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Over You
An intense friendship fractures in this gritty, realistic novel from the author of Beautiful, Clean, and Crazy, which School Library Journal called compelling and moving.
Max would follow Sadie anywhere, so when Sadie decides to ditch her problems and escape to Nebraska for the summer, it's only natural for Max to go along. Max is Sadie's confidante, her protector, and her best friend. This summer will be all about them. This summer will be perfect.
And then they meet Dylan. Dylan is dark, dangerous, and intoxicating, and he awakens something in Max that she never knew existed. No matter how much she wants to, she can't back away from him.
But Sadie has her own intensity, and has never allowed Max to become close with anyone else. Max doesn't know who she is without Sadie, but she'd better start learning. Because if she doesn't make a decision about Dylan, about Sadie, about herself it's going to be made for her.
Max would follow Sadie anywhere, so when Sadie decides to ditch her problems and escape to Nebraska for the summer, it's only natural for Max to go along. Max is Sadie's confidante, her protector, and her best friend. This summer will be all about them. This summer will be perfect.
And then they meet Dylan. Dylan is dark, dangerous, and intoxicating, and he awakens something in Max that she never knew existed. No matter how much she wants to, she can't back away from him.
But Sadie has her own intensity, and has never allowed Max to become close with anyone else. Max doesn't know who she is without Sadie, but she'd better start learning. Because if she doesn't make a decision about Dylan, about Sadie, about herself it's going to be made for her.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2013
About the author
Amy Reed
24 books1,071 followersAmy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually graduated from film school, promptly decided she wanted nothing to do with filmmaking, returned to her original and impractical love of writing, and earned her MFA from New College of California. Her short work has been published in journals such as Kitchen Sink, Contrary, and Fiction. Amy currently lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats, and has accepted that Northern California has replaced the Pacific Northwest as her home. She is no longer restless. Find out more at amyreedfiction.com.
BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.
BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
March 23, 2013
"And just like Eve, she was curious, not a becoming trait for a woman. What hubris it was to think for herself, to wonder, to do contrary to what she was told; what a crime to want to know what was in that famous box. In a moment of defiance, she opened it, releasing all the evil into the world. It spilled over the land like storm clouds; it darkened the sky black. The acrid smoke seeped into every pore of every soul, infecting mankind with a filth that could never be washed off.
This is what made her famous: her illicit box; that dirty, forbidden thing.
But no one ever talks about what was at the bottom of the box, hidden under layers upon layers of suffering. With the storm clouds thrashing in the sky grabbing all the attention, no one noticed the tiny pearl of light that remained at the bottom, the little crumb of hope like a lonely afterthought.
But shame is stronger than hope and of course the first woman invested that, too."
Amy Reed's latest novel comes with everything readers who have been fans of Reed have come to expect: compelling characters, a strong back story to all of those characters, fluid and strong writing, and a story line that keeps you going through to the end, never wanting to set the book down. What Over You adds that takes this book from being a really good one to an outstanding one is how it goes from being a story about a friendship -- an unhealthy one -- to being a story about independence and, at heart, about feminism.
Sadie's been kicked out of her house by her father for drinking too much, and she's being sent to live with her mother Lark on her farm in rural Nebraska. Sadie, unable to do anything alone or for herself, begs her friend Max to join her on the trip. She agrees, and the story begins as both wait at a bus stop to be picked up by Sadie's mother's boyfriend/stepfather/romantic partner.
Max is the one telling the story. Max lives for Sadie and would follow her anywhere. They're best friends; they love each other; they're connected at the hip. There have been times when Sadie's been Max's romantic interest, too, where the lines between best friend and romantic interest and the feelings therein have blurred a bit, and Sadie's allowed Max to indulge in those feelings.
Allowed.
But once the two girls get to the farm and find they're going to be housed together in a small trailer on a farm where sustainability and intentional living are the keys to success and happiness, Sadie contracts an illness that forces her to quarantine. Max can't handle it -- she can't be away from Sadie, can't be away from the girl who helped her find her way in the world. It's especially distressing at the farm, since this is the place where Max didn't necessarily want to fit in. Didn't necessarily want to be separated from Sadie because Sadie is her best friend and the person who helps direct the course of her life.
Of course, that forced separation is what Max needs to realize that Sadie is no friend.
Sadie is the kind of girl who needs to have power in a situation. Who needs to be doted upon. And Max realizes this when Sadie's illness means that Max is good for nothing BUT giving into Sadie's demands and wishes. Sadie doesn't love her; Sadie uses her.
There's another element to this story, and that comes in the form of Dylan. He's the boy Sadie had her eyes on when they first got to the farm, and he's the boy who Max finds herself spending a lot of time with now, as Sadie's taken sick. Slowly, Max finds herself falling for Dylan. He's mysterious and dark and aloof -- all of the things that Max found so compelling about Sadie.
He's her replacement, which means...he's not going to be good for Max either.
So what's the point when Max says enough is enough?
Well. That's the farm. The point of the farm. It's the state of Nebraska. It's Max remembering her own passion for mythology. It's the entire idea of the phoenix, destroying herself and then rebuilding herself from the ashes.
Reed's method of doing this is spectacular. It's almost exceedingly simple and yet, it's perfect -- There are chapters interspersing the narrative which are tales of the different Greek myths -- like the section quoted above -- and the writing in them is downright spectacular. It's literary and engrossing and so perfectly captures Max's struggle and her passion all at once.
One of the strongest elements of this story (I mean, besides all of it) is that Max is bisexual. But this is never, ever the defining feature of the story. And where it would be so easy for the narrative to shift toward that, especially as Sadie herself blurts this out at a barn party in the middle of no where Nebraska (where you as a midwesterner bristle, worried about the reaction), you remember that teenagers are teenagers and that means sometimes their reactions to such heavy news about a person is no reaction at all because it is truly not a big deal. But It's handled with such care.
Max is one of my favorite YA characters in a long time. I loved experiencing the world through her eyes, and there were many times I completely related to a lot of her struggle about identity and what it means to be a good person, what it means to love and express that, and what it means to be a good friend. It's not about narrating someone's story for them; it's about narrating your own. She also has a strong back story, which is one we don't get to know at all until
Reed is truly a gem in contemporary ya. This is the kind of book I can see teens I work with loving, especially as it's set in the midwest, as it's infused with life on a farm/in a small town, and yet it doesn't fall into the easy trappings or stereotypes of those sorts of teen lives at all.
Longer review to come, but this book is out-of-this-world good.
This is what made her famous: her illicit box; that dirty, forbidden thing.
But no one ever talks about what was at the bottom of the box, hidden under layers upon layers of suffering. With the storm clouds thrashing in the sky grabbing all the attention, no one noticed the tiny pearl of light that remained at the bottom, the little crumb of hope like a lonely afterthought.
But shame is stronger than hope and of course the first woman invested that, too."
Amy Reed's latest novel comes with everything readers who have been fans of Reed have come to expect: compelling characters, a strong back story to all of those characters, fluid and strong writing, and a story line that keeps you going through to the end, never wanting to set the book down. What Over You adds that takes this book from being a really good one to an outstanding one is how it goes from being a story about a friendship -- an unhealthy one -- to being a story about independence and, at heart, about feminism.
Sadie's been kicked out of her house by her father for drinking too much, and she's being sent to live with her mother Lark on her farm in rural Nebraska. Sadie, unable to do anything alone or for herself, begs her friend Max to join her on the trip. She agrees, and the story begins as both wait at a bus stop to be picked up by Sadie's mother's boyfriend/stepfather/romantic partner.
Max is the one telling the story. Max lives for Sadie and would follow her anywhere. They're best friends; they love each other; they're connected at the hip. There have been times when Sadie's been Max's romantic interest, too, where the lines between best friend and romantic interest and the feelings therein have blurred a bit, and Sadie's allowed Max to indulge in those feelings.
Allowed.
But once the two girls get to the farm and find they're going to be housed together in a small trailer on a farm where sustainability and intentional living are the keys to success and happiness, Sadie contracts an illness that forces her to quarantine. Max can't handle it -- she can't be away from Sadie, can't be away from the girl who helped her find her way in the world. It's especially distressing at the farm, since this is the place where Max didn't necessarily want to fit in. Didn't necessarily want to be separated from Sadie because Sadie is her best friend and the person who helps direct the course of her life.
Of course, that forced separation is what Max needs to realize that Sadie is no friend.
Sadie is the kind of girl who needs to have power in a situation. Who needs to be doted upon. And Max realizes this when Sadie's illness means that Max is good for nothing BUT giving into Sadie's demands and wishes. Sadie doesn't love her; Sadie uses her.
There's another element to this story, and that comes in the form of Dylan. He's the boy Sadie had her eyes on when they first got to the farm, and he's the boy who Max finds herself spending a lot of time with now, as Sadie's taken sick. Slowly, Max finds herself falling for Dylan. He's mysterious and dark and aloof -- all of the things that Max found so compelling about Sadie.
He's her replacement, which means...he's not going to be good for Max either.
So what's the point when Max says enough is enough?
Well. That's the farm. The point of the farm. It's the state of Nebraska. It's Max remembering her own passion for mythology. It's the entire idea of the phoenix, destroying herself and then rebuilding herself from the ashes.
Reed's method of doing this is spectacular. It's almost exceedingly simple and yet, it's perfect -- There are chapters interspersing the narrative which are tales of the different Greek myths -- like the section quoted above -- and the writing in them is downright spectacular. It's literary and engrossing and so perfectly captures Max's struggle and her passion all at once.
One of the strongest elements of this story (I mean, besides all of it) is that Max is bisexual. But this is never, ever the defining feature of the story. And where it would be so easy for the narrative to shift toward that, especially as Sadie herself blurts this out at a barn party in the middle of no where Nebraska (where you as a midwesterner bristle, worried about the reaction), you remember that teenagers are teenagers and that means sometimes their reactions to such heavy news about a person is no reaction at all because it is truly not a big deal. But It's handled with such care.
Max is one of my favorite YA characters in a long time. I loved experiencing the world through her eyes, and there were many times I completely related to a lot of her struggle about identity and what it means to be a good person, what it means to love and express that, and what it means to be a good friend. It's not about narrating someone's story for them; it's about narrating your own. She also has a strong back story, which is one we don't get to know at all until
Reed is truly a gem in contemporary ya. This is the kind of book I can see teens I work with loving, especially as it's set in the midwest, as it's infused with life on a farm/in a small town, and yet it doesn't fall into the easy trappings or stereotypes of those sorts of teen lives at all.
Longer review to come, but this book is out-of-this-world good.
May 25, 2016
This is my favorite Amy Reed book, which is saying a lot because I have some strong feelings for crazy. But I was dealing with some toxic friendship stuff when I read this, and every other friendship book I read felt like it was kicking me in the metaphorical nuts, and along came this book to say, "Surprise! Sometimes the best thing is to discover yourself outside the friendship and realize you're better off without it. That you will be far more at peace when you're putting less mental energy into a relationship that drains it." This was such a case of being the right book at the right time, but it has so much going for it I think I would've loved it no matter what or when. Plus, bi MC FTW.
March 23, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Simon Pulse and Edelweiss.)
Max and Sadie are best friends, and have been inseparable since they were small. Max is Sadie’s keeper though. She is always doing damage control, always making Sadie leave when she’s too drunk, always the designated driver, and always the one that clears up Sadie’s messes.
This summer Sadie and Max are going to visit Sadie’s mom who lives in a commune on a farm. Sadie and Max are expected to work in the fields harvesting the crops, and both are a little concerned about how bad it is going to be.
Only a few days into their summer Sadie becomes ill and is diagnosed with mono, she’s told that she must be quarantined so that the rest of the commune don’t catch it, and Max must move out of their shared trailer, and continue working without Sadie.
It is this forced absence from Sadie that lets Max realise that there is more to life than looking after Sadie, that she has her own ideas and dreams.
How will Sadie feel about this though? How will she react to the fact that Max is no longer going to be her slave? And what will happen at the end of the summer?
This was an interesting ‘coming-of-age’ story, but it won’t be to everybody’s taste.
Max was clearly the responsible one of her and Sadie’s friendship. She was always looking after Sadie, clearing up her messes, and performing damage control, and had been doing it for a long time. The dynamics in their relationship was a little difficult because of this, and I liked it when Max realised that she wasn’t only Sadie’s friend, and that she had a life of her own.
Sadie was quite a spoiled character, and was ultimately very selfish. Everything was about her, and Max was expected to go along with whatever she was doing, and be there to pick up the pieces afterwards. Even though the whole summer at the commune was Sadie’s dad’s idea, Max was expected to go along like a lapdog, and it was unfair the way that Max was like a replacement mother to Sadie.
There was a love interest in this book called Dylan, but he wasn’t as much a feature in the story as the blurb has you believe. Max and Dylan did have a sort-of relationship at points, and Sadie was jealous, but this wasn’t the main storyline.
There wasn’t really all that much romance in this book at all really, there were some romantic encounters, but overall the book was quite light on romance.
I liked the storyline in this book, mainly as I really wanted Max to come to her senses and stop pandering to Sadie. Sadie really needed a wake-up call, and some lessons in how to treat her friend. Even though she did apologise at points, and she did begin being nicer to Max, it was obvious that she didn’t really want Max to have a life outside of her.
The first ~40% of this book was written in a strange way, it was first person, but it was written like Max was writing/ talking to Sadie – ‘You ran away from me’, ‘“No way!” You say’. This was a little odd to get used to, and I liked it better when the author changed this style half-way through the book to a normal first-person way of writing.
Each of the chapters also had a little intro to it, some of which were a little odd. Each intro was about a Greek god, or the devil and other stuff (I don’t remember them all!), one was definitely about Artemis, another was Nereids (Goddesses of lakes?), and then there were pieces about love and war. I think these intros were supposed to relate to the next part of the story, but many were just a bit too obtuse for me to really get!
Overall; this was an interesting YA coming-of-age story, but the lyrical way of writing, and the letter-style narration of the first half of the book will not be to everyone’s taste.
7 out of 10.
Max and Sadie are best friends, and have been inseparable since they were small. Max is Sadie’s keeper though. She is always doing damage control, always making Sadie leave when she’s too drunk, always the designated driver, and always the one that clears up Sadie’s messes.
This summer Sadie and Max are going to visit Sadie’s mom who lives in a commune on a farm. Sadie and Max are expected to work in the fields harvesting the crops, and both are a little concerned about how bad it is going to be.
Only a few days into their summer Sadie becomes ill and is diagnosed with mono, she’s told that she must be quarantined so that the rest of the commune don’t catch it, and Max must move out of their shared trailer, and continue working without Sadie.
It is this forced absence from Sadie that lets Max realise that there is more to life than looking after Sadie, that she has her own ideas and dreams.
How will Sadie feel about this though? How will she react to the fact that Max is no longer going to be her slave? And what will happen at the end of the summer?
This was an interesting ‘coming-of-age’ story, but it won’t be to everybody’s taste.
Max was clearly the responsible one of her and Sadie’s friendship. She was always looking after Sadie, clearing up her messes, and performing damage control, and had been doing it for a long time. The dynamics in their relationship was a little difficult because of this, and I liked it when Max realised that she wasn’t only Sadie’s friend, and that she had a life of her own.
Sadie was quite a spoiled character, and was ultimately very selfish. Everything was about her, and Max was expected to go along with whatever she was doing, and be there to pick up the pieces afterwards. Even though the whole summer at the commune was Sadie’s dad’s idea, Max was expected to go along like a lapdog, and it was unfair the way that Max was like a replacement mother to Sadie.
There was a love interest in this book called Dylan, but he wasn’t as much a feature in the story as the blurb has you believe. Max and Dylan did have a sort-of relationship at points, and Sadie was jealous, but this wasn’t the main storyline.
There wasn’t really all that much romance in this book at all really, there were some romantic encounters, but overall the book was quite light on romance.
I liked the storyline in this book, mainly as I really wanted Max to come to her senses and stop pandering to Sadie. Sadie really needed a wake-up call, and some lessons in how to treat her friend. Even though she did apologise at points, and she did begin being nicer to Max, it was obvious that she didn’t really want Max to have a life outside of her.
The first ~40% of this book was written in a strange way, it was first person, but it was written like Max was writing/ talking to Sadie – ‘You ran away from me’, ‘“No way!” You say’. This was a little odd to get used to, and I liked it better when the author changed this style half-way through the book to a normal first-person way of writing.
Each of the chapters also had a little intro to it, some of which were a little odd. Each intro was about a Greek god, or the devil and other stuff (I don’t remember them all!), one was definitely about Artemis, another was Nereids (Goddesses of lakes?), and then there were pieces about love and war. I think these intros were supposed to relate to the next part of the story, but many were just a bit too obtuse for me to really get!
Overall; this was an interesting YA coming-of-age story, but the lyrical way of writing, and the letter-style narration of the first half of the book will not be to everyone’s taste.
7 out of 10.
July 9, 2013
Review originally posted at YA Love
This is one of those books that I’m afraid I won’t do justice in my review. Over You by Amy Reed is a very smart book that deserves more attention. It’s the first book of Amy Reed’s that I’ve read, even though I have two of her other books in my class library, but I’ll definitely be reading all of her books now.
I’m not always sure when to describe a book as being literary, but I feel comfortable describing Over You this way. Amy Reed juxtaposes multiple mythological allusions with different parts in the story to compliment what’s happening with Max and Sadie or how her characters are feeling. This mythological tie-in is what originally caught my attention about this book. One of the project options for my YA Lit II class requires students to read YA mythology books and study the myths included. I loved the idea of sharing a contemporary realistic title with them that’s suitable for that project. Amy Reed’s inclusion of mythology really works for this story and adds rich layers to the characters. Besides the mythology, there’s also beautiful uses of imagery, similes, metaphors, etc. The perspective of the story makes it seem like Max is writing to Sadie or speaking to Sadie, by saying things like “we” and “you”, which took me a bit to get accustomed to, but I ended up enjoying it.
There are plenty of conflicts in this book, but deep down I was interested in Max’s character development. Obviously she isn’t going to develop as a character without the conflicts, but more than anything I liked being in her head. She’s defined herself through Sadie, so when she’s finally released from Sadie’s influence, Max gets to find out who she really is and what she likes/dislikes. This is incredibly hard for her to do. She feels guilty, but she’s also excited. Her highs and lows kept me reading because they’re real. I never felt like they were over-exaggerated or unbelievable. She very much reminds me of Grace in Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard. If you haven’t read that yet, I really hope you move it up in your TBR pile. Over You is an excellent read alike to Like Mandarin. The characters and their conflicts are similar and will resonate with readers.
I had a difficult time liking Sadie. She’s lost just like Max, and much of it has to do with her parents (her mother in particular), but her character irritated me. But honestly, I think we’re supposed to feel that way. Max often feels that way. Sadie is needy, immature, and manipulative. But she’s also like family to Max. I can see why Max cares so deeply for her. I’m not exactly sure if Max’s feelings for Sadie are romantic because there are two scenes in particular that left me thinking that, but it really isn’t the point–or at least I don’t think it is. Max is bi-sexual, but it isn’t really a core issue in the story. Whether Max loves Sadie in a romantic sense or not, it doesn’t matter because so much of this story is about Max and Sadie’s friendship in general. It’s about Max finding herself without Sadie.
There’s more that I could probably say about Over You and Amy Reed’s writing, but I’m going to stop because I feel like I’m rambling or about to start. I’m so happy I finally read one of Amy Reed’s books and can’t wait to read the rest of them.
This is one of those books that I’m afraid I won’t do justice in my review. Over You by Amy Reed is a very smart book that deserves more attention. It’s the first book of Amy Reed’s that I’ve read, even though I have two of her other books in my class library, but I’ll definitely be reading all of her books now.
I’m not always sure when to describe a book as being literary, but I feel comfortable describing Over You this way. Amy Reed juxtaposes multiple mythological allusions with different parts in the story to compliment what’s happening with Max and Sadie or how her characters are feeling. This mythological tie-in is what originally caught my attention about this book. One of the project options for my YA Lit II class requires students to read YA mythology books and study the myths included. I loved the idea of sharing a contemporary realistic title with them that’s suitable for that project. Amy Reed’s inclusion of mythology really works for this story and adds rich layers to the characters. Besides the mythology, there’s also beautiful uses of imagery, similes, metaphors, etc. The perspective of the story makes it seem like Max is writing to Sadie or speaking to Sadie, by saying things like “we” and “you”, which took me a bit to get accustomed to, but I ended up enjoying it.
There are plenty of conflicts in this book, but deep down I was interested in Max’s character development. Obviously she isn’t going to develop as a character without the conflicts, but more than anything I liked being in her head. She’s defined herself through Sadie, so when she’s finally released from Sadie’s influence, Max gets to find out who she really is and what she likes/dislikes. This is incredibly hard for her to do. She feels guilty, but she’s also excited. Her highs and lows kept me reading because they’re real. I never felt like they were over-exaggerated or unbelievable. She very much reminds me of Grace in Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard. If you haven’t read that yet, I really hope you move it up in your TBR pile. Over You is an excellent read alike to Like Mandarin. The characters and their conflicts are similar and will resonate with readers.
I had a difficult time liking Sadie. She’s lost just like Max, and much of it has to do with her parents (her mother in particular), but her character irritated me. But honestly, I think we’re supposed to feel that way. Max often feels that way. Sadie is needy, immature, and manipulative. But she’s also like family to Max. I can see why Max cares so deeply for her. I’m not exactly sure if Max’s feelings for Sadie are romantic because there are two scenes in particular that left me thinking that, but it really isn’t the point–or at least I don’t think it is. Max is bi-sexual, but it isn’t really a core issue in the story. Whether Max loves Sadie in a romantic sense or not, it doesn’t matter because so much of this story is about Max and Sadie’s friendship in general. It’s about Max finding herself without Sadie.
There’s more that I could probably say about Over You and Amy Reed’s writing, but I’m going to stop because I feel like I’m rambling or about to start. I’m so happy I finally read one of Amy Reed’s books and can’t wait to read the rest of them.
June 7, 2013
Over You is the story about two best friends stuck in a toxic relationship. Max is too dependent on Sadie and Sadie is as selfish as they come. I know this book is not for everyone. It starts off being told in second tense. It's told by Max and is written like she's talking to Sadie and uses 'you' a lot. I didn't mind in honestly. For me, it made the story more personal. I felt more connected to Max. In Part Two, the tense changes to first person. It's still told by Max. Again, this didn't bother me. I know it might bother other people though. I felt like the changing tenses added to the story.
I enjoyed the writing style and most of the characters. Sadie was obnoxious and the more I read, the more I hated her. However, I feel like that's the point. In the beginning, Sadie was like a drug that Max needed like she needed air. As the story went on, her dependency on Sadie weakened and she realized just how awful Sadie is and how bad their friendship is. Their friendship was very Sadie-centric.
The story is really a story of self discovery and how to get out of a bad relationship and more importantly it shows that friendships can be toxic too.
I enjoyed the writing style and most of the characters. Sadie was obnoxious and the more I read, the more I hated her. However, I feel like that's the point. In the beginning, Sadie was like a drug that Max needed like she needed air. As the story went on, her dependency on Sadie weakened and she realized just how awful Sadie is and how bad their friendship is. Their friendship was very Sadie-centric.
The story is really a story of self discovery and how to get out of a bad relationship and more importantly it shows that friendships can be toxic too.
October 4, 2016
Wow. Just wow. This was a powerful book.
June 12, 2013
Huh. I'm not sure how to review this one. Oh, I have plenty of opinions. But I'm not sure I can put them into the right words. I guess I'll just start with Max. She's the adult at home despite having two parents. That's only been the case for a year or so since her mother had an accident that put her in a wheelchair. She is depressed and her father looks to Max to hold the family together. But Max has been holding Sadie together for years. All because Sadie's mother left her with her father instead of taking her with her when she left. (I'll get to Sadie) I think in many ways, Max has enabled Sadie and used Sadie's and to a lesser extent her parent's reliance on her to rescue in Sadie's case and hold things together in her parents case, in other words to be the strong one, the reliable one, the parent, as an excuse to keep from living her own life. She describes herself as a shadow of Sadie, the one behind her, but tells frightening stories of how she has had to rescue and worry over Sadie. Still, Max lets Sadie walk all over her feelings, talk for her, have everything first, even if Max wants it.
Lark- Sadie's mom. Sadie is a chip off the old block only Lark has learned to be a bit more bearable. She isn't controlling and doesn't have a Max following her around but she isn't faithful to Doff a bit self centered if you ask me.
Doff- Very kind, introduced as Lark's mate and sometimes he is. He tends the animals on the farm so he never gets a day off, even if the others do. A quiet man. He enjoys his work.
Dylan-He is not the love interest you're led to believe in the synopsis so just don't get your hopes up for a romance. First impressions are the best. I'll leave it at that.
Then there's Sadie. Can you say spoiled, narcissistic, drama queen? That's Sadie. She drinks too much. She has sex with just about anyone when she's in that state. She embarrasses Max talking about her sexuality. She says other things that are entirely inappropriate and Max spends all her time, apologizing, cleaning up, holding her hair while she vomits, or looking for her. I'm not sure Max has enjoyed a party ever because she is always designated to watch Sadie. Sadie also does drugs. She has a stepmother and stepbrother along with her father and lives in what they call a "McMansion" a term I'm seeing a lot in YA these days. Sadie is so big, as in personality and so demanding, there really isn't any room for Max to be anything in her presence.
The World- So drama queen gets sent to spend the summer with her mother, Lark, on a farm in Nebraska and Max gets to tag along. The bus drops them off in the middle of corn fields and leaves them. Someone was supposed to meet them, but no one comes. The finally hitch a ride with a farmer and find out Lark's husband/boyfriend? was supposed to get them, but they don't have a clock so he forgot. Culture shock is too small to say when the girls get their tour of the farm and find out there are no real toilets, they share showers and they will be living in a trailer. Max learns early to love the work on the farm, but Sadie is full of complaints. She is controlling and unfortunately finds a girl who worships the ground she walks on and hates Max.
The people on the farm are very friendly and welcoming. Max thinks she is finding something she has been missing.
The Story- Max tells it in the first part with excerpts from Greek mythology and then like she's writing a journal entry or telling Sadie all these things about herself because Max knows her better than Sadie knows herself. But it's more personal, because Max shares things about herself, how she was scared, how she was in love and didn't want to share it with Sadie, how she is hurt by some of the things Sadie does. The second part is told present tense. Something happens that allows Max to live Sadie free for awhile. She doesn't have to watch out for Sadie. No taking care of her at all. And Max experiences freedom. Part III is also told in present tense and Sadie is back but Max is resentful of her being back. Max has changed. But Sadie is the same. This part of the story is the most climactic of the novel and the most telling as it shows Sadie for who she truly is and Max finally reaches clarity.
What I thought- The narration is sort of odd. I liked the narration in the first part and kind of thought it would have been good to carry it through the whole story. Maybe had a different ending. The kind a train wreck like Sadie would eventually end up in without a friend like Max to watch out for her. I think there is an awful lot of blame put on the fact that Sadie didn't have her mother. Really? Maybe she was just spoiled little rich girl who got away with murder. Maybe Sadie needed a stint in rehab and a NEW therapist as the one she was seeing obviously hadn't cleared any issues up. Maybe some parental control needed to be enforced. Or maybe Sadie is just a narcissist for which there is no cure and you have to decide if you're going to tolerate that person or not. But Max, she was definitely an enabler. Why? Was she insecure? She wasn't unattractive. I don't know when they first started being friends what the dynamic was so I can't say. I felt like Dylan was an unnecessary evil in the story. Could have totally done without that part of the story. But, I'm happy with the ending, however, just because I really didn't like Sadie, I'd love an epilogue to hear how she takes the news her mother delivers to her. She's just precious, like a piranha in pink pigtails. I do love that Amy Reed tackles tough issues in her books. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest you try some. I especially enjoyed Crazy.
I received and e-arc from the publisher. This did not affect my review, thought or opinions of the book in any way.
Lark- Sadie's mom. Sadie is a chip off the old block only Lark has learned to be a bit more bearable. She isn't controlling and doesn't have a Max following her around but she isn't faithful to Doff a bit self centered if you ask me.
Doff- Very kind, introduced as Lark's mate and sometimes he is. He tends the animals on the farm so he never gets a day off, even if the others do. A quiet man. He enjoys his work.
Dylan-He is not the love interest you're led to believe in the synopsis so just don't get your hopes up for a romance. First impressions are the best. I'll leave it at that.
Then there's Sadie. Can you say spoiled, narcissistic, drama queen? That's Sadie. She drinks too much. She has sex with just about anyone when she's in that state. She embarrasses Max talking about her sexuality. She says other things that are entirely inappropriate and Max spends all her time, apologizing, cleaning up, holding her hair while she vomits, or looking for her. I'm not sure Max has enjoyed a party ever because she is always designated to watch Sadie. Sadie also does drugs. She has a stepmother and stepbrother along with her father and lives in what they call a "McMansion" a term I'm seeing a lot in YA these days. Sadie is so big, as in personality and so demanding, there really isn't any room for Max to be anything in her presence.
The World- So drama queen gets sent to spend the summer with her mother, Lark, on a farm in Nebraska and Max gets to tag along. The bus drops them off in the middle of corn fields and leaves them. Someone was supposed to meet them, but no one comes. The finally hitch a ride with a farmer and find out Lark's husband/boyfriend? was supposed to get them, but they don't have a clock so he forgot. Culture shock is too small to say when the girls get their tour of the farm and find out there are no real toilets, they share showers and they will be living in a trailer. Max learns early to love the work on the farm, but Sadie is full of complaints. She is controlling and unfortunately finds a girl who worships the ground she walks on and hates Max.
The people on the farm are very friendly and welcoming. Max thinks she is finding something she has been missing.
The Story- Max tells it in the first part with excerpts from Greek mythology and then like she's writing a journal entry or telling Sadie all these things about herself because Max knows her better than Sadie knows herself. But it's more personal, because Max shares things about herself, how she was scared, how she was in love and didn't want to share it with Sadie, how she is hurt by some of the things Sadie does. The second part is told present tense. Something happens that allows Max to live Sadie free for awhile. She doesn't have to watch out for Sadie. No taking care of her at all. And Max experiences freedom. Part III is also told in present tense and Sadie is back but Max is resentful of her being back. Max has changed. But Sadie is the same. This part of the story is the most climactic of the novel and the most telling as it shows Sadie for who she truly is and Max finally reaches clarity.
What I thought- The narration is sort of odd. I liked the narration in the first part and kind of thought it would have been good to carry it through the whole story. Maybe had a different ending. The kind a train wreck like Sadie would eventually end up in without a friend like Max to watch out for her. I think there is an awful lot of blame put on the fact that Sadie didn't have her mother. Really? Maybe she was just spoiled little rich girl who got away with murder. Maybe Sadie needed a stint in rehab and a NEW therapist as the one she was seeing obviously hadn't cleared any issues up. Maybe some parental control needed to be enforced. Or maybe Sadie is just a narcissist for which there is no cure and you have to decide if you're going to tolerate that person or not. But Max, she was definitely an enabler. Why? Was she insecure? She wasn't unattractive. I don't know when they first started being friends what the dynamic was so I can't say. I felt like Dylan was an unnecessary evil in the story. Could have totally done without that part of the story. But, I'm happy with the ending, however, just because I really didn't like Sadie, I'd love an epilogue to hear how she takes the news her mother delivers to her. She's just precious, like a piranha in pink pigtails. I do love that Amy Reed tackles tough issues in her books. If you haven't read any of her books, I suggest you try some. I especially enjoyed Crazy.
I received and e-arc from the publisher. This did not affect my review, thought or opinions of the book in any way.
May 16, 2025
3.5 stars. The whole time I read it I kept thinking, “How emo, how overwrought, how maudlin.” But on the other hand I read it in a day and couldn’t put it down. I guess there’s still some of the emo, overwrought, maudlin teenage girl I was in the late 90’s when I read Francesca Lia Block voraciously.
March 6, 2021
amy reed!! i really think she does something nobody else is doing in YA. there's something very raw and undiluted about her writing that i really love. reading her books is like having a vivid dream. the way she interspersed these gorgeous little vignettes about the ancient greek pantheon to supplement the story was so interesting and smart and different! and i simply love when she writes those stream-of-consciousness scenes that get weird and surreal, fantastic and sad. there's so much poetry and light in this book about a toxic friendship, that frantic sense of being caught in something you don't know if you want to end.
August 5, 2017
Loved the crypticness of the book itself, it's relatively catered towards young adults and teens it's written beautifully and I think it's quite well thought of. I like the way it ended
June 8, 2013
This sounded like a great summer contemporary so I was really excited to read it. It was totally not what I was expecting at all, and not in a good way. I was bored with it, and wanted Max to stop being such a wuss and stop trying to do everything for Sadie and letting her own needs and feelings be constantly pushed back. There wasn't really much of a story to it either. It was really supposed to be a character driven book, but with lack of connection to the characters, it made it hard to enjoy.
Max is a total pushover. At first I felt a little bad for her, but as we learn more and more about her and Sadie, I had anything but sympathy for her. I actually couldn't believe that she would stay friends with someone like Sadie. It's not that she didn't have other people who wanted to be friends with her, but everything was always about Sadie. She couldn't hang out with other people because her and Sadie had plans, blah, blah, blah. I get that she is her friend and loyal to her, but what I didn't understand was why she put up with her. I know that she has her own personal issues that she was dealing with, but I couldn't get past some things. When she finally starts to break out of her shell basically because she is forced to not be spending every second with Sadie, I really thought that she would grow as a character. For a while she did, but then she reverted back again. Though she had a bit of growth by the end of the book, it wasn't enough for me. I felt very let down.
Sadie is full of herself and thinks everything is always about her. Even though we get away from her a bit in the story, she is always the center of it. She was selfish, arrogant, and not a great friend. She would act like a good friend when Max would finally get upset with her over something, but that was all. She literally would completely tune everything out and live in her little bubble. I couldn't stand her, and I don't know how anyone else could either.
Max and Sadie never seemed like a great match to me even from the start. Right off we discover that Sadie is in charge and Max is like her little dog. She is there only for the purpose of making Sadie happy. They are spending the summer working at the Farm Sadie's mom lives at. The mom who has never been part of her life. It's not just any farm though. They are self sufficient, live in trailers and yurts, have community showers or just take a swim in the lake to bathe, and seem more like a cult at times then a community living on a farm. There are some secrets and weird things that go on there too. There was a bit of a story, but it was lost to the characters that, unfortunately, weren't well developed.
Of course there is a guy involved, but I didn't really see it as a romance. It was more Max trying to rebel than anything. She does some things that she normally wouldn't do. She's always the safe one, not the one to get crazy drink or do drugs, but she acts different around Dylan.Yes, she was attracted to Dylan, as was Sadie, but once she starts getting to know him, the less there is to like. Then when Sadie finds out, things get all weird. Sadie is jealous, but it's not even about Max liking Dylan. It's because now she's not the center of attention anymore.
Basically this was all about Max trying to discover herself and break away from Sadie, but it was just too drawn out and kind of aggravating for me to read. It's hard to really enjoy a story when you don't like a single character. I thought at first I might grow to like Max, but I liked her worse by the end. One thing to note was the interesting format of writing though. It starts off as Max telling Sadie's story, kind of like she's telling it to her, then it goes to first person once she starts to decide that things aren't all about Sadie anymore. Everything still is though, it's just not directed to her anymore. I wish I had liked this. If the characters hadn't been so flat to me and I had been able to connect to at least one of them, maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but as it is, I just wasn't into it.
* An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
Max is a total pushover. At first I felt a little bad for her, but as we learn more and more about her and Sadie, I had anything but sympathy for her. I actually couldn't believe that she would stay friends with someone like Sadie. It's not that she didn't have other people who wanted to be friends with her, but everything was always about Sadie. She couldn't hang out with other people because her and Sadie had plans, blah, blah, blah. I get that she is her friend and loyal to her, but what I didn't understand was why she put up with her. I know that she has her own personal issues that she was dealing with, but I couldn't get past some things. When she finally starts to break out of her shell basically because she is forced to not be spending every second with Sadie, I really thought that she would grow as a character. For a while she did, but then she reverted back again. Though she had a bit of growth by the end of the book, it wasn't enough for me. I felt very let down.
Sadie is full of herself and thinks everything is always about her. Even though we get away from her a bit in the story, she is always the center of it. She was selfish, arrogant, and not a great friend. She would act like a good friend when Max would finally get upset with her over something, but that was all. She literally would completely tune everything out and live in her little bubble. I couldn't stand her, and I don't know how anyone else could either.
Max and Sadie never seemed like a great match to me even from the start. Right off we discover that Sadie is in charge and Max is like her little dog. She is there only for the purpose of making Sadie happy. They are spending the summer working at the Farm Sadie's mom lives at. The mom who has never been part of her life. It's not just any farm though. They are self sufficient, live in trailers and yurts, have community showers or just take a swim in the lake to bathe, and seem more like a cult at times then a community living on a farm. There are some secrets and weird things that go on there too. There was a bit of a story, but it was lost to the characters that, unfortunately, weren't well developed.
Of course there is a guy involved, but I didn't really see it as a romance. It was more Max trying to rebel than anything. She does some things that she normally wouldn't do. She's always the safe one, not the one to get crazy drink or do drugs, but she acts different around Dylan.Yes, she was attracted to Dylan, as was Sadie, but once she starts getting to know him, the less there is to like. Then when Sadie finds out, things get all weird. Sadie is jealous, but it's not even about Max liking Dylan. It's because now she's not the center of attention anymore.
Basically this was all about Max trying to discover herself and break away from Sadie, but it was just too drawn out and kind of aggravating for me to read. It's hard to really enjoy a story when you don't like a single character. I thought at first I might grow to like Max, but I liked her worse by the end. One thing to note was the interesting format of writing though. It starts off as Max telling Sadie's story, kind of like she's telling it to her, then it goes to first person once she starts to decide that things aren't all about Sadie anymore. Everything still is though, it's just not directed to her anymore. I wish I had liked this. If the characters hadn't been so flat to me and I had been able to connect to at least one of them, maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but as it is, I just wasn't into it.
* An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
July 22, 2013
2.5 stars
Sadie and Max are best friends. In fact, Max's whole life has pretty much revolved around Sadie....looking out for her, being her best friend, always putting her first. When she accompanies Sadie to Nebraska for a visit with her mother, who has been absent from Sadie's life for the most part, things begin to change. First of all, they find themselves on a commune of sorts. Then they meet bad boy Dylan, who they both like. One thing leads to another, and Max soon finds out she must discover who she is apart from and without Sadie.
The synopsis for this book sounded pretty good and I was looking forward to reading it, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The point of view that the story was told from was a bit confusing. It was told from Max's point of view, and she would refer to herself as I, but she also referred to Sadie as you, like she was talking to her in the narration, which in turn made me feel like she was talking to me and I was Sadie. I just wasn't crazy about this. Nevertheless, this is the writing style the author chose to use for this book. I haven't read anything else by Amy Reed, but have heard good things about her. Secondly, I just didn't like Max or Sadie too much, which is just my personal opinion of course. Max didn't impress me and Sadie was a kind of a brat. The commune itself was really just a bunch of modern day hippies, ranging from young to old. There was drugs, partying, drinking, etc. going on quite a bit. It kind of reminded me of one of those placed that winds up on the news, and not in a good way. Then there was the love interest, Dylan, who is personified as a bad boy. Usually, I love the bad boys, but Dylan did nothing for me. He was just a jerk all the way around.
Overall, I wasn't crazy about this story, but I have seen mixed reviews, some of which were positive. My advice to you is to go to goodreads and check the reviews out for yourself. Even though I wasn't crazy about it, you may like it, especially if you are a fan of this author.
Sadie and Max are best friends. In fact, Max's whole life has pretty much revolved around Sadie....looking out for her, being her best friend, always putting her first. When she accompanies Sadie to Nebraska for a visit with her mother, who has been absent from Sadie's life for the most part, things begin to change. First of all, they find themselves on a commune of sorts. Then they meet bad boy Dylan, who they both like. One thing leads to another, and Max soon finds out she must discover who she is apart from and without Sadie.
The synopsis for this book sounded pretty good and I was looking forward to reading it, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped. The point of view that the story was told from was a bit confusing. It was told from Max's point of view, and she would refer to herself as I, but she also referred to Sadie as you, like she was talking to her in the narration, which in turn made me feel like she was talking to me and I was Sadie. I just wasn't crazy about this. Nevertheless, this is the writing style the author chose to use for this book. I haven't read anything else by Amy Reed, but have heard good things about her. Secondly, I just didn't like Max or Sadie too much, which is just my personal opinion of course. Max didn't impress me and Sadie was a kind of a brat. The commune itself was really just a bunch of modern day hippies, ranging from young to old. There was drugs, partying, drinking, etc. going on quite a bit. It kind of reminded me of one of those placed that winds up on the news, and not in a good way. Then there was the love interest, Dylan, who is personified as a bad boy. Usually, I love the bad boys, but Dylan did nothing for me. He was just a jerk all the way around.
Overall, I wasn't crazy about this story, but I have seen mixed reviews, some of which were positive. My advice to you is to go to goodreads and check the reviews out for yourself. Even though I wasn't crazy about it, you may like it, especially if you are a fan of this author.
February 25, 2013
Absolutely stunning. I first stumbled upon Beautiful by Amy Reed and thought it was one of the most mesmerizing stories I had ever read. Over You didn't let me down either.
I thought it was written beautifully, in a way that truly reflected how the protagonist thought. And how she thought was real, the self awareness she possessed was startling, in a good way. She questioned some of her actions, and if she thought it was bad, she let us know that she knew. People aren't perfect, and Reed portrays this perfectly. It wasn't a glossed over story that sort of said "hey! yeah, we aren't perfect!" as so many YA novels these days seem to claim to do. Amy Reed gets right down to the heart of it, exposing the darkest flaws of the characters. Every single character was well developed and told their own story.
What I liked most is how the farm seemed wonderful and magical at the beginning, but as summer went on, and Max became more acutely aware of herself, the farm seemed to turn more into this twisted nightmare, a little like the tales that were uniquely told at the beginning of some chapters.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of the book! Brilliant.
I thought it was written beautifully, in a way that truly reflected how the protagonist thought. And how she thought was real, the self awareness she possessed was startling, in a good way. She questioned some of her actions, and if she thought it was bad, she let us know that she knew. People aren't perfect, and Reed portrays this perfectly. It wasn't a glossed over story that sort of said "hey! yeah, we aren't perfect!" as so many YA novels these days seem to claim to do. Amy Reed gets right down to the heart of it, exposing the darkest flaws of the characters. Every single character was well developed and told their own story.
What I liked most is how the farm seemed wonderful and magical at the beginning, but as summer went on, and Max became more acutely aware of herself, the farm seemed to turn more into this twisted nightmare, a little like the tales that were uniquely told at the beginning of some chapters.
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC of the book! Brilliant.
December 31, 2014
"I am done. I am done loving all these broken people. I am done allowing them to keep breaking me. I am done caring so much, done trying to put them back together again, done hoping, done wondering why it never works out. It is not my job anymore. I quit." (p. 269)
This was an excellent, unique book. I've had hit or miss experiences with Amy Reed, but this book was beautiful and lovely and heartbreaking.
A good end to another year of reading :)
This was an excellent, unique book. I've had hit or miss experiences with Amy Reed, but this book was beautiful and lovely and heartbreaking.
A good end to another year of reading :)
July 18, 2019
2.5, rounding down.
I understand the need for stories about toxic friendships. I do. I have been in some of them, where one or both parties were just not good for each other. It happens. We need books about them. But this book was just so heavily one-sided. Sadie was a monster and Max had no confidence, and I could not for the life of me understand how they became friends. Remaining friends makes sense to me, and Max finally realizing how much she was being taken advantage of for years makes sense to me, her acting like a doormat in the first place makes sense to me. Sometimes people with strong personalities overpower those without; again, I've been on both sides. But Reed didn't give us any explanation as to why they were friends in the first place, how their friendship was at all beneficial to Max (I can guess, but actual reasons would have been great), or really anything that made me care about their friendship. I spent the entire book wanting Max to tell Sadie to fuck off. It didn't feel as complicated as friendships do in real life. The entire book seemed black and white without any shades of grey: Max was good, Doff was good, Old Glen was good, Sadie was bad, her mom was bad, Dylan was bad, etc. There are a lot of instances of people being judgmental in here and it's only called out sometimes. Max slut shames Sadie's mom, Dylan uses the word "dyke" and says it's okay because his ex is into women, annoying shit like that. And the privilege that's infused in this that I'm almost positive wasn't on purpose was ridiculous. There are references to slaves twice ("She'd be a horrible slave" and "it's like having my own personal slave") and ffs, can white women just not casually call people slaves? Slavery was not casual, slaves are not something to make a general reference to, so can you just stop? Do you really think slavery is funny?
Toxic friendship/sisterhood books are important, but this was not it for me.
I understand the need for stories about toxic friendships. I do. I have been in some of them, where one or both parties were just not good for each other. It happens. We need books about them. But this book was just so heavily one-sided. Sadie was a monster and Max had no confidence, and I could not for the life of me understand how they became friends. Remaining friends makes sense to me, and Max finally realizing how much she was being taken advantage of for years makes sense to me, her acting like a doormat in the first place makes sense to me. Sometimes people with strong personalities overpower those without; again, I've been on both sides. But Reed didn't give us any explanation as to why they were friends in the first place, how their friendship was at all beneficial to Max (I can guess, but actual reasons would have been great), or really anything that made me care about their friendship. I spent the entire book wanting Max to tell Sadie to fuck off. It didn't feel as complicated as friendships do in real life. The entire book seemed black and white without any shades of grey: Max was good, Doff was good, Old Glen was good, Sadie was bad, her mom was bad, Dylan was bad, etc. There are a lot of instances of people being judgmental in here and it's only called out sometimes. Max slut shames Sadie's mom, Dylan uses the word "dyke" and says it's okay because his ex is into women, annoying shit like that. And the privilege that's infused in this that I'm almost positive wasn't on purpose was ridiculous. There are references to slaves twice ("She'd be a horrible slave" and "it's like having my own personal slave") and ffs, can white women just not casually call people slaves? Slavery was not casual, slaves are not something to make a general reference to, so can you just stop? Do you really think slavery is funny?
Toxic friendship/sisterhood books are important, but this was not it for me.
March 19, 2020
I’ve finished this book earlier but with everything going on with the world I never had the time to log it. This book was a solid 4 stars because of the great visualization it gives readers, the writing format, the tales in between some chapters , and over all the message it gave at the end. However, I would’ve liked a bigger confrontation at the end *you know between who* and some characters should’ve played bigger roles in the plot. I feel that this book could have more drama to it and not feel like this was the end without a big reveal. Overall, I really did love this book and I think it deserves some recognition.
November 14, 2017
Interesting, fast-paced novel about a toxic friendship and how difficult it can be to escape someone who has been your friend for so long but is not truly a friend. I think we've all probably experienced one of these friendships and the relief you feel when that person no longer has such a strong influence over you.
September 12, 2018
2.5 stars. A fairly solid portrayal of toxic friendships, and I appreciated Max's slow growth and how realistic it felt. That said, something was just lacking here for me at the core, and ultimately I felt like this book could've been stronger overall. Maybe it's just a case of "it's me, not you" in regards to Over You.
February 5, 2019
It was pretty good, but once getting close to the end I Just felt like bailing, but since I Was almost finished with it I Still consider it as a read.
I Gave it 3 stars because I Still enjoyed it, I Just felt I had to bail because I Get freaked out when books talk about some things, It's not the book, it's just me and my preferences. Not everyone would react the same way.
I Gave it 3 stars because I Still enjoyed it, I Just felt I had to bail because I Get freaked out when books talk about some things, It's not the book, it's just me and my preferences. Not everyone would react the same way.
April 7, 2020
I do like that this young adult book has a bi teen navigating a toxic friendship. That's just exactly the kind of premise I would usually love; however, the mythology sections didn't fit with the rest of the book, and the commune setup didn't work that well.
December 28, 2014
Exploring a toxic friendship and handling dark truths, Over You by Amy Reed is a book about self-discovery. The two friends, Max and Sadie, have known each other for years. They balance each other out characteristically, but their co-dependence on one another is stifling. Sadie is egotistic and materialistic; Max is level-headed and insecure. Sadie is the center of the show, while Max is the shadow - the rational side of Sadie. When Sadie is sent to her absentee mother, Lark's organic farm and commune in Nebraska, Max tags along. The two are inseparable like that. Of course, these things change as Max becomes aware of who she really is - especially when Sadie is not present.
Over You is told in Sam's perspective, though she often speaks of Sadie in the second person, reminiscent of an epistolary. Part One of the novel is dominated by Sadie. All Max talks about is Sadie. Readers see how inconsiderate and reckless Sadie is and learn Max's obsession with her is all that keeps her sane. Sadie is extremely needy and bossy. Though she is broken, it is very hard to sympathize for her with such unlikable traits. Most readers will undoubtedly be irritated by her. Because of this, the beginning of Over You soon became a scratched record with its incessant portrayal of Sadie's selfishness and Max's obsequiousness.
Things pick up in the following sections, when Sadie is not around much to have her dangerous hold on Max. Dylan, a mysterious romantic interest, is not what the blurb alludes he will be. He is not the one who transforms Max. He does make her go pitter-patter, but I never felt that he brought her to self-discovery. He is a douchebag who often berates Max, whether in regards to her field of study of her sexuality. This is definitely arguable, but I found his inclusion as a mere plot catalyst and not necessarily an inspiration for Max's evolution. The blurb is highly misleading, and would make one think that a love triangle of the sorts will be involved.
As Max slowly begins to identify herself, with Sadie barely around, readers see that she has problems of her own. Earlier, readers were fed with why Sadie's life was not perfect. Readers know that Sadie has an alcohol problem and an absentee mother (Lark). Like Sadie, Max also has an absentee mother in a metaphorical way. Her mother is very distant, though they live in the same house. These family troubles give Over You an even more gritty interior, but without overdoing it. Reed handles these dark topics in a delicate, yet absorbing manner, proving that social issues in literature do not have to take over a story to show their effects.
Over You is filled with such conflicts, but is centralized on Sadie's evolution. There are instances in the novel where Max does not know how to handle herself alone without the need to be Sadie's extension. These parts were impacting, as they rectified how Max was suppressing her individuality. Having been released from Sadie's control, Max begins to explore and enjoy her life the way she wants to. I honestly felt so proud of her to see that. I also loved that her bisexuality never seemed to be an 'issue' in Over You as it so often is used for. Her sexuality never defined her in this book, even if it was negatively confronted by other characters.
What I really loved about Over You was its writing. Reed's prose is pleasurable to read, with its figurative language. It is excellent. This is especially evident in the mythological interludes. They are these expositions that each focus on a Greek god. Not only were they beautiful passages, but they reflected one of Max's passions, which are often hidden behind the flamboyance of Sadie. These passages are not just for showiness either because they each represent the ensuing conflicts. Reed really has a penchant for compelling writing, and I am glad she hooked me with my first book of hers.
There is not that much more to say about Over You because it is highly introspective book. It really takes focus on Sadie and Max, so those looking for a character-driven book with strong romance will be left disappointed. It is a book I can see people reflecting on for days. It is definitely a convincing read, and it makes me glad I finally took a chance to read Reed. It is a cautionary tale that carries a message that we all should know, especially during teenage self-discovery. I do hope it inspires the Sadie and the Max in each of us, because let's face it, most of us can be bitchy, and we can be subservient. It's only human.
This review first appeared on Oh, Chrys!
Over You is told in Sam's perspective, though she often speaks of Sadie in the second person, reminiscent of an epistolary. Part One of the novel is dominated by Sadie. All Max talks about is Sadie. Readers see how inconsiderate and reckless Sadie is and learn Max's obsession with her is all that keeps her sane. Sadie is extremely needy and bossy. Though she is broken, it is very hard to sympathize for her with such unlikable traits. Most readers will undoubtedly be irritated by her. Because of this, the beginning of Over You soon became a scratched record with its incessant portrayal of Sadie's selfishness and Max's obsequiousness.
Things pick up in the following sections, when Sadie is not around much to have her dangerous hold on Max. Dylan, a mysterious romantic interest, is not what the blurb alludes he will be. He is not the one who transforms Max. He does make her go pitter-patter, but I never felt that he brought her to self-discovery. He is a douchebag who often berates Max, whether in regards to her field of study of her sexuality. This is definitely arguable, but I found his inclusion as a mere plot catalyst and not necessarily an inspiration for Max's evolution. The blurb is highly misleading, and would make one think that a love triangle of the sorts will be involved.
As Max slowly begins to identify herself, with Sadie barely around, readers see that she has problems of her own. Earlier, readers were fed with why Sadie's life was not perfect. Readers know that Sadie has an alcohol problem and an absentee mother (Lark). Like Sadie, Max also has an absentee mother in a metaphorical way. Her mother is very distant, though they live in the same house. These family troubles give Over You an even more gritty interior, but without overdoing it. Reed handles these dark topics in a delicate, yet absorbing manner, proving that social issues in literature do not have to take over a story to show their effects.
Over You is filled with such conflicts, but is centralized on Sadie's evolution. There are instances in the novel where Max does not know how to handle herself alone without the need to be Sadie's extension. These parts were impacting, as they rectified how Max was suppressing her individuality. Having been released from Sadie's control, Max begins to explore and enjoy her life the way she wants to. I honestly felt so proud of her to see that. I also loved that her bisexuality never seemed to be an 'issue' in Over You as it so often is used for. Her sexuality never defined her in this book, even if it was negatively confronted by other characters.
What I really loved about Over You was its writing. Reed's prose is pleasurable to read, with its figurative language. It is excellent. This is especially evident in the mythological interludes. They are these expositions that each focus on a Greek god. Not only were they beautiful passages, but they reflected one of Max's passions, which are often hidden behind the flamboyance of Sadie. These passages are not just for showiness either because they each represent the ensuing conflicts. Reed really has a penchant for compelling writing, and I am glad she hooked me with my first book of hers.
There is not that much more to say about Over You because it is highly introspective book. It really takes focus on Sadie and Max, so those looking for a character-driven book with strong romance will be left disappointed. It is a book I can see people reflecting on for days. It is definitely a convincing read, and it makes me glad I finally took a chance to read Reed. It is a cautionary tale that carries a message that we all should know, especially during teenage self-discovery. I do hope it inspires the Sadie and the Max in each of us, because let's face it, most of us can be bitchy, and we can be subservient. It's only human.
This review first appeared on Oh, Chrys!
July 29, 2017
This was an okay book. I wanted to read a book about toxic, codependent friendships but it got lost along the way with a commune, a guy, mono, and some Greek mythology. The ending makes up for it.
December 27, 2017
I almost stopped reading this book but I'm so glad that I kept it! This book is like watching a movie. I could not put it down!!
November 6, 2018
I wasn't impressed.
Read
June 15, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Attempted suicide, implied
Recreational drug use
Overdose
Attempted suicide, implied
Recreational drug use
Overdose
Read
June 26, 2022Once I found out Max wasn't a boy I could not finish this book or get interested in it
July 27, 2022
I did not care for this book. Very slow and almost none of the characters were likeable or had any depth.
February 4, 2023
It was a good book but a little boring. It is a very specific genre - finding yourself apart from your long term best friend and I think it was maybe not my thing. The writing is amazing though and I was a big fan of the reflective writing style
Currently Reading
March 1, 2017I had tried to read this book last year, but I was so busy that I just couldn't finish it, so now I'm rereading it. I'm not very far into the book yet, like 3-4 chapters, but so far it's pretty good. I don't really remember what was happening when I last read it, so it doesn't feel like I'm reading the same thing. The characters are complete opposites, but they're best friends. I don't really see how that works though because one of them is a huge girly girl and the other is the total opposite. I really really like how I know what the main character is thinking. I like how the author put in all of her thoughts. It feels like I'm living the book through her thoughts. I can't wait to see what happens in this book.
June 14, 2013
When wild-child, Sadie, gets into trouble (again) she is sent to stay with her mother for the summer. The catch? Her mother lives on a commune. Max, Sadie’s best friend (and narrator of the story), joins her because Max and Sadie are pretty much attached at the hip. The trip is really meant to be a reality check for Sadie, but you can’t tame someone like her, even though her father, and Max have tried. Both of the girls are a bit nervous about the manual labor they’ll be required to do while living there, but, as far as Max is concerned, they will manage it together.
When Sadie becomes ill and has to be quarantined, Max has to start existing on her own. She’d never really realized how codependent on Sadie she was. It was almost as if Sadie were her life force. As Max learns to exist without Sadie, and she realizes all she has sacrificed for her, their friendship is strained and both girls will have a hard lesson to learn.
I read Ms. Reed’s Clean a couple of years ago and fell in love with it. It was one of those books that I meant to just read a chapter or two and the next thing I knew, it was three hours later and I was finishing the book. It was raw, gritty and I loved every one of the characters. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, and while I did end up enjoying it, I wasn’t as into it as I was Clean. The biggest thing that I just couldn’t get into was the style she uses in the first half of the book. Max narrates the story and she uses a combo of first and second person — almost as if Max is telling Sadie the story of their lives. As in “You did this and then I said this and you didn’t agree with me.” It just never really clicked with me. Once Sadie becomes ill and Max is without her, it changed and it flowed a lot better for me. This is when I really got into the story. By the end, I really liked it. There are a lot of issues addressed (codependency, underage drinking, sex) and Ms. Reed handles them well. She deals with them in a realistic way without making them feel awkward or gratuitous.
I really liked Max. In the beginning, I didn’t really get her, but once she was free of Sadie and she started realizing things about herself, she really started to grow on me. By the end of the book, I was really happy with the direction her character had gone and the growth she’d made.
I was never a fan of Sadie. I wanted to like her. She was broken and needed fixing and I’m typically drawn to that sort of character, but I just couldn’t find anything likable about her.
Dylan is mentioned in the summary, and I was expecting to maybe have a love triangle with two girls and a boy, but that didn’t happen. He played a much smaller role than I expected.
While I wasn’t as blown away by this book as I had hoped, I still ended up enjoying it. If you like issue books that deal with things in a realistic way, I would definitely check this one out.
When Sadie becomes ill and has to be quarantined, Max has to start existing on her own. She’d never really realized how codependent on Sadie she was. It was almost as if Sadie were her life force. As Max learns to exist without Sadie, and she realizes all she has sacrificed for her, their friendship is strained and both girls will have a hard lesson to learn.
I read Ms. Reed’s Clean a couple of years ago and fell in love with it. It was one of those books that I meant to just read a chapter or two and the next thing I knew, it was three hours later and I was finishing the book. It was raw, gritty and I loved every one of the characters. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, and while I did end up enjoying it, I wasn’t as into it as I was Clean. The biggest thing that I just couldn’t get into was the style she uses in the first half of the book. Max narrates the story and she uses a combo of first and second person — almost as if Max is telling Sadie the story of their lives. As in “You did this and then I said this and you didn’t agree with me.” It just never really clicked with me. Once Sadie becomes ill and Max is without her, it changed and it flowed a lot better for me. This is when I really got into the story. By the end, I really liked it. There are a lot of issues addressed (codependency, underage drinking, sex) and Ms. Reed handles them well. She deals with them in a realistic way without making them feel awkward or gratuitous.
I really liked Max. In the beginning, I didn’t really get her, but once she was free of Sadie and she started realizing things about herself, she really started to grow on me. By the end of the book, I was really happy with the direction her character had gone and the growth she’d made.
I was never a fan of Sadie. I wanted to like her. She was broken and needed fixing and I’m typically drawn to that sort of character, but I just couldn’t find anything likable about her.
Dylan is mentioned in the summary, and I was expecting to maybe have a love triangle with two girls and a boy, but that didn’t happen. He played a much smaller role than I expected.
While I wasn’t as blown away by this book as I had hoped, I still ended up enjoying it. If you like issue books that deal with things in a realistic way, I would definitely check this one out.
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