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Can't Say it Went to Plan
From the award-winning author of The Intern, Faking It and Remind Me How This Ends.
School's out.
Forget study, exams and mapping out the future.
For the next seven days, the only homework is partying with friends, making new ones and living in the moment.
There are no parents or curfews - and no rules.
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are strangers, but they have something in common: their plans for a dream holiday after their final year of school are flipped upside-down before they even arrive at the beach.
From hooking up and heartache, to growing apart, testing friendships and falling in love, anything can go down this week.
PRAISE FOR REMIND ME HOW THIS ENDS
'Bursting with humour and heart, Gabrielle Tozer reflects the pain, pressures and pleasures of life between high school and what comes next.' - Will Kostakis, award-winning author of The First Third and The Sidekicks
'A tale full of heart with characters who - by the final page - feel like friends. Milo Dark is the boy next door I always wanted. Gabrielle Tozer has delivered a story with depth and heart. Milo and Layla have stayed in my head long after the final page.' - Rebecca Sparrow, author of Ask Me Anything and Find Your Tribe
'How refreshing to read a book in which the real love story is the one between a young girl and her mum. It's rare to see grief explored in teen fiction, rarer still to see it handled in such a nuanced way.' - Dannielle Miller, author of Loveability and CEO of Enlighten Education and Goodfellas
School's out.
Forget study, exams and mapping out the future.
For the next seven days, the only homework is partying with friends, making new ones and living in the moment.
There are no parents or curfews - and no rules.
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are strangers, but they have something in common: their plans for a dream holiday after their final year of school are flipped upside-down before they even arrive at the beach.
From hooking up and heartache, to growing apart, testing friendships and falling in love, anything can go down this week.
PRAISE FOR REMIND ME HOW THIS ENDS
'Bursting with humour and heart, Gabrielle Tozer reflects the pain, pressures and pleasures of life between high school and what comes next.' - Will Kostakis, award-winning author of The First Third and The Sidekicks
'A tale full of heart with characters who - by the final page - feel like friends. Milo Dark is the boy next door I always wanted. Gabrielle Tozer has delivered a story with depth and heart. Milo and Layla have stayed in my head long after the final page.' - Rebecca Sparrow, author of Ask Me Anything and Find Your Tribe
'How refreshing to read a book in which the real love story is the one between a young girl and her mum. It's rare to see grief explored in teen fiction, rarer still to see it handled in such a nuanced way.' - Dannielle Miller, author of Loveability and CEO of Enlighten Education and Goodfellas
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 14, 2021
16 people are currently reading
2354 people want to read
About the author
Gabrielle Tozer
13 books168 followersGabrielle Tozer is the award-winning and internationally published author of young adult novels The Intern, Faking It and Remind Me How This Ends. She is a contributor to HarperCollins’ Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology, and her debut picture book, Peas and Quiet (illustrated by Sue deGennaro), is out now. Gabrielle's first middle-grade novel Melody Trumpet hits stores in 2019. Based in Sydney, Gabrielle loves sharing her passion for storytelling and creativity, and has appeared at festivals, schools and conferences around Australia.
Say hello: gabrielletozer.com, facebook.com/hellogabrielletozer, twitter.com/gabrielletozer and instagram.com/gabrielletozer.
Say hello: gabrielletozer.com, facebook.com/hellogabrielletozer, twitter.com/gabrielletozer and instagram.com/gabrielletozer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
February 4, 2022
Sweet, exhilarating, thought provoking, one of my fastest readings!
Three strangers : Zoe, Samira,Dahlia at young age are already getting through enough drama who need urgent break from stressful pressure about their mapped out future just for 7 days long getaway !
After the final year of the school only thing they need was peaceful, quality time! But before reaching the place they have their own dreamy vacation, they sense troubles are following them behind in everywhere as if they’re magnets they’re drawn to them. Their problems are chasing them like black clouds above their heads.
Pacing was well balanced and though provoking issues of the girls including sexuality, dysfunctional relationship and mourning were genuinely approached and realistically discussed.
It’s heartfelt, emotional, lovely and sweet reading with resonating characters and sensitive issues.
I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to short getaway, girl trip, young adult, girl power, impressive four stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360/ Harper Collins for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Three strangers : Zoe, Samira,Dahlia at young age are already getting through enough drama who need urgent break from stressful pressure about their mapped out future just for 7 days long getaway !
After the final year of the school only thing they need was peaceful, quality time! But before reaching the place they have their own dreamy vacation, they sense troubles are following them behind in everywhere as if they’re magnets they’re drawn to them. Their problems are chasing them like black clouds above their heads.
Pacing was well balanced and though provoking issues of the girls including sexuality, dysfunctional relationship and mourning were genuinely approached and realistically discussed.
It’s heartfelt, emotional, lovely and sweet reading with resonating characters and sensitive issues.
I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to short getaway, girl trip, young adult, girl power, impressive four stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360/ Harper Collins for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
June 21, 2021
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are all ready to forget school and go on a nice vacation with their respective friends. However, things don't exactly go as they expected them to and throughout the week they have to navigate many issues including romance, being dumped by their friends and college rejections. However, they're able to make new friends and new experiences throughout the week that, while not what they were looking forward to, still made their time on vacation memorable and fun.
I apologize for my sub-par summary writing
Can't Say It Went to Plan started off really slowly and rather confusingly as well. I didn't exactly know what was going on in it because it just dropped me into the story in each of the character's first chapters with no explanation about what's going on whatsoever. It also started right off the bat but was somehow really slow at the same time. The first few chapters after the first chapter were just the characters arriving at their different places to stay which wasn't that interesting and I found it rather repetitive given that there was a chapter from each of them for just settling in.
I was really nervous that the entire book would more or less just be the characters doing the same thing with different friend groups, but after the first few chapters, things really got going and I enjoyed seeing where each of their stories went. I liked how their paths crossed a few different times but I think I would have enjoyed it more if they actually all got to know each other and became friends. I feel like there was a lot of potential for this at times but it kept not happening.
I think one of my favorite parts about the entire story was
Overall, this was actually a very enjoyable book and I would recommend it to people.
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia are all ready to forget school and go on a nice vacation with their respective friends. However, things don't exactly go as they expected them to and throughout the week they have to navigate many issues including romance, being dumped by their friends and college rejections. However, they're able to make new friends and new experiences throughout the week that, while not what they were looking forward to, still made their time on vacation memorable and fun.
I apologize for my sub-par summary writing
Can't Say It Went to Plan started off really slowly and rather confusingly as well. I didn't exactly know what was going on in it because it just dropped me into the story in each of the character's first chapters with no explanation about what's going on whatsoever. It also started right off the bat but was somehow really slow at the same time. The first few chapters after the first chapter were just the characters arriving at their different places to stay which wasn't that interesting and I found it rather repetitive given that there was a chapter from each of them for just settling in.
I was really nervous that the entire book would more or less just be the characters doing the same thing with different friend groups, but after the first few chapters, things really got going and I enjoyed seeing where each of their stories went. I liked how their paths crossed a few different times but I think I would have enjoyed it more if they actually all got to know each other and became friends. I feel like there was a lot of potential for this at times but it kept not happening.
I think one of my favorite parts about the entire story was
Overall, this was actually a very enjoyable book and I would recommend it to people.
July 27, 2021
I wanted to love this but for me it just fell so flat.
This is set after Year 12 during a week at Schoolies- Zoe, Samira and Dahlia have all been looking forward to the week away after a long, stressful and sad year. But, schoolies is as schoolies does and things do not go to plan (but you worked that out from the title!).
I just felt there were too many characters, too many story plots that didn't weave well together (narrow the focus to just one group of friends), waaayyyy too much conversation rather than story telling and it was just a bit boring (but I think that part is because I'm 41 and I did schoolies almost 25 years ago so I shouldn't find it exciting!).
Read it and see for yourself!
This is set after Year 12 during a week at Schoolies- Zoe, Samira and Dahlia have all been looking forward to the week away after a long, stressful and sad year. But, schoolies is as schoolies does and things do not go to plan (but you worked that out from the title!).
I just felt there were too many characters, too many story plots that didn't weave well together (narrow the focus to just one group of friends), waaayyyy too much conversation rather than story telling and it was just a bit boring (but I think that part is because I'm 41 and I did schoolies almost 25 years ago so I shouldn't find it exciting!).
Read it and see for yourself!
July 27, 2022
I felt that this book had so much potential, but nothing lived up to my expectations.
September 25, 2023
i really loved the way this book pans out and the character development throughout. it didn't have a really firm plot, but just hearing abt these girls summer was really wholesome.
June 21, 2021
Gabrielle Tozer never lets me down. Her writing is hearty comfort food, satisfying, familiar and absolutely delicious. I laughed and cried, over the bonds of friendship and family explored in the lives of Zoe, Dahlia and Samira - as their schoolies adventures and misadventures played out. (It made me wonder how many of their experiences came from Tozer’s schoolies experience!!) I found something in each of the protagonists unique and authentic voices that resonated with me.
A fresh taste of Tozer makes me want to go back and read the Intern!
A fresh taste of Tozer makes me want to go back and read the Intern!
August 14, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up.
It is difficult for me to write this review since I am not the target audience, and I haven't been for at least 40 some-odd years, plus I live on a different continent with different traditions! LOL! I like reading a variety of genres, and this book sounded very interesting.
It was a compelling book in its own way; we deal with various serious issues (death, cancer, sexuality, rotten friends and acquaintances, etc.) However, what bothered me the most about this book was that there were too many groups of friends. I kept waiting for them to merge at some point, but that never happened -and this made it a difficult read for me. First, there were too many people to keep straight, too many different relationships. Then the author throws in more people outside the individual and initial groups.
Perhaps the YA crowd will see things in this book that I missed. I still remember my high school days and understand a lot of what these groups are going through. But, unfortunately, some of this crap (like cancer and death and backstabbing) never ends even when we become "adults" and should know better.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, Harper Collins, the author and ATTL/Edelweiss.
It is difficult for me to write this review since I am not the target audience, and I haven't been for at least 40 some-odd years, plus I live on a different continent with different traditions! LOL! I like reading a variety of genres, and this book sounded very interesting.
It was a compelling book in its own way; we deal with various serious issues (death, cancer, sexuality, rotten friends and acquaintances, etc.) However, what bothered me the most about this book was that there were too many groups of friends. I kept waiting for them to merge at some point, but that never happened -and this made it a difficult read for me. First, there were too many people to keep straight, too many different relationships. Then the author throws in more people outside the individual and initial groups.
Perhaps the YA crowd will see things in this book that I missed. I still remember my high school days and understand a lot of what these groups are going through. But, unfortunately, some of this crap (like cancer and death and backstabbing) never ends even when we become "adults" and should know better.
*ARC supplied by the publisher, Harper Collins, the author and ATTL/Edelweiss.
September 4, 2021
Rating: 2.75/5 stars
TW: Toxic friendship/relationship, death of a friend
I received a copy of this book as an e-ARC through NetGalley. Any and all thoughts are my own.
Can't Say it Went to Plan follows the lives of three different girls: Samira, Dahlia, and Zoe, all on a week long vacation for senior week. There are highs and there are lows, and through it all there is hope as their stories find each other in ways they didn't expect.
Unfortunately, this story did not leave up to its expectations. First, this story felt very middle grade to me. Everything was kind of simplified and didn't make sense at most parts. It almost felt a bit childish to me, and as a result it really drove me away from the story.
The characters were... okay. I felt I related the most to Samira because she goes through a whole arc realizing that her friends and boyfriend are really bad for her, which felt a little rushed to me. But I've had a similar scenario happen, especially when I planned a lot of my own trip and lost some friends from it. So I related the most to Samira, and also a little bit of Dahlia due to her anxiety. I do think the romance from Dahlia's story was pretty good as well and very positive, which you don't really see a lot of in stories these days. However, I will say that Dahlia was almost completely defined by her attachment to her friend Stevie that passed away prior to the events of the story. It really pulled me away from her in that regard.
Zoe for me was the weakest of the bunch. Her story had almost zero plot to it and a lot of the characters from her story were mostly forgettable. I think I only really liked one scene from her story and that was it. I felt like this story would have been improved upon if her story either had an actual plot to it, like the others, or if it was removed entirely.
The story overall had some good messages, but it felt a lot more for a younger audience, like don't let your monsters overtake you and live life to the fullest, so it didn't really stick for me. The entire story, it felt more like I, as the reader, was completely separate from this world and never once found myself truly immersed. Whether that's because of the characters, the plot (or lack of it), or the writing style I can't really tell.
Can't Say it Went to Plan is a good starter contemporary with hopeful messages, but a lackluster plot and some forgettable characters.
TW: Toxic friendship/relationship, death of a friend
I received a copy of this book as an e-ARC through NetGalley. Any and all thoughts are my own.
Can't Say it Went to Plan follows the lives of three different girls: Samira, Dahlia, and Zoe, all on a week long vacation for senior week. There are highs and there are lows, and through it all there is hope as their stories find each other in ways they didn't expect.
Unfortunately, this story did not leave up to its expectations. First, this story felt very middle grade to me. Everything was kind of simplified and didn't make sense at most parts. It almost felt a bit childish to me, and as a result it really drove me away from the story.
The characters were... okay. I felt I related the most to Samira because she goes through a whole arc realizing that her friends and boyfriend are really bad for her, which felt a little rushed to me. But I've had a similar scenario happen, especially when I planned a lot of my own trip and lost some friends from it. So I related the most to Samira, and also a little bit of Dahlia due to her anxiety. I do think the romance from Dahlia's story was pretty good as well and very positive, which you don't really see a lot of in stories these days. However, I will say that Dahlia was almost completely defined by her attachment to her friend Stevie that passed away prior to the events of the story. It really pulled me away from her in that regard.
Zoe for me was the weakest of the bunch. Her story had almost zero plot to it and a lot of the characters from her story were mostly forgettable. I think I only really liked one scene from her story and that was it. I felt like this story would have been improved upon if her story either had an actual plot to it, like the others, or if it was removed entirely.
The story overall had some good messages, but it felt a lot more for a younger audience, like don't let your monsters overtake you and live life to the fullest, so it didn't really stick for me. The entire story, it felt more like I, as the reader, was completely separate from this world and never once found myself truly immersed. Whether that's because of the characters, the plot (or lack of it), or the writing style I can't really tell.
Can't Say it Went to Plan is a good starter contemporary with hopeful messages, but a lackluster plot and some forgettable characters.
April 21, 2023
can't say it went to plan.
literally the 6 words that summed up the whole book.
nothing more.
nothing less.
with three alternating perspectives, of three strangers, zoe, samira and dahlia, the story sets place for a bunch of yr 12s, living the life and wanting to escape school in total. all three of them are accompained by their friends, although not knowing each other, they manage to interwine and meet through the story. with that being said, they decide to go to a luxury resort, party, drink and enjoy life.
in my personal opinion this book wasn't the best. im rounding it up to three stars, but i would've given it a two if i was really bothered. the writing is extremely simplistic, but its the form of writing and the boring storyline that made me quite sleepy as i read it. there is a sense of plot line and all, but the story just alternates back and forth, one girl talking about her dead best friend, the other girl talking about her horrible breakup, and the last one trying to crack away from her medical achievements and stride, and open up to the 'party life'. its all the simple cliche characters that are joined together. maybe im rating this book low because i just recently read a cliche book? but either way, i didn't enjoy it enough to go over 4 stars. the sense of heartbreak and romance is shown efficiently, but it's the actual subtext, the actual STORYLINE that SHOULD be evoked, that isn't really there. and that upset me, since the blurb and cover had be hooked.
maybe rereading it another time would make the book have a higher review for me.
Overall rating: 2.8/5
Genre: fiction, new young adult, young adult, romance, fiction, contemporary, LGBT, relationships, young adult contemporary
Dates read: 20/4/2023- 22/4/2023 (2 days)
Time period: 3-4 hrs
Amount of pages: 384 (physical book copy, library borrowed, rectangle, small font, small size book)
Word count: unknown.
literally the 6 words that summed up the whole book.
nothing more.
nothing less.
with three alternating perspectives, of three strangers, zoe, samira and dahlia, the story sets place for a bunch of yr 12s, living the life and wanting to escape school in total. all three of them are accompained by their friends, although not knowing each other, they manage to interwine and meet through the story. with that being said, they decide to go to a luxury resort, party, drink and enjoy life.
in my personal opinion this book wasn't the best. im rounding it up to three stars, but i would've given it a two if i was really bothered. the writing is extremely simplistic, but its the form of writing and the boring storyline that made me quite sleepy as i read it. there is a sense of plot line and all, but the story just alternates back and forth, one girl talking about her dead best friend, the other girl talking about her horrible breakup, and the last one trying to crack away from her medical achievements and stride, and open up to the 'party life'. its all the simple cliche characters that are joined together. maybe im rating this book low because i just recently read a cliche book? but either way, i didn't enjoy it enough to go over 4 stars. the sense of heartbreak and romance is shown efficiently, but it's the actual subtext, the actual STORYLINE that SHOULD be evoked, that isn't really there. and that upset me, since the blurb and cover had be hooked.
maybe rereading it another time would make the book have a higher review for me.
Overall rating: 2.8/5
Genre: fiction, new young adult, young adult, romance, fiction, contemporary, LGBT, relationships, young adult contemporary
Dates read: 20/4/2023- 22/4/2023 (2 days)
Time period: 3-4 hrs
Amount of pages: 384 (physical book copy, library borrowed, rectangle, small font, small size book)
Word count: unknown.
May 24, 2021
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Can't Say It Went to Plan in exchange for an honest review.
Can't Say It Went to Plan follows 3 girls over the course of one week as they develop friendships, romances, and also develop as characters. While I liked the core plot of all 3 stories, I did find that character voice and side characters often felt so underdeveloped that I wished these were separate novels. That being said, Tozer still managed to create 3 easy to root for protagonists in a fairly small work count which is definitely no easy feat.
Can't Say It Went to Plan follows 3 girls over the course of one week as they develop friendships, romances, and also develop as characters. While I liked the core plot of all 3 stories, I did find that character voice and side characters often felt so underdeveloped that I wished these were separate novels. That being said, Tozer still managed to create 3 easy to root for protagonists in a fairly small work count which is definitely no easy feat.
May 12, 2024
3.5
it just wasn't that interesting and i genuinely don't care about any of the characters. but it was a quick read and felt light (even though subject matter wasn't always.)
it just wasn't that interesting and i genuinely don't care about any of the characters. but it was a quick read and felt light (even though subject matter wasn't always.)
April 28, 2021
Can't Say It Went to Plan is about a group of teenagers who are partying after finishing their final year of school. Zoe, Samira and Dahlia couldn't be more different, but they're each experiencing the confusion, excitement and indecisiveness of what to do after school.
The book captures a lot of different emotions of finishing school, having fun with your friends and also rebelling from your parents. There's also grief and loss mixed in there along with romances (including a f/f one), friendship moments and teenagers just generally having fun.
While the book was a lot of fun, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I definitely think teens who are at this point in their life will enjoy the book though!
Thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a review copy.
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
The book captures a lot of different emotions of finishing school, having fun with your friends and also rebelling from your parents. There's also grief and loss mixed in there along with romances (including a f/f one), friendship moments and teenagers just generally having fun.
While the book was a lot of fun, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I definitely think teens who are at this point in their life will enjoy the book though!
Thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a review copy.
Check out Happy Indulgence Books for more reviews!
April 8, 2021
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me this ARC in exchange for a review.
To be one hundred percent honest, I wasn't feeling this book for the first fifty pages, and the writing overall was a little too simplistic for my taste, but it was the characters and their situations that kept me going and by the end, I very much enjoyed the story.
This story covers a range of topics concerning relationships (friendly and romantic), sexuality, loss, and mental health. It follows three characters who are working through their own issues, and I found myself quite attached to one of the girls in particular, as her main issue involved her being left out by a toxic friend group, and I could really relate to that from my high-school days!
All in all, it's a really simple and loveable teen story, with great Summer vibes.
To be one hundred percent honest, I wasn't feeling this book for the first fifty pages, and the writing overall was a little too simplistic for my taste, but it was the characters and their situations that kept me going and by the end, I very much enjoyed the story.
This story covers a range of topics concerning relationships (friendly and romantic), sexuality, loss, and mental health. It follows three characters who are working through their own issues, and I found myself quite attached to one of the girls in particular, as her main issue involved her being left out by a toxic friend group, and I could really relate to that from my high-school days!
All in all, it's a really simple and loveable teen story, with great Summer vibes.
June 22, 2022
I must say that I finished this novel out of sheer stubbornness instead of enjoyment. I've read Gabrielle Tozer before. The low rating doesn't reflect anything offensive in the writing, just a lack of pacing and not particularly well thought through plots.
Before this, I loved both The Intern and Remind Me How This Ends. I kept hoping, basically the whole way through this novel, that something would come along that would pull the three distinct narrative strands together cohesively.
For me, I felt it never came.
In the first three chapters of this book, we are first introduced to Zoe, who is on the cusp of going to Schoolies at the end of her having done as well as possible at high school. She's constantly competing against her elder sister and has a fair amount of inferiority feelings even before her mother randomly decides to rescind her going on the post school holiday.
Dahlia and her friends have lost one of their best friends to cancer. The other girls seem to be coming out of the sadness, but Dahlia hasn't yet managed to move on from her grief. She's hoping the summer will provide her with a chance to check off a bunch of items from Stevie's list.
Samira thinks that the friends she's organised a week of fun for are her best friends, and boyfriend. However her boyfriend breaks up with her before they even set off and her so called friends reveal their true colours, which basically leaves Samira alone for the better part of Schoolies, until she meets and makes a new friend who helps her see that she was making herself small unnecessarily.
These three kids are from different schools and all just happen to be attending the same week long event (initially against her parents' permissions in Zoe's case). They make cameos in each others stories, but for the most part are completely separate for the entirety of the novel. I didn't really get that choice and thought the story might have been much better served had the author chosen to stick closely to just one of these girls.
Before this, I loved both The Intern and Remind Me How This Ends. I kept hoping, basically the whole way through this novel, that something would come along that would pull the three distinct narrative strands together cohesively.
For me, I felt it never came.
In the first three chapters of this book, we are first introduced to Zoe, who is on the cusp of going to Schoolies at the end of her having done as well as possible at high school. She's constantly competing against her elder sister and has a fair amount of inferiority feelings even before her mother randomly decides to rescind her going on the post school holiday.
Dahlia and her friends have lost one of their best friends to cancer. The other girls seem to be coming out of the sadness, but Dahlia hasn't yet managed to move on from her grief. She's hoping the summer will provide her with a chance to check off a bunch of items from Stevie's list.
Samira thinks that the friends she's organised a week of fun for are her best friends, and boyfriend. However her boyfriend breaks up with her before they even set off and her so called friends reveal their true colours, which basically leaves Samira alone for the better part of Schoolies, until she meets and makes a new friend who helps her see that she was making herself small unnecessarily.
These three kids are from different schools and all just happen to be attending the same week long event (initially against her parents' permissions in Zoe's case). They make cameos in each others stories, but for the most part are completely separate for the entirety of the novel. I didn't really get that choice and thought the story might have been much better served had the author chosen to stick closely to just one of these girls.
May 2, 2021
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Thank you Harper Collins for this book in exchange for an honest review
Can’t Say it went to Plan is based around a group of teenagers that are celebrating the end of their school year. While the friends have extremely different lives, personality and yet have built their friendship amongst the confusion that life brings.
It took around 100 pages to get into this book for me. The pacing wasn’t enjoyable, it seemed to drag on unnecessarily and I found it seemed to be written for a younger audience which affected the dialogue of the characters as well.
While this book covers a great deal of topics such as mental health, loss and sexuality, it was a basic teen angst story and unfortunately not something new. Though it will be interesting to see what else Tozer creates in the future.
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Thank you Harper Collins for this book in exchange for an honest review
Can’t Say it went to Plan is based around a group of teenagers that are celebrating the end of their school year. While the friends have extremely different lives, personality and yet have built their friendship amongst the confusion that life brings.
It took around 100 pages to get into this book for me. The pacing wasn’t enjoyable, it seemed to drag on unnecessarily and I found it seemed to be written for a younger audience which affected the dialogue of the characters as well.
While this book covers a great deal of topics such as mental health, loss and sexuality, it was a basic teen angst story and unfortunately not something new. Though it will be interesting to see what else Tozer creates in the future.
June 10, 2021
Can't Say it Went to Plan is a story that follows three girls on their end of school (think: spring break) adventures. Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun, but the book kind of drags along after a while, jumping from character to character throughout. No characters are very fleshed-out and their problems seem trivial. This book is full of Australian/British terms, which some American teens may not follow (will my students understand what they're talking about when they talk about the loo? or a serviette?) Very tame in nature compared to some books I'v read lately: no swearing and no graphic sex scenes. That was a plus. While the girls' stories connect in small ways, I was waiting for the storylines to weave together and that didn't happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2022
Three girls - Zoe, Samira and Dahlia - all unconnected. Each is set to party with friends for a week once exams have finished, and they find themselves in the same resort.
Each of the girls is dealing with something that’s impacting on them. They are on the cusp of adult life, determined to enjoy this break from expectations. In what can best be described as a parents’ worst nightmare, the girls enjoy a raucous and rather hedonistic few days.
On the very first day each of them had something happen that affected the way they felt about the trip. Amongst the chaos of their holiday of a lifetime all the girls learn a little about themselves and who they want to be.
There was a rather chaotic feel to this. It delivered some important messages but it felt quite disconnected.
Each of the girls is dealing with something that’s impacting on them. They are on the cusp of adult life, determined to enjoy this break from expectations. In what can best be described as a parents’ worst nightmare, the girls enjoy a raucous and rather hedonistic few days.
On the very first day each of them had something happen that affected the way they felt about the trip. Amongst the chaos of their holiday of a lifetime all the girls learn a little about themselves and who they want to be.
There was a rather chaotic feel to this. It delivered some important messages but it felt quite disconnected.
July 11, 2021
Can't Say it Went to Plan follows Zoe, Samira and Dahlia during their end of school adventures. The plot sounded like this would be a great read and I did enjoy the series, however -- I did find the first half of the book to be very slow and kind of hard to follow. It seems like we were kind of just dropped into this world following these girls with not enough back story before the plot plays out. The second half of the book was better and overall I did think this was a good story.
January 13, 2022
Can someone please turn this book into a movie thx
June 14, 2021
Trigger warnings: death of a friend (in the past), cancer, alcohol abuse, cheating, shitty friends.
I desperately wanted to love this because Schoolies is an Australian rite of passage and there are so few books that deal with it. And while I did ultimately end up liking it, for the most part I struggled with this one. There are three different narrators and I found their voices a little too similar a lot of the time. Add in that all three of them have different friendship groups, different encounters with different groups of people while on Schoolies, different families waiting for them at home? And I was well and truly on the struggle bus trying to keep them all straight in my head.
So yeah. This was...fine? But it was also not at all what I wanted it to be.
I desperately wanted to love this because Schoolies is an Australian rite of passage and there are so few books that deal with it. And while I did ultimately end up liking it, for the most part I struggled with this one. There are three different narrators and I found their voices a little too similar a lot of the time. Add in that all three of them have different friendship groups, different encounters with different groups of people while on Schoolies, different families waiting for them at home? And I was well and truly on the struggle bus trying to keep them all straight in my head.
So yeah. This was...fine? But it was also not at all what I wanted it to be.
September 9, 2024
3 and a half ⭐️
Took me a bit to get into it, but then I started to enjoy the stories of all the girls.
Took me a bit to get into it, but then I started to enjoy the stories of all the girls.
March 24, 2022
the story i was cute i enjoyed it!! the writing style is not my fav but it was relatable and i liked it
August 11, 2022
It was an ok book I just did not really know where it was going it did not have a plot or anything that really sucked me in.
June 9, 2021
This book follows 3 different girls as they head out on a dream holiday with their friends to celebrate the end of school. They may be strangers, but they each have a specific goal behind their trip. The book is broken down by day, with the narrative switching between the 3 girls. Over the course of a week, they are each forced to face some deep issues, and find themselves in the process.
At first, I had trouble keeping up with the 3 different storylines. It jumps around a lot each day and it was hard to keep their stories straight. But soon I found myself wrapped up in their stories and wanting to see them succeed. The storylines touched on a lot of difficult angsty teen feelings and situations, as well as deeper emotions like grief and loss. I found myself caring about the characters toward the end, and I enjoyed the way their stories overlapped but didn't become one. The ending was inspirational, and celebrated the wide open blank slate of finishing school.
At first, I had trouble keeping up with the 3 different storylines. It jumps around a lot each day and it was hard to keep their stories straight. But soon I found myself wrapped up in their stories and wanting to see them succeed. The storylines touched on a lot of difficult angsty teen feelings and situations, as well as deeper emotions like grief and loss. I found myself caring about the characters toward the end, and I enjoyed the way their stories overlapped but didn't become one. The ending was inspirational, and celebrated the wide open blank slate of finishing school.
June 2, 2021
This book took me back down memory lane to when I went to schoolies (a very freaking long time ago) and to all the drama that went along with it!
School done, no more studying for exams and time to let loose and celebrate finishing school!
For Zoe, Samira and Dahlia’s next week it’s time to party with friends, make new friends and forgot about responsibility. No parents no rules and not a care in the world! (Oh to be so carefree again)
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia aren’t friends and don’t know each other but they all have one thing in common. Their schoolies plans have been ruined before they know it. Anything and everything will happen, break ups, hook ups, friendships ended and new friendship created and for some they find themselves!
I devoured this book, @gabrielletozer nailed the rite of passage that is schoolies a roller coaster of emotions and humour. This was a super light read and perfect for any YA lover.
School done, no more studying for exams and time to let loose and celebrate finishing school!
For Zoe, Samira and Dahlia’s next week it’s time to party with friends, make new friends and forgot about responsibility. No parents no rules and not a care in the world! (Oh to be so carefree again)
Zoe, Samira and Dahlia aren’t friends and don’t know each other but they all have one thing in common. Their schoolies plans have been ruined before they know it. Anything and everything will happen, break ups, hook ups, friendships ended and new friendship created and for some they find themselves!
I devoured this book, @gabrielletozer nailed the rite of passage that is schoolies a roller coaster of emotions and humour. This was a super light read and perfect for any YA lover.
December 6, 2021
DNF at 40%. Maybe this is a consequence of trying to read an average book when I've just finished an amazing book, but I just couldn't do it any more. I won't officially rate it because that's unfair, but suffice to say it was a 2 up to the nearly halfway mark. 😞
March 17, 2022
3.5
Trigger Warnings: Death of a friend recounted, Toxicity, Alcohol Abuse, Cancer
This is not something I'd normally read, but I was feeling adventurous, liked the cover, and thought that I should read it. I was actually surprised by this book.
The plot follows three girls, Zoe, Samira and Dahlia as they go away for a week to celebrate finishing school and to relax. These three girls had no connection to one another and their lives intersect in small ways once they get there. Zoe is struggling to be the perfect daughter, Dahlia is still grieving her friend and Samira is having relationship problems.
The writing was average, it was tolerable. The writing certainly changed depending on which character was talking in the chapter, which differentiates the girls from one another, I found the portrayal of the girls, Dahlia in particular to be really good.
I think the way the characters were different was great and I did think that their different personalities were perfect for the story. I could find something in each of their personalities to relate to, like Samira, I had not very good friends, like Zoe, I try and be perfect and like Dahlia, I have had to let go of things in life and move on from sad events and became closer to others I hadn't been close with before.
Zoe was someone I really enjoyed, while at the start, I struggled but that wasn't because of her, it was because of the writing. Her struggling with strict parents was something I could relate and I loved the process of how she stopped comparing herself to her perfect sister. I also loved how she really wanted to do something with her life, study medicine.
Dahlia was the most complex, in my opinion, her character was portrayed so well and I loved watching her cope with the loss of her friend and also how she becomes closer to Kiki. I enjoyed her and Zoe the most, Zoe because of her struggles with being perfect and Dahlia because of how she struggles to move on with her grief.
Samira was probably my least favourite narrator, I don't really know why but I just found myself more invested in Dahlia and Zoe's chapters. I did like how she moved away from the toxicity and found some much better friends. Also, her relationship with her mother was so adorable.
I loved the way that they didn't directly continue to hang out and be friends, the girls just ran into each other occasionally. It represents how on vacation, you make friends and then you don't see them again because you're going home.
”
I loved how between their perspectives, this book was telling multiple voices, they were suffering so many different things and they just wanted to relax after a stressful year.
There was Zoe, the aspiring medical student, obsessed with trying to be perfect, struggling to live up to her strict parent's expectations and also comparing herself constantly to her sister.
There was Dahlia, who was struggling with the loss of her friend, trying to do things her friend wanted to do, she was struggling to find joy as she was trapped in her own head.
There was also Samira, struggling with homesickness and also with her breakup, she is trying to break away from her toxic friends.
And then between them, there was this aspect of struggling with their lives and decision making after school
Honestly, that was what I loved about this book. The narrative on coming of age and their own struggles was so relevant and cleverly done. It started out at the beginning of the book as really slow, but I'm so glad I decided to stick with this book.
This book was heartwarming due to the way the characters mature and improve, especially with how Dahlia starts getting over her friend dying.
Overall, this book improved as time went on and was an enjoyable read that you didn't need to focus on too much, I really enjoyed Zoe and Dahlia's character arcs and development.
I was so surprised that I enjoyed this since as mentioned previously, this is a book out of my comfort zone, and at the start, I was considering not finishing but I am so glad I did.
Trigger Warnings: Death of a friend recounted, Toxicity, Alcohol Abuse, Cancer
This is not something I'd normally read, but I was feeling adventurous, liked the cover, and thought that I should read it. I was actually surprised by this book.
The plot follows three girls, Zoe, Samira and Dahlia as they go away for a week to celebrate finishing school and to relax. These three girls had no connection to one another and their lives intersect in small ways once they get there. Zoe is struggling to be the perfect daughter, Dahlia is still grieving her friend and Samira is having relationship problems.
The writing was average, it was tolerable. The writing certainly changed depending on which character was talking in the chapter, which differentiates the girls from one another, I found the portrayal of the girls, Dahlia in particular to be really good.
I think the way the characters were different was great and I did think that their different personalities were perfect for the story. I could find something in each of their personalities to relate to, like Samira, I had not very good friends, like Zoe, I try and be perfect and like Dahlia, I have had to let go of things in life and move on from sad events and became closer to others I hadn't been close with before.
Zoe was someone I really enjoyed, while at the start, I struggled but that wasn't because of her, it was because of the writing. Her struggling with strict parents was something I could relate and I loved the process of how she stopped comparing herself to her perfect sister. I also loved how she really wanted to do something with her life, study medicine.
Dahlia was the most complex, in my opinion, her character was portrayed so well and I loved watching her cope with the loss of her friend and also how she becomes closer to Kiki. I enjoyed her and Zoe the most, Zoe because of her struggles with being perfect and Dahlia because of how she struggles to move on with her grief.
Samira was probably my least favourite narrator, I don't really know why but I just found myself more invested in Dahlia and Zoe's chapters. I did like how she moved away from the toxicity and found some much better friends. Also, her relationship with her mother was so adorable.
I loved the way that they didn't directly continue to hang out and be friends, the girls just ran into each other occasionally. It represents how on vacation, you make friends and then you don't see them again because you're going home.
”
I loved how between their perspectives, this book was telling multiple voices, they were suffering so many different things and they just wanted to relax after a stressful year.
There was Zoe, the aspiring medical student, obsessed with trying to be perfect, struggling to live up to her strict parent's expectations and also comparing herself constantly to her sister.
There was Dahlia, who was struggling with the loss of her friend, trying to do things her friend wanted to do, she was struggling to find joy as she was trapped in her own head.
There was also Samira, struggling with homesickness and also with her breakup, she is trying to break away from her toxic friends.
And then between them, there was this aspect of struggling with their lives and decision making after school
Honestly, that was what I loved about this book. The narrative on coming of age and their own struggles was so relevant and cleverly done. It started out at the beginning of the book as really slow, but I'm so glad I decided to stick with this book.
This book was heartwarming due to the way the characters mature and improve, especially with how Dahlia starts getting over her friend dying.
Overall, this book improved as time went on and was an enjoyable read that you didn't need to focus on too much, I really enjoyed Zoe and Dahlia's character arcs and development.
I was so surprised that I enjoyed this since as mentioned previously, this is a book out of my comfort zone, and at the start, I was considering not finishing but I am so glad I did.
February 4, 2022
This book was an interesting mix of light and heavy. I got it on NetGalley ages ago as an early ebook edition. I was in the mood for a light read, so I finally picked it up. I was surprised to find it contained some heavier issues. I’m not marking this as containing spoilers only because everything is front and center within the first few pages and if you read an excerpt, you’d know all of this. But just incase you want to go in with only the description of the book jacket then I’d stop reading here.
Ok, still with me?
This book is about a few groups of teenagers who recently graduated high school. They are taking a kind of spring break like trip. They all different reasons for going.
Zoe worked so hard all through high school and is trying to go to college pre-med. The trip is with her cousins, they were all born so close together that they are more like siblings. Zoe is definitely much closer to her cousins than to her actual,older, “perfect” sister.
At the last minute, Zoe’s parents freak out about the trip and say she can’t go. Given that she’s a legal adult and also paid for the trip herself she decides to go anyway. She sneaks out.
Dahlia is going with her group of friends. Their story is tough. Their best friend died from cancer about a year earlier. She wanted her best friends to take a trip in her memory and leaves money behind for them to take this trip.
The girls are trying to live for her too.
Samira is going with a group of friends and her boyfriend. She hasn’t known any of them that long because she moved to the school during senior year.
She puts all the time and effort into planning the trip and gets no appreciation for it. Her boyfriend dumps her immediately before they leave. She realizes quickly that she’s only really friends with one of the girls. And that girl finds a guy soon after arriving and Samira is kind of left on her own.
I liked how each of these groups was there for a different reason. I will say that I am not great at recalling names so it got hard to keep track of all of the girls and all of their friends.
I am an adult many years past highschool. But I’ll be honest with you, I was never someone who wanted to go on any version of a wild spring break trip. If the teenage drinking might bother you, it’s worth remembering that the characters are probably legal and able to drink at 18 in their country. And honestly, I think it was shown in a light that’s like saying “be careful out there kids”. I don’t know if that sounds corny but I thought the author did a good job of showing these characters on the verge of adulthood, with some big heavy stuff on their shoulders, trying to have fun with their friends without losing control.
Ok, still with me?
This book is about a few groups of teenagers who recently graduated high school. They are taking a kind of spring break like trip. They all different reasons for going.
Zoe worked so hard all through high school and is trying to go to college pre-med. The trip is with her cousins, they were all born so close together that they are more like siblings. Zoe is definitely much closer to her cousins than to her actual,older, “perfect” sister.
At the last minute, Zoe’s parents freak out about the trip and say she can’t go. Given that she’s a legal adult and also paid for the trip herself she decides to go anyway. She sneaks out.
Dahlia is going with her group of friends. Their story is tough. Their best friend died from cancer about a year earlier. She wanted her best friends to take a trip in her memory and leaves money behind for them to take this trip.
The girls are trying to live for her too.
Samira is going with a group of friends and her boyfriend. She hasn’t known any of them that long because she moved to the school during senior year.
She puts all the time and effort into planning the trip and gets no appreciation for it. Her boyfriend dumps her immediately before they leave. She realizes quickly that she’s only really friends with one of the girls. And that girl finds a guy soon after arriving and Samira is kind of left on her own.
I liked how each of these groups was there for a different reason. I will say that I am not great at recalling names so it got hard to keep track of all of the girls and all of their friends.
I am an adult many years past highschool. But I’ll be honest with you, I was never someone who wanted to go on any version of a wild spring break trip. If the teenage drinking might bother you, it’s worth remembering that the characters are probably legal and able to drink at 18 in their country. And honestly, I think it was shown in a light that’s like saying “be careful out there kids”. I don’t know if that sounds corny but I thought the author did a good job of showing these characters on the verge of adulthood, with some big heavy stuff on their shoulders, trying to have fun with their friends without losing control.
September 5, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up
Can’t Say It Went to Plan is a wonderful jaunt about three groups of teens who go on a weeklong vacation after graduation, particularly following Zoe, Samira, and Dahlia. Zoe has held herself to very high standards and is stressfully awaiting college application results. Samira moved to a new school halfway through the year and has planned the perfect vacation for herself and her new friends. Delilah is grief stricken, having lost her best friend Stevie a year ago. Their vacations get off to a rocky start all around but each is optimistic that they will improve, with a little help from some awesome people along the way.
This book felt like a perfect beach read, though I didn’t read a single sentence of it outside. I love the unassuming queer inclusion, the visual references and second hand embarrassment. The unsureness and anxiety and the grief and exhilaration of new experiences.
These vibrant characters shone above their surroundings, which could have been better described. Also, their stories were mostly separate, with some small intersections before the main ones at the end. I wish there had been one big event, or maybe the three main characters meeting up and forming a friend group at some point. Instead, there were a dozen or so side characters with separate experiences that I struggled to keep track of. I would read the chapter character and take several seconds to remind myself what that character had just gotten up to, who their friends were, what day it was. I would also have to remind myself of the character’s friend’s names, in case they were relevant to another character’s story, like if they popped up as a cameo. It was a lot to pause and think over for what I self described as a beach read.
I enjoyed this book as an easy read that dealt with difficult topics like grief, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and bad friends. It was light and passed by quickly with lots of dialogue and a little drama to keep the plot moving. While the ending was somewhat disappointing, given that our three main characters didn’t culminate in the ultimate friend group, I felt genuine emotion at reading their stories.
Can’t Say It Went to Plan is a wonderful jaunt about three groups of teens who go on a weeklong vacation after graduation, particularly following Zoe, Samira, and Dahlia. Zoe has held herself to very high standards and is stressfully awaiting college application results. Samira moved to a new school halfway through the year and has planned the perfect vacation for herself and her new friends. Delilah is grief stricken, having lost her best friend Stevie a year ago. Their vacations get off to a rocky start all around but each is optimistic that they will improve, with a little help from some awesome people along the way.
This book felt like a perfect beach read, though I didn’t read a single sentence of it outside. I love the unassuming queer inclusion, the visual references and second hand embarrassment. The unsureness and anxiety and the grief and exhilaration of new experiences.
These vibrant characters shone above their surroundings, which could have been better described. Also, their stories were mostly separate, with some small intersections before the main ones at the end. I wish there had been one big event, or maybe the three main characters meeting up and forming a friend group at some point. Instead, there were a dozen or so side characters with separate experiences that I struggled to keep track of. I would read the chapter character and take several seconds to remind myself what that character had just gotten up to, who their friends were, what day it was. I would also have to remind myself of the character’s friend’s names, in case they were relevant to another character’s story, like if they popped up as a cameo. It was a lot to pause and think over for what I self described as a beach read.
I enjoyed this book as an easy read that dealt with difficult topics like grief, anxiety, imposter syndrome, and bad friends. It was light and passed by quickly with lots of dialogue and a little drama to keep the plot moving. While the ending was somewhat disappointing, given that our three main characters didn’t culminate in the ultimate friend group, I felt genuine emotion at reading their stories.
September 14, 2021
This is a story about friendship. The school year is over, and students from across Australia are headed out for a trip, schoolies, following the end of their Year 12 exams. The book focuses on three different main characters -- Zoe, Dahlia, and Samira -- each of whom approaches the trip from different places in life. Zoe has always been a top student, who is hoping to study to become a doctor but is waiting to hear about her university applications and is living in the shadow of her high achieving sister. Dahlia suffered the tragic loss of one of her best friends, and is, at that friend's request, reluctantly going on the trip with their other friends, while still dealing with her intense grief. And Samira was a new student to her high school and felt like she quickly made a good group of friends. She took the lead on planning the trip for her friends, but slowly realizes that her friendship with this group may not be all that she thought — and other true friends may be found where she least expects it.
Over the course of the week, each of the three has adventures, and, as the title implies, misadventures, as they meet new people, start new romances, pursue new experiences, and find connections in some of the most unlikely places. As their plans keep going awry and they are forced to navigate unexpected situations, Zoe, Samira, and Dahlia each learn more about themselves and their futures.
I enjoyed this book. It captured well the conflicting emotions of people just finishing high school, as they are on the cusp of a new phase of life and, in many cases, preparing to leave behind their friends and family. I also appreciated how the book depicts a wide range of types of friendships and family relationships. And I thought it was a good choice to have the stories of the three main characters intersect without forcing deeper connections between the three different storylines.
Recommended!
Over the course of the week, each of the three has adventures, and, as the title implies, misadventures, as they meet new people, start new romances, pursue new experiences, and find connections in some of the most unlikely places. As their plans keep going awry and they are forced to navigate unexpected situations, Zoe, Samira, and Dahlia each learn more about themselves and their futures.
I enjoyed this book. It captured well the conflicting emotions of people just finishing high school, as they are on the cusp of a new phase of life and, in many cases, preparing to leave behind their friends and family. I also appreciated how the book depicts a wide range of types of friendships and family relationships. And I thought it was a good choice to have the stories of the three main characters intersect without forcing deeper connections between the three different storylines.
Recommended!
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