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Never Always Sometimes
Never date your best friend.
Always be original.
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school.
Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.
Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.
Always be original.
Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.
Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school.
Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.
Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2015
446 people are currently reading
15195 people want to read
About the author
Adi Alsaid
29 books1,283 followersAdi Alsaid was born and raised in Mexico City, where he now lives, writes, and spills hot sauce on things. He's the author of several YA novels including LET'S GET LOST, NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES, and NORTH OF HAPPY.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,432 reviews
September 10, 2015
3.4 stars! Was fun! Love the whole can boys and girls be best friends angle of it, but I had issues with some of the plot points and the lead characters felt a little cartoony and unrealistic at times.
June 29, 2015
Honestly? I finished this book a week ago and really can't find anything substantial to say about it. I'll try to articulate what makes this book so dull and forgettable.
Never Always Sometimes is a wannabe John Green book. It tries to follow in JG's footsteps by creating overly quirky, intelligentcharacters caricatures who do not resemble any teenagers I've ever known. Except, unlike Green's works and others who have tried to do similar things, this book isn't particularly well-written or compelling.
These boring friends-turned-lovers characters do not stand out and, in my opinion, don't offer anything that makes me want to continue turning pages. If I didn't have an ARC, I wouldn't have bothered to force my way through it. It was one of those books that I would put down and genuinely not want to pick up again. I only gave it two stars because one star feels like a passionately negative rating and there was nothing to elicit passion here.
Even though I wasn't crazy in love with Eleanor & Park like many other readers, I still admit that this book just pales in comparison - feeling cheesy and completely unremarkable alongside Rowell's cute, honest and sometimes dark romance.
The plot is about Dave and Julia who vowed never to fall into any of the regular high school cliches. Now, though, they're seniors and decide to throw their rules out of the window and find out exactly what they've been missing out on. It emerges fairly early that Dave has been in love with Julia forever and he now has a chance to break the ultimate rule - #10, never date your best friend.
I reached the ending with a sigh of relief and without feeling a single emotion for these characters. I think if you want a cute teen romance built on friendship then you should read Eleanor & Park instead.
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Never Always Sometimes is a wannabe John Green book. It tries to follow in JG's footsteps by creating overly quirky, intelligent
These boring friends-turned-lovers characters do not stand out and, in my opinion, don't offer anything that makes me want to continue turning pages. If I didn't have an ARC, I wouldn't have bothered to force my way through it. It was one of those books that I would put down and genuinely not want to pick up again. I only gave it two stars because one star feels like a passionately negative rating and there was nothing to elicit passion here.
Even though I wasn't crazy in love with Eleanor & Park like many other readers, I still admit that this book just pales in comparison - feeling cheesy and completely unremarkable alongside Rowell's cute, honest and sometimes dark romance.
The plot is about Dave and Julia who vowed never to fall into any of the regular high school cliches. Now, though, they're seniors and decide to throw their rules out of the window and find out exactly what they've been missing out on. It emerges fairly early that Dave has been in love with Julia forever and he now has a chance to break the ultimate rule - #10, never date your best friend.
I reached the ending with a sigh of relief and without feeling a single emotion for these characters. I think if you want a cute teen romance built on friendship then you should read Eleanor & Park instead.
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August 27, 2015
Words cannot properly express the annoyance and frustration I felt after finishing this book. I actually felt the same way towards the the end of the Paper Towns movie (I haven't read the book yet)--as if the whole story was all for nothing. It wasn't a pointless book, per se, but I definitely think the end lacked proper closure and will probably leave a lot of readers unsatisfied. Maybe even pissed if you're oddly emotional like me.
I think the main reason I couldn't feel the book was because I didn't like the writing style. At all. The book was written in a very John Green-esque fashion--flowery writing, teens who think deep thoughts and all that jazz. Maybe it's because I'm a shallow reader, but the characters were driving me crazy, and not in a good way, either.
The main characters were way too "eccentric" to be realistic, and that made it so hard for me to relate for them. It sucks that I should be able to do that, being in high school and all, but instead I felt like throwing rocks at their heads throughout majority of the book! Call me a warfreak, but it's true.
Dave, if we're being honest, is an ass. I can't tell you why without spoiling the book, but yes, an ass. A big one. I legitimately want to slice his head clean open. Morbid, I know.
But the main problem lies with Julia. Julia, the manic pixie dream girl. Let me list down some of the many problems I had with her:
a) She's such an elitist. She felt like all the "regular" people who did "normal" teenager things were way down below her. She felt like she was up on a fucking pedestal and that they didn't deserve her attention.
b) She's manipulative. I honestly felt like she was just playing around with Dave's emotions. I don't like him either, but Julia didn't have any right to do that, especially since they're best friends.
c) She's hot-and-cold. This sort of goes with reason b). Julia sometimes acts like the perfect best friend, while sometimes she's sort of missing.
I appreciate that Adi Alsaid tried to go against what was expected of the book, but the ending made no sense. I was kind of like, "Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up. What the heck is going on?!" And yes, I guess in a way I sort of felt cheated with the way things ended. Like I said, it just didn't make sense.
Overall, definitely not my kind of book. I just couldn't deal with the emotional stress this book gave me.
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I think the main reason I couldn't feel the book was because I didn't like the writing style. At all. The book was written in a very John Green-esque fashion--flowery writing, teens who think deep thoughts and all that jazz. Maybe it's because I'm a shallow reader, but the characters were driving me crazy, and not in a good way, either.
The main characters were way too "eccentric" to be realistic, and that made it so hard for me to relate for them. It sucks that I should be able to do that, being in high school and all, but instead I felt like throwing rocks at their heads throughout majority of the book! Call me a warfreak, but it's true.
Dave, if we're being honest, is an ass. I can't tell you why without spoiling the book, but yes, an ass. A big one. I legitimately want to slice his head clean open. Morbid, I know.
But the main problem lies with Julia. Julia, the manic pixie dream girl. Let me list down some of the many problems I had with her:
a) She's such an elitist. She felt like all the "regular" people who did "normal" teenager things were way down below her. She felt like she was up on a fucking pedestal and that they didn't deserve her attention.
b) She's manipulative. I honestly felt like she was just playing around with Dave's emotions. I don't like him either, but Julia didn't have any right to do that, especially since they're best friends.
c) She's hot-and-cold. This sort of goes with reason b). Julia sometimes acts like the perfect best friend, while sometimes she's sort of missing.
I appreciate that Adi Alsaid tried to go against what was expected of the book, but the ending made no sense. I was kind of like, "Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up. What the heck is going on?!" And yes, I guess in a way I sort of felt cheated with the way things ended. Like I said, it just didn't make sense.
Overall, definitely not my kind of book. I just couldn't deal with the emotional stress this book gave me.
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August 1, 2015
Things that I hated about Never Always Sometimes:
(THERE'S NOTHING TO LOVE) (Sorry not sorry)
1.) The blurb:
...two best friends, a boy and girl, make a list of the cliché things they will never do their senior year.
LOLOLOLOLOL. This book sounds so cliché already.
2.) Two "characters" who are so hell bent on embracing their "individuality" that in the end, they just came out fake and unrealistic for me:
Seriously, they do not even resemble the guys I went with in high school. I CANNOT RELATE. I NEEDS TO RELATE. They are worse than the characters of a John Green novel. I know JG's characters can be a bit pretentious sometimes but at least, I get them.
3.) This and many more vomit-inducing quotes:
"If the lights ever went out in her presence, Dave was pretty sure the brightness of her eyes would be more useful than a flashlight."
I'd rather take the flashlight. Thx.
PUKE.
3.) Every single chapter of Dave reminding us that he loves Julia. Again, puke.
4.) IT HAS A LOVE TRIANGLE:
That love triangle came out of nowhere. One night of flirting and suddenly, Dave can't get Gretchen out of his mind. DUUUDE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH JULIA O_o
I'm sure there's a lot more but I only reached the 36% mark before I decided that I've had enough. In short, this book is an utter waste of my time. I could've been studying for my midterm exams next week, walking my dog, learning another language (French maybe?), or travelling the word. Instead I settled for this piece of s***. This is a new low for me, I'm sorry self for treating you like this. I deserve better.
Maybe I'll pick this up again later. Maybe not. But I've got a feeling that I WON'T.
An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
(THERE'S NOTHING TO LOVE) (Sorry not sorry)
1.) The blurb:
...two best friends, a boy and girl, make a list of the cliché things they will never do their senior year.
LOLOLOLOLOL. This book sounds so cliché already.
2.) Two "characters" who are so hell bent on embracing their "individuality" that in the end, they just came out fake and unrealistic for me:
Seriously, they do not even resemble the guys I went with in high school. I CANNOT RELATE. I NEEDS TO RELATE. They are worse than the characters of a John Green novel. I know JG's characters can be a bit pretentious sometimes but at least, I get them.
3.) This and many more vomit-inducing quotes:
"If the lights ever went out in her presence, Dave was pretty sure the brightness of her eyes would be more useful than a flashlight."
I'd rather take the flashlight. Thx.
PUKE.
3.) Every single chapter of Dave reminding us that he loves Julia. Again, puke.
4.) IT HAS A LOVE TRIANGLE:
That love triangle came out of nowhere. One night of flirting and suddenly, Dave can't get Gretchen out of his mind. DUUUDE, I THOUGHT YOU WERE IN LOVE WITH JULIA O_o
I'm sure there's a lot more but I only reached the 36% mark before I decided that I've had enough. In short, this book is an utter waste of my time. I could've been studying for my midterm exams next week, walking my dog, learning another language (French maybe?), or travelling the word. Instead I settled for this piece of s***. This is a new low for me, I'm sorry self for treating you like this. I deserve better.
Maybe I'll pick this up again later. Maybe not. But I've got a feeling that I WON'T.
An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2022
more like NEVER (should have read this), ALWAYS (regret picking it up), SOMETIMES (forget it exists entirely).
anyway.
pretty boring. pretty unlikable characters. all around a nope read.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago
anyway.
pretty boring. pretty unlikable characters. all around a nope read.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago
May 28, 2019
I probably now understand why most Goodreaders rated this so low. It’s probably the last 25% of the book where the plot started to mess up but during the first good portion of the novel, I thought it was really good. It was very well written, smart, creative, funny and relatable. The plot started out really interesting about these childhood best friends ,Dave and Julia, and their goal at defying clichés while proving there aren’t clichés after all, only personal truths to individual stories.
I was pretty impressed at the author’s ability to shift narrative perspectives so easily in just a matter of sentences. The first part was Dave’s, the second part was Julia’s while the third was a combination of both. I was pretty pissed at Julia during Dave’s POV for being too quirky even for my taste and for believing she was way too special and better than everybody else until I finally read her perspective and started to root for her.
I was really getting into the novel when suddenly the plot got really messed up especially the part where Dave seemed to have won a two-way cheat ticket, got away with it not just once but twice. I know the author was simply aiming at originality but the best friends-to-lovers trope (for once) would have been the perfect ending to the story. But perhaps, there is still a truth to that outturn. Just because I don’t agree with it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t happen.
Overall, this was still a refreshing read for me. It may not have turned out the way I hoped it would but I could respect the author for deviating from the expected.
June 11, 2016
Wow. Never Always Sometimes took me by surprise. More so, because we got off on a bad start. While I thought the Prologue was beautiful and well done, the opening chapters lost me quickly. The beginning starts off with Dave's POV, and I just couldn't connect with the sudden and intense pining (four years in the making) that he had for Julia. It just... didn't feel real. And I didn't really care for either character as I learned more about them. Julia was wildly eccentric, and utterly ridiculous, and Dave was just so wishy washy with no back bone. Yeah, not the ideal characters, but their flaws didn't make them feel any more authentic, for that matter. Or at least, not at first.
And the plot just seemed so trivial and pretentious! So basically Julia and Dave both made up a list four years ago while they were in middle school, mind you, of "Nevers", which were cliches to avoid in high school. They rediscover this list during their last year of high school and are impressed that while they had forgotten the said list, they still followed it to a tee. Well now it's time for a change! Julia and Dave set out to do and experience each cliche to get the full effect of high school.
Yep.
And what you will find, is that this list is as deep as a nonexistent puddle. It's entirely superficial and without meaning. And this was yet another reason why it took me a while to warm up to this book. But what I think will frustrate most readers are the characters, which made me want to wring this book out of words. It wasn't until I read Julia's POV that I even started to warm up to her character, and I was halfway on the verge of liking her (I mean she put everything into that "Promposal" for Dave), but just as quickly I found myself disliking her all over again. And also Dave for that matter. Initially, I thought he was so sweet, but no, no, no. What he did... smh.
But then too, I can also appreciate how Adi Alsaid chose to depict his characters. The mistakes they made, were very realistic and in alignment with a great deal of high school relationships. While I didn't agree with all their choices (especially Gretchen's in the end), I couldn't help but to follow along and see how it all turned out.
So why the okay rating? Simple: The writing. It impressed me early on, although admittedly, like the story, it took me a while to warm up to, more so due to the pretentious dialogues (which gladly lessens up the more you read). But I didn't have to overlook it to realize that Adi Alsaid is a poet with words. I adore his prose! This novel loosely reminds me of Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means, in terms of penmanship. His writing is quiet, and yet somehow bold, and easy flowing. I found myself stopping quite a bit to just admire some of the sentences he created. And I also laughed out loud multiple times. There were quite a bit of hilarious scenes, and I was in tears when Dave dyed his hair green!
Although I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, and despite the flaws, I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't what I would call a stand out, but it was well worth the quick read nonetheless.
And the plot just seemed so trivial and pretentious! So basically Julia and Dave both made up a list four years ago while they were in middle school, mind you, of "Nevers", which were cliches to avoid in high school. They rediscover this list during their last year of high school and are impressed that while they had forgotten the said list, they still followed it to a tee. Well now it's time for a change! Julia and Dave set out to do and experience each cliche to get the full effect of high school.
Yep.
And what you will find, is that this list is as deep as a nonexistent puddle. It's entirely superficial and without meaning. And this was yet another reason why it took me a while to warm up to this book. But what I think will frustrate most readers are the characters, which made me want to wring this book out of words. It wasn't until I read Julia's POV that I even started to warm up to her character, and I was halfway on the verge of liking her (I mean she put everything into that "Promposal" for Dave), but just as quickly I found myself disliking her all over again. And also Dave for that matter. Initially, I thought he was so sweet, but no, no, no. What he did... smh.
But then too, I can also appreciate how Adi Alsaid chose to depict his characters. The mistakes they made, were very realistic and in alignment with a great deal of high school relationships. While I didn't agree with all their choices (especially Gretchen's in the end), I couldn't help but to follow along and see how it all turned out.
So why the okay rating? Simple: The writing. It impressed me early on, although admittedly, like the story, it took me a while to warm up to, more so due to the pretentious dialogues (which gladly lessens up the more you read). But I didn't have to overlook it to realize that Adi Alsaid is a poet with words. I adore his prose! This novel loosely reminds me of Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means, in terms of penmanship. His writing is quiet, and yet somehow bold, and easy flowing. I found myself stopping quite a bit to just admire some of the sentences he created. And I also laughed out loud multiple times. There were quite a bit of hilarious scenes, and I was in tears when Dave dyed his hair green!
Although I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, and despite the flaws, I really enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't what I would call a stand out, but it was well worth the quick read nonetheless.
August 3, 2015
I went into this thinking it was going to be a cute, fluffy, BFF to more story. I'm not entirely sure what this was.
I loved the banter between Dave and Julia. Their friendship was fun in the beginning, but right away, getting Dave's "I'm so in love with her, but she's doesn't know and I don't know what to do" inner monologue got really old really fast.
And then it goes to shit.
I've seen the reviews and I'm clearly in the minority. I loved the premise and the characters, but I absolutely hated how they chose to treat each other.
**Huge thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I loved the banter between Dave and Julia. Their friendship was fun in the beginning, but right away, getting Dave's "I'm so in love with her, but she's doesn't know and I don't know what to do" inner monologue got really old really fast.
And then it goes to shit.
I've seen the reviews and I'm clearly in the minority. I loved the premise and the characters, but I absolutely hated how they chose to treat each other.
**Huge thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
probably-not-for-me
June 29, 2015Never "die" your hair? What is this nonsense?
September 10, 2015
Bleeeeeeeeeeeeh. Atleast I tried.
(I kindasortamaybe forgot the name of the H/h, so...)
This book was way too bland for my taste. The heroine was bland, the hero was bland and the plot was too dry for my tastes. It was really depressing how the hero didnt have any other real thought other than his female companionship problems (if they can even be counted as real problems).
Im so done.
(I kindasortamaybe forgot the name of the H/h, so...)
This book was way too bland for my taste. The heroine was bland, the hero was bland and the plot was too dry for my tastes. It was really depressing how the hero didnt have any other real thought other than his female companionship problems (if they can even be counted as real problems).
Im so done.
July 26, 2015
It's so hard to write about a book that broke your heart. I still think about it and I still feel my heart crushing. And it's a good sign because if I feel this way is because this book was done right. I don't know if Adi Alsaid did this on purpose, I don't think so, but he did such a great job with portraying feelings that I couldn't help feeling this way.
Dave and, his best friend, Julia made a list of "Nevers" before starting high school. The list consisted on clichés they will never do in school. As the years passed and they felt they were missing out the good parts of high school they decided to do the items from the list. This story is more than this. Is more than having fun, is about love, friendship and everything in between.
Reading so many love triangles involving a girl and two boys, it felt quite original to have a possible love triangle involving a guy and two girls. This felt new to me and I enjoyed this a lot to the point where I couldn't control my feelings.
This book brought me back to my teenage years. The way it's written feels so real. I wonder if the author actually lived any of this experiences? Every feeling and reaction felt real and this is why I couldnt stop reading it. The way he describes confusion, heartbreaks, love, kisses, it's all real. I saw myself revisiting my own experiences and feeling what the characters were feeling.
I loved the characters. The character development was real, no matter how sad this made me. There are scenes that I will love forever and quotes that will make me feel so many things. Adi Alsaid nailed on having "that teenage feeling" in the book and that nostalgia of being a teenager for those of us adults who still read YA.
I loved this book so much, even though the ending was not what I wanted to happen. I am not disappointed with it, it is real but sad for me.
If you read Adi Alsaid's first book Let's Get Lost, you'll still feel his vibe in this one. While reading this one I could tell it was a book from Adi because it felt like him. I dare say that Never Always Sometimes is my favorite book of his to date. I can't wait to read more from him.
**Thank you NetGalley for giving me ARC in exchange for an honest review. ***
March 13, 2017
Did not finish. Read till about page 260 of the book (82%) and dropped it, a little after things started turning into too much unnecessary mush and going REALLY downhill.
The story was rather cliche with a rather predictable plot IMO, and I should probably have dropped it like a hot potato way before page 260, as I did not find the story particularly interesting then either. The love triangle was no, just no, and I totally did not get the Julia-Gretchen thing going on for Dave.
Overall not that much of a great story, would not recommend it. However I heard "Let's Get Lost" by the same author is pretty good though, so I'll still be giving that book a try nonetheless.
The story was rather cliche with a rather predictable plot IMO, and I should probably have dropped it like a hot potato way before page 260, as I did not find the story particularly interesting then either. The love triangle was no, just no, and I totally did not get the Julia-Gretchen thing going on for Dave.
Overall not that much of a great story, would not recommend it. However I heard "Let's Get Lost" by the same author is pretty good though, so I'll still be giving that book a try nonetheless.
August 4, 2015
This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
I really quite adored this book. I may be long past my high school days, but there is a pretty huge part of me that wishes I had made a list like this. I didn't do any of the cliches myself, but that was more out of fear that a longing for originality. I digress. With graduation looming, Dave and Julia are going to basically embrace the cliches that they've done their best to avoid, and have a big old high school experience.
Some of the things they do are absolutely hilarious, like their adventures in hair dye, and going to a popular kid's "beer party". And then there are more serious list items relating to life and love and some teacher seduction that you're just going to have to read for yourself. My point is, there are moments that are light hearted, sweet, and fun; and there are moments that are poignant, heartbreaking, and all too real. Never Always Sometimes provides the perfect blend of both, which is fabulous, because isn't that how life really is?
So, what did I love? How about another list!
Dave and Julia. Goodness, Dave was a sweetheart. At first, I thought I would not relate to Julia, that she was a little too free spirited for me to understand, but when we reached her POV, I realized how much substance she really had. She does some things that are absolutely frustrating, and sometimes downright shitty, but I really felt like she never meant anyone harm. So if you don't like her at the very start, give her a chance to grow on you. I doubt you'll have any issues liking Dave. :)
Reversing the "Never"s was quite a journey. For both Dave and Julia, letting go of these things they vowed not to do proved harder than it seemed. While performing these "tasks", they learned a lot about themselves- some of it good, and some of it not so good. This time in their lives is so full of doubt and change and upheaval as it is, and they kind of threw a lot more onto the pile, with mixed results. It was an emotionally diverse journey though, and kept me engaged the whole time.
Family is a big part of the story. Especially in Julia's story, she lives with her two adoptive fathers, who are basically the best ever. She loves them and they have an awesome relationship, but Julia still longs for a place in her birth mother's life. The birth mom is basically a mess, but Julia never stops wanting that relationship. Dave's relationship with his family, and especially his brother, does play a part but a much smaller one.
It's just plain charming. The relationship between Dave and Julia is so, so sweet. They are funny, and witty, and smart, but they still make mistakes and have a very flawed side. I think the realism of all the characters really did this book justice. No one was perfect, no one was a monster. There weren't "good guys" or "bad guys" just... people. It was incredibly real, and kept me extremely engaged in the book.
The stuff I didn't love:
Oh look, just the one bullet point? YEP. I liked this book so much. I think I can honestly say it was on its way to immediate 5-star land. The ending. I know there are people who absolutely loved it, thought it was perfect, etc. So maybe I am the black sheep here. I will tell you what I didn't like in a spoiler tag, even though it isn't technically a spoiler, you might be able to guess? I don't know:
Bottom Line: Overall, a really solid book! I loved the characters and I loved how much it made me reminisce about my own high school experiences. It was well written, funny and charming, and also very heartfelt. Definitely a win.
I really quite adored this book. I may be long past my high school days, but there is a pretty huge part of me that wishes I had made a list like this. I didn't do any of the cliches myself, but that was more out of fear that a longing for originality. I digress. With graduation looming, Dave and Julia are going to basically embrace the cliches that they've done their best to avoid, and have a big old high school experience.
Some of the things they do are absolutely hilarious, like their adventures in hair dye, and going to a popular kid's "beer party". And then there are more serious list items relating to life and love and some teacher seduction that you're just going to have to read for yourself. My point is, there are moments that are light hearted, sweet, and fun; and there are moments that are poignant, heartbreaking, and all too real. Never Always Sometimes provides the perfect blend of both, which is fabulous, because isn't that how life really is?
So, what did I love? How about another list!
Dave and Julia. Goodness, Dave was a sweetheart. At first, I thought I would not relate to Julia, that she was a little too free spirited for me to understand, but when we reached her POV, I realized how much substance she really had. She does some things that are absolutely frustrating, and sometimes downright shitty, but I really felt like she never meant anyone harm. So if you don't like her at the very start, give her a chance to grow on you. I doubt you'll have any issues liking Dave. :)
Reversing the "Never"s was quite a journey. For both Dave and Julia, letting go of these things they vowed not to do proved harder than it seemed. While performing these "tasks", they learned a lot about themselves- some of it good, and some of it not so good. This time in their lives is so full of doubt and change and upheaval as it is, and they kind of threw a lot more onto the pile, with mixed results. It was an emotionally diverse journey though, and kept me engaged the whole time.
Family is a big part of the story. Especially in Julia's story, she lives with her two adoptive fathers, who are basically the best ever. She loves them and they have an awesome relationship, but Julia still longs for a place in her birth mother's life. The birth mom is basically a mess, but Julia never stops wanting that relationship. Dave's relationship with his family, and especially his brother, does play a part but a much smaller one.
It's just plain charming. The relationship between Dave and Julia is so, so sweet. They are funny, and witty, and smart, but they still make mistakes and have a very flawed side. I think the realism of all the characters really did this book justice. No one was perfect, no one was a monster. There weren't "good guys" or "bad guys" just... people. It was incredibly real, and kept me extremely engaged in the book.
The stuff I didn't love:
Oh look, just the one bullet point? YEP. I liked this book so much. I think I can honestly say it was on its way to immediate 5-star land. The ending. I know there are people who absolutely loved it, thought it was perfect, etc. So maybe I am the black sheep here. I will tell you what I didn't like in a spoiler tag, even though it isn't technically a spoiler, you might be able to guess? I don't know:
Bottom Line: Overall, a really solid book! I loved the characters and I loved how much it made me reminisce about my own high school experiences. It was well written, funny and charming, and also very heartfelt. Definitely a win.
August 2, 2015
The characters in this book had zero personality, and were about as deep as a kiddie pool.
On the first page we get this "If the lights ever went out in her presence, Dave was pretty sure the brightness of her eyes would be more useful than a flashlight."
I almost stopped reading right there and then.
Dave is obsessed with Julia to the point where it is annoying. But one party later, and after four years of being in love with Julia, he is in love with another girl. Oh wow.
Flirting and flirting later, Dave and the other girl, Gretchen, are dating. And surprisingly enough, right when Dave notices another girl, Julia realizes she is in love with him.
"She pictured Dave-her Dave, the funniest guy she knew, her best friend, the only person she could even imagine spending her days with-side by side with cookie-cutter Gretchen and her perfect blond waves and Julia broke into laughter so uncontrollable she had to lie down and let it tear through her. She ripped out a patch of grass and ripped the blades to shreds, throwing them in the air like confetti. As the bits of green rained down on her, she thought about waking up the guy on the couch and kissing him as an act of revenge, but settled on going to the kitchen to find more beer. Whether to drink or throw she hadn't yet decided.
Julia loved Dave. And she would tear her house apart to prove it.
A little insane considering she just figured out she loves him. And now when he is taken too.
Much later, Dave is now taking Gretchen to prom. Dave decided to go to San Fransisco with Julia. On the way back they end up making out on the beach, after skinny dipping, and having sex.
Dave in no way feels bad for cheating on Gretchen, who was already incredibly sad from her previous boyfriend that had cheated on her.
Gretchen catches them making out and they break up, and even though she is sad, she wants Dave to still be happy.
Julia and Dave right, happy ending?
Turns out Dave actually didn't love Julia. So they break it off after a day or two.
"She(Gretchen) broke the hug and took his hand in her, then leaned in to kiss him. It had only been a few weeks since they'd kissed, but the pause had felt eternal."
HAHAHA....
Dave goes running back to a waiting Gretchen, and Julia decided that maybe she likes Dave's older brother.
Julia and Dave remain friends. The end.
Thank god that's over.
On the first page we get this "If the lights ever went out in her presence, Dave was pretty sure the brightness of her eyes would be more useful than a flashlight."
I almost stopped reading right there and then.
Dave is obsessed with Julia to the point where it is annoying. But one party later, and after four years of being in love with Julia, he is in love with another girl. Oh wow.
Flirting and flirting later, Dave and the other girl, Gretchen, are dating. And surprisingly enough, right when Dave notices another girl, Julia realizes she is in love with him.
"She pictured Dave-her Dave, the funniest guy she knew, her best friend, the only person she could even imagine spending her days with-side by side with cookie-cutter Gretchen and her perfect blond waves and Julia broke into laughter so uncontrollable she had to lie down and let it tear through her. She ripped out a patch of grass and ripped the blades to shreds, throwing them in the air like confetti. As the bits of green rained down on her, she thought about waking up the guy on the couch and kissing him as an act of revenge, but settled on going to the kitchen to find more beer. Whether to drink or throw she hadn't yet decided.
Julia loved Dave. And she would tear her house apart to prove it.
A little insane considering she just figured out she loves him. And now when he is taken too.
Much later, Dave is now taking Gretchen to prom. Dave decided to go to San Fransisco with Julia. On the way back they end up making out on the beach, after skinny dipping, and having sex.
Dave in no way feels bad for cheating on Gretchen, who was already incredibly sad from her previous boyfriend that had cheated on her.
Gretchen catches them making out and they break up, and even though she is sad, she wants Dave to still be happy.
Julia and Dave right, happy ending?
Turns out Dave actually didn't love Julia. So they break it off after a day or two.
"She(Gretchen) broke the hug and took his hand in her, then leaned in to kiss him. It had only been a few weeks since they'd kissed, but the pause had felt eternal."
HAHAHA....
Dave goes running back to a waiting Gretchen, and Julia decided that maybe she likes Dave's older brother.
Julia and Dave remain friends. The end.
Thank god that's over.
August 5, 2015
Longtime friends Dave and Julia create a list of Nevers or cliches they never want to experience or do but come senior year they begin to realize how much they have missed out on and decide to complete every Never on the list.
The concept behind NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES is a fun one, I really liked the idea of the Nevers list and enjoyed experiencing (and reminiscing about) some enjoyable and memorable high school moments right alongside the main characters.
The writing is very easy to get into, and it flows well with the story. However, there were some pacing issues and I wish more time had been spent on romantic development and less on angst and parties.
Overall, NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES is a novel that fans of the genre will enjoy.
The concept behind NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES is a fun one, I really liked the idea of the Nevers list and enjoyed experiencing (and reminiscing about) some enjoyable and memorable high school moments right alongside the main characters.
“No point in living a life less ordinary if you don’t know what the other side looks like.Dave and Julia themselves are very personable and have a great dynamic with each other, throwing around humorous banter and overall just complementing each other. There is a love triangle that lead to a lot of drama, but I liked how it was wrapped up.
The writing is very easy to get into, and it flows well with the story. However, there were some pacing issues and I wish more time had been spent on romantic development and less on angst and parties.
“We are not any one thing that is mathematically provable.”My favorite aspect of this novel was how it did not end like I expected. It is refreshing to read a contemporary novel like this where you cannot immediately predict the endgame.
Overall, NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES is a novel that fans of the genre will enjoy.
dnf
August 7, 2015I realized pretty quickly that this story, the writing, and the characters weren't going to keep my attention. The first 30 pages are an endless litany of how beautiful Dave finds Julia and from skimming the rest of the book, the writing continues to feel a bit mannered. Some points for not going the expected route with this romantic contemporary, I guess? Problem is, I don't really care what happens to either of them.
Not awful, just lacking in depth and passion. Meh.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
Not awful, just lacking in depth and passion. Meh.
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
October 22, 2015
So happy Alsaid decided to write from multiple perspectives in Never Always Sometimes. Though I did not enjoy the book as much as Let's Get Lost, it still made for a moving contemporary read. I had a hard time relating to some of the characters, but the ending satisfied; though it may not please everyone, it seemed realistic. Overall 4/5 stars; definitely pick up one of Alsaid's books if you haven't already.
June 10, 2015
I was given an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Note that all quote mentioned here were taken from the ARC copy, not the final version.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Oh wow, this book is amazing! I didn't think that I would like this book when I started reading it since it felt kind of boring to me. I mean, I enjoyed the writing and the actual conversations, but in terms of the story, nothing was happening at first. But after I finished the last page of this book, all that was in my mind was "Wow!" over and over again.
Never Always Sometimes' story is brilliant, just brilliant! I am now convinced of how amazing Adi Alsaid is! You know, if this plot had been transferred to another book in another writing style, I am almost certain that I would hate every moment of it (I won't say more about what happened because it's a spoiler). But with Adi Alsaid, the way he walked me through the story, everything felt like a new discovery - a way of learning about oneself and others. The way it was written was just amazing, and it had a way of forcing me to love it even if I didn't think I would at first.
The plot of this book was brilliant in such a way that all the "turning around" (I have no idea how to say it in English, but in Tagalog, it's "pasikot-sikot) had a point. That is the main reason why I didn't hate this book - not one bit. It's one thing to think of a plot like this one, it's another to be able to execute it well, and Adi Alsaid did both!
One of my faovrite things from this book was how the title and the cover made sense. I always love learning about why a book is called such, and if I see part or the whole title inside the story. But in this one, the words weren't said together; they were mentioned separately and they just made so much sense.
The ending of this book was the perfect closing of the book, which I can only say for really, really few books. It made me smile so much to the point that my cheeks were already hurting. At first I was only going to give this book 4 stars, but as I was writing my review I realized just how much I loved the book, so I'm bumping it now to 4.5 stars.
I definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more of Adi Alsaid's books! I haven't read his debut novel yet though, so for the mean time I have that to read while I patiently wait for his next book.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Oh wow, this book is amazing! I didn't think that I would like this book when I started reading it since it felt kind of boring to me. I mean, I enjoyed the writing and the actual conversations, but in terms of the story, nothing was happening at first. But after I finished the last page of this book, all that was in my mind was "Wow!" over and over again.
"A little better than you found it." "The Best you can ever do is to leave the world a little better than you found it."
Never Always Sometimes' story is brilliant, just brilliant! I am now convinced of how amazing Adi Alsaid is! You know, if this plot had been transferred to another book in another writing style, I am almost certain that I would hate every moment of it (I won't say more about what happened because it's a spoiler). But with Adi Alsaid, the way he walked me through the story, everything felt like a new discovery - a way of learning about oneself and others. The way it was written was just amazing, and it had a way of forcing me to love it even if I didn't think I would at first.
"We like to think that we're formulas that even out exactly, that we are perfect matches with each other. But we're not. We match up with lost of people, more or less."
The plot of this book was brilliant in such a way that all the "turning around" (I have no idea how to say it in English, but in Tagalog, it's "pasikot-sikot) had a point. That is the main reason why I didn't hate this book - not one bit. It's one thing to think of a plot like this one, it's another to be able to execute it well, and Adi Alsaid did both!
One of my faovrite things from this book was how the title and the cover made sense. I always love learning about why a book is called such, and if I see part or the whole title inside the story. But in this one, the words weren't said together; they were mentioned separately and they just made so much sense.
"There was no greater proof of an underlying connection than the universal hatred of Monday mornings."
The ending of this book was the perfect closing of the book, which I can only say for really, really few books. It made me smile so much to the point that my cheeks were already hurting. At first I was only going to give this book 4 stars, but as I was writing my review I realized just how much I loved the book, so I'm bumping it now to 4.5 stars.
I definitely recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more of Adi Alsaid's books! I haven't read his debut novel yet though, so for the mean time I have that to read while I patiently wait for his next book.
August 30, 2015
Well, Adi has done it again. This book was a such a fun, funny, adventurous, and such a unique read. I really loved the plot, the characters, and the writing. Adi always does a great job when writing multi-perspective books; both Let's Get Lost and Never Always Sometimes showed that. Both Dave and Julia had their own voice and they both sounded like two very different people. I didn't get confused on who I was reading on and I am not surprised Adi made that happen. If you like contemporaries, definitely check this book out!
The two main characters-Dave and Julia-were pretty different people. Dave is more of an introverted person where Julia is not. Julia is care free; she likes to seize the (Tues)day. They both are such funny, sarcastic, and work really well as friends I really enjoyed reading from each of their perspectives. Unfortunately, I did have some tiny problems with Dave and how just careless he was in a situation. Other than that, I really did like these characters. It was interesting to see how both Dave and Julia reacted and their thoughts on crossing off everything on their Nevers list. I also loved reading about the character development both Dave and Julia went through. In the beginning of the book, they were both in their little world and by the end of the book, they have both gone through so much and learned so many things about people.
"Love was people creating memories of each other.." -Adi Alsaid, Never Always Sometimes
Based on the synopsis, I could already tell this book was going to have a very interesting plot and concept. Two best friends, breaking the promise of never doing any of the cliche on their "Nevers" list; this sounds like a great story so far. Then we have all this emotional turmoil with Dave liking Julia and gah! It all made for such a great story. It was all such fun, light, and a great read about friendship, drama, and just life. The ending was also such a surprise for me but I am glad it ended that way. It was just the most uncliche thing and that goes so well with this book since it is about being cliche.
"But certain lines felt like they were thoughts I'd had my whole life that just hadn't taken shape yet until I read them." -Adi Alsaid, Never Always Sometimes
I gave this book 4.5 because I really enjoyed the plot, characters, writing, and duo perspective. However, I did have a small issue with one of the characters.
Full review: http://next-page-please.blogspot.com/...
The two main characters-Dave and Julia-were pretty different people. Dave is more of an introverted person where Julia is not. Julia is care free; she likes to seize the (Tues)day. They both are such funny, sarcastic, and work really well as friends I really enjoyed reading from each of their perspectives. Unfortunately, I did have some tiny problems with Dave and how just careless he was in a situation. Other than that, I really did like these characters. It was interesting to see how both Dave and Julia reacted and their thoughts on crossing off everything on their Nevers list. I also loved reading about the character development both Dave and Julia went through. In the beginning of the book, they were both in their little world and by the end of the book, they have both gone through so much and learned so many things about people.
"Love was people creating memories of each other.." -Adi Alsaid, Never Always Sometimes
Based on the synopsis, I could already tell this book was going to have a very interesting plot and concept. Two best friends, breaking the promise of never doing any of the cliche on their "Nevers" list; this sounds like a great story so far. Then we have all this emotional turmoil with Dave liking Julia and gah! It all made for such a great story. It was all such fun, light, and a great read about friendship, drama, and just life. The ending was also such a surprise for me but I am glad it ended that way. It was just the most uncliche thing and that goes so well with this book since it is about being cliche.
"But certain lines felt like they were thoughts I'd had my whole life that just hadn't taken shape yet until I read them." -Adi Alsaid, Never Always Sometimes
I gave this book 4.5 because I really enjoyed the plot, characters, writing, and duo perspective. However, I did have a small issue with one of the characters.
Full review: http://next-page-please.blogspot.com/...
May 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book but would have loved to see Julia go to the prom with Brett. I would much rather that for an ending
February 21, 2020
Full Review on The Candid Cover
As a big fan and supporter of Adi Alsaid, I was really hoping that Never Always Sometimes was going to be just as epic as Let’s Get Lost. The story line is actually really unique and it is definitely a fun summer read. Alsaid certainly develops his characters to a tee, however the book contains far too many clichés and is very predictable.
Despite the predictability, Never Always Sometimes has characters that are very well developed. Adi Alsaid has captured the feeling of being a teenager perfectly. All of his characters are very realistic and relatable. Actually, these characters helped the book become a little less cliché and stopped me from putting the book down.
Never Always Sometimes has too many clichés for my taste. I do understand that the whole point of the book is characters doing clichés, but after so many, it gets a little old. It’s like the whole book is a giant cliché, even the parts that don’t include the list of Nevers. Having said this, the concept of this book is really interesting, but does end up becoming tiresome.
The plot of Never Always Sometimes is very predictable. The whole book is basically laid out in the first chapter, where the list is revealed. The reader can follow along as the main characters complete each task. The book becomes more predictable as it progresses and I found myself to be bored while reading. Personally, I prefer plot twists and surprises when I am reading.
While I love the characters and felt a connection with them, I found the story did not connect as well with me due to the numerous clichés and its predictability. I would recommend this book to those looking for a more laid back and fun book to read.
As a big fan and supporter of Adi Alsaid, I was really hoping that Never Always Sometimes was going to be just as epic as Let’s Get Lost. The story line is actually really unique and it is definitely a fun summer read. Alsaid certainly develops his characters to a tee, however the book contains far too many clichés and is very predictable.
Despite the predictability, Never Always Sometimes has characters that are very well developed. Adi Alsaid has captured the feeling of being a teenager perfectly. All of his characters are very realistic and relatable. Actually, these characters helped the book become a little less cliché and stopped me from putting the book down.
Never Always Sometimes has too many clichés for my taste. I do understand that the whole point of the book is characters doing clichés, but after so many, it gets a little old. It’s like the whole book is a giant cliché, even the parts that don’t include the list of Nevers. Having said this, the concept of this book is really interesting, but does end up becoming tiresome.
The plot of Never Always Sometimes is very predictable. The whole book is basically laid out in the first chapter, where the list is revealed. The reader can follow along as the main characters complete each task. The book becomes more predictable as it progresses and I found myself to be bored while reading. Personally, I prefer plot twists and surprises when I am reading.
While I love the characters and felt a connection with them, I found the story did not connect as well with me due to the numerous clichés and its predictability. I would recommend this book to those looking for a more laid back and fun book to read.
March 3, 2017
Ugh. No. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
One star for getting something down on paper and getting it published. The author at least accomplished that with his writing.
The characters were paper-thin or identical in personality and dialogue. There was no larger idea presented in this narrative aside from, "Love, you know, it's complicated."
This is not why I gave YA books another chance.
One star for getting something down on paper and getting it published. The author at least accomplished that with his writing.
The characters were paper-thin or identical in personality and dialogue. There was no larger idea presented in this narrative aside from, "Love, you know, it's complicated."
This is not why I gave YA books another chance.
February 27, 2017
DNF
This is my first DNF and it made me so sad but I won't force myself to read something I don't care at all. There are better books that I want to read. I try but I couldn't even finish a page without losing complete interest.
I read a little bit more than half of the book so I'll put it as read.
If you didn't get it i didn't like this book
This is my first DNF and it made me so sad but I won't force myself to read something I don't care at all. There are better books that I want to read. I try but I couldn't even finish a page without losing complete interest.
I read a little bit more than half of the book so I'll put it as read.
If you didn't get it i didn't like this book
July 30, 2015
"On his own, Dave was a bit of a neat freak. But when Julia was nearby, messes seemed beautiful, life's untidiness easier to comprehend."
This was my first Adi Alsaid book and overall I enjoyed reading about the rollercoaster that was Dave and Julia's friendship. I'm generally pretty on the fence with these sorts of books as they tend to have a ton of high school cliches and whatnot but that was sort of the beauty within this story. The cliches were put to good use as Dave and Julia navigated the remainder of their final year at high school with the intent to experience everything they'd tried their very hardest to avoid like parties, lusting after teachers and falling in love with your best friend.
"Pining silently was a cliche, which meant that people were constantly in love with each other without saying a thing about it. How much unrequited, unspoken love filled up the halls every day?"
I knew where this story was going from the moment I read the synopsis, I mean where else could it go? But what I liked was all the different directions it took along the way as the pair took each cliche on their list and attempted them one at a time. Some of the outcomes were hilarious! Like accidentally dying your cat pink and green...
The relationship between Dave and Julia was good to start with. I loved the banter between them and how effortless the whole thing seemed.
"When you've cleared it, you give me the signal by starting a dance-off, and I go in."
"You realise this is insane, right?"
"You're mispronouncing 'genius.'"
As the book went on I liked Julia less and less... Her morals were awry, she couldn't see where the line was drawn and she was extremely judgy of her fellow students (cliche as they may be) which made her seem 'holier than thou' and very hard to like. A quote from the book is, "Ridiculing others was her usual coping mechanism..." nope. I liked Dave throughout, especially when he finally got a little independence and went in his own direction to see what else was out there for him. Sometimes he'd really annoy me and these were the times when he'd choose Julia over everyone/thing else and run to her like a lost puppy dog.
Theeeeen things got weird. Without giving too much away, the relationship between Julia and Dave made me really not want to read any further. By this point I had no idea what would happen anymore, I knew what I wanted to happen but...
"People were belittling teenage heartbreak. But heartbreak was heartbreak was heartbreak."
Anyways, the story really sagged in the middle but I'm glad I pushed on. The pacing was a big reason as to why I rated this book 3.5 stars and not 4.
Character development happened towards the very end and THANK GOD. The quote below was a huge turning point for Julia and I ended up liking her just that tiny bit more.
"We are more or less kind, or more or less not. More or less selfish, happy, wise, lonely. Just like things are rarely always true, we aren't ever exactly one thing or another. We are more or less.
It's like that in out love lives too. We like to think we're formulas that even out exactly, that we are perfect matches with each other. But we're not. We match up with lots of people, more or less."
The ending was fitting, nothing amazing, but fitting. Overall I'm glad I got the chance to read this one and I will definitely be trying other books by this author!
This was my first Adi Alsaid book and overall I enjoyed reading about the rollercoaster that was Dave and Julia's friendship. I'm generally pretty on the fence with these sorts of books as they tend to have a ton of high school cliches and whatnot but that was sort of the beauty within this story. The cliches were put to good use as Dave and Julia navigated the remainder of their final year at high school with the intent to experience everything they'd tried their very hardest to avoid like parties, lusting after teachers and falling in love with your best friend.
"Pining silently was a cliche, which meant that people were constantly in love with each other without saying a thing about it. How much unrequited, unspoken love filled up the halls every day?"
I knew where this story was going from the moment I read the synopsis, I mean where else could it go? But what I liked was all the different directions it took along the way as the pair took each cliche on their list and attempted them one at a time. Some of the outcomes were hilarious! Like accidentally dying your cat pink and green...
The relationship between Dave and Julia was good to start with. I loved the banter between them and how effortless the whole thing seemed.
"When you've cleared it, you give me the signal by starting a dance-off, and I go in."
"You realise this is insane, right?"
"You're mispronouncing 'genius.'"
As the book went on I liked Julia less and less... Her morals were awry, she couldn't see where the line was drawn and she was extremely judgy of her fellow students (cliche as they may be) which made her seem 'holier than thou' and very hard to like. A quote from the book is, "Ridiculing others was her usual coping mechanism..." nope. I liked Dave throughout, especially when he finally got a little independence and went in his own direction to see what else was out there for him. Sometimes he'd really annoy me and these were the times when he'd choose Julia over everyone/thing else and run to her like a lost puppy dog.
Theeeeen things got weird. Without giving too much away, the relationship between Julia and Dave made me really not want to read any further. By this point I had no idea what would happen anymore, I knew what I wanted to happen but...
"People were belittling teenage heartbreak. But heartbreak was heartbreak was heartbreak."
Anyways, the story really sagged in the middle but I'm glad I pushed on. The pacing was a big reason as to why I rated this book 3.5 stars and not 4.
Character development happened towards the very end and THANK GOD. The quote below was a huge turning point for Julia and I ended up liking her just that tiny bit more.
"We are more or less kind, or more or less not. More or less selfish, happy, wise, lonely. Just like things are rarely always true, we aren't ever exactly one thing or another. We are more or less.
It's like that in out love lives too. We like to think we're formulas that even out exactly, that we are perfect matches with each other. But we're not. We match up with lots of people, more or less."
The ending was fitting, nothing amazing, but fitting. Overall I'm glad I got the chance to read this one and I will definitely be trying other books by this author!
September 22, 2016
Never Always Sometimes was just the kind of book I needed. I needed something to read during my slow lazy days and I think this one fit. During the first few chapters, I was a bit bored but the story was really interesting and the characters were both lovely. As the story progressed, I became more hooked. Adi Alsaid’s magical writing style, I guess.
Dave and Julia are best friends who decided to make a list of Nevers, things that they would never ever do. Dave has been in love with Julia for a long time and he constantly thinks of her. One day, both of them decided it would be fun to do the Nevers, which made things complicated.
I slowly digested this book. I wasn’t hooked at first but they way Adi Alsaid writes kept me going. His characters are real and dimensional. Julia was definitely a badass character. Her quirks, sass and hilarious persona was one of the main highlights of the novel. It was very easy to love her character. Dave’s character was really interesting too! His feelings for Julia, the way he pines over her, it was pretty amusing to read. He was totally head over heels in love with her but it wasn’t depicted in a way that’s overly annoying.
The thing is, the book wasn’t all happy endings and I would say that this was more about friendship than romance. I loved the ending because I didn’t see that one coming. Okay, I did see it but I didn’t actually think it was going to end that way. I can’t say much without spoiling the book but it definitely made me speechless.
Dave and Julia are best friends who decided to make a list of Nevers, things that they would never ever do. Dave has been in love with Julia for a long time and he constantly thinks of her. One day, both of them decided it would be fun to do the Nevers, which made things complicated.
I slowly digested this book. I wasn’t hooked at first but they way Adi Alsaid writes kept me going. His characters are real and dimensional. Julia was definitely a badass character. Her quirks, sass and hilarious persona was one of the main highlights of the novel. It was very easy to love her character. Dave’s character was really interesting too! His feelings for Julia, the way he pines over her, it was pretty amusing to read. He was totally head over heels in love with her but it wasn’t depicted in a way that’s overly annoying.
The thing is, the book wasn’t all happy endings and I would say that this was more about friendship than romance. I loved the ending because I didn’t see that one coming. Okay, I did see it but I didn’t actually think it was going to end that way. I can’t say much without spoiling the book but it definitely made me speechless.
August 11, 2018
I don't know about you, folks, but I actually liked this one.
At first, it did seem ironic that the premise of this book was about two teenagers with Special Snowflake Syndrome (basically people who go against the grain and think they're better than everyone else because of it) doing every high school cliche near the end of their senior year when this was already such a cliche in itself, but as my reading progressed, I started to disagree.
My interpretation of this book was that Alsaid took some cliche YA tropes -- guy in love with his female best friend, his female best friend portrayed as a manic pixie dream girl, they start to fall in love, etc. -- and tweaked them a bit so they would start to not seem so cliche by the end. In fact, I think this book was so meta. By having the two main characters be cliches themselves and start to realise that within the story -- e.g. Dave tells Julia that maybe they have both been too judgmental of their peers and asks her to give them a chance, plus other little realisations like that -- Alsaid effectively disproved this novel being as cliche as it first seemed.
Dave and Julia. Yes, they were cliches. Dave was the guy in love with his manic pixie dream girl of a best friend, Julia. But slowly, as the book progressed, this changed. Dave began seeing this other girl Gretchen so he could try to ease his feelings for Julia. Dave then realises that he genuinely liked Gretchen. A few things happen after that but I can't say it all without being spoiler-y. Just when I was about to think it was all going to be tied up into a neat little bow, the book did a 360-degree turn. That's what made me like this book: taking these cliche YA tropes and transforming them into something refreshing and not-so-cliche.
With Julia being a manic pixie dream girl who was obsessed with being different from everyone else, though, that changed throughout the book as well. The book actually acknowledges that Julia was too obsessed with being different and tells us that this was only because of her estranged biological mom, who travelled around the world and whom Julia idolised and was the sole reason for the creation of their Nevers list. Julia eventually realises that her mom was neglectful and stops idolising her. As for her being a manic pixie dream girl, well, we've went over Dave realising that's what he's thought of her all throughout their friendship and tries to change that, remember? (See my previous spoilers.)
This book had some beautiful cinematic moments as well, which made me think that it would be awesome if this was turned into a movie (provided, of course, that it has the right people working on it-- see: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl). My favorite one is this:
Julia watched it all through the tiny slit of a back windshield in her Miata. Gretchen crying, Dave looking miserable, trying to explain himself. It was only a few moments until Gretchen peeled away, but for Julia it had felt like a very long time, like some uncomfortably extensive scene from a soap opera, all close-ups and faces stretched into exaggerated misery. When Gretchen was gone, Dave lingered for a long moment at the edge of his driveway, hands dropped at his sides, his face hidden from view. It felt like a moment in limbo, like the slightest breeze would either send Dave chasing after Gretchen or pull him back to Julia. Julia held her breath, as if that was all it would take to sway him.
"Please," she found herself whispering. "Please."
A car drove past, the driver switching radio stations, casting furtive glances at the road ahead, oblivious of what Julia was about to lose or gain. "Please," she said again. It took Dave a while, a hesitation she would allow him as long as he got back in the car. His arms were at his sides, his head hanging low. It felt like his decision would be based on something slight, the flapping of butterfly wings somewhere far off sending Dave away from her. When he turned around and slowly slid back in, Julia felt herself ease.
That passage is what reassured me that Alsaid has talent for beautiful writing, but I agree that he should work on his story skills a bit more, although this was a definite step up from Let's Get Lost, in my opinion.
If you liked this book, you might also like:
Paper Towns by John Green
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
At first, it did seem ironic that the premise of this book was about two teenagers with Special Snowflake Syndrome (basically people who go against the grain and think they're better than everyone else because of it) doing every high school cliche near the end of their senior year when this was already such a cliche in itself, but as my reading progressed, I started to disagree.
My interpretation of this book was that Alsaid took some cliche YA tropes -- guy in love with his female best friend, his female best friend portrayed as a manic pixie dream girl, they start to fall in love, etc. -- and tweaked them a bit so they would start to not seem so cliche by the end. In fact, I think this book was so meta. By having the two main characters be cliches themselves and start to realise that within the story -- e.g. Dave tells Julia that maybe they have both been too judgmental of their peers and asks her to give them a chance, plus other little realisations like that -- Alsaid effectively disproved this novel being as cliche as it first seemed.
Dave and Julia. Yes, they were cliches. Dave was the guy in love with his manic pixie dream girl of a best friend, Julia. But slowly, as the book progressed, this changed. Dave began seeing this other girl Gretchen so he could try to ease his feelings for Julia. Dave then realises that he genuinely liked Gretchen. A few things happen after that but I can't say it all without being spoiler-y. Just when I was about to think it was all going to be tied up into a neat little bow, the book did a 360-degree turn. That's what made me like this book: taking these cliche YA tropes and transforming them into something refreshing and not-so-cliche.
With Julia being a manic pixie dream girl who was obsessed with being different from everyone else, though, that changed throughout the book as well. The book actually acknowledges that Julia was too obsessed with being different and tells us that this was only because of her estranged biological mom, who travelled around the world and whom Julia idolised and was the sole reason for the creation of their Nevers list. Julia eventually realises that her mom was neglectful and stops idolising her. As for her being a manic pixie dream girl, well, we've went over Dave realising that's what he's thought of her all throughout their friendship and tries to change that, remember? (See my previous spoilers.)
This book had some beautiful cinematic moments as well, which made me think that it would be awesome if this was turned into a movie (provided, of course, that it has the right people working on it-- see: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl). My favorite one is this:
Julia watched it all through the tiny slit of a back windshield in her Miata. Gretchen crying, Dave looking miserable, trying to explain himself. It was only a few moments until Gretchen peeled away, but for Julia it had felt like a very long time, like some uncomfortably extensive scene from a soap opera, all close-ups and faces stretched into exaggerated misery. When Gretchen was gone, Dave lingered for a long moment at the edge of his driveway, hands dropped at his sides, his face hidden from view. It felt like a moment in limbo, like the slightest breeze would either send Dave chasing after Gretchen or pull him back to Julia. Julia held her breath, as if that was all it would take to sway him.
"Please," she found herself whispering. "Please."
A car drove past, the driver switching radio stations, casting furtive glances at the road ahead, oblivious of what Julia was about to lose or gain. "Please," she said again. It took Dave a while, a hesitation she would allow him as long as he got back in the car. His arms were at his sides, his head hanging low. It felt like his decision would be based on something slight, the flapping of butterfly wings somewhere far off sending Dave away from her. When he turned around and slowly slid back in, Julia felt herself ease.
That passage is what reassured me that Alsaid has talent for beautiful writing, but I agree that he should work on his story skills a bit more, although this was a definite step up from Let's Get Lost, in my opinion.
If you liked this book, you might also like:
Paper Towns by John Green
Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
November 23, 2025
MY THOUGHTS
I had really high expectation for this book. Adi Alsaid's last book, Let's Get Lost, was phenomenal. It was fun, heartbreaking, and I adored it. So, of course, I was excited for more brilliance from Adi Alsaid, but this book wasn't what I was expecting. It's a good book and I like it, but it's not a 'new' book and certainly wasn't the funny, unique book I was expecting.
Dave and Julia are best friends and at the start of high school, they create a list of 'Nevers'. The list includes cliches that high schoolers often get into. Rules like, Never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, secretly pine for someone, run for prom king, etc. It isn't until the list is rediscovered senior year that they decide to do ALL of the things on the list. But Dave already has done something on the list, he's been pining for Julia.
I really like the idea of the Nevers and I was very curious to see how they would go about them all. It was indeed very interesting seeing how they did, since it's not like they follow the list exactly to a point, they randomly did things throughout the year and things happened because of them. While I wish this book could've been about the list entirely, it wasn't really the main focus, which I guess is okay. As I mentioned, they do things throughout the year, so it's not like they set out to do the list in a day or a week, that means that other stuff is also going on at the same time. I admit that I was kind of bored by the normal school life and things, but it did make things realistic.
I think that is a plus in this book, the realism. This book felt very realistic and, yes, that might have been why I was bored at points. The relationships, both romantic and friend oriented, were very realistic to a point that you don't see often in books. Many relationships, especially romance, are exaggerated in books. I felt this way in Adi's last book as well, so I can definitely say that he can certainly write realistic contemporaries.
Now, I was a bit bothered by how ironically cliche this book was, even know I shouldn't be. Why? I just get the feeling that this book was supposed to be cliche. The book is about two teens who are against being cliche teenagers, but in the end are they actually cliche? This is actually an important part about the book and I do believe that the cliche-ness was on purpose. Doesn't mean that I didn't groan at the cliche-ness at points.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a good contemporary read, but it's not what I was expecting and not quite as good as Adi's debut novel. I love the idea and wish it was focused on that more, despite the fact that not doing so made things more realistic. If you enjoy such books, pick this one up, but I recommend Adi's previous book more.
August 9, 2015
Hands down my favorite part of this book is the wonderful banter and chemistry (friend chemistry or romantic chemistry – both were wonderful) between Dave and Julia. I laughed out loud SO MANY times. They got along so well and had so many silly inside jokes that I fell in love with them right away. My favorite part was how Julia kept calling Dave by any name except for his actual one (Dave Gutierrez turns to David Beth Kacinski or David Babycakes Howard or David Sporkful McGee – definitely the silliest). I laughed. Every. Single. Time.
There’s also a road trip, which you guys know I love. I can’t give too many details about the road trip without giving away a few spoilers, but I’ll just say there are beaches and music and wonderfulness all around. Most of the novel felt a lot like the road trip – easygoing, fun, quick, and enjoyable.
I also really appreciated the outcome of Never Always Sometimes. I think it’s going to be one of those you either love it or hate it endings, but I loved it. It’s realistic and felt honest and truthful to the characters.
I did have a few issues with the book. For a book about avoiding clichés, it ended up having a few clichés in its plot and characters – the main one of which was the love triangle, which you guys know I’m not a fan of. I could’ve also done with a few more surprises/plot twists. The Nevers list is introduced really early in the book, so it’s easy to predict what Dave and Julia will do in their attempt to cross off each Never. Despite that, I did really enjoy following Dave and Julia’s journey of clichés.
The bottom line: Never Always Sometimes is a fun and fast novel overflowing with great banter, silly nicknames, an easygoing writing style, and a realistic and genuine ending. Despite my few issues with it, I thought it was a great read. Check it out if you love wit, road trips, honest endings, and/or easy to read books.
There’s also a road trip, which you guys know I love. I can’t give too many details about the road trip without giving away a few spoilers, but I’ll just say there are beaches and music and wonderfulness all around. Most of the novel felt a lot like the road trip – easygoing, fun, quick, and enjoyable.
I also really appreciated the outcome of Never Always Sometimes. I think it’s going to be one of those you either love it or hate it endings, but I loved it. It’s realistic and felt honest and truthful to the characters.
I did have a few issues with the book. For a book about avoiding clichés, it ended up having a few clichés in its plot and characters – the main one of which was the love triangle, which you guys know I’m not a fan of. I could’ve also done with a few more surprises/plot twists. The Nevers list is introduced really early in the book, so it’s easy to predict what Dave and Julia will do in their attempt to cross off each Never. Despite that, I did really enjoy following Dave and Julia’s journey of clichés.
The bottom line: Never Always Sometimes is a fun and fast novel overflowing with great banter, silly nicknames, an easygoing writing style, and a realistic and genuine ending. Despite my few issues with it, I thought it was a great read. Check it out if you love wit, road trips, honest endings, and/or easy to read books.
October 6, 2015
Never: date your best friend, Always: be original, Sometimes: rules are meant to be broken.
this book was ok, I like it but not had much as I hoped I would have, the back cover of the book got me interested but i always wait for the first couple of chapters to pull me in and that did not work for me at all
I had trouble with some of the plot points in this book just didn't flow or didn't sit right with me.
this book was ok, I like it but not had much as I hoped I would have, the back cover of the book got me interested but i always wait for the first couple of chapters to pull me in and that did not work for me at all
I had trouble with some of the plot points in this book just didn't flow or didn't sit right with me.
June 13, 2015
I think many readers will enjoy this book but it wasn't "my" kind of book. It involves A LOT of pining and love triangles. Plus there wasn't a huge underlying thread that was deeper to hold on too.
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