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Then Everything Happens at Once
From the Lambda Award-winning author of Girl Mans Up comes an empowering, sex-positive coming-of-age story about a teen exploring first love and desire, as her rocky relationship with her own body and a pandemic threaten to sabotage everything. Perfect for fans of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega and Cool for the Summer. Baylee has never been kissed but she wants to do way more than that. She’s had a huge crush on her gorgeous best friend and neighbor Freddie for years, but since she doesn’t look like his usual type, the judgmental voice in her head tells her he’ll never see her as more than a friend. It feels like she’ll spend the rest of high school fantasizing on the sidelines while everyone else dates and hooks up. Then Baylee meets Alex online and she starts to fall for this sweet, funny barista who likes her just as she is. It’s new, electric, and all-consuming to be around Alex. But when Freddie makes a move on Baylee and a virus shuts the world down, Baylee finds herself torn. Everything is happening at once, and she is left navigating the messy waters of love and desire. It helps that she’s observed her friends’ relationship drama, so she knows exactly what mistakes not to make . . . right? This sophomore novel from M-E Girard centers a fat, confident girl going after what she wants and learning to love herself along the way.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 2023
16 people are currently reading
6845 people want to read
About the author
M.E. Girard
2 books256 followersM-E GIRARD is a Canadian writer of contemporary fiction---mostly young adult fiction, sometimes new adult fiction, usually queer fiction, and always about girls. Her debut novel GIRL MANS UP will be published in September 2016 by HarperTeen/HarperCollins and HarperCollins Canada. M-E was a fellow of the 2013 and 2015 Lambda Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices. Her writing has appeared in Plenitude Magazine. M-E is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Writers' Community of Durham Region.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
October 20, 2022
I love the positive body image message, to love oneself, and the sex positivity sprinkled throughout this book. That being said I have to be honest this wasn’t a book I liked much. I didn’t like the main character because she was dishonest, disrespectful, and too selfish. I understand that Baylee needed to explore her relationships but when there was a lockdown due to COVID and she disregarded the rules, that was a huge letdown. Alex deserved more respect than what she received from Baylee. The deceit and lying was a huge turn off. And I had a hard time with that. Lastly, the ending. Nope I didn’t like it at all. Arghhh, this book was a bit of a letdown for me. Oh well, this was just my opinion but I believe this book will do well for others.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2022
This book started strong, with a diverse cast of characters, rich inner thoughts in the character of Baylee, great Canadian content, and a really underrepresented and loving portrayal of a severe disability in Baylee’s sister Beck. Unfortunately, things really went downhill really fast.
I did not like:
- How unnecessary the love triangle with Alex felt, and how quickly her interest in her waned when Freddie seemed to be into her.
- How Baylee’s serious body insecurity seemed to be forgotten as soon as Freddie expressed interest in her. She moved very quickly into sex with him and although I think the author might have intended for this to communicate sex positivity, it really just seemed unaligned with her character.
- Flaky people. Baylee’s friend Lara, Freddie, and Baylee herself are all unbelievably unreliable and unkind. Though sometimes teenagers can indeed do the wrong thing, this just seems like a weird stereotype about how behave that just isn’t true. That Baylee felt absolutely no guilt when she was dating Alex while sleeping with Freddie? No. That she would defy her mother’s very reasonable expectations with no indication that she had any previous history of defiance? NO! So many strange decisions that didn’t seem to be in line with the characterization at all.
- The inclusion of COVID, and how awful Baylee is about following the restrictions, especially given her sister’s vulnerable status. It just seemed so unbelievable. Yes, it was tough to be a teen during COVID. But sneaking out to have sex with Freddie during the worst of the lockdowns? Unlikely. In the forward, the author noted that she returned to the story and added COVID afterwards. I’m not sure this was the best idea.
-The ending. The resolution with Baylee trying again with Alex totally dismissed how shitty Baylee was to her. NO!!!
Sorry for the rant. I did not like this book. Thank you to Edelweiss and HerperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I did not like:
- How unnecessary the love triangle with Alex felt, and how quickly her interest in her waned when Freddie seemed to be into her.
- How Baylee’s serious body insecurity seemed to be forgotten as soon as Freddie expressed interest in her. She moved very quickly into sex with him and although I think the author might have intended for this to communicate sex positivity, it really just seemed unaligned with her character.
- Flaky people. Baylee’s friend Lara, Freddie, and Baylee herself are all unbelievably unreliable and unkind. Though sometimes teenagers can indeed do the wrong thing, this just seems like a weird stereotype about how behave that just isn’t true. That Baylee felt absolutely no guilt when she was dating Alex while sleeping with Freddie? No. That she would defy her mother’s very reasonable expectations with no indication that she had any previous history of defiance? NO! So many strange decisions that didn’t seem to be in line with the characterization at all.
- The inclusion of COVID, and how awful Baylee is about following the restrictions, especially given her sister’s vulnerable status. It just seemed so unbelievable. Yes, it was tough to be a teen during COVID. But sneaking out to have sex with Freddie during the worst of the lockdowns? Unlikely. In the forward, the author noted that she returned to the story and added COVID afterwards. I’m not sure this was the best idea.
-The ending. The resolution with Baylee trying again with Alex totally dismissed how shitty Baylee was to her. NO!!!
Sorry for the rant. I did not like this book. Thank you to Edelweiss and HerperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
I often find myself either hating or loving young adult books. As an older adult, that's understandable. It can be difficult to relate to teenagers and young adults.
This book gives a voice to .. "not conventionally attractive" group of young adults who often feel like they aren't anyone's type or not desirable to others. The author did a great job making the main character Baylee likeable and relatable. They also covered a slightly "taboo" topic of sex / intimacy for this age group.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
I often find myself either hating or loving young adult books. As an older adult, that's understandable. It can be difficult to relate to teenagers and young adults.
This book gives a voice to .. "not conventionally attractive" group of young adults who often feel like they aren't anyone's type or not desirable to others. The author did a great job making the main character Baylee likeable and relatable. They also covered a slightly "taboo" topic of sex / intimacy for this age group.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
January 30, 2023
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.
Then Everything Happens At Once follows fat Canadian teen Baylee as she navigates complicated friendships on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though this book did have its good moments, particularly with its sex-positive stance and fat representation, ultimately the longer it went the less I could stand it. Baylee, our main character, is, according to the author in their opening note, an outwardly confident girl who struggles with internalized fat phobia. I’m not sure that I buy that — at least, not the outwardly confident part. At one point, Baylee busts her nose in a minor car accident, and upon exiting the vehicle is so convinced that her injury and her weight have made her a spectacle that rather than feigning cool confidence, she outright asks a paramedic if everyone is laughing at her. Of course, there’s no harm in Baylee being deeply broken by fatphobic bullying and the trauma of being a fat person in a world that uplifts skinny people, but in a book where that’s one of the main character’s primary internal conflicts, I would expect these issues to resolve at least partially with Baylee truly coming to a place where she feels capable of loving herself. Instead, she starts sleeping with a boy and just kind of. Stops talking about it.
Beyond the issue of representation, Baylee is really just not a good person. For all the friends she supposedly has, she only ever puts work into relationships that serve her, and even then she walks into every relationship automatically assuming that she is the butt of the joke, the one everyone looks down on, etc. She uses this twisted perspective as an excuse to use people, to the point where she is pointlessly stringing along two people for the bulk of the book. Neither individual forces her to suffer any real consequences for this beyond a couple weeks of radio silence on the part of one character, which is then promptly forgiven and forgotten after one honestly mediocre handwritten letter.
Additionally, Baylee’s younger sister is special needs and has a variety of medical issues that put her at high risk. When COVID hits, despite knowing how important it is to keep her sister safe, Baylee repeatedly and flagrantly breaks quarantine and social distancing and masking rules. When she is subsequently punished by her mother for this behavior, she decides that she is in the right and her mother is being unfair, and then turns around and is given a nice place to stay and a job by a friend’s mom. The issue between Baylee and her mother is ultimately resolved with a single conversation, and Baylee gets to now permanently break quarantine and social distancing guidelines because she disregarded everyone else’s health and forced her family’s bubble to expand.
All of this might still be okay if Baylee at the end of the book felt like she had truly learned anything. But instead, she gets to have her cake and eat it too, and the most she went through was some heavy whining until people decided, with little to no action or redemption on her part, to forgive her.
I don’t want to write this book off entirely, because I do think there may be kids out there who see something of themselves in the way Baylee feels constantly beaten down and broken, but I’m not sure that due diligence has been done here to show good, healthy growth in our troubled main character, and so I’m not entirely sure what audience I would recommend this to, if any.
Then Everything Happens At Once follows fat Canadian teen Baylee as she navigates complicated friendships on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though this book did have its good moments, particularly with its sex-positive stance and fat representation, ultimately the longer it went the less I could stand it. Baylee, our main character, is, according to the author in their opening note, an outwardly confident girl who struggles with internalized fat phobia. I’m not sure that I buy that — at least, not the outwardly confident part. At one point, Baylee busts her nose in a minor car accident, and upon exiting the vehicle is so convinced that her injury and her weight have made her a spectacle that rather than feigning cool confidence, she outright asks a paramedic if everyone is laughing at her. Of course, there’s no harm in Baylee being deeply broken by fatphobic bullying and the trauma of being a fat person in a world that uplifts skinny people, but in a book where that’s one of the main character’s primary internal conflicts, I would expect these issues to resolve at least partially with Baylee truly coming to a place where she feels capable of loving herself. Instead, she starts sleeping with a boy and just kind of. Stops talking about it.
Beyond the issue of representation, Baylee is really just not a good person. For all the friends she supposedly has, she only ever puts work into relationships that serve her, and even then she walks into every relationship automatically assuming that she is the butt of the joke, the one everyone looks down on, etc. She uses this twisted perspective as an excuse to use people, to the point where she is pointlessly stringing along two people for the bulk of the book. Neither individual forces her to suffer any real consequences for this beyond a couple weeks of radio silence on the part of one character, which is then promptly forgiven and forgotten after one honestly mediocre handwritten letter.
Additionally, Baylee’s younger sister is special needs and has a variety of medical issues that put her at high risk. When COVID hits, despite knowing how important it is to keep her sister safe, Baylee repeatedly and flagrantly breaks quarantine and social distancing and masking rules. When she is subsequently punished by her mother for this behavior, she decides that she is in the right and her mother is being unfair, and then turns around and is given a nice place to stay and a job by a friend’s mom. The issue between Baylee and her mother is ultimately resolved with a single conversation, and Baylee gets to now permanently break quarantine and social distancing guidelines because she disregarded everyone else’s health and forced her family’s bubble to expand.
All of this might still be okay if Baylee at the end of the book felt like she had truly learned anything. But instead, she gets to have her cake and eat it too, and the most she went through was some heavy whining until people decided, with little to no action or redemption on her part, to forgive her.
I don’t want to write this book off entirely, because I do think there may be kids out there who see something of themselves in the way Baylee feels constantly beaten down and broken, but I’m not sure that due diligence has been done here to show good, healthy growth in our troubled main character, and so I’m not entirely sure what audience I would recommend this to, if any.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2023
A queer YA coming of age/first love story set during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. I really enjoyed the fat representation in this book with the protagonist, the way she explores her bisexuality and the challenges that lockdown caused for teens still trying to maintain connections (especially those living in households with high-risk family members). This may be a hard read for some not ready to read about pandemic topics but I thought it was really well done and relatable. Great on audio too, written by a new to me Canadian author!
February 25, 2023
Audiobook: This was such a quick listen.
Content Warnings:
I thought the pacing especially in the first half was really quick and flowed nicely.
I really liked the fact that the female MC's mom was also fat. I feel like we do not see that in books with a plus size mc. I could relate so much to different scenarios that Baylee was in as a fat person.
Covid was prominent in the book. The reason why it was so heavily in it especially in the second half is because the female MC's sister has cerebral palsy and could not be compromised with the disease.
Reviews states they hated the cheating/love triangle but I remember the age and I feel like this is stuff that happens and when you want/crave that attention, nothing else matters but feeding those needs. I do not agree with the choices she made but I also think that high school students are doing this.
PS - When I first saw this cover months and months ago, I felt so seen as I thought the female looked like me. It is such a great feeling seeing the representation on a book cover.
Content Warnings:
I thought the pacing especially in the first half was really quick and flowed nicely.
I really liked the fact that the female MC's mom was also fat. I feel like we do not see that in books with a plus size mc. I could relate so much to different scenarios that Baylee was in as a fat person.
Covid was prominent in the book. The reason why it was so heavily in it especially in the second half is because the female MC's sister has cerebral palsy and could not be compromised with the disease.
Reviews states they hated the cheating/love triangle but I remember the age and I feel like this is stuff that happens and when you want/crave that attention, nothing else matters but feeding those needs. I do not agree with the choices she made but I also think that high school students are doing this.
PS - When I first saw this cover months and months ago, I felt so seen as I thought the female looked like me. It is such a great feeling seeing the representation on a book cover.
February 24, 2023
Ugh, I know at times teenagers can be selfish but Baylee really takes the cake. She’s careless and reckless during the height of the pandemic when she knows her mother is worried about her sister with cerebral palsy!
The writing here isn’t bad and there’s great examples of real internal struggles of fat humans but Baylee is just awful. She’s lying to and deceiving everyone and has no care for anyone’s feelings but her own and I found her so frustrating (and im frustrated with the author making the only fat character a bad person despite being the MC., we already get such little media representation and only a small percentage where we’re the lead).
2 stars for decent writing and some good characters.
⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Children’s for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing here isn’t bad and there’s great examples of real internal struggles of fat humans but Baylee is just awful. She’s lying to and deceiving everyone and has no care for anyone’s feelings but her own and I found her so frustrating (and im frustrated with the author making the only fat character a bad person despite being the MC., we already get such little media representation and only a small percentage where we’re the lead).
2 stars for decent writing and some good characters.
⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Children’s for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2023
2.5 man so so disappointing
I was SO excited to read this because I think it's the most represented I've ever felt by a cover? Like there's definitely been covers with fat girls on them before but I feel like this one just has my body type ya know??
Anyway, it follows Baylee. She's in love with her male best friend, Freddy, who of course has always seen her as one of the guys, likely because she's fat and therefore not taken seriously. THE SAME OLD STORY especially when you're not like, super girly (which, it's hard to be when you're fat!!!!!! These days it's easier but as a poor kid in the early 2000s those Walmart's mens basketball shorts had me in a chokehold)
She also is beginning to talk to a guy online who works at a nearby book & coffeeshop. Until she realizes that she was actually just assuming they were a boy and they are actually a girl.
And then, I mean, everything really does happen all at once. She's gone, over the course of a few weeks, from never being kissed to having two love interests. Because Freddy is showing interest in her now, too. It's mighty freakin' convenient that Freddy is interested in her now, because the "now" of the book is spring 2020, when the world is on lockdown. Freddy and Baylee are neighbors and Freddy keeps convincing Baylee to sneak over to his place... Idk, it's just hard to feel like it's not an availability thing, and as someone who's been the ~fat best friend~ I'm just uncomfy with the idea of the timing.
But yeah so the girl, Alex, likes Baylee, but Baylee is kinda blowing her off for multiple reasons, one being that it's COVID and they can't see each other so she doesn't feel very attached to her, but also because Freddy is finally reciprocating Baylee's feelings, even if they're only just having sex. SMH
Idk, between Baylee's dumb ass breaking COVID protocol knowing she has a sick sister at home, all over some dick, and blowing a real relationship, all over some dick, and just being an older person who probably would have risked all that and then some if I was in a similar situation at the same age, because I also wouldn't have had the self esteem to realize I was better than that... It's just a tough read and not a good reading experience.
There is also a LOT about Baylee being fat. She is VERY critical of herself and her body to a point that I'm like, DAMN, I thought we were sorta past that in 2023??? Not to police anyone's feelings lol but it's like sheesh will we ever be liberated from internalized fatphobia
Yeah, clearly a lot of my rating is tied to me just rating my teenage self (and lowly) but guess what!!!! It's my goodreads and I can do what I want
I was SO excited to read this because I think it's the most represented I've ever felt by a cover? Like there's definitely been covers with fat girls on them before but I feel like this one just has my body type ya know??
Anyway, it follows Baylee. She's in love with her male best friend, Freddy, who of course has always seen her as one of the guys, likely because she's fat and therefore not taken seriously. THE SAME OLD STORY especially when you're not like, super girly (which, it's hard to be when you're fat!!!!!! These days it's easier but as a poor kid in the early 2000s those Walmart's mens basketball shorts had me in a chokehold)
She also is beginning to talk to a guy online who works at a nearby book & coffeeshop. Until she realizes that she was actually just assuming they were a boy and they are actually a girl.
And then, I mean, everything really does happen all at once. She's gone, over the course of a few weeks, from never being kissed to having two love interests. Because Freddy is showing interest in her now, too. It's mighty freakin' convenient that Freddy is interested in her now, because the "now" of the book is spring 2020, when the world is on lockdown. Freddy and Baylee are neighbors and Freddy keeps convincing Baylee to sneak over to his place... Idk, it's just hard to feel like it's not an availability thing, and as someone who's been the ~fat best friend~ I'm just uncomfy with the idea of the timing.
But yeah so the girl, Alex, likes Baylee, but Baylee is kinda blowing her off for multiple reasons, one being that it's COVID and they can't see each other so she doesn't feel very attached to her, but also because Freddy is finally reciprocating Baylee's feelings, even if they're only just having sex. SMH
Idk, between Baylee's dumb ass breaking COVID protocol knowing she has a sick sister at home, all over some dick, and blowing a real relationship, all over some dick, and just being an older person who probably would have risked all that and then some if I was in a similar situation at the same age, because I also wouldn't have had the self esteem to realize I was better than that... It's just a tough read and not a good reading experience.
There is also a LOT about Baylee being fat. She is VERY critical of herself and her body to a point that I'm like, DAMN, I thought we were sorta past that in 2023??? Not to police anyone's feelings lol but it's like sheesh will we ever be liberated from internalized fatphobia
Yeah, clearly a lot of my rating is tied to me just rating my teenage self (and lowly) but guess what!!!! It's my goodreads and I can do what I want
April 1, 2024
1.5
liked the plus sized and disability rep alongside the sex positivity.
hated everything else!!! baylee was so insufferable to me and her breaking covid regulations was SOOO infuriating. I was also a teenager during the lockdown, but i never did anything like this and i guess that’s why it was so upsetting to me. also a lot of the characters weren’t properly fleshed out, her conflict with lara felt so cartoony and strange and did not have much substance to it.
I also thought the love triangle was pointless, having her disregard alex as soon as freddie shows interesting and then have them reconcile at the very end WHAT? made me soooo annoyed.
liked the plus sized and disability rep alongside the sex positivity.
hated everything else!!! baylee was so insufferable to me and her breaking covid regulations was SOOO infuriating. I was also a teenager during the lockdown, but i never did anything like this and i guess that’s why it was so upsetting to me. also a lot of the characters weren’t properly fleshed out, her conflict with lara felt so cartoony and strange and did not have much substance to it.
I also thought the love triangle was pointless, having her disregard alex as soon as freddie shows interesting and then have them reconcile at the very end WHAT? made me soooo annoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2022
A highly-bingeable young adult novel about Baylee, a fat teen, trying to navigate the world of family, dating, love, sexuality, and sex all while living in a fat body during Covidian times.
The narrative about the world against fat bodies and how the world isn’t made for them rings true but gives hope for future generations.
This read much like Leah Albertalli and the Simonserse books. The characters are relatable, the dialogue is realistic, and it’s a fun read.
Thanks to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the chance to review an ARC.
The narrative about the world against fat bodies and how the world isn’t made for them rings true but gives hope for future generations.
This read much like Leah Albertalli and the Simonserse books. The characters are relatable, the dialogue is realistic, and it’s a fun read.
Thanks to HarperTeen and Netgalley for the chance to review an ARC.
February 7, 2023
What a colossal disappointment—and the beginning held such promise! It started with good representation of internalized fat phobia but that fell apart once she received external validation once and suddenly it’s not a problem. And the good representation of disability was interesting! But the greedy/cheating bi trope was annoying and the inconsistency and selfishness of Bailey drove me up a wall. More thoughts to come but wow I’m just feeling aggravated!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2022
3.5⭐️
It’s very heartwarming to see how diverse and open the YA genre is becoming as time goes on. It makes me unbelievably happy, and emotional, that kids and teens have access to the types of books I wish I did.
Baylee has had a crush on her friend Freddie for as long as she can remember. But he’s conventionally attractive, desirable, and Baylee can’t ever see someone like him wanting someone like her.
As Baylee prepares to confess to Freddie, she meets Alex, a barista at her favorite coffee place. The two hit it off but at the same time things with Freddie change when Baylee catches him with her supposed best friend and his feelings are forced to come out.
Baylee goes from no relationships, no romance, no interest, to absolutely drowning in attention and hormones and desires. Not only is there that little voice in the back of her head telling her she’s not worth this, but there’s also COVID to deal with. It’s all too much, and Baylee is making spur of the moment decisions that cause more problems than solutions.
I was so smitten with this cover when I first saw the book. A love triangle where the center is a fat, queer girl? It’s like Iron Widow, but make it contemporary (and less poly). I really appreciated that Baylee knew she was bi going into the story. There’s no moment of “oh my god she’s a girl. Why am I attracted to a girl?” There was no gay panic it was simply another facet of the story. Granted, Baylee makes assumptions in the beginning; because Alex is butch Baylee makes the assumption she’s talking to another guy. While she’s reeling from the fact she made that error, it doesn’t change what she originally felt towards Alex.
It’s very YA to have all the shit hit the fan at one moment in time, but for Baylee that feels like an understatement. Her supposed best friend- a conventionally attractive, skinny girl- moves in on Freddie after knowing Baylee’s feelings, which leads Baylee to inadvertently confessing her feelings because teenage boys are notoriously dense. Not to mention she’s seeing Alex at the same time, and there’s this new virus spreading around that Baylee can’t bring home to her ill sister.
The title is really starting to make sense now, huh?
read the rest of my review on my blog: https://megansbookstacks.wordpress.co...
i received a copy from edelweiss & harpercollins in exchange for an honest review.
It’s very heartwarming to see how diverse and open the YA genre is becoming as time goes on. It makes me unbelievably happy, and emotional, that kids and teens have access to the types of books I wish I did.
Baylee has had a crush on her friend Freddie for as long as she can remember. But he’s conventionally attractive, desirable, and Baylee can’t ever see someone like him wanting someone like her.
As Baylee prepares to confess to Freddie, she meets Alex, a barista at her favorite coffee place. The two hit it off but at the same time things with Freddie change when Baylee catches him with her supposed best friend and his feelings are forced to come out.
Baylee goes from no relationships, no romance, no interest, to absolutely drowning in attention and hormones and desires. Not only is there that little voice in the back of her head telling her she’s not worth this, but there’s also COVID to deal with. It’s all too much, and Baylee is making spur of the moment decisions that cause more problems than solutions.
I was so smitten with this cover when I first saw the book. A love triangle where the center is a fat, queer girl? It’s like Iron Widow, but make it contemporary (and less poly). I really appreciated that Baylee knew she was bi going into the story. There’s no moment of “oh my god she’s a girl. Why am I attracted to a girl?” There was no gay panic it was simply another facet of the story. Granted, Baylee makes assumptions in the beginning; because Alex is butch Baylee makes the assumption she’s talking to another guy. While she’s reeling from the fact she made that error, it doesn’t change what she originally felt towards Alex.
It’s very YA to have all the shit hit the fan at one moment in time, but for Baylee that feels like an understatement. Her supposed best friend- a conventionally attractive, skinny girl- moves in on Freddie after knowing Baylee’s feelings, which leads Baylee to inadvertently confessing her feelings because teenage boys are notoriously dense. Not to mention she’s seeing Alex at the same time, and there’s this new virus spreading around that Baylee can’t bring home to her ill sister.
The title is really starting to make sense now, huh?
read the rest of my review on my blog: https://megansbookstacks.wordpress.co...
i received a copy from edelweiss & harpercollins in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2023
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Then Everything Happened at Once is a very apt title for this book. It initially takes its time to set up the scene and its characters in the first half, only to send them into a tailspin in the second. But despite tonally varying in places, I like that the narrative never strayed too far from the central goal of coming-of-age and self-discovery.
Much will likely be made of how this book is set partially during the height of the pandemic. Some readers will pass up on it as a result, and I appreciate that it’s bluntly stated in the blurb to allow readers to make that informed decision. As someone who doesn’t yet have a super strong opinion either way on the matter, and feel that as long as authors are doing it justice, it’s fine, I respect that this was a personal look at how it impacted these specific characters. Granted, the main character makes some terrible choices in that regard, but it does reflect the reality of how some people behaved (and not just the teens either).
Baylee is not always likable, but she is believable. She’s exploring her sexuality, more or less for the first time, and she makes more than a few big mistakes. While the love triangle may be a dealbreaker for some, I personally didn’t mind the messiness with which she explored her attractions to both Freddie and Alex.
And I also appreciate the nuanced exploration of body issues. The author’s introduction, discussing the balance between confidence in oneself and battling internalized fatphobia due to living within a fatphobic society and hearing that messaging constantly was pretty well done.
This is a solid queer YA contemporary, and I recommend it to anyone who likes queer stories with messy protagonists.
Then Everything Happened at Once is a very apt title for this book. It initially takes its time to set up the scene and its characters in the first half, only to send them into a tailspin in the second. But despite tonally varying in places, I like that the narrative never strayed too far from the central goal of coming-of-age and self-discovery.
Much will likely be made of how this book is set partially during the height of the pandemic. Some readers will pass up on it as a result, and I appreciate that it’s bluntly stated in the blurb to allow readers to make that informed decision. As someone who doesn’t yet have a super strong opinion either way on the matter, and feel that as long as authors are doing it justice, it’s fine, I respect that this was a personal look at how it impacted these specific characters. Granted, the main character makes some terrible choices in that regard, but it does reflect the reality of how some people behaved (and not just the teens either).
Baylee is not always likable, but she is believable. She’s exploring her sexuality, more or less for the first time, and she makes more than a few big mistakes. While the love triangle may be a dealbreaker for some, I personally didn’t mind the messiness with which she explored her attractions to both Freddie and Alex.
And I also appreciate the nuanced exploration of body issues. The author’s introduction, discussing the balance between confidence in oneself and battling internalized fatphobia due to living within a fatphobic society and hearing that messaging constantly was pretty well done.
This is a solid queer YA contemporary, and I recommend it to anyone who likes queer stories with messy protagonists.
March 11, 2023
What a disappointment. So many tropes and no realistic character progression for the main character’s relationship with her body and societal anti-fatness —rather simple positive feedback fixes everything??? Ugh.
July 21, 2023
This is a very good character study with teenagers, (albeit Canadian) and being bisexual & fat and possibly in love with your best friend but also they are safe. It’s deeper than that but just read it. Also first book set in the Covid pandemic I’ve read so far.
January 20, 2023
Actual score 2.5
Thank you to HarperTeen for the ACR via a Goodreads Giveaway.
Baylee is a fat teen. She has a huge crush on one of her good guy friends, but she knows that she does not have the type of look that he goes for. One day she meets Alex over a Instagram DM. Soon she starts to develop feelings for Alex. Set in the early days of the C*vid-19 pandemic, Baylee has to deal with budding relationships and lockdowns with a medical fragile sister. How does Baylee handle everything happening at once.
I wanted so hard to like this book. A sex positive book about a plus-sized teen, yes please, but this one just did not connect to me. Baylee is a hot mess in a way that does not feel believable to me. She begins to have these 2 people interested in her (and one of them she has had a crush on for years), but when it comes down to relationships she is as messy as they come and as a reader really confusing.
The ending of this book is also not very satisfying. I wouldn't say that it comes out of left field, but it also doesn't feel like a natural progression. The events of the ending come months after the events of the books.
The one thing that I really liked about this book was Baylee's sister. She is non-verbal with a variety of medical conditions, but she is shown to have a personality and all of the likes and dislikes of any human. It was very obvious that the author didn't just throw her in here for diversity reasons, but because she wanted to share a little bit about a medical fragile character and their families.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2023- "A book with a queer lead"
52 Book Club Challenge 2023- "Chapters have cliffhangers"
Thank you to HarperTeen for the ACR via a Goodreads Giveaway.
Baylee is a fat teen. She has a huge crush on one of her good guy friends, but she knows that she does not have the type of look that he goes for. One day she meets Alex over a Instagram DM. Soon she starts to develop feelings for Alex. Set in the early days of the C*vid-19 pandemic, Baylee has to deal with budding relationships and lockdowns with a medical fragile sister. How does Baylee handle everything happening at once.
I wanted so hard to like this book. A sex positive book about a plus-sized teen, yes please, but this one just did not connect to me. Baylee is a hot mess in a way that does not feel believable to me. She begins to have these 2 people interested in her (and one of them she has had a crush on for years), but when it comes down to relationships she is as messy as they come and as a reader really confusing.
The ending of this book is also not very satisfying. I wouldn't say that it comes out of left field, but it also doesn't feel like a natural progression. The events of the ending come months after the events of the books.
The one thing that I really liked about this book was Baylee's sister. She is non-verbal with a variety of medical conditions, but she is shown to have a personality and all of the likes and dislikes of any human. It was very obvious that the author didn't just throw her in here for diversity reasons, but because she wanted to share a little bit about a medical fragile character and their families.
PopSugar Reading Challenge 2023- "A book with a queer lead"
52 Book Club Challenge 2023- "Chapters have cliffhangers"
December 13, 2022
I think this book felt incredibly realistic and I appreciate that. Baylee is a teenager who has body issues and they are not glossed over or downplayed at all. She has messy relationships, both with her friends and romantic partners, and she struggles to see her own worth at times.
I think that the pandemic was also handled in a believable way. There was so much fear in those early days, and it might be triggering for some to remember how hopeless and apocalyptic everything felt, but this book serves as a fairly accurate time capsule for the spring of 2020.
Overall, I would give this book 4⭐️. I am very curious what the book was like before covid was added to the plot. I wonder if it would have gotten deeper with both of the relationships, or if there would be more consequences for Baylee. I do feel like I wanted more resolution, but that may just be me.
Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
I think that the pandemic was also handled in a believable way. There was so much fear in those early days, and it might be triggering for some to remember how hopeless and apocalyptic everything felt, but this book serves as a fairly accurate time capsule for the spring of 2020.
Overall, I would give this book 4⭐️. I am very curious what the book was like before covid was added to the plot. I wonder if it would have gotten deeper with both of the relationships, or if there would be more consequences for Baylee. I do feel like I wanted more resolution, but that may just be me.
Thank you to HarperTeen and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 19, 2024
goodreads really needs to let us start rating books with decimals. 2.5 rounded down to 2 because the second half of this book was painful to read.
to the author's credit though, the writing style itself wasn't bad at all, it's just some later plot points that i disliked a lot.
also, the description of this book says that covid happens during this book, but to be honest, i thought it would happen way sooner. it happens like at the 1/2 point. not really a complaint, i was just surprised.
the plot is basically the romance (and covid, but i'll get into that later), so first i'll review the characters and their interactions with each other. it is pretty hard to write a review for this book without spoiling it but i'll try my best.
let's start with the main character and both of the love interests.
baylee
baylee is honestly pretty okay for the first half of the book. her struggles with her self-confidence feel very authentic, and i could relate to some of it. however the second that covid happened, her personality did a 180 and i instantly lost all sympathy for her. i could not care less what happens to her, she made the most atrocious decisions in the second half of the book and i'm so mad that the author would ruin her personality, especially since she was a pretty decent character in the first half of the book. she also did not face any real consequences for ANYTHING that she did and everything just magically worked out for her. why.
freddie
okay. i honestly can't remember much about freddie other than the fact that he vapes. personally i have no idea why baylee likes him. he basically has almost no personality because the book is from baylee's perspective and she idolises him :/. the only time he's ever portrayed in a negative light is when he's rejecting baylee or showing interest in anyone else.
alex
alex is this barista that baylee meets online, and the second love interest in the book. there is a (kind of?) plot twist around this so most of this section will be under a spoiler. they still have a romance though and it seems like it's going well until baylee
random side characters
baylee's sister rebecca
she has cerebral palsy and i really liked the way she was written, she has a disability but she's still her own distinct character. i also liked how baylee has a good relationship with her and doesn't resent her, although she does but that was second half of the book baylee so we'll pretend that didn't happen.
alex's friend pen
pen is dating blake and she is very hesitant with baylee and alex's relationship. she thinks that baylee might hurt alex if she isn't serious enough about their relationship, which was she's dating their other friend blake. she also says something that kind of rubs me the wrong way, when baylee asks for her pronouns, she says something like "she/her, but hold the ribbons and bows". HUH???? what is that supposed to mean? i think it's needlessly reenforcing gender stereotypes tbh, like just because your pronouns are she/her does NOT mean that you will automatically like ribbons and bows :/ also saying "bUt hOlD tHe rIbBoNs aNd bOwS" is giving not like other girls.
literally every one of baylee's female friends
okay. so. it became very obvious to me about 1/4 through the book that baylee is in a very different social group than me. despite her insecurities, i think that she is in fact one of the popular kids at school. whenever she goes anywhere, she's taking photos for her instagram, she goes to parties, she hangs out with her friends constantly, she never really mentions school work except in covid, etc. so keep in mind that this is just my opinion, but i think it's unrealistic to have her and her friends only talk about relationships? it's 2024. how about we stop making female characters stereotypical. :/
that's all the characters that i can think of. anyways this book was mid.
to the author's credit though, the writing style itself wasn't bad at all, it's just some later plot points that i disliked a lot.
also, the description of this book says that covid happens during this book, but to be honest, i thought it would happen way sooner. it happens like at the 1/2 point. not really a complaint, i was just surprised.
the plot is basically the romance (and covid, but i'll get into that later), so first i'll review the characters and their interactions with each other. it is pretty hard to write a review for this book without spoiling it but i'll try my best.
let's start with the main character and both of the love interests.
baylee
baylee is honestly pretty okay for the first half of the book. her struggles with her self-confidence feel very authentic, and i could relate to some of it. however the second that covid happened, her personality did a 180 and i instantly lost all sympathy for her. i could not care less what happens to her, she made the most atrocious decisions in the second half of the book and i'm so mad that the author would ruin her personality, especially since she was a pretty decent character in the first half of the book. she also did not face any real consequences for ANYTHING that she did and everything just magically worked out for her. why.
freddie
okay. i honestly can't remember much about freddie other than the fact that he vapes. personally i have no idea why baylee likes him. he basically has almost no personality because the book is from baylee's perspective and she idolises him :/. the only time he's ever portrayed in a negative light is when he's rejecting baylee or showing interest in anyone else.
alex
alex is this barista that baylee meets online, and the second love interest in the book. there is a (kind of?) plot twist around this so most of this section will be under a spoiler. they still have a romance though and it seems like it's going well until baylee
random side characters
baylee's sister rebecca
she has cerebral palsy and i really liked the way she was written, she has a disability but she's still her own distinct character. i also liked how baylee has a good relationship with her and doesn't resent her, although she does but that was second half of the book baylee so we'll pretend that didn't happen.
alex's friend pen
pen is dating blake and she is very hesitant with baylee and alex's relationship. she thinks that baylee might hurt alex if she isn't serious enough about their relationship, which was she's dating their other friend blake. she also says something that kind of rubs me the wrong way, when baylee asks for her pronouns, she says something like "she/her, but hold the ribbons and bows". HUH???? what is that supposed to mean? i think it's needlessly reenforcing gender stereotypes tbh, like just because your pronouns are she/her does NOT mean that you will automatically like ribbons and bows :/ also saying "bUt hOlD tHe rIbBoNs aNd bOwS" is giving not like other girls.
literally every one of baylee's female friends
okay. so. it became very obvious to me about 1/4 through the book that baylee is in a very different social group than me. despite her insecurities, i think that she is in fact one of the popular kids at school. whenever she goes anywhere, she's taking photos for her instagram, she goes to parties, she hangs out with her friends constantly, she never really mentions school work except in covid, etc. so keep in mind that this is just my opinion, but i think it's unrealistic to have her and her friends only talk about relationships? it's 2024. how about we stop making female characters stereotypical. :/
that's all the characters that i can think of. anyways this book was mid.
December 31, 2025
Set in 2020 during the outbreak of COVID, Baylee is an insecure teenager struggling with her weight and sexuality. Always the dutiful wallflower, Baylee's life flips upside down when she meets Alex at the same time her relationship with her long-time crush, Freddie, shifts.
Things I liked:
- discussions around fat acceptance. Love that Baylee didn't go on some insane diet to get thin.
- sex positivity.
- the fact that Baylee is flawed. She's selfish and self-centred.
- the inclusion of queer relationships, particularly bisexuality.
- Baylee's disabled sister, Rebecca. I love that the author made her feel like a whole person.
Things I didn't like (spoilers ahead):
- Baylee makes all sorts of assumptions about other people and their feelings towards her. She's convinced that her skinny best friend, Lara, uses her to make herself feel better. She even thinks that Lara is only upset about the Freddie situation because she can't believe that she - fat girl Baylee - "won". Baylee flings out these accusations at the end of the book. Lara never gets a chance to refute them, so it's presented as fact. What's even weirder is that Baylee and Lara end up friends again without any real resolution.
- Therapy is mentioned numerous times, and Baylee's mum even confirms that her insurance will cover it, but Baylee never goes. Seems like a forgotten plot point.
- The inclusion of covid. It felt shoe-horned in and meant the author couldn't properly explore or resolve Baylee's insecurities. Instead, we get a very dramatic "life or death in the pandemic" tale.
- Baylee's mum is awful. I'm sorry, yes, Baylee is very selfish and self-centred. But it's made clear that her sneaking off with Freddie and being disrespectful are very out of character. As an adult, I felt like Baylee was absolutely crying out for help and clearly struggling. Yet Baylee's mum responds by...isolating her in her bedroom (not just physically, but psychologically) and then kicking her out with nowhere to go in the middle of a pandemic. What would have happened if Freddie's mum hadn't taken her in??!! Baylee is still under the age of 18 and still her responsibility. The author presents her mum's behaviour as reasonable and understandable because Rebecca is the number 1 priority.
It should have been that Baylee's mum organised online therapy for Baylee and maybe spoke to Freddie's mum about the live-in nanny arrangement. Baylee would then have had the hard choice of choosing between her sister and Freddie.
- I don't quite understand what happens to Baylee's feelings towards Freddie or why she ultimately chooses Alex in the end. It would have made more sense if it turned out that Freddie was mostly a fantasy she'd built up in her head.
- Why did Baylee's body image issues disappear during sex with Freddie and not with Alex?
Things I liked:
- discussions around fat acceptance. Love that Baylee didn't go on some insane diet to get thin.
- sex positivity.
- the fact that Baylee is flawed. She's selfish and self-centred.
- the inclusion of queer relationships, particularly bisexuality.
- Baylee's disabled sister, Rebecca. I love that the author made her feel like a whole person.
Things I didn't like (spoilers ahead):
- Baylee makes all sorts of assumptions about other people and their feelings towards her. She's convinced that her skinny best friend, Lara, uses her to make herself feel better. She even thinks that Lara is only upset about the Freddie situation because she can't believe that she - fat girl Baylee - "won". Baylee flings out these accusations at the end of the book. Lara never gets a chance to refute them, so it's presented as fact. What's even weirder is that Baylee and Lara end up friends again without any real resolution.
- Therapy is mentioned numerous times, and Baylee's mum even confirms that her insurance will cover it, but Baylee never goes. Seems like a forgotten plot point.
- The inclusion of covid. It felt shoe-horned in and meant the author couldn't properly explore or resolve Baylee's insecurities. Instead, we get a very dramatic "life or death in the pandemic" tale.
- Baylee's mum is awful. I'm sorry, yes, Baylee is very selfish and self-centred. But it's made clear that her sneaking off with Freddie and being disrespectful are very out of character. As an adult, I felt like Baylee was absolutely crying out for help and clearly struggling. Yet Baylee's mum responds by...isolating her in her bedroom (not just physically, but psychologically) and then kicking her out with nowhere to go in the middle of a pandemic. What would have happened if Freddie's mum hadn't taken her in??!! Baylee is still under the age of 18 and still her responsibility. The author presents her mum's behaviour as reasonable and understandable because Rebecca is the number 1 priority.
It should have been that Baylee's mum organised online therapy for Baylee and maybe spoke to Freddie's mum about the live-in nanny arrangement. Baylee would then have had the hard choice of choosing between her sister and Freddie.
- I don't quite understand what happens to Baylee's feelings towards Freddie or why she ultimately chooses Alex in the end. It would have made more sense if it turned out that Freddie was mostly a fantasy she'd built up in her head.
- Why did Baylee's body image issues disappear during sex with Freddie and not with Alex?
June 23, 2023
Then Everything Happens At Once by M-E Girard is more of a young adult chick lit with romance elements. The story follows Baylee, a sixteen-year-old teen girl who has a crush on her best friend, Freddie, and an emerging crush on a pen pal named Alex. She's also the sister of a disabled sister who is immuno-compromised. The story is set during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic when no one had any ideas on how to stem the curve. But Baylee's mother knew better and made demands that Baylee, for the sake of her sister, stop engaging with all of her friends, especially her crush, Freddie, for the sake of her sister's health. When Freddie begins to date Baylee's other friend, Baylee becomes upset and sets off to create a relationship with Alex, but what she doesn't know is Alex is a female. Prior to learning about Alex's gender, Baylee hadn't been questioning her sexuality. Yet, Alex made Baylee feel desirable, which no other person had ever made her feel before. Ultimately, Baylee finds a way to mess everything up with her mother, Freddie, her other friend, and Alex. The romance story basically evolved into some sort of quadruple. If this all seems like a lot, it was. Baylee wouldn't let a pandemic stop her from having sexual encounters with Freddie. She wasn't honest with Alex or her other friend (whose name escapes me) about her secret relationship with Freddie. The entire story seemed like a journey for Baylee to decide who was the best person for her. Ultimately, this wasn't a true romance with a happily ever after.
Baylee had to grow up and discover which direction she needed to head toward. I don't know how I feel about the entire story. There were relatable parts because I have always been a plus-sized woman and my teen years were extremely challenging. Yet, I felt very little romance between Baylee and Freddie and Baylee and Alex. Surely, there were feelings and hormones, but at the end of the day, there wasn't much to sustain long-lasting relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Baylee had to grow up and discover which direction she needed to head toward. I don't know how I feel about the entire story. There were relatable parts because I have always been a plus-sized woman and my teen years were extremely challenging. Yet, I felt very little romance between Baylee and Freddie and Baylee and Alex. Surely, there were feelings and hormones, but at the end of the day, there wasn't much to sustain long-lasting relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2023
Ok it’s been a day since I finished this book and now that I have sat in it, I am going to explain this rating.
First, I wanna say what I enjoyed. I really liked Becca and the CP rep. I think that was done really well. I loved Baylee and her sister’s relationship. It was so sweet and so heartwarming.
There were so many things I disliked about this book. The main being Baylee, herself. She was so unlikeable. Her entire personality was how much she hated herself and her body. That was it. The entirety of the book, she spent talking down herself and focusing on how “disgusting” she was. As a fat person myself, this just made me so uncomfortable. I feel like this kind of thing written so casually and without Baylee even reconciling and changing her thoughts, is a dangerous precedent for fat teens. Who wants a young fat girl who is already self conscious to read a book about how “embarrassing and disgusting” it is being fat??
Another thing I disliked about this book was how Baylee treated Alex. The girl actually liked her and Baylee was awful to her! Like she kept standing her up and lying to her so she could go off and have sex with Freddy! That’s so awful! Alex deserves so much better.
Lastly, I heard this book was written pre-pandemic but then edited to include the pandemic. I really disliked that addition. I feel like it just didn’t add much to the story. Plus who wants to read about our very recent trauma in this kind of book? It just didn’t work for me. Also: the mom being mad that Baylee went to see one person but still went to her public facing workplace and let multiple nurses into the home? This was such a weird plot line because no adult is that dumb. Obviously there is no comparison between Baylee seeing one person who has contact with only two others vs the seven nurses who also saw other patients and their own families. If the mom had an issue with Freddy’s family, she would also have an issue with the nurses.
Overall, this book was just… a huge no for me. Nothing was believable and nothing felt authentic.
First, I wanna say what I enjoyed. I really liked Becca and the CP rep. I think that was done really well. I loved Baylee and her sister’s relationship. It was so sweet and so heartwarming.
There were so many things I disliked about this book. The main being Baylee, herself. She was so unlikeable. Her entire personality was how much she hated herself and her body. That was it. The entirety of the book, she spent talking down herself and focusing on how “disgusting” she was. As a fat person myself, this just made me so uncomfortable. I feel like this kind of thing written so casually and without Baylee even reconciling and changing her thoughts, is a dangerous precedent for fat teens. Who wants a young fat girl who is already self conscious to read a book about how “embarrassing and disgusting” it is being fat??
Another thing I disliked about this book was how Baylee treated Alex. The girl actually liked her and Baylee was awful to her! Like she kept standing her up and lying to her so she could go off and have sex with Freddy! That’s so awful! Alex deserves so much better.
Lastly, I heard this book was written pre-pandemic but then edited to include the pandemic. I really disliked that addition. I feel like it just didn’t add much to the story. Plus who wants to read about our very recent trauma in this kind of book? It just didn’t work for me. Also: the mom being mad that Baylee went to see one person but still went to her public facing workplace and let multiple nurses into the home? This was such a weird plot line because no adult is that dumb. Obviously there is no comparison between Baylee seeing one person who has contact with only two others vs the seven nurses who also saw other patients and their own families. If the mom had an issue with Freddy’s family, she would also have an issue with the nurses.
Overall, this book was just… a huge no for me. Nothing was believable and nothing felt authentic.
January 15, 2024
2-1/2 stars at most, really disappointed. I really looked forward to finally reading something else by M-E Girard, because I absolutely loved their first book, "Girl Mans Up". I really wanted to love this book, but I just could not enjoy it after the character became so absolutely unlikeable, and in some ways unbelievable. I absolutely hated how selfish she became, being so reckless and endangering her sister's health, and stringing poor Alex along, even after Pen told how she'd been hurt by girls who were just experimenting before. As much as I loved Pen in the first book, I disliked Baylee in this one. I hate that she didn't really face any consequences for her actions, and she absolutely did not deserve for Alex to give her the time of day, much less a second chance. I wanted Pen to kick her ass, and for Alex to find someone worthy of her and leave Baylee to do some much-needed growing up. I felt so bad for Alex. I was honestly hoping the next book would be about Alex moving on after Baylee and finding someone truly awesome who really cared about her, not just how she made them feel. Baylee totally used her. Freddie also started out okay, and quickly lost me; he just seemed like a user, and selfish, too. I guess he and Baylee deserved each other.
I found it unbelievable that the same girl who refused to let in the nurse because she sneezed would turn around and risk her sister's health and life just because she was horney. That didn't jive with how the character of Baylee was portrayed in the first half of the book, being so loving and concerned, never resenting her. The writing and characters in the book seemed very disjointed, which makes sense if what I've read in other reviews is true, about the story having initially been written pre-Covid, and then re-written to include the pandemic. The start of the pandemic is when the characters completely changed and were inconsistent with the way they were portrayed in the first part of the story.
Very disappointing.
I found it unbelievable that the same girl who refused to let in the nurse because she sneezed would turn around and risk her sister's health and life just because she was horney. That didn't jive with how the character of Baylee was portrayed in the first half of the book, being so loving and concerned, never resenting her. The writing and characters in the book seemed very disjointed, which makes sense if what I've read in other reviews is true, about the story having initially been written pre-Covid, and then re-written to include the pandemic. The start of the pandemic is when the characters completely changed and were inconsistent with the way they were portrayed in the first part of the story.
Very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2024
ia dar duas estrelas, pq realmente não entendi foi nada. mas é bem escrito, então dei uma a mais por isso.
mas é uma confusão.
não sei pras outras pessoas, mas se você me diz que a menina queria ter x, e passa o livro buscando x, beijando x e brigando com o povo por x, eu vou investir nisso, certo? pra depois a dona moça só me dizer NO EPÍLOGO que as coisas esfriaram e vai atrás de y que apareceu mais na cabeça dela do que realmente na vida, em trocas entre elas ou mesmo no livro! aí eu vou ficar ~xatiada.
a menina é adolescente e bem gorda, então você vê umas coisas bem punks a partir do ponto de vista dela. ela se odeia (embora jogue umas coisas como se não fosse esse o caso), ela se mete em altas situações desnecessárias, enfim, adolescente fazendo merda, what else is new? mas ela é MUITO autocentrada (ela tem uma irmã com necessidades especiais e fica saindo durante a pandemia!!!! amiga!!!), pra no final dizer "ah, mas não me arrependo, fiz por mim, pois era o que eu precisava" e foi assim que milhares morreram de covid, não é mesmo?
da�� ela se apaixona por qualquer vento que soprar na direção dela, mas como você tá acompanhando a cabeça dela, é super intenso, sendo que depois ela trata como se não fosse nada. até fala em fazer terapia, mas não faz, e aí tem uma conversa com o boyzin e parece que isso resolveu tudo pra ela? sei lá... achei algumas escolhas muito erradas, uns negócios soltos no meio da história, umas opiniões meio esquisitas...
enfim, não engoli muito bem. mas, sim, é bem escrito. só não sabe pra onde ir. e ainda é o que? LONGO PRA KCT! e agora, depois disso, voltei pra duas estrelas haha sorry not sorry
mas é uma confusão.
não sei pras outras pessoas, mas se você me diz que a menina queria ter x, e passa o livro buscando x, beijando x e brigando com o povo por x, eu vou investir nisso, certo? pra depois a dona moça só me dizer NO EPÍLOGO que as coisas esfriaram e vai atrás de y que apareceu mais na cabeça dela do que realmente na vida, em trocas entre elas ou mesmo no livro! aí eu vou ficar ~xatiada.
a menina é adolescente e bem gorda, então você vê umas coisas bem punks a partir do ponto de vista dela. ela se odeia (embora jogue umas coisas como se não fosse esse o caso), ela se mete em altas situações desnecessárias, enfim, adolescente fazendo merda, what else is new? mas ela é MUITO autocentrada (ela tem uma irmã com necessidades especiais e fica saindo durante a pandemia!!!! amiga!!!), pra no final dizer "ah, mas não me arrependo, fiz por mim, pois era o que eu precisava" e foi assim que milhares morreram de covid, não é mesmo?
da�� ela se apaixona por qualquer vento que soprar na direção dela, mas como você tá acompanhando a cabeça dela, é super intenso, sendo que depois ela trata como se não fosse nada. até fala em fazer terapia, mas não faz, e aí tem uma conversa com o boyzin e parece que isso resolveu tudo pra ela? sei lá... achei algumas escolhas muito erradas, uns negócios soltos no meio da história, umas opiniões meio esquisitas...
enfim, não engoli muito bem. mas, sim, é bem escrito. só não sabe pra onde ir. e ainda é o que? LONGO PRA KCT! e agora, depois disso, voltei pra duas estrelas haha sorry not sorry
May 2, 2023
I have so many thoughts about this book.
The representation in this book is fantastic, from disability representation, fat MC and queer characters.
First and foremost, I understand that I am not the target audience for this book. I also acknowledge that I would have loved to see this book when I was a teenager. There was very little fat representation in books while I was growing up.
However, in my late 30s, I cringed and struggled to read how insecure Bailey was. I know the nerves and anxiety of being a fat teenager, and it was just hard to read all the thoughts that have gone through my own head. I just wanna hug her and tell her it’s all going to be OK.
I do wish there was less of the insecurity, but I understand if that is an age thing. And that the insecurity would be very relatable for a YA audience.
However, I did enjoy that there was very little diet culture , other than a regrettable passage about skipping a meal before a date and having eaten more than one plate if alone.
Reading this almost three years from those crazy first days of the pandemic, it was interesting to read from a teenager’s perspective and how uprooting it would have been. Everything is so important at that age and time moves so fast that I could see it being life changing. I definitely enjoyed the deep dive into the experience of someone’s whose life is really just starting right when the world is slowing down.
Overall this was a solid coming of age story.
The representation in this book is fantastic, from disability representation, fat MC and queer characters.
First and foremost, I understand that I am not the target audience for this book. I also acknowledge that I would have loved to see this book when I was a teenager. There was very little fat representation in books while I was growing up.
However, in my late 30s, I cringed and struggled to read how insecure Bailey was. I know the nerves and anxiety of being a fat teenager, and it was just hard to read all the thoughts that have gone through my own head. I just wanna hug her and tell her it’s all going to be OK.
I do wish there was less of the insecurity, but I understand if that is an age thing. And that the insecurity would be very relatable for a YA audience.
However, I did enjoy that there was very little diet culture , other than a regrettable passage about skipping a meal before a date and having eaten more than one plate if alone.
Reading this almost three years from those crazy first days of the pandemic, it was interesting to read from a teenager’s perspective and how uprooting it would have been. Everything is so important at that age and time moves so fast that I could see it being life changing. I definitely enjoyed the deep dive into the experience of someone’s whose life is really just starting right when the world is slowing down.
Overall this was a solid coming of age story.
January 22, 2024
At first, I was excited to read this book, the cover seemed promising. While the writing was nice the actual story was uninteresting. It followed the same plot as every other book about a “teen girl who no one understands”. I also don’t find Bailey relatable at all, while I know I don’t struggle with the same problems as her, she was unbelievably disrespectful and selfish. I honestly did try to trust the process but there was ZERO character development. It may be just because of my preferences in book genres because as I did not enjoy the concept, the actual story writing was wonderful. I’m not sure if Bailey was supposed to come off as this self-centered teen girl but the author did a very good job at portraying how someone like that would think. So I guess this book really depends on your views on teens because some may disagree with the way Bailey was portrayed but others may agree that Bailey represents a vast majority of the teens today. So for ME the book was a 2/5 but that is in no way saying you might not enjoy it more than me!
May 15, 2024
*Spoilers*
This book was about a girls named Baylee who lived in Ontario Canada, This book was set during covid times so it was really about finding herself through relationships and friends ships. She inserted herself into a love triangle with freddie her prior bestfriend and alex a girl who she met online, this leads to her rebelling and hiding things from her mom and putting her immune compromised sister in the line of danger all for her selfish desires.
My original impression of this book was there was going to be lots of body positivity, and talking about relationship troubles for teens, but sadly it was a major let down. Baylee was an extremely unreliable narrator creating a very shaky story to follow. Baylee was very negative towards her body image and the bad situations she created for herself. I think it was the totally wrong message to give to young teens about these sensitive topics. Overall i didn't mind reading it cause the structure of the book was good but would definitely not recommend in the future.
This book was about a girls named Baylee who lived in Ontario Canada, This book was set during covid times so it was really about finding herself through relationships and friends ships. She inserted herself into a love triangle with freddie her prior bestfriend and alex a girl who she met online, this leads to her rebelling and hiding things from her mom and putting her immune compromised sister in the line of danger all for her selfish desires.
My original impression of this book was there was going to be lots of body positivity, and talking about relationship troubles for teens, but sadly it was a major let down. Baylee was an extremely unreliable narrator creating a very shaky story to follow. Baylee was very negative towards her body image and the bad situations she created for herself. I think it was the totally wrong message to give to young teens about these sensitive topics. Overall i didn't mind reading it cause the structure of the book was good but would definitely not recommend in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
I thank Author M-E Gerard, Harper teen and @netgalley for this ARC and I am voluntarily leaving this review. Baylee is constantly dealing with self esteem issues due to her weight and can not imagine being someone's first choice. She has a crush on her friend Freddie but doesn't believe that there's a chance it would ever be reciprocated. When "Alex" slips into her DM's,Freddie is more than excited. Once she gets over the initial shock of Alex's reveal, she goes with the flow. Out of nowhere, Freddie begins to show some interest as well. Now that her life is getting interesting,the coronavirus is putting the brakes on everything. This book was good and will take you right back to the emotions of going through a pandemic. Freddie's self talk about her weight is spot on and heartbreaking.Just remember while reading that teenagers can be selfish,oblivious and also think that they are indestructible Trigger warnings:mentions of coronavirus,caring for a child with CP
March 31, 2023
This book was extremely well written. I loved the format of first person POV interspersed with text messages. The language used was so perfect for the age group. The issues tackled; fatphobia, sex, COVID, relationships, etc were all really well handled and felt like relevant topics to teens.
There were many choices that Baylee, the MC, made that I would not have made, but I completely understand why she made them.
I liked that the end of the story left her relationship status pending. As a teen, that makes so much sense.
Reading about the beginning of the pandemic and all the uncertainty around the restrictions really brought me back. I enjoyed reading about it from a teen's POV, and I understand exactly why things happened the way they did.
Overall, this book was really tough to read because of the issues brought up in it, but I cannot knock any stars off because it was SO WELL WRITTEN. I'm glad I bought it.
There were many choices that Baylee, the MC, made that I would not have made, but I completely understand why she made them.
I liked that the end of the story left her relationship status pending. As a teen, that makes so much sense.
Reading about the beginning of the pandemic and all the uncertainty around the restrictions really brought me back. I enjoyed reading about it from a teen's POV, and I understand exactly why things happened the way they did.
Overall, this book was really tough to read because of the issues brought up in it, but I cannot knock any stars off because it was SO WELL WRITTEN. I'm glad I bought it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2023
2.5 stars
This is my first book that I’ve read that takes place during the Covid pandemic. The story takes place about a month or so prior to the lockdown and a little bit during it. It was so weird and at times hard to read about this topic because it is still pretty recent. Plus, the characters did not respect the rules that were put forth. So it was realistic because a lot of people didn’t listen, but it was also really hard to read because I’m like guys stop doing that!! Anyways, besides all that, I still didn’t care for the story. Baylee was getting on my nerves because she made 90% of her personality about how much she hated her body. It was too much self hatred. I struggled with the romance too because she was just being so annoying about it! I just wanted her with Alex and to stop it with Freddie. I did not like him at all! Overall, not the book for me.
Content warning: Covid, body shaming, infidelity, car accident
This is my first book that I’ve read that takes place during the Covid pandemic. The story takes place about a month or so prior to the lockdown and a little bit during it. It was so weird and at times hard to read about this topic because it is still pretty recent. Plus, the characters did not respect the rules that were put forth. So it was realistic because a lot of people didn’t listen, but it was also really hard to read because I’m like guys stop doing that!! Anyways, besides all that, I still didn’t care for the story. Baylee was getting on my nerves because she made 90% of her personality about how much she hated her body. It was too much self hatred. I struggled with the romance too because she was just being so annoying about it! I just wanted her with Alex and to stop it with Freddie. I did not like him at all! Overall, not the book for me.
Content warning: Covid, body shaming, infidelity, car accident
May 14, 2024
(Review contains spoilers!!) Book Study, English 9 student
This book starts off with a girl named Baylee, she struggles with her body image and her way of keeping friendships. This book is based during the pre-COVID19 times which leads into the pandemic.
Baylee is currently in a love triangle with her bestfriend Freddie and someone named Alex who we thought was a boy at first, but they turned out to be girl. But that doesn't stop Baylee from experimenting with her Sexuality.
She ends up being more than friends with Freddie and sorta left Alex out of the photo, until Baylee drops that she wants to just be "Friends with Benefits" with Freddie. After that she focuses on herself and eventually makes up with her other bestfriend Laura after Baylee found out that Her and Freddie liked each other.
Its a great book for people who are into LGBTQIA2+ Books and a light romance read. But in my opinion i wouldn't grab it off the shelf if I saw it.
This book starts off with a girl named Baylee, she struggles with her body image and her way of keeping friendships. This book is based during the pre-COVID19 times which leads into the pandemic.
Baylee is currently in a love triangle with her bestfriend Freddie and someone named Alex who we thought was a boy at first, but they turned out to be girl. But that doesn't stop Baylee from experimenting with her Sexuality.
She ends up being more than friends with Freddie and sorta left Alex out of the photo, until Baylee drops that she wants to just be "Friends with Benefits" with Freddie. After that she focuses on herself and eventually makes up with her other bestfriend Laura after Baylee found out that Her and Freddie liked each other.
Its a great book for people who are into LGBTQIA2+ Books and a light romance read. But in my opinion i wouldn't grab it off the shelf if I saw it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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