Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “All I've Never Wanted” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

All I've Never Wanted

Ana Huang (Goodreads Author)

3.86 · Rating details · 3,790 ratings · 243 reviews

The Scions were the four richest, most powerful guys at Valesca Academy, and they ruled the school with iron fists. Everyone wanted to date them or be them...everyone, that is, except Maya Lindberg, who just wanted to avoid them until she could graduate.

She almost succeeded, until an ill-advised outburst on her part put her right in the Scions' path. Just like that, one be ...more

Get A Copy

ebook

Published June 15th 2015 by Smashwords Edition (first published January 1st 2012)

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about All I've Never Wanted, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.86 ·

Rating details

· 3,790 ratings · 243 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of All I've Never Wanted

Jun 09, 2015 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This book is a straight ripoff of the extremely popular Japanese manga series Boys Over Flowers. The manga has since been made into numerous live action dramas in Japan, Taiwan (Meteor Garden), and Korea. That is but a few of the live-action versions which it has inspired.

I have nothing against retellings. I love them. I absolutely adore retellings of fairy tales and alternate versions of classics, but there has to be a fucking point to the retellings. You can't just replace the characters in a

He pulled some strings so I could apply for late admission, and not only was I accepted, I also received a hefty scholarship, which was how my family uprooted itself to settle into one of the richest towns in the U.S. I mean, the only school there was private and cost $100,000 a year to attend.

Unfortunately, it was also filled with the snobbiest, most superficial, and most materialistic people I've ever met in my entire life.

2. Said school is ruled by four incredible handsome, rich guys whom everyone worships and fears. Hello F4!

The Scions is the nickname given to the four hottest guys in school: Zack Perry, Carlo Tevasco, Parker Remington, and their leader, Roman Fiori. Their families, some of the wealthiest in the world, actually founded the town and the school, which means everyone is terrified of them. They usually keep to themselves, unless they are terrorizing some poor kid who looked at them the wrong way.

3. The F4 Scions pretty much do whatever the fuck they like

Avoiding them was actually quite easy, considering the Scions had their own classroom, where they came and went as they pleased; their own private nook in the dining area, and a mass of students surrounding them whenever they went. It was a wonder they learned anything at school.

4. The grand entrance of the Scions are as ridiculous as they were in F4

Everyone except me waited with bated breath for the Scions to emerge, and when they finally did, the ensuing swoons and screams were a million times louder than before. As if the scene couldn't get anymore sickening, the clouds decided to part at that moment, and a golden beam of sunlight highlighted the quartet like they're really the gods everyone thinks they are.

5. There's the standard F4, Tsubasa Doumyouji orRoman Fiori the leader/asshole/love interest #1.

The sole heir to the world's largest fortune, which encompassed shipping, oil, electronics, telecommunications, textiles, and sports franchises; an athletic prodigy hailed as the second coming of Michael Jordan, Pele, and Joe Montana rolled into one; the single hottest specimen to ever walk the face of this earth.

Rui Hanazawa or Carlos Tevasco, the strong, silent type.

The towering, dark Colombian, though equally gorgeous, was nowhere near as overtly smooth and charming at his friend. In fact, he looked a little annoyed at all the ballyhoo that greeted him. I shouldn't be surprised; a black belt in five different types of martial arts and the son of a multibillionaire real estate developer with rumored ties to the mafia, Carlo seemed to be the quietest and least attention-seeking Scion. Even his car, a simple but sturdy black Range Rover, reflected his personality.

Akira Minamasa, or Zack Perry the cheerful, nice one.

The grinning Greek-god-look-a-like hopped enthusiastically from his bright yellow Porsche, his golden hair gleaming under the sun like a halo. In my opinion, the eternally good-natured Zack seemed to be the only one who's even remotely human in the group.

And Soujirou Nishikado or Parker Remington, the playboy.

Slamming the door of his red Lamborghini shut, I felt like the renowned playboy should be moving in slow motion as he raked a hand through his wavy, golden brown hair. The son of the most powerful figure in the international finance and banking world leaned against the side of his car, his eyes shielded by a pair of aviators, and flashed a disarming smile into the crowd, causing more than a few girls to nearly faint.

6. Main character absolutely hates the asshole lead.

As far as I'm concerned, Roman Fiori is the biggest jerk alive and as arrogant as they come.

The rest happens as planned. There's an unfortunate encounter, she meets the guys, they fall in love. There's a love triangle. There are bitchy girls.

There is no point to this book, when the original manga exists, when there are a multitude versions of the drama available to watch. It's a reiteration of a well-known classic, and it is a completely pointless one. The book turned out to be an overblown teenaged drama that doesn't translate well into a Western school setting. It was dull. It was repetitive. It leapt from POV to POV and that annoyed the hell out of me. ...more

flag 255 likes · Like · see review

Jun 26, 2015 Aditi rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, friends, my-reviews, ya

“I like you. No matter how hard I try not to like you, no matter how hard I try to erase you… my efforts are so fruitless to the extent that I get angered by it.”

----Jan Di, Boys Over Flowers

Based on popular Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango or the Korean action drama series, Boys Over Flowers, Ana Huang, an American author, has penned her young adult/romance book, All I've Never Wanted , that traces the story of a high school girl named, Maya, who wants to pass this phase of her life w ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2015 Mizuki rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me, unable-to-suppress-my-disbelief

I almost never rate a book without reading it first, but this time I feel obliged to do so after reading Khanh's review and learnt that Ana Huang ripped off the Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers.

Ana Huang claimed she based her novel, All I've Never Wanted on Hana Yori Dango. However, I must remind you excuses such as 'based on', 'retelling' and 'adaptation' cannot cover up the ugly truth of plagiarism.

And even if it is an 'adaptation', you still need to get permission from ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2015 Molly rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Rating 2.5

Believe it or not, I gave up a few chapters before the end. It wasn't that bad... I just didn't care.
From the first chapter I couldn't but notice the similarities between All I've Never Wanted and the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango or to be precise it's Korean live-action drama series adaptation Boys Over Flowers.

description

I don't know if this is supposed to be an homage, retelling or just a copy-paste with different setting and names. The Valesca Academy Scions are perfect copies of the infam ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jun 27, 2015 Shannon Rogers rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, own-arc, book-boyfriends, best-sexual-tension, 5-star-reviews, most-romantic

I've never heard of this author prior to participating in this blog tour, but you can be certain I'll be looking for future books, and prior ones too. I loved this story from the very first page. Yes, it was as cute as the cover indicates it would be, and the summary just screams cute, but it was so much more than just cute.

First, the characterization in this story was amazing. I felt like I knew each of these characters so well, and they were my favorite aspect of the story. I loved watching th I've never heard of this author prior to participating in this blog tour, but you can be certain I'll be looking for future books, and prior ones too. I loved this story from the very first page. Yes, it was as cute as the cover indicates it would be, and the summary just screams cute, but it was so much more than just cute.

First, the characterization in this story was amazing. I felt like I knew each of these characters so well, and they were my favorite aspect of the story. I loved watching their interactions, their wordplay... the dialogue just brought them to glowing life. At first I thought to myself, okay, yes, we have a cliched group of rich kids here and the girl who tries not to be affected by them like the rest of the school, but these kids were anything but cliche. They had their own insecurities, their own issues at home. Life wasn't perfect for them, and I loved that the author gave them flaws, gave them issues that they had to deal with. So much of the time in books, these types of characters are very one dimensional, and there's always a girl who claims they don't affect her. Ana Huang handled this completely different.

Once Maya shows that she's her own person, able to stand head to head with them, they respect her. They open up their group to her, and by extension, her friend, Venice. And then the real fun starts, because she gets along famously with all of the Scions except for their leader, Roman. Yet, that is just who the rest of the group is determined to hook her up with.

The tension between these two was so fun to read. Their witty and angry, crackling dialogue was so entertaining, and the sexual tension just oozed off the page for me. These are definitely two people who are into each other but are doing everything they can to avoid admitting it for their own reasons.

Then there's the grandmother. OMG. The entire story was funny and had me laughing out loud, but scenes where the grandmother was a player, there were several of those that had me in tears I was laughing so hard.

This was just a really light-hearted, entertaining, funny, and wonderful book, all the way around. I love a large cast like this, if done well, and this author knew how to do it. I flew through this book, and the author had me hooked with every single character. I loved them all. This is definitely going on my 5 star and Favorites bookshelf. Loved it!!! ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Mar 17, 2016 Aisha (seetheworldwithbooks) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, ebook, family, cute-boys, friendship, travelling, cute-plot, teen, no-insta-love, high-school

4 "I won't leave you, because Iam in love with you" Stars!

Girrrlsssss, have you ever heard about Boys Before Flowers ?

Yes? Good for you!!

description

No? Well, folks, it's a VERY popular Korean drama with charming actors, and was soooo hype in its own years, back when i was in middle school.

I mean guyyyssss, look at the images below! How can you resist to watch that really really romantic and legendary drama? If you have a thing for Asian, mostly Korean, there is no way you're not drooling over this! I wen ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

May 16, 2015 Dianne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-read, ya, author-review, fun-read, own, ya-romance

Another hidden gem rises to the top! All I’ve Never Wanted by Ana Huang is a fresh look at the world of the rich and powerful offsprings of, of course, the rich and powerful while attending THE best and most prestigious high school in the country. Of course every haughty high school has its own misfits and Maya is it, but only because she doesn’t bow from the ankles to THE SCIONS. Here’s one of Ana Huang’s best twists, the Scions aren’t plastic, rich and angst ridden girls, they are boys and whe ...more

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Apr 16, 2019 Shabana Mukhtar rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: english, 2019-reads, young-adult, chicklit, huh

I am really really faltering on my choices. I needed a YA sweet romance novel. This story is from wattpad, I guess because the writing style is quite similar. I mean similar to the few stories I read on wattpad. And it is LONG.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Dec 20, 2020 Christy rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Let me just start out by saying that I've read fanfiction. I think that people genuinely have the creative license to publish what they want and create alternate storylines to their favorite settings and characters... AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT MAKING PROFIT FROM IT.

This isn't a retelling. This isn't a "based off of." This is a straight up "let me take your shit and sell it as my own."

What happened here was the author decided to do an OC insert in a universe that was originally a Manga based in a ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 14, 2015 Raven_Blake (dreamy addictions) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, stand-alone, ya-contemporary, 2015

Actual Rating: 3.5
Same Review Posted Here: Dreamy Addictions

OMG! It was truly a spectacular read that I've enjoyed every part in it.The book is actually based from the Japanese manga series named Hana yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers.I'm huge fan of the series and I've watched the drama in Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean Version.When I came across this book I was totally in fangirling mood and I was so excited to read it because it was based on my favorite drama which I've loved it a lot.

I pretty much loved every character in it especially Maya and Roman.Maya is a strong character who's got a spunk, humor, wit and lots of courage.It was easy to connect with her and she is very much amusing to deal with.Well coming to the other character Roman Fiori *cough**cough* who is rich, arrogant, Jerk, anti-social, first class A-hole, he emits an aura that speaks of terror to the other students in the school.He hangs out with his three childhood best friends and always thinks high of himself and he also thinks that everything can be bought by money.

Maya Lindberg is the only scholarship student in Valesca Academy so she was always ignored and not given much importance. In the school she kept a low profile and always avoided the encounter with the "scions" the four rich guys who ruled the school.Unfortunately due to her act of righteousness, she becomes an enemy to the scions only because she stood up to them where no one ever dared to do.Now everyone is aware of her and shows sympathetic glances towards her cause they know what standing upto scions means.Every action has its consequences and that's what happens to Maya after she stood up to scions, because before she just have to worry about her studies and grades, but now she is struggling for the survival in the school without giving up.

The love and hate relationship between Maya and Roman was really adorable. I've liked the funny banters between them and also the sarcastic comments .The chemistry and the sexual tension between them is intense and hot.

There were some changes in this when compared to the original but there isn't anything lacking in the entertainment and the fun.The most hilarious character in this plot is Maya's grandma who made me laugh out loud with her broken English and also her hate for the mickey mouse is very funny.The plot also got wonderful supporting characters which made the whole journey interesting.The story is obviously predictable if you have already read the manga or watched the drama and there are also some twists and turns in it.

The story actually first appeared in Wattpadd so you can say that the author isn't a pro but her writing style is pretty much easy to understand.It was both funny and romantic read that you don't want to part with it.I can't say it was perfect because it has little bit flaws in it and there were also some parts that seemed rushed a bit nonetheless it was an entertaining read. If you haven't read the manga or seen the drama version of it then you'll definitely enjoy this book. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Dec 05, 2018 mich marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: zzzzz, ya-that-feels-too-ya-for-me, ya, cheesy-corny-roll-eyes, this-book-is-stupid, wtf-was-i-thinking, you-are-nothing-new, i-paid-too-much-for-this-crap, contemporary, yeah-i-skimmed-so-sue-me

DNF @ around 50%

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2015 Poulami rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, contemporary, young-adult, romance

here.

**I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as a part of the blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.**

This book was soo freaking good! I can’t explain how much I loved it. This book is actually based from the Japanese manga series named Hana yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers. And you guys should know, I’m obsessed over Boys Over Flowers. (I haven’t watch it yet but I have watched all the clips available in YouTube and I think I know every single details about it here.

**I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as a part of the blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours.**

This book was soo freaking good! I can’t explain how much I loved it. This book is actually based from the Japanese manga series named Hana yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers. And you guys should know, I’m obsessed over Boys Over Flowers. (I haven’t watch it yet but I have watched all the clips available in YouTube and I think I know every single details about it.) So I’m always ready to read or watch anything related to it. I first read a review of this book on a friend’s blog and I immediately went to add it to my tbr, and there I found that a blog tour was going to happen soon. So from Goodreads I jumped there, and imagine my excitement when I got selected for this tour. And boy! It totally lived up to my expectations.

The plot was superb. All I’ve Never Wanted follows Maya Lindberg, a high school student who has no interest in the Scions, her school’s most popular guys- Zack, Carlo, Parker, and their leader, Roman. She has desperately tried to avoid them but during a party after an unintentional mistake, she comes face to face with Roman. Their face off turns quite ugly and Roman has every intention to get her out from the school. But Maya sternly resists everything and this intrigues Roman and from there begins an unnatural love story.

The characters were the best part of this book. I loved, loved each and every one of them. I could easily connect with Maya, she was simple, stubborn, witty and rebellious. She could stand up for herself. Roman *DREAMY SIGH* well at first look, he seemed arrogant and a spoilt brat but as slowly slowly his character is revealed, we come to know of the boy behind the hard mask. I loved the romance between them, it was soo sweet. Their confession was pretty awkward and funny and boy, Maya loves fainting!

I loved the other boys, Zack was seriously so cute! I felt like cuddling him. Carlo’s genuinely a good guy. He remained beside Maya in every step. Though he liked Maya a bit but I’m so glad the author didn’t introduce a love triangle with him. Parker had to play the role of Maya’s ex-boyfriend and omg it was so much fun. Maya in a sudden impulse to save herself from her grandmother (who was pretty weird and funny and hates Micky Mouse!) introduces Parker as her boyfriend, and that conversation was totally hilarious. I re-read it so many times and every time I ended up craking up. I loved Zack’s sister, she was sweet, supportive and indeed a good sister.

The writing was smooth, the pages flew by easily. I finished the book in one sitting, it was so addicting. I laughed so much, it was funny and full of humour. I will definitely be looking forward to her other books.

I usually don’t read much contemporary as I find it boring but I’m finally branching out to this genre. I’m so glad and happy that I gave this book a chance. All in all, this was a great complementary read. It was neither slow or fast, it moved along with a steady speed. The plot was great, the characters were awsome, the romance was so cute!

Recommend it?

If you like awsome characters and cute romance and definitely YES! ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 10, 2015 Cris rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I read Hana Yori Dango a few years ago, and I was instantly hooked. I watched the drama adaptations and for a while it was all I could think about (don't judge me, it was a weird fase.....). It was original (in my inexperienced opinion) and I liked that the MC gave those rich kids hell. Also, I laughed a lot reading it.

Anyway, I heard about this book, an american adaptation of the story, and I thought I would love it. After all, I still melt remembering Rui and Domjoyi and Tsukushi, even if the ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 15, 2015 Kristen Virtucio rated it did not like it · review of another edition

There's homage, and there's just straight up rip off.

I think the author really loved the premise of Hana Yori Dango and all its iterations. The thing is it's one thing to actually take the best parts of a series you love and write about it (or as in this case, write your own version of it), and quite another to transport its most 'iconic' aspects to your novel.

The scene with the cars? All in the four HYD versions (anime, Taiwanese, Japanese live action, Korean). The way they walk on campus? Che ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 12, 2015 Donna ~ The Romance Cover rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-review, 3-star-reads-2015

This is a looooong book and at times it felt that way so in fairness I think it could have been trimmed down a little bit. Considering this was originally fan fiction and the author started writing it when she was 16 I was impressed. I loved the characters, it just goes to show you should not judge a book by its cover, the rich kids were actually nice after all. I felt it got a bit off track towards the end with plot devices thrown in for drama's sake but the banter, fun and frolics that this bu ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2015 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it liked it · review of another edition

5 Words: Money, school, control, lies, attraction.

Take the Number 1, Grade A douchebag with a God complex and bad parenting, add in a bet between a bunch of beautiful, stunning, amazing, overly rich and obviously spoiled kids, and then toss in a poor, innocent girl who is on a scholarship at their prodigious school.

It's a formula that's been done time and again, and this did feel a bit like a rehash of numerous stories I've read before.

That said, exclusive schools are one of my catnip tropes in ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2015 Isabela rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 2015

-- 3 stars --

*sigh* I really wanted to like this book... I've been a fan of the manga and k-drama Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) for years now, and it's basically the same plot line as this book - however I love HYD and this book was just meh.

Maya was kind of annoying at parts (a lot of parts) and I didn't like Roman's character as much as I did in the manga/drama. It was not as funny either.

If you're a fan of Hana Yori Dango, I'd still recommend this book to you because it was interestin ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 11, 2016 Tia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Okay this book was filled with awesomesauce. It has all the emotions throughout it and I laughed, cried, smirked and everything in between.

My parting shot has to be "Omg, puppy!"

Read it, it's good! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2014 Arwen rated it liked it · review of another edition

cute, i can clearly see Boys over Flowers in it.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 15, 2018 Rileigh Shiver rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Maya considers herself to be a wallflower; she hates drama and avoids drawing attention to herself like the plague. Enter the Scions, the four richest, most powerful guys at Valesca. Known for their exceptionally good looks and ruling the school with iron fists, they're always in the limelight. Maya's mission is to get through high school in complete avoidance of them. She is almost successful until one incident ruins it all and she's thrust her right into their path. Their stories are continuou ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 30, 2018 kim Park Lee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Funny read that reminds me others that I've read.
I'm the beginning it reminded me Bully by P.D. Later I thought about C.L. Stone's academia series.
In the end it was just too much with some open loose..

I enjoyed it a lot and laughed a lot. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 10, 2015 Angelica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: a-good-pair, cheese-sandwich, stand-alone, awesome-heroes, best-supporting-characters, romance, four-star, contemporary, read-2015, i-want-to-live-in-that-world

Before:
Those 600+ pages are making me worry.

After:
First I must say that I read this pretty much in one sitting. I read 80% of the novel from like 2am until like 8 am. Then since I'm such a great student I went to class at 9am then went to my sister’s graduation. Then I came back to finish this book without sleep. I call that an accomplishment considering this is a 626 page book.

Anyway. . .

This book follows the story of Maya, a girl attending her senior at the most prestigious academy in the cou Before:
Those 600+ pages are making me worry.

After:
First I must say that I read this pretty much in one sitting. I read 80% of the novel from like 2am until like 8 am. Then since I'm such a great student I went to class at 9am then went to my sister’s graduation. Then I came back to finish this book without sleep. I call that an accomplishment considering this is a 626 page book.

Anyway. . .

This book follows the story of Maya, a girl attending her senior at the most prestigious academy in the country. Only the richest in the world attend, people with billions instead of millions in the bank. Among those students are the Scions a group of four totally gorgeous boys who happen to be the children of the richest people on Earth. The Scions are desirable, enviable and untouchable. They are the kings of the world and Maya has been trying to avoid them since she first transfered. Then thanks to unfortunate events at a party Maya and the Scions are about to collide and neither of their worlds will be the same.

So apparently this book resembles a Korean TV drama a lot and a lot of people have decided not to read it because of it. The way I see it if we stopped reading things due to resemblance no one would have read Divergent due to resemblance to the Hunger Games and no one would have read the Hunger Games because it’s nothing more than the Western version of Battle Royale. Also since I have not watched the TV drama that this closely resembles I went into this without any type of prejudice. And you know what? I liked it. A lot.

Other than the fact that this was a 626 page book, it was really enjoyable. The characters were all wonderful and the plot was very good also. I really liked how the author did not just focus on the main characters story but instead showed a bit into the lives of the other characters. That made all the secondary characters seem much more rounded and real since we all got to look onto their minds and feelings and know their wants and ambitions.

All of the boys were great. We got Parker, the playboy. Zach, the lovable goofball and aspiring musician. Carlo, the silent muscle of the group. Lastly we got Roman, the leader. There was even Adriana, Zach’s twin sister and the only girl in the group. At first glance all of them look like terrible people. They look stuck up and snobby but then you get to know them are realize that they are all really great friends. I mean, they are still a bit snobby but then again they are the kids of the richest people in the world and one cannot expect overnight change. But truly they were all really great friends who really did love each other. All except Roman. Everyone was great except Roman.

Then there was Maya. She was a nice and likable character. She was strong and fun and all around awesome. She had principles and even though she was scared she stood up for her friends and dared to face the Scion’s wrath. She was also one of the only people to ever stand up to Roman and always speak her mind. On top of it all she was witty and playful and a great friend. She quickly became close to the Scions but never forgot her other friend Venice, instead she brought Venice along for the ride. I hate in YA when someone becomes kind of popular they leave everyone behind. But not Maya, she never stopped being best friends with the girl who had remained by her side all those times and I really liked her loyalty.

The plot was another thing I enjoyed. It was like taking a duology and making it into one book. There was that before and after sort of feel. Half way through the book things started to change and new conflicts started to arise and I really liked it. The one problem I had was the revenge aspect of it near the end. I hate when contemporary romance books have to go there. Why? IT COMES COMPLETELY OUT OF NOWHERE! This is like the fourth contemporary romance that has pulled the exact same crap. I don’t like it!! The story could work without it. Like I get the revenge. It isn’t that what bothers me. It is what the villain does (view spoiler) that is so not necessary!

In the end I really did enjoy the book. I laughed so hard while reading it. Like real laughter, I really laughed out loud. There were a lot of cute moments and funny moments and it was great. My only two problems were that little twist at the end and Roman. He was a jerk. All the other boys turned out to be really nice people and Adriana turned out to be a really great friend but Roman mostly remained the same. Sure he wasn’t as horrible and learned to be a bit more sociable but he was still, for the most part, a jerk. Still, I would recommend it to anyone who would not mind reading a 600+ page contemporary. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 04, 2015 Julie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-in-exchange-for-review, romance, young-adult

Check out more reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!

Maya is just a wallflower. At least, that's what she thought she was. Her mission was to make it through high school without drawing any attention to herself. She was so close to accomplishing her goal before everything blew up in her face, she became the center of attention and the girl every girl wanted to be or be friends with. The Scions changed everything.

I'm pretty conflicted on this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed All I've Never Wanted ..
Check out more reviews at Little Miss Bookmark!

Maya is just a wallflower. At least, that's what she thought she was. Her mission was to make it through high school without drawing any attention to herself. She was so close to accomplishing her goal before everything blew up in her face, she became the center of attention and the girl every girl wanted to be or be friends with. The Scions changed everything.

I'm pretty conflicted on this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed All I've Never Wanted ... I enjoyed the back and forth between the characters and most of the storyline. But on the other hand, it was a little much in some places. The story felt bogged down by everything that was going on within these pages. Just when it felt like the story was picking up, it would start slowing down again. There was just so much going on. I don't want to get into everything that was happening because I don't want to spoil the surprises for anyone else but keep in mind that there are like 10 subplots going on with this main storyline.

I'm a big fan of Cinderella stories (like many other ladies) but I think that there is a point when it can be pointed out too often how rich someone is compared to their potential love interest. I get it. These kids (The Scions) are powerful ... they come from very wealthy and powerful families, they get special treatment at school, they fly private jets during their lunch hour at school, have yachts, wipe their asses with $1000 bills. They are wealthy. Got it. It felt like that piece of info was force fed to the reader a little bit. Was it important to the story? Absolutely. But there's no reason to beat a dead horse. They're rich. Got it.

All of that being said, I did find myself growing attached to Maya. She was a wonderfully written main character and I really enjoyed experiencing things with her. Most of the time, she balanced out the richy rich talk within the novel with her down-to-earth outlook and behaviors. The other characters were okay ... I wasn't nearly as attached to them as I was Maya though.

There are a lot of reviewers who are comparing this to another series ... I think it was some kind of manga ... and instead of reviewing just this book, they are doing a comparison of the two. Sometimes that isn't fair at all. From what I understand, there are some similarities or something and people are losing their shit over it. I've never heard of that manga series or whatever but if you're looking for a nice summer read, give this one a try. Don't worry about what others are saying, you should try it out for yourself. You just might find a new author to follow.

* I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review * ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 11, 2015 Melissa (thereaderandthechef) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Do you love fan fiction? Do you love the famous Korean drama, Boys Over Flowers? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you must (MUST I tell ya!) read All I've Never Wanted by Ana Huang. And even if you haven't read Boys Over Flowers, it sure will entertain you if you love amusing reads!

I'm not going to say that I'm an expert in fanfics, but with my limited knowledge, I'd say this one is pretty good because, despite that it starts quite similarly as the original story, it soon dev Do you love fan fiction? Do you love the famous Korean drama, Boys Over Flowers? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you must (MUST I tell ya!) read All I've Never Wanted by Ana Huang. And even if you haven't read Boys Over Flowers, it sure will entertain you if you love amusing reads!

I'm not going to say that I'm an expert in fanfics, but with my limited knowledge, I'd say this one is pretty good because, despite that it starts quite similarly as the original story, it soon develops into a different yet equally entertaining story. You get the rich guys, the rich school, over the top gifts, and everything outrageous and fun from the drama. But, you know what? I actually liked this book's drama better than Boys Over Flowers' for various reasons:

a) The main character is not as annoying as Geum Jan Di. MAya is more normal and holds up her own. She's stubborn but not too much. I really liked her. And her interactions with the Scions, especially with Roman *squeals!*.

b) There's no evil mother anywhere. One thing that I didn't particularly enjoy of the kdrama was how awful and childish Gu Joon-pyos' mother was. But not in here. YAY.

C) No love triangle. There were a few potential love interests, but I'm so glad the author didn't pursue them.

I'm not really trying to put Boys Over Flowers down because I seriously liked it a lot, but these few things certainly put me on edge when I was watching it, so I'm glad that the author took out these elements from her book.

I do have to say that All I've Never Wanted *is* a cheesy and highly improbable read, so if you don't like these type of reads, then maybe it won't be for you. BUT! Since I'm not really much of a fan of too much cheese either and yet this book had me grinning like a fool the whole time, you might be surprised and find yourself liking it too! Who knows?

All in all, I had a lot of fun reading All I've Never Wanted. I started reading it with high expectations and it did not disappoint me. It's a great read and perfect for when you just want something light and cute to lift up your mood. :)

*This review can also be found at The Reader and the Chef! Huge thanks go out to the author for the review copy in exchange of my honest opinion.* ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 19, 2015 Pauline Ang rated it liked it

Shelves: owned-ebook

Originally posted at Fathomless Reveries

I got engrossed with this one pretty quick - I was even scolded by my mom because apparently she had been calling me for dinner three times already (and I didn't hear her.) YES. It wasn't intense, but it was definitely attention-catching. I just love the humor! Especially the parts where Maya's grandmother is involved - gotta love the grandma! <3

Actually, when I was reading the first few chapters of this, I thought that the story seemed very familiar. And Originally posted at Fathomless Reveries

I got engrossed with this one pretty quick - I was even scolded by my mom because apparently she had been calling me for dinner three times already (and I didn't hear her.) YES. It wasn't intense, but it was definitely attention-catching. I just love the humor! Especially the parts where Maya's grandmother is involved - gotta love the grandma! <3

Actually, when I was reading the first few chapters of this, I thought that the story seemed very familiar. And whoa! I just read somewhere that it was inspired by Hana Yori Dango (I totally did not know about this one.) At first, my urge to continue reading lessened. It may be funny, but I didn't want to reread the entire Hana Yori Dango story again. I'm glad I finished this one, though.

While there may be similarities, there were also things that kept All I've Never Wanted different from Hana Yori Dango. It was refreshing, and a great break from the academic stress I am right now in. I just couldn't stop smiling! :D

I can't say that I exactly felt a connection between the characters and me (I didn't experience the same things as them), but it wasn't hard to find myself liking them, as each of them had their own personalities. I especially love their interactions with each other as friends. Although, I couldn't say the same for the romance. There were some, especially for Carlo's case, that I hoped was developed more. At times, it made me feel like they were able to find their love just so that everyone could have their own HEA, and it didn't really suit me that well.

Also, I just didn't like how the POV kept on shifting without any cue. It was confusing at most times, especially when I didn't really know who's POV it was. And while it was humorous and spirit-lifting (at least for me), towards the latter part of the story, I felt that it started becoming a little bit draggy.

Nevertheless, All I've Never Wanted is a great read, even though the story isn't really entirely new. While the romance may seem a little bit too perfect, it was still cute and fun to read, nonetheless. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 28, 2015 Josephine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book is long but somehow it didn’t feel like it. That’s how much I had fun reading All I’ve Never Wanted by Ana Huang. I’m really glad I chose to read this. Admittedly I had hesitations because it’s a retelling of Kamio Yōko’s best-seller manga titled Hana Yori Dango and my reading experience of its many other retelling I encountered previously had been less than savory.

All I’ve Never Wanted however, is far from that. Although the book follows the plot of Hana Yori Dango [scholarship girl M ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 21, 2015 Sara rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: epub, kindle

This book was really really good! It was fun, hot and cute. I liked Maya a lot. She was fun, cute, brave and kicked butt. I also liked Carlo a lot. He was actually my favorite male character. Sweet, cute and a good friend. Parker wasn't bad either. He was cute, fun and charming. Roman was a dickhead, jerk, asshole, insensitive hateful bastard. Doesn't matter how hot or rich, he was an evil, stupid asshole in the beginning and for a while. He got a little bit better later on in the story, but it' ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 07, 2015 Marisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Apparently this series is extremely similar to the Japanese manga series “Boys Over Flowers”, but as I am not familiar with the series I absolutely adored this book. It made me laugh out loud, it had some steamy scenes and it kept me compulsively reading it until long past my bedtime. I loved the bantering going back and forth between Maya and Roman and all the Scions in general.

To keep the book from being simply a romance book, there is a mysterious twist at the end that kept it interesting. I ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2016 BritishHeart rated it liked it · review of another edition

I started reading this book not knowing much about it. I didn't know it was based on a Japanese manga or that it was a wattpad story first so I had no idea what to expect. Also, high school novels are not my first choice of reading material so the beginning was very hard and I honestly thought I wouldn't finish, but I plushed through, and imagine my surprise when, completely out of the blue, I found myself unable to put it down and remarkably invested in it. I was stunned, really.

I mean, did I ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 07, 2015 Cyndi Garcia added it · review of another edition

Cute story

This is a cute story about a beautiful smart girl who is scared of the infamous bad boy gang. Four boys rich, hot and rule the school. One day she steps up to the leader of this rich boy gang and sparks of hate, lust and love take over. This book reminds me a lot of Tijan's and Van Dyken boy books. There is no hanky panky like those other authors books... But still a good sweet book. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Young Adult high school, Romantic comedy. A girl has to share a house with a boy she hates and they fall in love. [s]	5	26	Oct 31, 2020 10:25PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA romance book about elite teenagers [s]	6	53	Feb 20, 2019 06:31PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Romance

63 users

Young Adult

42 users

Contemporary

32 users

Young Adult > High School

23 users

Romance > Contemporary Romance

10 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

8 users

Humor

7 users

Young Adult > Teen

5 users

Fiction

4 users

Young Adult > Young Adult Contemporary

4 users

See top shelves…

About Ana Huang

Ana Huang

178 followers

Ana Huang is an author of primarily steamy New Adult and contemporary romance. Her books contain diverse characters and emotional, sometimes twisty roads toward HEAs (with plenty of banter and spice sprinkled in). Besides reading and writing, Ana loves traveling, is obsessed with hot chocolate, and has multiple relationships with fictional boyfriends.

STALK ANA ONLINE:

Newsletter signup ↠ https: ...more