of the main characters point of view. It was really hard for me to comprehend while reading it. I gave it a three out of five stars. There are three main reasons while I kept reading it.
The thing that I kind of liked, is that this is what a life of a college student is. When you are i college you go to parties and hang with friend a lot. This book is thhe prefect book for you if you like books about college students
The third of my strongest reason is that this actually happens to girls. Girl have to struggle with getting raped all the time. Girls have to come out and tell people that this happens to them all the time. But they don´t, because they are scared that no one will belive them. Will truely need to help girls like Marion
The thing I liked the most about this book was hope the author kept me on my feet the whole time. I never knew what crazy thing I was going to read next, I liked that.
This book is all around a good book. Not my favorite, but I liked it. Give this book a try! Read this book and I bet that you will like it just like I did! Read it for your next book.
The thing that I kind of liked, is that this is what a life of a college student is. When you are i college you go to parties and hang with friend a lot. This book is thhe prefect book for you if you like books about college students
The third of my strongest reason is that this actually happens to girls. Girl have to struggle with getting raped all the time. Girls have to come out and tell people that this happens to them all the time. But they don´t, because they are scared that no one will belive them. Will truely need to help girls like Marion
The thing I liked the most about this book was hope the author kept me on my feet the whole time. I never knew what crazy thing I was going to read next, I liked that.
This book is all around a good book. Not my favorite, but I liked it. Give this book a try! Read this book and I bet that you will like it just like I did! Read it for your next book.
August 9, 2017
This is a hard one for me to review. For the most part I liked it. I didn't love it but I liked it. I read it in one night. It was a fast read that's hard to put down. But there are a few things in this book that I didn't really like. Like her father who knows that SOMETHING happened to his daughter when she was 12. But for some unknown reason he thinks the best approach to it is to start avoiding his daughter. The back and forth with her ex-boyfriend. He weird relationship with her best friend And some of her other chooses when it came to her ex and the new guy she's into. I can kind of get the reasons behind the chooses but I still didn't like them. Some of the flash back scenes were kind of choppy so it wasnt always clear when it was back in time. And the way her assault is described it left a lot to the imagination and wasnt really clear. I got it but from reading some other people's take on what happened to her, I don't think it was a clear to others. Also the end felt a little rushed to me. But like I said I still liked the book. It was fast and easy to get into. Sometime that can be enough. So it got 3 stars. I'm not sure if I'd go out of my way to recommend it. If someone asked about it I'd tell them that they could give it a try and see what they think.
May 25, 2017
Rating: 3.75/5 Stars
When I first picked up this book I was expecting just a normal YA summer love story plot. Popular boy meets quiet invisible girl, fall in love, deny it, drama happens, then the story ends with them living happily ever after. Boy, was I wrong! Yes, it starts out as your typical popular boy quiet girl story, but Ingrid Sundberg took the usual plot and twisted it into a beautiful and tragic love story I honestly wasn’t expecting. “All We Left Behind” does have a darker plot than what meets the eye but it was done in a way that didn’t make the story overdramatic or unrealistic.
The only real issues I had was just with some of the ways the characters were written. I felt like our main characters, Marion and Kurt, could have grown a lot more towards the end of the story then what they did. By the time the real character develop should have started happening and the part I was excited to be able to see is where the story ended and for me that was a real let down and the reason why I knocked some stars off.
Overall, this book was a book I really enjoyed reading and would recommend anyone to read it!
When I first picked up this book I was expecting just a normal YA summer love story plot. Popular boy meets quiet invisible girl, fall in love, deny it, drama happens, then the story ends with them living happily ever after. Boy, was I wrong! Yes, it starts out as your typical popular boy quiet girl story, but Ingrid Sundberg took the usual plot and twisted it into a beautiful and tragic love story I honestly wasn’t expecting. “All We Left Behind” does have a darker plot than what meets the eye but it was done in a way that didn’t make the story overdramatic or unrealistic.
The only real issues I had was just with some of the ways the characters were written. I felt like our main characters, Marion and Kurt, could have grown a lot more towards the end of the story then what they did. By the time the real character develop should have started happening and the part I was excited to be able to see is where the story ended and for me that was a real let down and the reason why I knocked some stars off.
Overall, this book was a book I really enjoyed reading and would recommend anyone to read it!
June 12, 2015
Marion is portrayed as a geeky teen with an absentee father. Kurt is portrayed as a jock and player also with an absentee father. With little communication these two see nothing wrong with a lot of physical interaction. Then Marion stops the interaction when memories start coming back. It's not hard for the reader to figure out what happened but Marion and Kurt have a hard time figuring things out. The publisher blurb recommends this book for fans of Courtney Summers and Simone Elkeles. but there are better books for those fans and All We Left Behind does not have the emotional impact of an Elkeles or Summers novel.
November 28, 2015
"All We Left Behind" is an emotional roller coaster ride of a story in the best sense. The author delicately weaves a story about first love, loss, addiction, abuse and of physical and emotional abandonment that had me on the edge of my seat.
Gritty, raw and realistic, this story draws you in, almost like a good mystery, as you’re wondering how Marion and Kurt will be able to move past their personal tragedies.
This is a beautifully written book, with realistic characters that readers will be able to root for and care about wrapped in haunting language and imagery. I highly recommend it.
Gritty, raw and realistic, this story draws you in, almost like a good mystery, as you’re wondering how Marion and Kurt will be able to move past their personal tragedies.
This is a beautifully written book, with realistic characters that readers will be able to root for and care about wrapped in haunting language and imagery. I highly recommend it.
August 25, 2025
This book was beautiful, engaging so amazing to read. The writing, characters and plot were so soothing, traumatic and hopeful. I've shared some of my fave quotes below.
"There are things my body knows— Things it wants to scream that I can’t say. Things— Things my body has to say for me." Marion
"I can’t breathe. I feel like she’s thrown me inside my mason jar with the dead bugs and screwed the lid. Tight and suffocating." - Kurt
"And it seems stupid to have spent so much time being numb, when I could feel like this".
"There are things my body knows— Things it wants to scream that I can’t say. Things— Things my body has to say for me." Marion
"I can’t breathe. I feel like she’s thrown me inside my mason jar with the dead bugs and screwed the lid. Tight and suffocating." - Kurt
"And it seems stupid to have spent so much time being numb, when I could feel like this".
October 29, 2015
No no no no no... The author is trying to make it one of those clichéd romance books where both of the main characters have really messed up live and by meeting each other and "falling in love" they conquer all their problems. Their lives are wayyyy more messed up than the average teenager's is. On top of all of this the suspense that builds up to bring these characters is far too built up that I got bored waiting and nearly quit reading. Overall there are a lot of better books out there.
January 29, 2016
This book made me uncomfortable. And it's not because it deals with hard topics such as sexual abuse and drugs. No, it's because neither of the characters were very likable. So having to read about them together at the same time just ugh! Marion was a complete disaster. Like one of those gruesome scenes you can't look away from because you have to know how it ends. This is one story I wish I wouldn't have finished.
September 29, 2017
I absolutely hate this book.
October 15, 2019
DNF’d about half way through
January 18, 2020
Not a good read.
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