The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - Restarting August 24th 2020

[Irena BookDustMagic]

From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.

Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.

Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.

So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.

Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?

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TJ and I will be reading this from May 10th on.
Everyone, feel free to join us!

[Irena BookDustMagic]

I am at chapter 3 right now and pretty much enjoying it.
The writing style is amazing and it reads pretty quickly.

(view spoiler)[ I love her friends and I wonder where the story's gonna go, and if Topher's gonna be around even though it's already pretty clear who she's gonna end up with. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

I have this book, but I can't start until next week :-(

[Irena BookDustMagic]

That's okay Berit, TJ probably won't be able to start it soon either. You can join us when you can and we'll discuss it with you. :)

[Irena BookDustMagic]

I'm half way trough and really enjoying it so far!
(view spoiler)[ it is a bit odd how Clark can't find words for his novel. But it is odd how he can't write anything in between...
I like how healthy this relationship is. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

I'm starting this tonight :-)

[Irena BookDustMagic]

Berit wrote: "I'm starting this tonight :-)"

Cool! I'm lookimg forward to discuss it with you.

Yesterday, I got to chapter 18
(view spoiler)[ I knew Bri was with W from the very day that it happened. I kind of am surprised how come others didn't get it.
I understand that Andie was head over hills and didn't pay much attention to anything, but how come others didn't see it??
And that scene with cat and Andy cought them together was sooo predictable. I KNEW it would happen that way from the momendt Andy recieved a call to pick up Cupcakes.

However, I like how it developed in an unpredictable way.

If I was Toby, I wouldn't forgive. I mean, she could have wait at least a couple of weeks before hooking up with W.
I know that kind of selfish bit*hes and it seems like everyone forgives them and they just keep being selfish backstabbers for the rest of their lives. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

Chapter4(view spoiler)[ interesting her being a dog walker, probably the job I would want least for the summer, also I'm going to predict that this Gregory guy will be a love interest for Toby, even if she believes in romantic comedy love, this might be a more practical kind… (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

Chapter 10(view spoiler)[ I like to how her and her dad negotiated things… (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

I also love that Clark(view spoiler)[ brought her his book on audio (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

Chapter 19(view spoiler)[ what a mess! I was pretty sure Wyatt liked Bree, I don't think keeping it from Toby was a good choice. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting June 15th AND 20th 2016. Happy Reading ☺

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[CallMeSensei]

I need a break from my current fantasy reads for something light! I'll more than likely start this today--just a little bit early :)

[CallMeSensei]

End of chapter 4: A couple of things:

(view spoiler)[ First, I love the cover of this... both naked and with the sleeve on. I think that's what made me want to pick up this book so bad (I've never read anything from Morgan Matson before though I've heard rave reviews).

Second, the father being a politician reminds me slightly of My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick & the little inserts from the fantasy novel reminds me of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. (This has no bearing on this novel... just something that popped in my head while I was reading.)

The relationship between Andie and her dad certainly seems strained. I wonder if they were ever close? If it was the mother's death that started their strained relationship? Maybe he was always a stranger...

I like Andie's relationship with her friends... they seem quirky and like a good support system. Her relationship with Topher is interesting though I'm guessing the main love interest will be Clark. I love his nerdy shirts and the fact that Andie has NO clue what they're about. (hide spoiler)]

[CallMeSensei]

End of chapter 9: (view spoiler)[ Is it weird that I can completely connect with Andie and her rules? I guess I'm a bit of a control freak as well.

I think it was cute how they had a bad first date and then circumstances put them back together so they could talk about real stuff. (Though I felt bad for the poor pupper! :( )

I couldn't believe the dad... where did he get off? I mean, I now he's her dad but he checked out for FIVE years and left her to her own devices. Where does he get off getting mad? And the thing is, that even if she doesn't have a curfew, Andie tries hard to stay out of the limelight and doesn't resort to any of the bad things teenagers can get up to when they feel neglected... I wanted to punch him.

Clark is adorable. And he has the same reaction to someone that doesn't read that I feel like I would... or any one of us that frequent Goodreads. Haha.

That moment at the end of chapter 9 was so freaking cute, too! I think this book is exactly what I need right now. (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

CallMeSensei wrote: "I need a break from my current fantasy reads for something light! I'll more than likely start this today--just a little bit early :)"

Copy that, Jordan. I can highly recommend , which I am currently buddy reading and about 3/4ths though. It's not light (although there are some hilarious, light parts), and it's not fantasy.

[T.J.]

Chapter 2 (10%)
(view spoiler)[
I couldn't really get into Andie's friends and their social lives. But the dynamic between Andie and her father, considering the circumstances they are now facing, is really interesting. Also the Topher-Andie relationship interests me.
(hide spoiler)]

[CallMeSensei]

TJ wrote: "Copy that, Jordan. I can highly recommend..."

It sounds good but it sounds like it will probably make me cry...

[CallMeSensei]

End of chapter 14: So I have a few theories:

(view spoiler)[ 1. Something, maybe his job?, is going to ruin the fragile relationship put back together between Andie and her dad.
2. Wyatt is totally into Bri--and something definitely happened between them during the scavenger hunt.
3. Somehow, I think, Topher is going to come between Andie and Clark.
4. The end of the summer, Clark moving back to Colorado-thing, is going to be part of the climax.

I'm still really enjoying this story. I like that the side characters add something more and realistic to the story. There's more than just the romance! (hide spoiler)]

[CallMeSensei]

Finished !

(view spoiler)[So I was pretty much right about things imploding. Topher doesn't come between Andie and Clark but we certainly see him again. Everything seems to go kaboom at the same time... and then they have to put it all back together (for the most part) at the same time. I loved using the dad's tour bus... very road trip-y and dramatic!

I don't really have any complaints about this book. It was exactly what I wanted and written very beautifully. I especially like the fantasy novelist thing and that they're sharing a story back and forth. That's a very adorable and satisfying note for the novel to end on! Loved this. (hide spoiler)]

[CallMeSensei]

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1662697505

[Adriana]

Ch. 1 (view spoiler)[ Sheesh! The father daughter dynamic is so broken. The moment with her flashback of her mother pulled on my heart strings. It must be terrifying to watch someone die that you love right in front of you.

I'm liking the text messages so far. I think it's brilliant. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 2 (view spoiler)[ Topher's pretty cute but I have a feeling she is going to get snatched up by someone else. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 3 (view spoiler)[ I had a feeling she was going to be forced to stay...I'm honestly surprised she finds the boy with a glasses and a Star Wars shirt cute. I just didn't think he would be her type the way she is. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 4 (view spoiler)[ I knew last chapter but he will definitely be the love interest. It's still surprising to me but once I get to know them together I'm sure I'll love them together. I have a feeling she's going to end up screwing it up though.

I'm liking all the friends and their dynamic. It's really hard to picture them in my mind though. Too many girls I guess? (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 5 (view spoiler)[ Of course she's going to walk his dog! I thought before that he was the other dog walker but I guess they might not have been able to hang out with different dog walking schedules... His nervousness is making me warm up to him although I still don't get them together. Maybe I'm judging Andie too hard?? He reminds me of my shyness so yay ^__^

So much awkwardness with her dad at that dinner. He's trying I guess but he doesn't know anything about her I'm sure. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 6 (view spoiler)[ Tom is such a weirdo and I'm really liking his relationship with Palmer. Toby and Bri's friendship is also pretty awesome.Toby's obsession with Wyatt is pretty endearing.

Clark is a writer of a bestselling series... Um he is pretty much perfect right now. Their date is really sad. Clark and her friends called her out on her shit which I thought she deserved. How can you not talk about yourself when you are on a date? Although I get why she didn't want to talk about her mom.

That bet is going to be really interesting. Toby is a special snowflake for sure.

Ah, and they found a way to get Clark and Andie together. They will bond now I'm sure. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 7 (view spoiler)[ I loved that she finally opened up! I can see them together now. I feel like thenphrase coin of the realm is going to be used in his book. And I knew she forgot to tell her dad! There's going to be a fight with him for sure. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 8 (view spoiler)[ That blowout was well deserved on her father's part. Seriously deserved. He needed the wake up call. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 9 (view spoiler)[ I can't believe she was still so okay with being grounded. I would havebstill been annoyed especially since she hasn't been parented in five years.

That was such a cute ending to the chapter 'It's you -- of course it is. There you are.' (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 10 (view spoiler)[ I'm beyond happy that they are continuing the Karl and Marjorie story. I feel like he will end up creating a book about them.

The dad's interest in his daughter's life and Clark's book makes me really happy.

Toby rwally needs to get over Wyatt. I have a feeling that Bri and Wyatt are going to be a thing based on a small moment with them laughing. That won't end well if it does become something. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 11 (view spoiler)[ Haha!!! Andie now knows the pain of a reader. I don't get why Clark doesn't make a story about Tamsin's brother for the third book. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Ch. 12 (view spoiler)[ That scavenger hunt was epic!!! I'm so surprised that Clark dtole her keys! That's cheating! I would have not kissed him... I knew it. Bri and Wyatt are going to cause so much havoc. (hide spoiler)]

[Adriana]

Done (view spoiler)[ I'm completely happy with this book. That moment with her talking about Marjorie and Karl's ending had me in tears. I read a few times because I'm such a sap.for love. I'm sad about Bri and Toby. Toby is basically making new friends and leaving behind the old. I really hope they all get back together :/
I never agreed with Tovy getting that mad. I understand that it would hurt like hell if my friend did that to me without telling me first how much she cared about the guy that I didn't even date. I don't think Toby would have let Bri date him even if she asked before. (hide spoiler)]

[CallMeSensei]

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 5 Of course she's going to walk his dog! I thought before that he was the other dog walker but I guess they might not have been able to hang out with different dog walking schedules... His ner..."

I thought Clark would be another dog walker too!

[CallMeSensei]

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 9 I can't believe she was still so okay with being grounded. I would havebstill been annoyed especially since she hasn't been parented in five years.

That was such a cute ending to the chapt..."

I love the ending of this chapter. So cute!

[T.J.]

Sorry, I got a bit behind. Work is holding me back from my true calling: reading and writing! ;)

CallMeSensei wrote: "It sounds good but it sounds like it will probably make me cry..."

Yes, The Loose Ends List has actually brought tears to my eyes. But the cool thing is that the content doesn't let you dwell on any sad aspect. I had tears in my eyes yesterday, and literally 20 seconds later I was laughing out loud.

[T.J.]

Chapter 4 (21%)

(view spoiler)[
So I’m guessing that C.B. McCallister is Clark. In light of his science-fiction geek T-shirts (Star Wars and I’m guessing Dr. Who), he seems like he could be a fantasy novel writer. The way the man at the library said, “Goddam kid” made me suspicious. And Bertie is clearly not Clark’s dog, so there must be some other story behind what Clark is doing there.

Andie’s dad is truly pissing me off! First he ignores her for years, then she loses her recommendation for the Young Scholars program and it’s his fault! Then he is so absorbed in his own self-pity that he doesn’t even wait for an answer from Andie as to what happened, why she is not going, and what she will be doing instead.

This all makes me respect Andie even more. She has basically raised herself, and now her ability to quickly switch gears, not get caught up in self pity, but to go for a Plan B, even though Plan B is a huge step down in her mind, has impressed me.
(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Regarding Andie's Relationship with her father:
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 1..."
CallMeSensei wrote: "End of chapter 4: A couple of things:
(view spoiler)[
CallMeSensei wrote: "The relationship between Andie and her dad certainly seems strained. I wonder if they were ever close? If it was the mother's death that started their strained relationship? Maybe he was always a stranger..."

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 1 Sheesh! The father daughter dynamic is so broken. The moment with her flashback of her mother pulled on my heart strings. It must be terrifying to watch someone die that you love right in front of you."

I know. It's terrible. I feel for both of them. It looks like Andie's father threw himself into his work as a coping mechanism. I don't believe Andie ever properly grieved. I think her ambitious drive is an attempt to distract her from missing her mom, or from getting closure.

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Regarding Andie's friends:
CallMeSensei wrote: "End of chapter 4:
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 4..."
(view spoiler)[
Adriana wrote: "I'm liking the text messages so far. I think it's brilliant."

CallMeSensei wrote: "I like Andie's relationship with her friends... they seem quirky and like a good support system."

Adriana wrote: "I'm liking all the friends and their dynamic. It's really hard to picture them in my mind though. Too many girls I guess?"

At first I was annoyed with the texts and the friends. I think their conversation topics were too superficial for me.

But as the story progresses, I'm beginning to appreciate the dynamics. I think that the 4 girls are substantially different enough (at least in looks, I'm not sure yet about personality, but I am feeling more differentiation as I go).

Here's what I have in my head (I'll have to check to see if I have this right). Andie has long, straight blonde hair, average height, beautiful, never had a lasting relationship (more than 3 weeks), ambitious, wants to be a doctor. Bri, tall, long legs, Indian ancestry, beyond beautiful, a bit more serious and less outspoken (compared to Toby), doesn't have a boyfriend, but gets hit on a lot, a bit aloof. Toby, shorter, curvey figure, has wavy/thick blondish hair, no boyfriend, but wants one, doesn't get hit on very often, kind of silly/funny/entertaining. Palmer, brown hair, average looks, average personality (doesn't seem to stand out), stable, head on her shoulders, feet on the ground, steady boyfriend.

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Regarding Andie's Love Interest(s):
CallMeSensei wrote: "End of chapter 4: A couple of things:..."
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 3 [spoilers removed]"
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 4 [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[

Adriana wrote: "I'm honestly surprised she finds the boy with a glasses and a Star Wars shirt cute. I just didn't think he would be her type the way she is."

I'm not surprised that she finds him cute, but I do agree that his is not her type... at all... which is why I hope they get together. She needs something new. Three-week-long relationships? Ya, she's not finding what she needs/wants. Although, I don't think she really has a grasp of what she really needs or wants.

Adriana wrote: "I knew last chapter but he will definitely be the love interest. It's still surprising to me but once I get to know them together I'm sure I'll love them together.

Me too.

Adriana wrote: "I have a feeling she's going to end up screwing it up though."

You're probably right. She has no real concept of what being in a relationship means. Her dad has not (at least in recent years) given her any good example of what commitment and healthy relationships look like.

CallMeSensei wrote: "Her relationship with Topher is interesting though I'm guessing the main love interest will be Clark. I love his nerdy shirts and the fact that Andie has NO clue what they're about."

Ha ha ha! That is too funny! They both are living quite sheltered lives, so they definitely can broaden each others' horizons!

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

More About Andie's Love Interest(s):
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 5..."
CallMeSensei wrote: "Adriana wrote: "Ch. 5 "
(view spoiler)[
Adriana wrote: "Of course she's going to walk his dog! I thought before that he was the other dog walker but I guess they might not have been able to hang out with different dog walking schedules...

CallMeSensei wrote: "I thought Clark would be another dog walker too!"

I guessed that Andie would walk Clark's dog the minute I discovered that she was going to be a dog walker. I didn't think Clark would be a dog walker -- he knew nothing about dogs. (Although for a summer job, I guess that doesn't matter). Andie, despite claims made to the contrary by herself and her father, has a natural disposition to be a dog lover. She just never had the opportunity.

I assumed the first time that Andie met Clark that she would definitely be seeing him again... His Star Wars T-Shirt sealed the deal for me... ;)

Adriana wrote: "His nervousness is making me warm up to him although I still don't get them together. Maybe I'm judging Andie too hard?? He reminds me of my shyness so yay ^__^"

I can say from experience that I, like Andie, was an outgoing and ambitious teenager, who was too busy/active to have a long-term relationship in high school... but I also snatched me up a sweet, shy guy... so opposites attract! (hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 6 ..."
(view spoiler)[
Adriana wrote: "Clark is a writer of a bestselling series... Um he is pretty much perfect right now."

Bingo! I called that one! :D

(hide spoiler)]

[Luckyreadingreviews]

starting

[T.J.]

Lucky wrote: "starting"

Welcome, Lucky!

[T.J.]

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 8 [spoilers removed]"
Adriana wrote: "Ch. 9 [spoilers removed]"
CallMeSensei wrote: "End of chapter 9: [spoilers removed]

(view spoiler)[
Adriana wrote: "That blowout was well deserved on her father's part. Seriously deserved. He needed the wake up call. "

So true! It was way overdue! And Andie had kept her cool, and played the politician's perfect daughter for soooooo long....

Adriana wrote: "I can't believe she was still so okay with being grounded. I would havebstill been annoyed especially since she hasn't been parented in five years."

CallMeSensei wrote: "I couldn't believe the dad... where did he get off? I mean, I now he's her dad but he checked out for FIVE years and left her to her own devices. Where does he get off getting mad? And the thing is, that even if she doesn't have a curfew, Andie tries hard to stay out of the limelight and doesn't resort to any of the bad things teenagers can get up to when they feel neglected... I wanted to punch him."

Andie's father was totally out of line! How could he ground her if he didn't give her a curfew? She didn't break any rules, because there were no rules to break. I would have called him on that. It was infuriating!

On the other side, I see that Andie's dad didn't know that there was no curfew and there were no rules, so I get that he was worried out of his mind. Andie could have been kidnapped -- he is (was) a big-wig politician.

Still, once it was clarified that Andie hadn't been given a curfew -- for like 5 years -- and she hadn't broken any rules, nor had she purposely tried to worry her father, and, moreover, she had adverted a crisis and saved a dog's life... then there should have been no grounding. I wouldn't have accepted that.

But... I get the feeling that Andie is so happy to have her father back, and happy to have someone who actually cares enough to give her a curfew and worry if she doesn't come home, that she is willing to roll with that.


CallMeSensei wrote: "End of chapter 9: Is it weird that I can completely connect with Andie and her rules? I guess I'm a bit of a control freak as well.

Not weird at all. I called the shots in all my youthful relationships. (Even with my now husband) -- it was my way or the highway.

CallMeSensei wrote: "I think it was cute how they had a bad first date and then circumstances put them back together so they could talk about real stuff. (Though I felt bad for the poor pupper! :( )

Lol! I loved that! (Not the sick pupper part, of course...).

CallMeSensei wrote: "Clark is adorable. And he has the same reaction to someone that doesn't read that I feel like I would... or any one of us that frequent Goodreads. Haha.

Hahahahahaha! That was hilarious!


(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Chapter 10 (58%)
I actually laughed out loud for the first time in this chapter:
(view spoiler)[
When they were all on the beach talking about Toby's curse and Clark's books -- the ones about dragons and curses...

ha ha ha ha ha ha!


(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Adriana wrote: "Ch. 12 [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[
Adriana wrote: "That scavenger hunt was epic!!! I'm so surprised that Clark dtole her keys! That's cheating! I would have not kissed him... I knew it. Bri and Wyatt are going to cause so much havoc."

Ya! The scavenger hunt was great! I think I'll take some clues for the scavenger hunt I am preparing for this summer... :D

I love that Clark has a group of friends now. Friends who go on quests. That should give him some real inspiration for the novel he's secretly working on...

And taking the keys? Brilliant! Bribing the waitress, buying all the blue gumballs? All is fair in love and scavenger hunts!

Like you, I suspected Wyatt was interested in Bri -- at the pool party, at the beach, he was always paying her more attention to Bri than anyone else. Still, I though Bri was going to shoot him down. Friends first! Now after the scavenger hunt, I'm sure she won't. Instead, she's going to try to set Toby up. That'll never work. (I mean even if Toby gets a boyfriend, it'll never work out that Bri can just start dating Wyatt). The harmonic 4 are about to be broken up for the first time, I fear... Too bad.

(hide spoiler)]

[T.J.]

Finished!
I absolutely loved it -- which I certainly didn't think I was going to went I started reading it... More thoughts to come...

[Jackie]

Irena wrote: "I am at chapter 3 right now and pretty much enjoying it.
The writing style is amazing and it reads pretty quickly.

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree that her friends are pretty cool. I would love to have a group of friends like hers.:) I think the book's pretty slow right now though. (hide spoiler)]