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This Is All Your Fault

Aminah Mae Safi (Goodreads Author)

3.50 · Rating details · 286 ratings · 134 reviews

Set over the course of one day, Aminah Mae Safi's This Is All Your Fault is a smart and voice-driven YA novel that follows three young women determined to save their indie bookstore.

Rinn Olivera is finally going to tell her longtime crush AJ that she’s in love with him.

Daniella Korres writes poetry for her own account, but nobody knows it’s her.

Imogen Azar is just trying t ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Published October 13th 2020 by Feiwel & Friends

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· 286 ratings · 134 reviews

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Apr 15, 2020 emma rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc, couldn-t-wait-to-read, contemporary, ya, from-publisher-author, nope, reviewed, diverse, 2-stars

I am about to say something that I have never, ever said before:

If you feel at all compelled to read this book, I must recommend you watch a movie instead.

Not THE movie. Not an adaptation of this book, which is not out yet, but somehow already exists. A totally separate movie.

This book ripped off Empire Records, and it didn’t even do that good of a job.

Before reading this, I had never seen Empire Records, and I felt like this could be a 4.5 star read. Maybe even 5. Then I kept reading, and it ke ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Melanie marked it as to-read

Shelves: lgbtqiap, young-adult, contemporary

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Dec 03, 2020 Claude's Bookzone rated it really liked it

Shelves: memorable-characters, it-gave-me-feels, young-adult-book, mental-health

3.5 Stars - I usually round down but in this case it looked and felt wrong so today I went up!

TW: (view spoiler)

Well after a slow start the characters grew on me and I ended up enjoying this novel. The story itself is not remarkable, and judging by other reviews, not new. Readers should know this is mostly about the characters and given the book takes place over 24 hours we learn a lot about the three main women. Am ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Fanna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: absolute-favourites, books-with-diversity, young-adult-fiction, contemporary-self-focused, diaspora, middle-eastern-mc, set-in-america, 2020-releases, mental-health-undertone, biracial-author-mc

October 13, 2020:

This Is All Your Fault is diversely stacked with developing friendships, personal struggles, distanced coworkers finding support in each other, passionate personalities, a slightly humorous narration, book recommendations, and a sign board on the door of an independent bookstore turning to 'closed' forever.

Representation: Biracial (Mexican-American—German) MC, Middle-Eastern—American & Queer MC, anxiety & depression.
Ownvoices reader for: anxiety rep.
Trigger warnings: ...more

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Nov 04, 2020 Boston rated it liked it

3.5 stars

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Jun 28, 2020 Sarah rated it did not like it

On paper, this book sounded like something I would like. Three girls, one day, save the independent book store. For fans of Empire Records? Check, Check, Check. I LOVE Empire Records. I watch it every year on Rex Manning day.

The problem is it doesn't feel like it's for fans of Empire Records. It seems like it IS Empire Records. With some minor changes.

I'm not 100% sure how a book that has so many blatant similarities isn't being pegged for plagiarism. So, massive spoilers ahead, but.... oh wel ...more

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Oct 08, 2020 Lea (drumsofautumn) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: most-anticipated-2020, read-2020, arcs-done

“She felt new, fresh. She felt cleansed. From all the loathing that had been welling up inside of her. From the slow creep into the darkness. Wild Nights had saved her. Again.”

This Is All Your Fault is a YA Contemporary with a really refreshing storyline, unpacking a whole bunch of different themes and topics.

At the centre of this story is the indie bookstore, Wild Nights, and all the characters trying to save the store from being closed. The story starts with a bit of a wild attempt ...more

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Aug 07, 2020 Celia McMahon rated it did not like it

Imagine this, you read the synopsis of a story called I Laugh in the Face of Danger. It's about a young boy named Rimba who leaves his kingdom after his uncle threatens to out him for accidentally causing a stampede of kilderbeast that killed his own father. Rimba meets Simone and Rumba and he grows up pretending his father never died and he does not have a kingdom. Until Fala returns and reminds him of his duty to his country. There are a few songs, one called Why Do I Have to Wait to Be King?, ...more

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Dec 02, 2018 Idris Grey marked it as to-read

Shelves: hella-excited

They had me at Empire Records and bookstore. I'm there. Send me an ARC. I'm not joking. ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 ♡ jules ♡ marked it as to-read

Shelves: contemporary, cant-wait-to-read, lets-go-lesbians, lets-talk-diversity, tbr-priority, young-adult, less-than-400-pages, lgbtq, ebook-tbr-pile, 2020-release

aminah mae safi is really out there saving our sapphic hearts.

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2020 Anniek rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-ya, latinx-mc, 3-contemporary, anxiety, asian-author, asian-mc, mental-illness, sapphic, lgbtq, 1-2020-releases

I love contemporary novels set during one day. I love books set in bookstores. I loved the author's previous book. So I was so sure I was going to love this book too.

Unfortunately, it really didn't work for me. I found it fell really flat and it just didn't feel developed enough for me to feel invested. I think the main issue was that there were too many characters, all of whom weren't really fleshed out. They were more ideas than people, really, but not in a way that worked.

A lot of the things ...more

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May 31, 2020 USOM rated it really liked it

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

TW: sexual assault, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression

Considering This is All Your Fault takes place over 24 hours only in a bookstore, the amount of characterization Safi gives her characters is amazing. This multiple POV book combines all the things I love - fierce heroines, a bookstore, and characters who are vulnerable and passionate. They're all united by this one bookstore, ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 Trianna/Treereads rated it it was amazing

4.5/5

I need time to process & write a full review. But, wow I really loved this one. Aminah Mae Safi writes some of the best female characters in YA contemporary. Her writing is descriptive and makes you think. I wanted to write out a bunch of the quotes. I can't wait to reread this one and underline all my favorites.

TW: attempted assault & mentions of anxiety and depression

*Thanks to the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review* ...more

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Jun 12, 2020 M. (Inside My Library Mind) rated it really liked it

More reviews up on my blog Inside My Library Mind

I really enjoyed this one a lot. It took me a while to get into it, but when I did, I ended up really liking it, and that was mostly due to the characters (yes, like in any book I read).

I found the characters to be really believable and I found their struggles and issues really relatable and honest. My favorite by far was Daniella, and it is definitely due to the fact that I see so much of myself in her (I am very vain in fact). She comes acros ...more

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Aug 21, 2020 Kay rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, physical-arc

Many thanks to the publisher, macmillan, for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was such a wonderfully fun, cute, and touching contemporary story about friends working together to save their bookstore! I had so much fun reading it, laughing aloud at parts, and being really moved at other parts. I absolutely flew through this!

I will note that from reading other reviews (and a quick wikipedia summary!) apparently this book is extraordinarily similar to the movie, Empire Re Many thanks to the publisher, macmillan, for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was such a wonderfully fun, cute, and touching contemporary story about friends working together to save their bookstore! I had so much fun reading it, laughing aloud at parts, and being really moved at other parts. I absolutely flew through this!

I will note that from reading other reviews (and a quick wikipedia summary!) apparently this book is extraordinarily similar to the movie, Empire Records. I’ve never seen the movie so I didn’t notice it, but if you like that movie, you could potentially love this book all that much more for paying homage to it, or be annoyed that some are calling it a rip off or even plagiarism.

This was, at the core, a very character driven story, and I loved getting to know the three main characters. On the surface, they seem to all fit into generic stereotypes such as “the coolest girl in the world” and “little miss perfect,” but by the end of the book, it becomes evident that they’re all so much more than that, and you really can’t judge a person just off how they seem on the exterior or at first glance.

I loved the interactions the girls had with each other. They’re all extremely different, and it seems that there’s no way these girls with so little in common would be friends, but they’re all united in the goal of saving the bookstore, and they’re able to overcome differences to work together and really see each other, not just their facades, which I loved.

This book also had a couple of romantic subplots, but they were definitely not the main focus of the book and didn’t take away from the main girls, which I really appreciated. There were a few cute scenes I really smiled at, but the romance was mainly for the girls character development, such as a girl with anxiety having to go out of her comfort zone to talk to the guy she liked, which felt really authentic and I really liked.

This book also had so much diversity that it was amazing! The rep included anxiety, depression, lesbian, Latinx, Korean, Middle Eastern, and biracial. I will note that I’ve seen this book being billed as lgbtq+ but the lesbian rep pretty much only included a scene where a girl breaks up with her girlfriend, and another scene that hints at flirting. It’s definitely there, just as there’s so much effortless diversity in this book, but I wouldn’t really call this a lgbtq+ book because of it.

There are also a few moments where a girl with depression is written off, and a character says something along the lines of she should stop being so depressed and be actually helpful, which isn’t great. However, the depression is addressed again later in the book in a much more positive way, where it’s discussed that a “simple solution” and the solution being easy to do aren’t the same and it’s okay not to be okay, so the discussion of depression did seem overall good to me.

One last thing I absolutely loved was how there was so much bookishness! The characters work at a bookstore, and there were mentions of ordering books, author events, and the fun solace that can be found there. I also hadn’t realized until I started reading but one of the main characters runs an enormously popular bookstagram, which was super fun to read about! It’s always rare but super fun to read about a fellow member of the book community! There was talk of photographing and editing books and filming videos.

The book also addressed ownvoices, and the importance of boosting ownvoices books (like this one!!), which is the first time I’ve ever seen ownvoices in an actual book, and even a bit on how white influencers have more privilege and opportunities (it felt very meta lol, but in a good way). The fact that this book took all the best parts of the diverse book community and stuck it in here was so amazing. ...more

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Aug 22, 2020 Vighnesh Muraly rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

I really enjoyed this book. It is set over the course of a day where the employees of this bookstore are trying to save if from closing down. I really liked how the author developed the characters and seeing how their relationships changed and grew throughout the novel was very satisfying. The characters themselves were scattered across the spectrum in the sense that they were all unique and were so distinguishable. I wasn’t a fan of one of the characters at the start of the book but the way she ...more

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May 12, 2020 Sara rated it did not like it

I wanted to like it. But I still enjoy the movie Empire Records more. Which if this was a music store instead of a bookstore it would be Empire Records. From the boy at the beginning considering taking the money and gambling in order to make more money, a diva author instead of a diva musician and the roof top dance party at the end it was basically Empire Records in a bookstore.

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Sep 30, 2020 Samantha (WLABB) rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, diverse, arcs, ya

Many readers are calling this an Empire Records for bookworms, and I have to agree, because my mind immediately went there too. When I first started reading, and the first "mistake" was made, it absolutely reminded me of the beginning of the film. There were other parallels too (even a Warren, a Jo, and an AJ), but I also thought there were aspects of the story that were fresh and new.

I loved the premise of this book. A group of teens, who find solace in this magical bookstore, band together in ...more

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Dec 26, 2020 ash ♡ rated it it was ok

Shelves: z-read-2020, 2-and-a-half-stars, lgbtqia, cover-eye-candy, poc-rep, age-young-adult, friendships, genre-contemporary, meh, mental-health

this started off strong, and i truly wanted to love it so much! but after around the 50% mark, i started to lose interest and everything got really confusing. the ending was really messy and a bunch of subplots weren’t even resolved?? i’m so sad to say this, but this book unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations :((

2.5 stars

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Dec 28, 2020 Loubna added it

Dnf at 50% I can't with the audiobook ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 chloe ♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020-read, lgbtq-rep, review-copy, asian-rep, i-own, asian-author, blog-tours, diverse, feminist, cover-porn

i received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions below are my own.

trigger warnings: sexual harassment, depression, anxiety

aminah mae safi’s this is all your fault is an ode to indie bookstores, strong women, and poetry. this story, told over the course of one day from the perspectives of three girls, will surely warm the hearts of book lovers of all ages!

there was such a vibe to the mornings at wild nights. it was a quiet kind of bustle. the people in the stor ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 A.R. Hellbender rated it really liked it

This book has a premise that sounds very simple, but the story it tells is so beautiful and profound.
The 3 POV characters are all very different from each other and don’t even like each other very much, but they’re more similar to each other than they know (to the point where one of them reads another one’s poetry on the internet and doesn’t know it’s her).
The characters are also so well-rounded, especially for people whose lives we don’t see outside of the bookstore they work at. We only follow ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Azraa rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, arcs, contemporary

'That’s what Imogen loved so much about Wild Nights- that everyone was into their own thing and everyone could potentially find what they were looking for.'
Wild Nights is a bookstore and emporium where this book takes place. The place is described with such finesse that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The story is narrated from the POV of three girls, Rinn, Imogen and Daniella who all work there. We learn how much the store means to each of them. Not only a means to earn but an escape, 'That’s what Imogen loved so much about Wild Nights- that everyone was into their own thing and everyone could potentially find what they were looking for.'
Wild Nights is a bookstore and emporium where this book takes place. The place is described with such finesse that I couldn’t help but fall in love with it. The story is narrated from the POV of three girls, Rinn, Imogen and Daniella who all work there. We learn how much the store means to each of them. Not only a means to earn but an escape, a second home, a place where the feel like they belong and a space to be themselves unapologetic.
.
'I’m depressed, and Daniella is angry, and you’re full of sunshine. Eli’s basically a criminal, and AJ is an earnest art kid. And we all found this bookstore to be bigger than any one of those things.’
The story happens in the span of a day but it is written in a beautiful and interesting manner, highlighting the thoughts and emotions, feelings of how the three of them feel about the bookstore, about their life outside the bookstore and their feelings towards each other that it doesn’t bore you at all. Their battle to save the store from closing was entertaining to read about how each of them gave their best to save it with all they had.
.
‘And I found books. So many books. So much sadness and so much grief. But they taught me I was not alone. Told me my suffering was not unique. It was mine, of course. But everyone had their own. Every book was like it was written just for me and my sadness. And to not be alone, that was the important thing.'
Each of the character was so diverse yet similar to one another. The book also dealt with issues such as depression, anxiety and insecurity along with having a hard time expressing oneself and I loved how it was portrayed with great care and understanding to make people understand how it truly feels plus how a person suffering from it wants to be treated.
.
'I think people want to blame technology because it amplifies what we already are. Humans are vain and selfish, and we’re constantly jockeying for position on a scale that doesn’t really matter and doesn’t really exist. But we are also kind and we also share and connect and create communities across borders. Both are happening. It’s all happening.'
I know I have reached my limit with sharing my favourite quotes from this one but I just couldn’t not share this one. It’s so apt! Rinn being an influencer and reading about her struggle with being taken seriously by people like it isn’t a real job. Like the things you share and talk about on the internet aren’t what you feel or what you are but an act. It’s as real a job as any and deserves the same respect you would give anyone else.
.
‘Because that’s what it was, really, Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium— a place where magic could happen.'
Read this one if you like diverse, strong and well constructed characters with real emotions that you can very much relate to. Read it if you love bookstores and want to be a part of Wild Nights universe. ...more

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Oct 23, 2020 Zaina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2020

Have you ever dreamed of working in a bookstore?

There is something so fascinating to me about imagining myself as an employee at a bookstore- talking to book lovers, working with authors and publishers, keeping inventory, working at the register and just.. being surrounded by books daily.

So naturally, I was living vicariously through the characters of This Is All Your Fault, who work at Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium! Danny, Rinn, Imogen, Eli and AJ are all wildly different characters who ha Have you ever dreamed of working in a bookstore?

There is something so fascinating to me about imagining myself as an employee at a bookstore- talking to book lovers, working with authors and publishers, keeping inventory, working at the register and just.. being surrounded by books daily.

So naturally, I was living vicariously through the characters of This Is All Your Fault, who work at Wild Nights Bookstore and Emporium! Danny, Rinn, Imogen, Eli and AJ are all wildly different characters who have their own shit to deal with, when the news spreads. Wild Nights is closing down and they and their manager Jo, are going to be let go without so much as a warning. But Wild Nights is safe haven. Wild Nights saved each one of them and continues to do so. They couldn’t just watch as it dies, could they? No, they won’t.

I say this with as much sincerity as I can muster- I LOVED THIS BOOK. Set over the course of one day, this book didn’t even take that long to win over me. These characters were flawed and perfect. The story was a fun adventure and grounded in hard realities. Yes, I’m speaking in contradictions but it just makes SENSE in the context of this fun, hard-hitting, and wholesome book.

The plot of the story was not seamless and smooth, but I really enjoyed the rocky nature of a bunch of important things happening all at once and honestly, it kept me turning the pages.

I related to Daniella so hard, even though Rinn is the book blogger of the bunch lol! Rinn has an incredible and empowering arc in that short span of time. I really enjoyed her opposing dynamic with Danny and Imogen kind of the buffer in between them. Imogen has some of the most beautiful, lyrically written chapters in this book. Although Danny was the poet, Imogen expressed herself in a way that touched me deeply. This friendship group gave me life, even if they only got together at the very end. 🥺

I experienced a rollercoaster of emotions reading this, which is fitting because a regular day working at Wild Nights turned into a rollercoaster of events happening one after another.

Lastly, there is so much representation in here!!
- Mexican-American, Arab-American, Muslim, Biracial, Depression and Anxiety.

TW: sexual assault, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, panic attack.

The depression and anxiety rep managed to capture the essence of what I feel like it is to be part of this generation quite well in my opinion and I felt really seen in that regard. 🥺

Thank you Hear Our Voices Book Tours for having me on the tour and Feiwel and Friends for the review copy! 💘💘 ...more

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Oct 05, 2020 Sacha rated it liked it

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I'll post that review upon publication.

Updated 10/14/20

3 stars

This is a really tough review to write because of my overall impressions of the novel and the controversy surrounding it.

I'll start by saying that I was thrilled to be approved for another Safi arc. So far, I have enjoyed her novels. Because it has been so long since I watched _Empire Records_ (literally in the theater), I exp ...more

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Oct 30, 2020 Sarah Sammis rated it liked it

Shelves: exwishlist, read-in-2020, young-adult, fiction, pc, reviewed-in-2020

Another failing or closing business story. Most similar to: Hot Dog Girl and This Time Will Be Different but shares themes with The Printed Letter Bookshop and Stay Sweet.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm... ...more

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Dec 13, 2020 Grace W rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya, ya-lgbtqia

(c/p from my review on TheStoryGraph) This is such a boring book that I don't actually have anything to say strongly about it. Like I don't... I just finished it and I can barely think of anything to say about it. This is a rice cracker of a book: you read it and don't feel anything. Like I can't even be mad about this just so underwhelmed. The plot is contrived, the characters are flat, the writing is incredibly bland. It's just a ... kinda of bummer of a book because it's not even bad enough t ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Alexis Stankewitz rated it liked it

As a former bookseller at an indie bookstore in Chicago, I can't tell you how Amazing this book is! I loved all the characters, but especially Danielle, Imogen and Rhinn It was just really nice to read about the Love of a bookstore (And books, obviously) bringing people together. I though that the author did a great job nailing down the wonderfulness (And not so wonderfulness) of working at a bookstore. This is a great, heartwarming read and I definitely recommend this book! ...more

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Apr 13, 2020 Salma19 (High Lady of the Dawn Court) marked it as to-read

3 GIRLS SAVING AN INDIE BOOKSTORE?!
I am in! 👑💕📚

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Oct 12, 2020 rhi ✰ marked it as tbr-top-priority

you had me at poetry and a bookstore

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About Aminah Mae Safi

Aminah Mae Safi

341 followers

Aminah Mae Safi is a writer who explores art, fiction, feminism, and film. She loves Sofia Coppola movies, Bollywood endings, and has seen all of the Fast and Furious franchise. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her partner and a cat bent on world domination (and another cat that is just here for the snacks). Her 2016 We Need Diverse Books winning story will appear in their forthcoming anthology F ...more