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All of the Above
A funny and moving love story about friends, first loves and self-discovery by Queen of Teen 2014.
When sixteen-year-old Toria Bland arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly ... love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles.
When sixteen-year-old Toria Bland arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl that Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria, but then there's Polly ... love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles.
319 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
July 4, 2017
5 Words: Friends, family, love, school, discovery.
YA Shot Read-a-long.
Oh man. That was amazing.
This is the book that I wish I had read ten years ago.
This book is the most honest portrayal of being a teen I have ever read. It was like reading my own teenage years, only we had cider and perry, not fizzy dessert wine. And we didn't have a crazy-golf course to hang around on, instead we had a den in the woods. But still.
All of the Above is absolutely fantastic. It will make you smile and cry and laugh and just stare into space, thinking. This book called to my soul.
It felt like the author had a "diverse book" checklist, ticked everything off, ripped it into millions of pieces and let them float away on the wind... Then did his own thing. And the result is breath-taking and real and utterly sublime. I recognised a little of myself in many of the characters, and I fell a little bit in love with all of them. So when my heart was broken, it was completely shattered.
Also, Polly all the way.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
YA Shot Read-a-long.
Oh man. That was amazing.
This is the book that I wish I had read ten years ago.
This book is the most honest portrayal of being a teen I have ever read. It was like reading my own teenage years, only we had cider and perry, not fizzy dessert wine. And we didn't have a crazy-golf course to hang around on, instead we had a den in the woods. But still.
All of the Above is absolutely fantastic. It will make you smile and cry and laugh and just stare into space, thinking. This book called to my soul.
It felt like the author had a "diverse book" checklist, ticked everything off, ripped it into millions of pieces and let them float away on the wind... Then did his own thing. And the result is breath-taking and real and utterly sublime. I recognised a little of myself in many of the characters, and I fell a little bit in love with all of them. So when my heart was broken, it was completely shattered.
Also, Polly all the way.
I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.
November 9, 2025
dnf, 7%
August 25, 2015
James Dawson has such a distinctive voice and he always manages to create such realistic teenage characters, something he proves once again in All of the Above. This is the kind of book I'd like to be able to send back through time and hand to my teenage self, it's a book about self discovery, a book that shows teenagers it's okay to make mistakes, that it's okay to not know who you are or what you want to be as long as you're true to yourself along the way.
This is a story about growing up, it's about friendships that last and ones that don't, it's about first loves and how they're not always forever loves but how that doesn't make them any less important at the time, it's about discovering your sexuality and how it doesn't matter who you're attracted to, more than anything it's a realistic portrayal of what it's like to be a teenager. I'm sure most people will recognise themselves in Toria and her friends, you may not have shared all of the same experiences as her but you're bound to have gone through some of them.
All of the Above is a fantastic book, it tackles a lot of difficult and sensitive subjects and it does it in a way that is realistic without being preachy. It doesn't try to make you think or feel a certain way but it opens up possibilities that you might not have considered before. I really don't want to go into too much detail about what happens in the story because I think you'll enjoy it so much more if you go in without certain expectations but I think you'll fall in love with Toria and her little group of misfits just as much as I did. The characters are diverse and incredibly realistic and I could recognise traits from my childhood friends in most of them. James Dawson has created a story that will stick with you and characters that you'll remember for a long time to come, his writing gets stronger with every new book and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
This is a story about growing up, it's about friendships that last and ones that don't, it's about first loves and how they're not always forever loves but how that doesn't make them any less important at the time, it's about discovering your sexuality and how it doesn't matter who you're attracted to, more than anything it's a realistic portrayal of what it's like to be a teenager. I'm sure most people will recognise themselves in Toria and her friends, you may not have shared all of the same experiences as her but you're bound to have gone through some of them.
All of the Above is a fantastic book, it tackles a lot of difficult and sensitive subjects and it does it in a way that is realistic without being preachy. It doesn't try to make you think or feel a certain way but it opens up possibilities that you might not have considered before. I really don't want to go into too much detail about what happens in the story because I think you'll enjoy it so much more if you go in without certain expectations but I think you'll fall in love with Toria and her little group of misfits just as much as I did. The characters are diverse and incredibly realistic and I could recognise traits from my childhood friends in most of them. James Dawson has created a story that will stick with you and characters that you'll remember for a long time to come, his writing gets stronger with every new book and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
November 16, 2015
So people of the internet here it is! The most anticipated review of the year, nah just kidding.
This book was most possible the worst book I’ve read this year or ever. I don't know what you, James thought by writing this book.
First of all no teen girl talks like Toria. I mean I don't know where you are from but in my country and region no 16 year old girl uses terms like ladyboner or finger- and penis virginity. It really annoyed me through the whole book that he uses words where he thinks they are appropriate/ used for/by 16 year olds. It sounds just like when your parents try to sound more like you/teen and use words like yaaasss, you know trying so hard to sound like you. And I think that happened here. He tried so hard to sound like a 16 year old girl that it went all completely downhill.
But that is not all I have to say!
I think in the book there are way to many social problems, to touch on every topic the same amount of time. 2 to 3 would have been enough. And it doesn't make it better in any sense that the main character already said it will be messy and its about to get messier. That actually makes it worse because that means the author already knew that it will be confusing and still didn't change anything.
Also I find that there is no and I mean NO DEPTH to the characters at all. They are shallow and vain. Toria most of all when she for example says that she should want to sleep with Nico because he is handsome and hot and whatnot. And it was just superficially touched on their issues. It was stated there was an issue but that was basically all so that is also what I mean with fewer issues it might have worked better.
I can say I was never this angry at a book before.
James as transgender and gay before shouldn't put as much prejudices in his book as he did. It was almost unbearable and actually I don't know why I even finished this book. Probably just to write a valid review about this piece of a book.
Most of the time reading that book I was either rolling my eyes hard or laughed hysterically because it was so ridiculous. I just couldn't process what I was reading because I found it that bad with an emphasis on I because that is just my own opinion and Im not ashamed to speak it out loud.
And there was not even one high point in this all it just went down the river without something unexpected. It was just shallow and boring and the self finding and the sexuality issues where not made in a good way because one hour Toria wanted Nico and the other she wanted Polly and I was here like make up you freaking mind for God’s sake.
He is also trying to use as much internet language in the book as possible. For example by using the FEELS when she thinks about Polly and what she did in the cell. Or when she says that she doesn't know if Polly is shipping the both of them. I mean come on. It just doesn't fit to the character as such and it just sounds stupid written in a book in my opinion. Im not saying Im not using these words and phrases at all because I do and thats also in my reviews sometimes but it doesn't fit the character of Toria in my opinion and it just sounded not fitting in the story at all.
To come to an end with this vent Im sorry for all the people who liked this book but I found it just awful. I didn't like Dawson’s writing style and characters at all and I just think he was trying too hard to sound like a 16 year old girl and had no clue how teens really talk like at all. And Im actually really sad to say that because I was so intrigued by the cover because lets be honest that looks kinda awesome. I guess that is the reason for the cover, to make up for the crappy content of the book.
Im not sure if I can read more books by James Dawson now that I read this one first. But his writing is just not at all appealing to me after reading this one. And I never ever thought about something like this before but I was really thinking about burning that book because its not worth the pages its on and the price it costs.
This book was most possible the worst book I’ve read this year or ever. I don't know what you, James thought by writing this book.
First of all no teen girl talks like Toria. I mean I don't know where you are from but in my country and region no 16 year old girl uses terms like ladyboner or finger- and penis virginity. It really annoyed me through the whole book that he uses words where he thinks they are appropriate/ used for/by 16 year olds. It sounds just like when your parents try to sound more like you/teen and use words like yaaasss, you know trying so hard to sound like you. And I think that happened here. He tried so hard to sound like a 16 year old girl that it went all completely downhill.
But that is not all I have to say!
I think in the book there are way to many social problems, to touch on every topic the same amount of time. 2 to 3 would have been enough. And it doesn't make it better in any sense that the main character already said it will be messy and its about to get messier. That actually makes it worse because that means the author already knew that it will be confusing and still didn't change anything.
Also I find that there is no and I mean NO DEPTH to the characters at all. They are shallow and vain. Toria most of all when she for example says that she should want to sleep with Nico because he is handsome and hot and whatnot. And it was just superficially touched on their issues. It was stated there was an issue but that was basically all so that is also what I mean with fewer issues it might have worked better.
I can say I was never this angry at a book before.
James as transgender and gay before shouldn't put as much prejudices in his book as he did. It was almost unbearable and actually I don't know why I even finished this book. Probably just to write a valid review about this piece of a book.
Most of the time reading that book I was either rolling my eyes hard or laughed hysterically because it was so ridiculous. I just couldn't process what I was reading because I found it that bad with an emphasis on I because that is just my own opinion and Im not ashamed to speak it out loud.
And there was not even one high point in this all it just went down the river without something unexpected. It was just shallow and boring and the self finding and the sexuality issues where not made in a good way because one hour Toria wanted Nico and the other she wanted Polly and I was here like make up you freaking mind for God’s sake.
He is also trying to use as much internet language in the book as possible. For example by using the FEELS when she thinks about Polly and what she did in the cell. Or when she says that she doesn't know if Polly is shipping the both of them. I mean come on. It just doesn't fit to the character as such and it just sounds stupid written in a book in my opinion. Im not saying Im not using these words and phrases at all because I do and thats also in my reviews sometimes but it doesn't fit the character of Toria in my opinion and it just sounded not fitting in the story at all.
To come to an end with this vent Im sorry for all the people who liked this book but I found it just awful. I didn't like Dawson’s writing style and characters at all and I just think he was trying too hard to sound like a 16 year old girl and had no clue how teens really talk like at all. And Im actually really sad to say that because I was so intrigued by the cover because lets be honest that looks kinda awesome. I guess that is the reason for the cover, to make up for the crappy content of the book.
Im not sure if I can read more books by James Dawson now that I read this one first. But his writing is just not at all appealing to me after reading this one. And I never ever thought about something like this before but I was really thinking about burning that book because its not worth the pages its on and the price it costs.
May 24, 2016
It's so jam packed with teenager-y themes that it feels a little overwhelming at times, but I guess that's life.
October 30, 2015
First reviewed on my blog, Pen to Paper.
All of the above really does what it says on the tin; there is a lot going on in this story.
It begins when Victoria 'Toria' Grand moves from her previous home to Brompton-on-sea, a dreary, forgotten seaside town, and starts at a new school as the New Girl, which immediately makes her the focus of attention in such a tight community where everyone seemingly know everyone. Making friends is the biggest worry in Toria's life, so when she meets Daisy and her group of friends, she immediately latches onto them, hoping she'll find her 'tribe' in them. After a few weeks of only hanging out with them at Sixth Form and being left to herself on the weekends, she's finally invited out with them.
The group of teenagers in this book is one of the things that really struck me about this story. Everything about them felt real to me; the way they talked and acted, their problems, their relationships, their worries, even their experience of Sixth Form were so accurate. There are too many YA stories out there where teenagers don't actually act like teenagers, but Dawson hasn't made this mistake – they are real characters, all of them flawed in their own ways and (nearly) all of them loveable.
The only character I really had a problem with was Freya. She's introduced very shortly after Daisy and is the bookworm of the group. She usually hangs around the fringes and reads, but doesn't do a lot else, including talk to anyone. I felt as though Freya was kind of used only as a tool to get Toria and Polly closer together. After one particularly memorable moment, in which Toria stands up for the quiet, bookish Freya, she is almost forgotten. Whereas I know that might be true of a person in real life, I had thought she would still play a part in the group and their story, but she really didn't. For a good half of the book, I'm not sure she's even mentioned. I just think that her part could have been much better.
Other than that, the characters were fantastic – believable, loveable and very distinct from one another.
The story in itself didn't seem to follow any particular plot – there wasn't a big conflict to be overcome or one central storyline, but rather lots of little ones all joined together. Whereas I did wonder where the story was actually going, it soon didn't matter and it actually made the experience of the book feel that much more realistic. It really did feel like I was experiencing a year of Sixth Form, with all its troubles, dramas and fun, alongside all of the characters.
And there are plenty of troubles and worries. Once Toria has overcome the first hurdle and been accepted into the group, there is plenty left to worry about; her feelings for Nico, the boy she meets at the crazy golf course; whether some of the group (mainly Alice) actually like her; conflicts within the group; the list goes on. And her relationship with Polly, her new best friend, is constantly fluctuating – Toria herself describes it at one point as a storm.
And there are plenty of issues handled in the book; there are LGBT characters aplenty, alcoholism, relationships, anorexia, and a few that I can't mention without spoilers. But needless to say, this book definitely takes its readers on a ride.
Before I end this review, I feel I should at least touch on the way the book is written. It's from Toria's point of view and it's almost written like a diary, but without the diary format. She's speaking directly with the reader, and as a result, we see all of her hurt, worries, confusion and humour (I laughed out loud a lot while reading Toria's story), even when she's not outwardly showing it. It's a fantastically entertaining read.
All of the Above took me on one hell of a journey. The emotions it provoked snuck up on me without my realising it, and the characters took hold of my heart without me even noticing they'd gotten in. The biggest thing I can say about it is that the entire thing feels real, and not just real as in it could happen, but real in the sense that I kind of feel like it did happen.
A wonderful coming-of-age story from a truly wonderful author.
All of the above really does what it says on the tin; there is a lot going on in this story.
It begins when Victoria 'Toria' Grand moves from her previous home to Brompton-on-sea, a dreary, forgotten seaside town, and starts at a new school as the New Girl, which immediately makes her the focus of attention in such a tight community where everyone seemingly know everyone. Making friends is the biggest worry in Toria's life, so when she meets Daisy and her group of friends, she immediately latches onto them, hoping she'll find her 'tribe' in them. After a few weeks of only hanging out with them at Sixth Form and being left to herself on the weekends, she's finally invited out with them.
The group of teenagers in this book is one of the things that really struck me about this story. Everything about them felt real to me; the way they talked and acted, their problems, their relationships, their worries, even their experience of Sixth Form were so accurate. There are too many YA stories out there where teenagers don't actually act like teenagers, but Dawson hasn't made this mistake – they are real characters, all of them flawed in their own ways and (nearly) all of them loveable.
The only character I really had a problem with was Freya. She's introduced very shortly after Daisy and is the bookworm of the group. She usually hangs around the fringes and reads, but doesn't do a lot else, including talk to anyone. I felt as though Freya was kind of used only as a tool to get Toria and Polly closer together. After one particularly memorable moment, in which Toria stands up for the quiet, bookish Freya, she is almost forgotten. Whereas I know that might be true of a person in real life, I had thought she would still play a part in the group and their story, but she really didn't. For a good half of the book, I'm not sure she's even mentioned. I just think that her part could have been much better.
Other than that, the characters were fantastic – believable, loveable and very distinct from one another.
The story in itself didn't seem to follow any particular plot – there wasn't a big conflict to be overcome or one central storyline, but rather lots of little ones all joined together. Whereas I did wonder where the story was actually going, it soon didn't matter and it actually made the experience of the book feel that much more realistic. It really did feel like I was experiencing a year of Sixth Form, with all its troubles, dramas and fun, alongside all of the characters.
And there are plenty of troubles and worries. Once Toria has overcome the first hurdle and been accepted into the group, there is plenty left to worry about; her feelings for Nico, the boy she meets at the crazy golf course; whether some of the group (mainly Alice) actually like her; conflicts within the group; the list goes on. And her relationship with Polly, her new best friend, is constantly fluctuating – Toria herself describes it at one point as a storm.
And there are plenty of issues handled in the book; there are LGBT characters aplenty, alcoholism, relationships, anorexia, and a few that I can't mention without spoilers. But needless to say, this book definitely takes its readers on a ride.
Before I end this review, I feel I should at least touch on the way the book is written. It's from Toria's point of view and it's almost written like a diary, but without the diary format. She's speaking directly with the reader, and as a result, we see all of her hurt, worries, confusion and humour (I laughed out loud a lot while reading Toria's story), even when she's not outwardly showing it. It's a fantastically entertaining read.
All of the Above took me on one hell of a journey. The emotions it provoked snuck up on me without my realising it, and the characters took hold of my heart without me even noticing they'd gotten in. The biggest thing I can say about it is that the entire thing feels real, and not just real as in it could happen, but real in the sense that I kind of feel like it did happen.
A wonderful coming-of-age story from a truly wonderful author.
December 20, 2021
let’s just appreciate that gorgeous new pansexual cover for a minute.
content/trigger warnings; misogyny, slut shaming, fatphobia, racism, homophobia, ableism, anti-autistic ableism, audism, sanism, transphobia, anti-intersex prejudice, anti-roma slur, d slur, f slur, self-harm recounted, alcohol consumption, drug use, anorexia, hospital, gender essentialism, gendered slur, cheating (a kiss), death of friend, grief, kissing, sex, alcoholism, arophobic language,
rep; toria (mc) is indian/white and mspec (unlabeled/pansexual). polly (li) is mspec (unlabeled/pansexual). beasley (sc) is gay. daisy (sc) is asexual and has anorexia. zoë (sc) is a lesbian and black.
i say “unlabeled/pansexual” because in text they both are the “fuck labels” sort of queer, but the author has referred to this book as a “pansexual sexfest” and an “ode to pansexuality” on twitter, as well as got a new pansexual cover for it.
i do think it’s kind of funny though, for an “ode to pansexuality”, one could argue that pansexuality was erased from the narrative. the characters only speak of gay, straight, and bi. but one could also argue this book represents the conceptualization of pansexuality as an anti-identity or anti-label, something that represents an attitude of not caring about or needing the neat, strict boxes society tells us we should have.
while i personally don’t conceptualize my pansexuality that way, there was a point before learning about pansexuality that i was a “fuck labels” sort of queer. i don’t think every “i don’t like labels” person just hasn’t found the label for them yet, but i do know there are pansexual people like me who weren’t so much rejecting the concept of labels, but rather not knowing there’s a label that represents how they feel. so i get it.
as for the book, i feel like it’s one of the few young adult books i’ve read that depict teenagers in a way that mostly rings true to my experience as a teen. the friend group, the messy romantic situations, the drama, the importance of having your friend spot, the pretentiousness and tumblr.
i like the themes; belonging, friendship, first loves, discovering your sexuality, loss, mental illness, being messy. it’s a lot for one book, but i don’t think it was done in a way that’s overwhelming or just for the sake of it. but then again, i grew up on degrassi, so what do i know lmao. actually, the book almost feels like an episode of degrassi. those fucking characters go through it, and so do the ones in this book.
the reasoning for this being 4 stars is the shitty comments the characters make for a good chunk of the book. i know teenagers can be shitty and judgmental and ignorant, but i feel like the author crossed over from simply showing teens being shitty sometimes and into gratuitous ignorance. there’s misogyny, ableism, queerphobia, and racism. and most is in the first few chapters.
i also really didn’t care for toria’s poems or the use of asterisks instead of swears.
polly talking about her sexuality: “You’re bisexual?” “Bitch, please. Labels are for shit you buy in shops.” / “Have you always fancied girls?” “I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to. I never had any brothers so I was like nine before I realised boys and girls were even different. No, I think it’s a good thing. I don’t think we are different. I don’t see penises or vaginas, I see hot people or not hot people. It’s pretty fucking easy if you ask me. I don’t know why people find it so hard to believe. I find different things sexy.”
content/trigger warnings; misogyny, slut shaming, fatphobia, racism, homophobia, ableism, anti-autistic ableism, audism, sanism, transphobia, anti-intersex prejudice, anti-roma slur, d slur, f slur, self-harm recounted, alcohol consumption, drug use, anorexia, hospital, gender essentialism, gendered slur, cheating (a kiss), death of friend, grief, kissing, sex, alcoholism, arophobic language,
rep; toria (mc) is indian/white and mspec (unlabeled/pansexual). polly (li) is mspec (unlabeled/pansexual). beasley (sc) is gay. daisy (sc) is asexual and has anorexia. zoë (sc) is a lesbian and black.
i say “unlabeled/pansexual” because in text they both are the “fuck labels” sort of queer, but the author has referred to this book as a “pansexual sexfest” and an “ode to pansexuality” on twitter, as well as got a new pansexual cover for it.
i do think it’s kind of funny though, for an “ode to pansexuality”, one could argue that pansexuality was erased from the narrative. the characters only speak of gay, straight, and bi. but one could also argue this book represents the conceptualization of pansexuality as an anti-identity or anti-label, something that represents an attitude of not caring about or needing the neat, strict boxes society tells us we should have.
while i personally don’t conceptualize my pansexuality that way, there was a point before learning about pansexuality that i was a “fuck labels” sort of queer. i don’t think every “i don’t like labels” person just hasn’t found the label for them yet, but i do know there are pansexual people like me who weren’t so much rejecting the concept of labels, but rather not knowing there’s a label that represents how they feel. so i get it.
as for the book, i feel like it’s one of the few young adult books i’ve read that depict teenagers in a way that mostly rings true to my experience as a teen. the friend group, the messy romantic situations, the drama, the importance of having your friend spot, the pretentiousness and tumblr.
i like the themes; belonging, friendship, first loves, discovering your sexuality, loss, mental illness, being messy. it’s a lot for one book, but i don’t think it was done in a way that’s overwhelming or just for the sake of it. but then again, i grew up on degrassi, so what do i know lmao. actually, the book almost feels like an episode of degrassi. those fucking characters go through it, and so do the ones in this book.
the reasoning for this being 4 stars is the shitty comments the characters make for a good chunk of the book. i know teenagers can be shitty and judgmental and ignorant, but i feel like the author crossed over from simply showing teens being shitty sometimes and into gratuitous ignorance. there’s misogyny, ableism, queerphobia, and racism. and most is in the first few chapters.
i also really didn’t care for toria’s poems or the use of asterisks instead of swears.
polly talking about her sexuality: “You’re bisexual?” “Bitch, please. Labels are for shit you buy in shops.” / “Have you always fancied girls?” “I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to. I never had any brothers so I was like nine before I realised boys and girls were even different. No, I think it’s a good thing. I don’t think we are different. I don’t see penises or vaginas, I see hot people or not hot people. It’s pretty fucking easy if you ask me. I don’t know why people find it so hard to believe. I find different things sexy.”
March 21, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by Hot Key Books for review.
I wanted to love All of the Above. I really wanted to. I mean, a bisexual female main character in YA is pretty rare, and I was so ready to fall head over heels for this book.
Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with All of the Above. Which is super sad.
I think the main reason I couldn’t absolutely adore this book was the main character, Toria. Sometimes she was just really … un-accepting and rude? I guess I thought I’d be reading about a more likeable character (I know we need unlikeable characters, but not when they’re being really rude and throwing out sentences like “does that make me sound autistic?” Maybe stop with the ableism there, please).
Her two love interests were pretty much equally as unlikeable as Toria herself. Polly was apparently a massive cusser, but every swear word she said was in stars. So, for example: “You are such a mushy ******.” I just do not understand why the actual swear was not in the book. It just felt really juvenile to me. And the fact that Polly was pretty much Toria’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl given the task of sexually awakening her didn’t win Polly any points either.
Nico was bland as white bread. He sang in a band, and was super pretty, and that’s just about the extent to which we got to know his character.
There were some aspects that I did like about All of the Above, for example:
- The intersectional diversity – Toria is half-Indian and bisexual, so plus points there
- Toria is sexually active, has been sexually active before we get to know her as a character, and completely owns it. Hells yes
- Toria and her friends actually value their schooling. There’s quite a bit of studying in this book, and I was so glad for that. My high school experience was 90% studying, because school was the avenue by which to get into the degree and university that I wanted to get into. So the fact that grades were important in this novel was really relatable to me, and I appreciated it (so many YA books don’t even mention grades
- The lack of labels. Yes, Polly and Toria can both be described as bisexual, but neither really felt the need to take on that label. This is realistic, as a lot of people don’t feel the need to expressly define their sexual orientation
- BUT the word ‘bisexual’ is used in terms of both of them, so there was no erasure, which was also awesome
- More than one queer person in the book! I mean, almost all of Toria's friends were queer, and this was so great. Books so often have a queer protagonist and that's it. To see a whole cast of queer characters was fabulous
- Toria (even though she could sometimes be a little bit horrible) was also really funny. I loved that she had a Tumblr, and considered her online friends actual friends because a lot of teenagers do these days (and not-teenagers, like me
So there you have it. There were quite a lot of things I did enjoy about All of the Above, but I just didn’t fall in love with it as I had so hoped.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
I wanted to love All of the Above. I really wanted to. I mean, a bisexual female main character in YA is pretty rare, and I was so ready to fall head over heels for this book.
Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with All of the Above. Which is super sad.
I think the main reason I couldn’t absolutely adore this book was the main character, Toria. Sometimes she was just really … un-accepting and rude? I guess I thought I’d be reading about a more likeable character (I know we need unlikeable characters, but not when they’re being really rude and throwing out sentences like “does that make me sound autistic?” Maybe stop with the ableism there, please).
Her two love interests were pretty much equally as unlikeable as Toria herself. Polly was apparently a massive cusser, but every swear word she said was in stars. So, for example: “You are such a mushy ******.” I just do not understand why the actual swear was not in the book. It just felt really juvenile to me. And the fact that Polly was pretty much Toria’s Manic Pixie Dream Girl given the task of sexually awakening her didn’t win Polly any points either.
Nico was bland as white bread. He sang in a band, and was super pretty, and that’s just about the extent to which we got to know his character.
There were some aspects that I did like about All of the Above, for example:
- The intersectional diversity – Toria is half-Indian and bisexual, so plus points there
- Toria is sexually active, has been sexually active before we get to know her as a character, and completely owns it. Hells yes
- Toria and her friends actually value their schooling. There’s quite a bit of studying in this book, and I was so glad for that. My high school experience was 90% studying, because school was the avenue by which to get into the degree and university that I wanted to get into. So the fact that grades were important in this novel was really relatable to me, and I appreciated it (so many YA books don’t even mention grades
- The lack of labels. Yes, Polly and Toria can both be described as bisexual, but neither really felt the need to take on that label. This is realistic, as a lot of people don’t feel the need to expressly define their sexual orientation
- BUT the word ‘bisexual’ is used in terms of both of them, so there was no erasure, which was also awesome
- More than one queer person in the book! I mean, almost all of Toria's friends were queer, and this was so great. Books so often have a queer protagonist and that's it. To see a whole cast of queer characters was fabulous
- Toria (even though she could sometimes be a little bit horrible) was also really funny. I loved that she had a Tumblr, and considered her online friends actual friends because a lot of teenagers do these days (and not-teenagers, like me
So there you have it. There were quite a lot of things I did enjoy about All of the Above, but I just didn’t fall in love with it as I had so hoped.
© 2015, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
November 9, 2015
*4.5 stars*
Originally published at http://solittletimeforbooks.blogspot....
I feel head over heels in love with All of the Above and it’s definitely one of my favourites of the year so far.
James Dawson is a known advocate for diversity and he really puts his money where his mouth is in All of the Above. This novel has characters from across the LGBTQIA+, but very importantly, it features an asexual character! This was the first time I'd never seen this openly in a YA novel and I cheered. And then Toria is mixed race as her mum is Indian and her dad white and one of the characters has an eating disorder. The portrayal of the eating disorder felt very important. Dawson highlights the stigma of an eating disorder – and other mental illnesses – and how it is never seen as serious as a physical illness until it’s noticeable by someone else. The experience of the characters in All of the Above demonstrated the danger in that and just how grave it can be.
Even though I’ve only read one other of Dawson’s books – Under My Skin – I feel like he really found his voice and his style with All of the Above. Toria’s narration felt authentic and current and so incredibly real. All of the characters are so much more than what they are to each other. I loved that Toria wasn’t just a part of the story going on with Polly, Nico and the rest of the gang, she has a separate life with parents, an online presence with friends and a fandom, and she loves making digital art and writing poetry. Toria’s poetry was a really unexpected element of the novel and I really loved it. Sadly, it wasn’t quite formatted in the e-proof I read, but I was still able to enjoy and appreciate it.
It would be easy to dismiss Toria’s story as an ‘issues’ book, but it’s really not. It just so happens that ‘issues’ happen to people in everyday life. It made way for a conversation about labels as Toria struggled to understand what she felt and then the pressure to define what that was. Labels carry weight for the person being labelled. They have pressures and expectations to conform to what makes up that label and it’s pretty ridiculous really – why should you have to define your feelings or yourself for others?
All of the Above is heartbreaking, hopeful and empowering and I hope we get more of this kind of contemporary from James Dawson in the future.
Originally published at http://solittletimeforbooks.blogspot....
I feel head over heels in love with All of the Above and it’s definitely one of my favourites of the year so far.
James Dawson is a known advocate for diversity and he really puts his money where his mouth is in All of the Above. This novel has characters from across the LGBTQIA+, but very importantly, it features an asexual character! This was the first time I'd never seen this openly in a YA novel and I cheered. And then Toria is mixed race as her mum is Indian and her dad white and one of the characters has an eating disorder. The portrayal of the eating disorder felt very important. Dawson highlights the stigma of an eating disorder – and other mental illnesses – and how it is never seen as serious as a physical illness until it’s noticeable by someone else. The experience of the characters in All of the Above demonstrated the danger in that and just how grave it can be.
Even though I’ve only read one other of Dawson’s books – Under My Skin – I feel like he really found his voice and his style with All of the Above. Toria’s narration felt authentic and current and so incredibly real. All of the characters are so much more than what they are to each other. I loved that Toria wasn’t just a part of the story going on with Polly, Nico and the rest of the gang, she has a separate life with parents, an online presence with friends and a fandom, and she loves making digital art and writing poetry. Toria’s poetry was a really unexpected element of the novel and I really loved it. Sadly, it wasn’t quite formatted in the e-proof I read, but I was still able to enjoy and appreciate it.
It would be easy to dismiss Toria’s story as an ‘issues’ book, but it’s really not. It just so happens that ‘issues’ happen to people in everyday life. It made way for a conversation about labels as Toria struggled to understand what she felt and then the pressure to define what that was. Labels carry weight for the person being labelled. They have pressures and expectations to conform to what makes up that label and it’s pretty ridiculous really – why should you have to define your feelings or yourself for others?
All of the Above is heartbreaking, hopeful and empowering and I hope we get more of this kind of contemporary from James Dawson in the future.
May 26, 2020
I think I am probably a little too old for this book. This follows Victoria 'toria' grand a 17 year old girl that has just moved to Brompton on sea and starting sixth form. This follows her making friends, getting herself a boyfriend, discovering her sexuality and everything in between.
As I said I don't think I'm the right audience for this book. It talks a lot about virginity and discovering your sexuality when your 16/17. I didn't really like the characters....toria always seemed so forced and would say things like 'ladyboner' and penis virginity'.... Who says that?!?! I didn't like Polly and all the swearing that was blocked out with ***** all the time.
I felt this book was just trying to be to down with kids and ended up a bit trashy and forced.
This book comes with trigger warnings for death, self-harm, eating disorders and alcoholism.
As I said I don't think I'm the right audience for this book. It talks a lot about virginity and discovering your sexuality when your 16/17. I didn't really like the characters....toria always seemed so forced and would say things like 'ladyboner' and penis virginity'.... Who says that?!?! I didn't like Polly and all the swearing that was blocked out with ***** all the time.
I felt this book was just trying to be to down with kids and ended up a bit trashy and forced.
This book comes with trigger warnings for death, self-harm, eating disorders and alcoholism.
September 12, 2015
3.5 stars I think. Great ideas but I rarely felt very emotionally connected to the characters or their relationships together.
October 11, 2015
this book tries to talk about A LOT of stuff but ends up just being kind of messy
full review here: https://catshelf.wordpress.com/2015/1...
full review here: https://catshelf.wordpress.com/2015/1...
September 25, 2015
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
I really liked the sound of All of the Above by James Dawson when I first heard about it, but I was also a little wary. I really didn't like Hollow Pike, Dawson's debut novel, and wasn't a fan of his writing style, so I was worried I might not like this one two. Fortunately, I enjoyed All of the Above more than thought, but I was still left a little disappointed.
Toria moves to Brompton-on-Sea with her family when her dad gets a new job. Worried about making new friends and fitting in at her new school, Toria felt awkward, but she shouldn't have. She is quickly embraced by a group of "alternative" kids, and finally finds her place among them. But finding a place is the least of all Toria's problems as she deals with what life throws at her in her first year at Brompton.
There is a lot going on in All of the Above, so to say it's a story about any one thing would be wrong. It's about everything; moving to a new town, making new friends, romance, mental health issues, sexuality, protesting, exam pressure, family problems, and so on. Rather than feeling like it's too much, it's not as overwhelming as you'd think. All of the Above feels like a very realistic snapshot into a year in Toria's life. No-one ever has just one thing going on, there are all sorts to deal with, and that's how this book is presented.
If I had to narrow it down, I would say it's a story of friendship and finding your place. You'll notice I didn't say sexuality. And that's where this book disappointed me, because I was expecting a story about a girl questioning her sexuality, or discovering she's bisexual, or the fluidity of sexuality, one of these things in one way or another. And it is, but it's a subplot. It's one subplot among many subplots. There's no main focus. So, although there are hints, a few small bits and pieces along the way, Toria's questioning of and thinking about her sexuality doesn't really come into the foreground until maybe the last quarter of the book. And I was sold on this book being about sexuality. The fact that it's not the main focus of the book isn't a bad thing, it's just that the description from Goodreads above, the blurb on the book, even the title, they all make it out to be that kind of novel, and it isn't. All of the Above isn't the book I was expecting.
Saying that, this is a hugely diverse and intersectional novel. Toria is biracial - half English, half Indian, and questions her sexuality. Nico is of Italian descent. Of the new friends Toria makes, Daisy is asexual and has mental health issues, Beasley is gay, Zoë is a black lesbian, Alice is Asian, and Polly has a fluid sexuality and mental health issues. Huge props to Dawson for this; it's just so brilliant that there is such a diverse cast of characters! I'd like to talk about Polly and her sexuality here, because I think she's a character we don't see very often. Polly has had romantic and sexual relationships with boys and she's had romantic and sexual relationships with girls, but Polly does not identify as bisexual, and I think it's important to point this out. Do not put a label on her, she doesn't want them. That's not how she identifies. I could be wrong myself in saying she has a fluid sexuality, because that's not something she states herself. She just likes people.
All asterisks are in the actual novel. I think it's awesome to have this fluidity of sexuality represented, because not everyone does identity as bisexual or pansexual or any of the other labels. Straight cis-gendered people need to see that everyone can or wants to be pigeon holed.
As awesome as it is to see Polly discussing her sexuality, I felt a little let down by Daisy. Daisy's asexuality is brought up once:
And that really is that. It's not mentioned again. There are so few YA novels with asexual characters, I would have liked perhaps a little more of Daisy talking about it. Toria might "know all about asexuality", but readers of this book might not. I think it could slightly lead to misunderstanding, which I think would mean asexual people are mis-represented; not wanting to have sex "just now" could confuse people about what it means to be asexual. From what I've read and understand - and I could be wrong in my understanding so don't take what I say as gospel - there's no "right" way to be asexual; some asexuals may never have sex at all, whereas some might. There's a lot more to it than that, but I don't trust my memory or understanding enough to go into it further. This would have been a prime opportunity to help readers understand a little more what it means to be asexual, and represent asexual characters better... it's not what I would have hoped. I hate to say it, but, although there's more to her, it's almost like Daisy is the token asexual character when it comes to sexuality. I don't think that's so great.
There's also another girl in the group, Freya, who's story I had a problem with. I don't like how it was left. I don't want to spoil the story, but there's one conversation between Toria and Freya about this specific topic, and that's it, it's just left. I felt there should have been more about her as a character, and have more people involved in that conversation. To be just left like that seemed unfair, to everyone involved, and to Freya's character.
I have to say, there was an emotional disconnect for me throughout the book. I didn't much care about any of the characters or what happened to them. There was a moment of sadness for me, but only a moment. I just wasn't emotionally engaged with these characters. So that, the representation of Daisy's asexuality and the issue with Freya, along with this book not being about what I expected, left me disappointed. But in all, it's an ok, realistic story. I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy it.
Thank you to Hot Key Books for the review copy.
I really liked the sound of All of the Above by James Dawson when I first heard about it, but I was also a little wary. I really didn't like Hollow Pike, Dawson's debut novel, and wasn't a fan of his writing style, so I was worried I might not like this one two. Fortunately, I enjoyed All of the Above more than thought, but I was still left a little disappointed.
Toria moves to Brompton-on-Sea with her family when her dad gets a new job. Worried about making new friends and fitting in at her new school, Toria felt awkward, but she shouldn't have. She is quickly embraced by a group of "alternative" kids, and finally finds her place among them. But finding a place is the least of all Toria's problems as she deals with what life throws at her in her first year at Brompton.
There is a lot going on in All of the Above, so to say it's a story about any one thing would be wrong. It's about everything; moving to a new town, making new friends, romance, mental health issues, sexuality, protesting, exam pressure, family problems, and so on. Rather than feeling like it's too much, it's not as overwhelming as you'd think. All of the Above feels like a very realistic snapshot into a year in Toria's life. No-one ever has just one thing going on, there are all sorts to deal with, and that's how this book is presented.
'Now, I appreciate you might be thinking that this is all a bit issues galore and mega emo. Well, sorry, but that was what happened. It would be neater, wouldn't it, if this was a story about self-harm or sexuality or eating disorders or drunk mums or ridiculously hot bass players, but it's a story about all of them. Yeah it's a mess. And it's about to get messier if you'll bear with me. That's the way it is sometimes - nothing's ever neat and tidy.' (p107)
If I had to narrow it down, I would say it's a story of friendship and finding your place. You'll notice I didn't say sexuality. And that's where this book disappointed me, because I was expecting a story about a girl questioning her sexuality, or discovering she's bisexual, or the fluidity of sexuality, one of these things in one way or another. And it is, but it's a subplot. It's one subplot among many subplots. There's no main focus. So, although there are hints, a few small bits and pieces along the way, Toria's questioning of and thinking about her sexuality doesn't really come into the foreground until maybe the last quarter of the book. And I was sold on this book being about sexuality. The fact that it's not the main focus of the book isn't a bad thing, it's just that the description from Goodreads above, the blurb on the book, even the title, they all make it out to be that kind of novel, and it isn't. All of the Above isn't the book I was expecting.
Saying that, this is a hugely diverse and intersectional novel. Toria is biracial - half English, half Indian, and questions her sexuality. Nico is of Italian descent. Of the new friends Toria makes, Daisy is asexual and has mental health issues, Beasley is gay, Zoë is a black lesbian, Alice is Asian, and Polly has a fluid sexuality and mental health issues. Huge props to Dawson for this; it's just so brilliant that there is such a diverse cast of characters! I'd like to talk about Polly and her sexuality here, because I think she's a character we don't see very often. Polly has had romantic and sexual relationships with boys and she's had romantic and sexual relationships with girls, but Polly does not identify as bisexual, and I think it's important to point this out. Do not put a label on her, she doesn't want them. That's not how she identifies. I could be wrong myself in saying she has a fluid sexuality, because that's not something she states herself. She just likes people.
'"You're bisexual?"
[Polly] scowled in distaste. "Bitch, please. Labels are for **** you buy in shops."' (p117)
'"[...]Have you always fancied girls?" I asked, sipping on my now tepid coffee.
"I didn't know you weren't supposed to. I never had brothers so I was like nine before I realised boys and girls were even different."
"Wow."
"No, I think it's a good thing. I don't think we are different. I don't see penises or vaginas, I see hot people or not hot people. It's pretty ******* easy if you ask me."
[...]
"I don't know why people find it so hard to believe. I find different things sexy. Like with Nico, for example, it was his dimples, his teeth, his arms. With you it was your lips."
[...]
"But do you see what I mean? I don't think I could ever say 'Oh I fancy this about girls' or I fancy this about boys' because boys don't all look the same and neither do girls.And they're very different in bed. Different but good." (p152-153)
All asterisks are in the actual novel. I think it's awesome to have this fluidity of sexuality represented, because not everyone does identity as bisexual or pansexual or any of the other labels. Straight cis-gendered people need to see that everyone can or wants to be pigeon holed.
As awesome as it is to see Polly discussing her sexuality, I felt a little let down by Daisy. Daisy's asexuality is brought up once:
'"What about you? I asked. "Who are you into?" It occurred to me that Daisy hadn't once mentioned a guy - or a girl - in that way. "Who's on the Daisy Weekes crush list?"
Daisy looked me dead in the eye and said, "No one. I am asexual."
"What?" She said it in the same way I say, "I'm a Capricorn." She held by gaze. "Are you for real?" I'm not a Tumblr virgin, I know all about asexuality, but I couldn't work out if she was kidding or not.
Daisy being Daisy, she simply smiled. "Yes. I don't want to have sex with anyone just now, thank you very much."
And that was that.' (p55)
And that really is that. It's not mentioned again. There are so few YA novels with asexual characters, I would have liked perhaps a little more of Daisy talking about it. Toria might "know all about asexuality", but readers of this book might not. I think it could slightly lead to misunderstanding, which I think would mean asexual people are mis-represented; not wanting to have sex "just now" could confuse people about what it means to be asexual. From what I've read and understand - and I could be wrong in my understanding so don't take what I say as gospel - there's no "right" way to be asexual; some asexuals may never have sex at all, whereas some might. There's a lot more to it than that, but I don't trust my memory or understanding enough to go into it further. This would have been a prime opportunity to help readers understand a little more what it means to be asexual, and represent asexual characters better... it's not what I would have hoped. I hate to say it, but, although there's more to her, it's almost like Daisy is the token asexual character when it comes to sexuality. I don't think that's so great.
There's also another girl in the group, Freya, who's story I had a problem with. I don't like how it was left. I don't want to spoil the story, but there's one conversation between Toria and Freya about this specific topic, and that's it, it's just left. I felt there should have been more about her as a character, and have more people involved in that conversation. To be just left like that seemed unfair, to everyone involved, and to Freya's character.
I have to say, there was an emotional disconnect for me throughout the book. I didn't much care about any of the characters or what happened to them. There was a moment of sadness for me, but only a moment. I just wasn't emotionally engaged with these characters. So that, the representation of Daisy's asexuality and the issue with Freya, along with this book not being about what I expected, left me disappointed. But in all, it's an ok, realistic story. I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy it.
Thank you to Hot Key Books for the review copy.
November 12, 2015
This review was written for The Review Diaries
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
This is my first foray into James Dawson’s fiction books, having only previously read ‘This Book is Gay’ and I have heard nothing but good things about his writing. So I was eager to try out his latest book and did really enjoy it, but unfortunately not quite as much as I’d hoped it.
It was a good, engrossing and quick read that tackled a whole variety of subjects and issues – all fantastic things, and I stormed through it in one sitting. It really tackles everything: eating disorders, sexuality (including asexuality, hurrah!), death, growing up and all the changes that comes with that. It is stuffed with everything, which can be a little over whelming at points, but it is SO GOOD to see books tackling all of these things.
I frequently found myself laughing out loud, it is packed with humour sprinkled liberally amongst the more poignant moments and felt like an incredibly real book. These characters and their problems felt real, they felt like actual people to me and I found myself caring about them, crying and laughing and rooting for them to work everything out.
However there are problems. This is going to sound really silly, but very early on Toria complains that she can’t get out of bed because she has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Now as someone who has this I am always eager to see it represented more in fiction. But this wasn’t representation, it was a throwaway comment that really frustrated and in some ways even upset me. It felt like a slap in the face. You wouldn’t say that you had any other number of health problems to get out of doing stuff, so why CFS? It adds to the all too prevalent image that CFS is a joke, something that isn’t real, that any person who is tired has it. Which for those of us that do have it, is basically a slap in the face. Unfortunately this happens within the first quarter of the novel, and so whilst I had gotten off to a great start with it after this comment I never really re-found the same love for the book that I had had up until that point.
My second problem was how some of the issues tackled really felt shoe horned in, the way Toria talks about them makes it feel as though the book is screaming LOOK I AM TACKLING ALL OF THESE THINGS. Now that could be that I just wasn’t getting along with Toria and that was colouring my perception, but the way some things were handled just wasn’t working for me. I appreciate that in real life all of these things come up, sometimes all at once, sometimes in pieces, and I loved that this book was attempting to encompass all the things, but the writing style meant that it did across as slightly preachy and full of itself for being so avant-garde and tackling all the taboos at once.
And my third and final issue is cheating. Again, it happens, and this book was aiming to offer a view point on teenage life and all the struggles that can come with that. So in a way, yay for inclusion! But on the other side, I struggled with how the cheating was handled. But that is just a personal preference.
So all in all a really mixed read for me. It was a good book, a very good book, don’t be fooled by my gripes, and one that I would definitely recommend. It’s also made me very curious to go and read James Dawson’s other books, because his writing is smart and funny and filled with diverse and interesting characters – all very good things.
Personal preferences meant that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped to, but it was still a very engaging and good read.
You can read the full review here
Thanks to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
This is my first foray into James Dawson’s fiction books, having only previously read ‘This Book is Gay’ and I have heard nothing but good things about his writing. So I was eager to try out his latest book and did really enjoy it, but unfortunately not quite as much as I’d hoped it.
It was a good, engrossing and quick read that tackled a whole variety of subjects and issues – all fantastic things, and I stormed through it in one sitting. It really tackles everything: eating disorders, sexuality (including asexuality, hurrah!), death, growing up and all the changes that comes with that. It is stuffed with everything, which can be a little over whelming at points, but it is SO GOOD to see books tackling all of these things.
I frequently found myself laughing out loud, it is packed with humour sprinkled liberally amongst the more poignant moments and felt like an incredibly real book. These characters and their problems felt real, they felt like actual people to me and I found myself caring about them, crying and laughing and rooting for them to work everything out.
However there are problems. This is going to sound really silly, but very early on Toria complains that she can’t get out of bed because she has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Now as someone who has this I am always eager to see it represented more in fiction. But this wasn’t representation, it was a throwaway comment that really frustrated and in some ways even upset me. It felt like a slap in the face. You wouldn’t say that you had any other number of health problems to get out of doing stuff, so why CFS? It adds to the all too prevalent image that CFS is a joke, something that isn’t real, that any person who is tired has it. Which for those of us that do have it, is basically a slap in the face. Unfortunately this happens within the first quarter of the novel, and so whilst I had gotten off to a great start with it after this comment I never really re-found the same love for the book that I had had up until that point.
My second problem was how some of the issues tackled really felt shoe horned in, the way Toria talks about them makes it feel as though the book is screaming LOOK I AM TACKLING ALL OF THESE THINGS. Now that could be that I just wasn’t getting along with Toria and that was colouring my perception, but the way some things were handled just wasn’t working for me. I appreciate that in real life all of these things come up, sometimes all at once, sometimes in pieces, and I loved that this book was attempting to encompass all the things, but the writing style meant that it did across as slightly preachy and full of itself for being so avant-garde and tackling all the taboos at once.
And my third and final issue is cheating. Again, it happens, and this book was aiming to offer a view point on teenage life and all the struggles that can come with that. So in a way, yay for inclusion! But on the other side, I struggled with how the cheating was handled. But that is just a personal preference.
So all in all a really mixed read for me. It was a good book, a very good book, don’t be fooled by my gripes, and one that I would definitely recommend. It’s also made me very curious to go and read James Dawson’s other books, because his writing is smart and funny and filled with diverse and interesting characters – all very good things.
Personal preferences meant that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped to, but it was still a very engaging and good read.
February 3, 2016
So this is not what I was expecting at all. James Dawson has done a complete 360 tail-spin and shot off down the motorway on the wrong side of the road. Honestly, no lie, he has. AOTA is his passenger, she's a quirky little number with a lot of attitude and totally refuses to wear her seatbelt. She's on fire and totally up-to-date with everything from social status to sexuality to friendship to eating disorders to prison cells to instalove. She's got it all going on.
We read from the pen of sixteen/seventeen year old, Victoria 'Toria' Grand as she jots down the past of her roller-coater year in her new life in the run down and pretty ugly Brompton-on-Sea. We nervously do all the first times with her. We go to a new school with her, we nervously make new friends with her, we nervously do everything with her, and yes I mean "EVERYTHING!" Toria was not my favourite character in the book, I did find her very very very self obsessed and at times I wanted to reach inside the pages and strangle her for it. Whether this was intentional and clever writing by the author I do not know.
Character wise though you are submitted into a cool and totally astounding group of people. All seriously working hard to get the best life possible, all completely different, all totally loyal, and all obsessed with crazy golf. There warmth and friendship lifts you high and you really do have the absolute best of time with them all. Whether it's watching horror movies, or drinking cheap fizzy wine while being watched by the disapproving seal, or watching Geoff the Cross-Dressing squirrel fight for his child, even to just sitting around chatting in the sixth form common room at Brompton Cliffs Academy.
The plot is deep and diverse. It's here where author James Dawson has seriously left his tyre marks. It's completely up-to-date like I've previously mentioned, and it is kind of like that feeling you get in your stomach when your intuition kicks in and you know something's not quite right. No, it's like when your swimming and you slip for a second and choke under the water and think 'shit, I'm so gonna die.' That is how the plot is. It takes you under and smothers you with details and drama and sacrifice and the complete and utter understanding of how hard, questioning and ridiculous life can be. It is a teenagers best friend and also a teenagers nightmare. It's emotional and tense and heartbreaking and adorable.
Whilst reading through AOTA, I was impressed and totally over the moon that I was allowed to add in my ow swear words. Now, I know it was pretty obvious at times what swear words it was, but I put my own in anyway. It was amazing. I totally love a good swear word and because of this I fell head over heels in love with heroine Tori's ultimate newbie best pal Polly. She's kick-ass hardcore with a mouth of ultimate sarcastic swearing and I want to be her.
I thoroughly enjoyed AOTA and I can't praise James Dawson enough for daring to do something different and something that actually did need to be done. AOTA will most definitely help people understand themselves as they relate to the characters and it will allow people to see the other side of circumstances and issues that they usually wouldn't have a clue about. And, it will also open the eyes of some who are careless with their words and don't think about what those words can actually do to a person. It's book that will inspire people to be themselves and that to me is such a wonderful thing.
Overwhelmingly marvellous.
5/5
We read from the pen of sixteen/seventeen year old, Victoria 'Toria' Grand as she jots down the past of her roller-coater year in her new life in the run down and pretty ugly Brompton-on-Sea. We nervously do all the first times with her. We go to a new school with her, we nervously make new friends with her, we nervously do everything with her, and yes I mean "EVERYTHING!" Toria was not my favourite character in the book, I did find her very very very self obsessed and at times I wanted to reach inside the pages and strangle her for it. Whether this was intentional and clever writing by the author I do not know.
Character wise though you are submitted into a cool and totally astounding group of people. All seriously working hard to get the best life possible, all completely different, all totally loyal, and all obsessed with crazy golf. There warmth and friendship lifts you high and you really do have the absolute best of time with them all. Whether it's watching horror movies, or drinking cheap fizzy wine while being watched by the disapproving seal, or watching Geoff the Cross-Dressing squirrel fight for his child, even to just sitting around chatting in the sixth form common room at Brompton Cliffs Academy.
The plot is deep and diverse. It's here where author James Dawson has seriously left his tyre marks. It's completely up-to-date like I've previously mentioned, and it is kind of like that feeling you get in your stomach when your intuition kicks in and you know something's not quite right. No, it's like when your swimming and you slip for a second and choke under the water and think 'shit, I'm so gonna die.' That is how the plot is. It takes you under and smothers you with details and drama and sacrifice and the complete and utter understanding of how hard, questioning and ridiculous life can be. It is a teenagers best friend and also a teenagers nightmare. It's emotional and tense and heartbreaking and adorable.
Whilst reading through AOTA, I was impressed and totally over the moon that I was allowed to add in my ow swear words. Now, I know it was pretty obvious at times what swear words it was, but I put my own in anyway. It was amazing. I totally love a good swear word and because of this I fell head over heels in love with heroine Tori's ultimate newbie best pal Polly. She's kick-ass hardcore with a mouth of ultimate sarcastic swearing and I want to be her.
I thoroughly enjoyed AOTA and I can't praise James Dawson enough for daring to do something different and something that actually did need to be done. AOTA will most definitely help people understand themselves as they relate to the characters and it will allow people to see the other side of circumstances and issues that they usually wouldn't have a clue about. And, it will also open the eyes of some who are careless with their words and don't think about what those words can actually do to a person. It's book that will inspire people to be themselves and that to me is such a wonderful thing.
Overwhelmingly marvellous.
5/5
January 28, 2016
Bliss and contentment are the emotions that best describe how I feel as I am turning the last page of “All Of The Above”.
There is only one other book out of the 120 I read in the past 2 years that made me feel that way, Rainbow Rowell’s “Eleanor & Park”. And just like Rainbow’s, Juno’s “All Of The Above” is pure undiluted love, literally!!
Nothing much ever happens in Brompton-on-Sea and while Victoria (Toria for short) is moving in, most people of her age are trying to escape, so you can imagine that her arrival is pretty big news. New school, new friends, new everything. This is now what Toria has to deal with and to succeed at all those, first impression is key!! So, no pressure!
Toria quickly dismisses all the unsuitable school cliques to find that she not only enjoys the company of the coolest bunch of misfits at Brompton High but that they also consider her part of the group. Life is even sweeter now that Toria and Nico are official and that her friendship with Polly, the backbone of the group is the strongest.
Everything is just perfect…except that all things in life are destined to change, and one change in particular, the catalyst all, is about to transform the dynamic of the group at a fundamental level.
Well, that last sentence was pretty dramatic, right?!
However it does not negate the fact that those kids are about to go through a roller coaster of change and emotion. Juno exposes us to a lot of heavy stuff here. From loss to mental illness, eating disorders and sexual identity issues, it is a lot for any teenager to cope with, and that’s even before considering school exams.
The story telling through all those complications was somehow made lighter and even funny at times, by the individual and distinct voices the author chose to award each character. The portrayal of the teenager is very authentic, and you will easily be able to recall how intense those times were back then.
Still, if I had to choose one favourite thing above all, it would have to be the richness in diversity that the piece has to offer. We are all in here, all of us! And I think that’s amazing.
There is only one other book out of the 120 I read in the past 2 years that made me feel that way, Rainbow Rowell’s “Eleanor & Park”. And just like Rainbow’s, Juno’s “All Of The Above” is pure undiluted love, literally!!
Nothing much ever happens in Brompton-on-Sea and while Victoria (Toria for short) is moving in, most people of her age are trying to escape, so you can imagine that her arrival is pretty big news. New school, new friends, new everything. This is now what Toria has to deal with and to succeed at all those, first impression is key!! So, no pressure!
Toria quickly dismisses all the unsuitable school cliques to find that she not only enjoys the company of the coolest bunch of misfits at Brompton High but that they also consider her part of the group. Life is even sweeter now that Toria and Nico are official and that her friendship with Polly, the backbone of the group is the strongest.
Everything is just perfect…except that all things in life are destined to change, and one change in particular, the catalyst all, is about to transform the dynamic of the group at a fundamental level.
Well, that last sentence was pretty dramatic, right?!
However it does not negate the fact that those kids are about to go through a roller coaster of change and emotion. Juno exposes us to a lot of heavy stuff here. From loss to mental illness, eating disorders and sexual identity issues, it is a lot for any teenager to cope with, and that’s even before considering school exams.
The story telling through all those complications was somehow made lighter and even funny at times, by the individual and distinct voices the author chose to award each character. The portrayal of the teenager is very authentic, and you will easily be able to recall how intense those times were back then.
Still, if I had to choose one favourite thing above all, it would have to be the richness in diversity that the piece has to offer. We are all in here, all of us! And I think that’s amazing.
September 16, 2015
I received a copy via netgalley.
First of I loved the beginning of this book! We start off sorta just following the main character and slowly meeting this group of teens that are undoubtably going to change our main characters life forever. Truthfully this book is like the English cousin of a Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green kid. One major complaint is the starring out Polly's cursing. If your going to have it in the book why take one character and not do it, to me I felt every time I ran across the stars I had to take a pause, deep breath decipher the holographic star language, then forge ahead. It was irritating is putting it mildly. I wouldn't recommend the author or any author to do it. Just put the word in, no offense but teens everywhere have probably heard worse either on TV or other book. So that was my biggest issue with the book. Half way through I took a couple hour break, I started to drag. We had so many different social problems going on I was starting to think the author was just cramming. If you can't do each one delicately and meaningfully then don't and choose one and just solely have that. Because I felt nothing for a few of the kids problems. And a death was handled very brush off, didn't agree nor think I could muster a tear. The story was a fun idea I just don't think the author handled it very well. Mostly predictable plotting. Interesting characters, might've been nice for a bit more development. I don't think I'll ever reread this one. 2 stars for entertainment.
First of I loved the beginning of this book! We start off sorta just following the main character and slowly meeting this group of teens that are undoubtably going to change our main characters life forever. Truthfully this book is like the English cousin of a Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green kid. One major complaint is the starring out Polly's cursing. If your going to have it in the book why take one character and not do it, to me I felt every time I ran across the stars I had to take a pause, deep breath decipher the holographic star language, then forge ahead. It was irritating is putting it mildly. I wouldn't recommend the author or any author to do it. Just put the word in, no offense but teens everywhere have probably heard worse either on TV or other book. So that was my biggest issue with the book. Half way through I took a couple hour break, I started to drag. We had so many different social problems going on I was starting to think the author was just cramming. If you can't do each one delicately and meaningfully then don't and choose one and just solely have that. Because I felt nothing for a few of the kids problems. And a death was handled very brush off, didn't agree nor think I could muster a tear. The story was a fun idea I just don't think the author handled it very well. Mostly predictable plotting. Interesting characters, might've been nice for a bit more development. I don't think I'll ever reread this one. 2 stars for entertainment.
February 19, 2016
I really liked Juno Dawson’s other book, Under My Skin, so I knew I was going to enjoy this one too, even if I knew it would be a little different. This book was comforting, and so much fun! It was a quick read, and a brilliant book, so I’d highly recommend it to fans of the genre!
It was very much a character driven book, and I adored most of the characters. I wasn’t keen on Toria - the protagonist - but I loved everyone else! I cared so much about the plot, because of how loveable everyone was. I felt like the characters were my best friends, and I do wish they were real!
This book discussed lots of pretty dark themes, and handled them very well. I’ve heard a few people saying to got a bit crowded, and should have just focused in more depth on just one important topic, but that’s not the case for me! It was true to real life, and I think it was handled so well. It has some very important messages, yet is still a super fun book.
One thing that makes this book stand out from others of the same genre is the poetry. There’s about 10 poems in the book, so they don’t occur very often. I think they fitted in really fell with what was happening, and added a lot to the story. Some of the more emotional ones were especially moving, so I do hope Juno’s books feature more poetry!
I really liked the ending. I thought everything was wrapped up well, and gave me full closure. Overall, this was an important book, yet a light read. It was everything I hoped for, and I really enjoyed it!
It was very much a character driven book, and I adored most of the characters. I wasn’t keen on Toria - the protagonist - but I loved everyone else! I cared so much about the plot, because of how loveable everyone was. I felt like the characters were my best friends, and I do wish they were real!
This book discussed lots of pretty dark themes, and handled them very well. I’ve heard a few people saying to got a bit crowded, and should have just focused in more depth on just one important topic, but that’s not the case for me! It was true to real life, and I think it was handled so well. It has some very important messages, yet is still a super fun book.
One thing that makes this book stand out from others of the same genre is the poetry. There’s about 10 poems in the book, so they don’t occur very often. I think they fitted in really fell with what was happening, and added a lot to the story. Some of the more emotional ones were especially moving, so I do hope Juno’s books feature more poetry!
I really liked the ending. I thought everything was wrapped up well, and gave me full closure. Overall, this was an important book, yet a light read. It was everything I hoped for, and I really enjoyed it!
November 14, 2015
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bonnier Publishing and NetGalley*
3.5 stars.
Victoria 'Toria' Grand has moved to a sea-side town and is starting at a new school. She worries about fitting in but soon falls in with foul-mouthed Polly and her gang of friends.
Toria then meets Nico Mancini, bass player for a local band and falls head over heels.
Polly becomes Toria's best friend but is she more than that?
All of the Above was an enjoyable read with relevant themes and diverse characters.
Toria was a relatable, believable and likeable protagonist. She wasn't perfect and I liked that she knew that.
Toria's friends were a mixed bunch. Daisy and Beasley were my favourites. I liked Polly at times but she was a bit unstable.
The storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed the writing style - it held my attention and made me want to read on.
I liked how diverse the characters and themes were - there were characters struggling with their sexuality, characters who had embraced their sexuality as well as self harm, eating disorders and alcoholism.
Overall this was an enjoyable, diverse read.
3.5 stars.
Victoria 'Toria' Grand has moved to a sea-side town and is starting at a new school. She worries about fitting in but soon falls in with foul-mouthed Polly and her gang of friends.
Toria then meets Nico Mancini, bass player for a local band and falls head over heels.
Polly becomes Toria's best friend but is she more than that?
All of the Above was an enjoyable read with relevant themes and diverse characters.
Toria was a relatable, believable and likeable protagonist. She wasn't perfect and I liked that she knew that.
Toria's friends were a mixed bunch. Daisy and Beasley were my favourites. I liked Polly at times but she was a bit unstable.
The storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed the writing style - it held my attention and made me want to read on.
I liked how diverse the characters and themes were - there were characters struggling with their sexuality, characters who had embraced their sexuality as well as self harm, eating disorders and alcoholism.
Overall this was an enjoyable, diverse read.
August 19, 2017
There is this quote in the book that summarize this story.
"Now, I appreciate you might be thinking that this is all a bit issues galore and mega emo. Well, sorry, but that was what happened. It would be neater, wouldn’t it, if this was a story about self-harm or sexuality or eating disorders or drunk mums or ridiculously hot bass players, but it’s a story about all of them. Yeah, it’s a mess. And it’s about to get messier if you’ll bear with me. That’s the way it is sometimes – nothing’s ever neat and tidy.”
I like this story, the plot, characters and everything. My favorite part is Toria's poem.
"Now, I appreciate you might be thinking that this is all a bit issues galore and mega emo. Well, sorry, but that was what happened. It would be neater, wouldn’t it, if this was a story about self-harm or sexuality or eating disorders or drunk mums or ridiculously hot bass players, but it’s a story about all of them. Yeah, it’s a mess. And it’s about to get messier if you’ll bear with me. That’s the way it is sometimes – nothing’s ever neat and tidy.”
I like this story, the plot, characters and everything. My favorite part is Toria's poem.
January 10, 2016
James' best work. Full review at http://shinraalpha.com/2015/09/12/all...
December 26, 2020
This book is soooo good! I loved it so much I read it twice in like the past 6 months. I would really recommend it to people who like the perks of being a wallflower because its great. :)
July 27, 2017
So amazing! don't need a review Just Read it!
April 5, 2021
That was... definitely a book.
A lot of topics were touched in this book, none of them were satisfyingly portrayed. It felt like the author needed as many teenage issues in a novel as humanly possible and called it a day. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to put these things into novels. It's very important to raise awareness, to illuminate these issues and show teenagers they're not alone with their problems, I just think this novel didn't do a very good job at this.
I also didn't like that this books talks about important issues (e.g sexuality, mental illness) and the characters proceed to judge queer people, or mentally ill people. A few examples:
1. Referring to girls looking like they are wearing drag.
2. Referring to something as autistic.
3. Completely opposing the term "bisexual" as a label. I get it, labels aren't for everyone but you don't have to shove it in my face every two seconds, some people like labels, good for you if you don't but don't pretend you're better than people who do label themselves.
4. "I'm not a hermaphrodite" (forgot the context but wtf)
5. "I knew this was mentally ill"
Also, there's an asexual character which was cool but it only comes up when they are asked if they have a crush. Asexual people can have (romantic) crushes??? If they aren't romantically attracted to anyone, their label would be aromantic.
And how could I forget the fact that this book constantly dropped random homophobic slurs? When the "mean Year 9 children" called Toria, Polly or whoever the d-slur, it was left unquestioned, when people said the f-slur, nobody said a thing. Weak.
Let's talk about the writing.
I don't like narrators that talk to me but that's just a personal preference I guess. Still, the writing wasn't great. The dialogue felt unnatural a lot of times, too many exclamation marks for my taste, but also the communication between the characters felt forced. No teenagers talk like that. Very weird stuff. Also, random words being CAPITALIZED to EMPHASIZE THE SEVERITY of whatever thing Toria was whining about. And don't get me started on the censoring of swear words. That was so fucking annoying, if you want to have characters swearing a lot, then go through with it, don't hit me with that ***** bullshit. I understand that in YA, you're not supposed to swear a lot because of the younger teens it's targeted to, but still. Either you swear or you don't, it's simple. Do not censor it with stars and don't make seventeen year-olds say "mothertrucker" or "fricking".
To summarize, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's very messy and doesn't really accurately portray the issues I had hoped it would.
TW// Mental illness (Anorexia), Death, Self-harm, Sexual Content
A lot of topics were touched in this book, none of them were satisfyingly portrayed. It felt like the author needed as many teenage issues in a novel as humanly possible and called it a day. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to put these things into novels. It's very important to raise awareness, to illuminate these issues and show teenagers they're not alone with their problems, I just think this novel didn't do a very good job at this.
I also didn't like that this books talks about important issues (e.g sexuality, mental illness) and the characters proceed to judge queer people, or mentally ill people. A few examples:
1. Referring to girls looking like they are wearing drag.
2. Referring to something as autistic.
3. Completely opposing the term "bisexual" as a label. I get it, labels aren't for everyone but you don't have to shove it in my face every two seconds, some people like labels, good for you if you don't but don't pretend you're better than people who do label themselves.
4. "I'm not a hermaphrodite" (forgot the context but wtf)
5. "I knew this was mentally ill"
Also, there's an asexual character which was cool but it only comes up when they are asked if they have a crush. Asexual people can have (romantic) crushes??? If they aren't romantically attracted to anyone, their label would be aromantic.
And how could I forget the fact that this book constantly dropped random homophobic slurs? When the "mean Year 9 children" called Toria, Polly or whoever the d-slur, it was left unquestioned, when people said the f-slur, nobody said a thing. Weak.
Let's talk about the writing.
I don't like narrators that talk to me but that's just a personal preference I guess. Still, the writing wasn't great. The dialogue felt unnatural a lot of times, too many exclamation marks for my taste, but also the communication between the characters felt forced. No teenagers talk like that. Very weird stuff. Also, random words being CAPITALIZED to EMPHASIZE THE SEVERITY of whatever thing Toria was whining about. And don't get me started on the censoring of swear words. That was so fucking annoying, if you want to have characters swearing a lot, then go through with it, don't hit me with that ***** bullshit. I understand that in YA, you're not supposed to swear a lot because of the younger teens it's targeted to, but still. Either you swear or you don't, it's simple. Do not censor it with stars and don't make seventeen year-olds say "mothertrucker" or "fricking".
To summarize, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's very messy and doesn't really accurately portray the issues I had hoped it would.
TW// Mental illness (Anorexia), Death, Self-harm, Sexual Content
May 2, 2022
I don’t know how best to rate this book. I did enjoy parts of it and did make me shed a tear but I was abit hmm about how some things were written and worded. However it did connect to my own high school experiences, which was nice to read about. Also come on goodreads you could update the authors profile so your not deadnaming or using incorrect pronouns, it is not hard.
May 9, 2023
i love a good YA, a reread, really enjoyed it but feel like nothing major happened
November 2, 2023
I mean very problematic n shit but this book is 1) so relatable to like every aspect of my life 2) so fucking funny
February 9, 2017
I have wanted to read this book for quite a while. After I had read This Book Is Gay in August I knew I had to read more of James Dawson and I also knew there's a bisexual character or something in All Of The Above and I'm bisexual myself so I HAD to buy it at some point and FINALLY I did it and I was not dissappointed at all!
All Of The Above isn't like many other books I have read, in every aspect there is. It's a novel, yes, but it also includes some amazing and beautiful poems and cute and funny illustrations. It's about so many different topics. And it's inspiring. A hell lot of inspiring. And encouraging. Helpful in a way.
I think there are so many things I took from this book and so many thoughts I have and I don't really know what to do with them or how to write them down.
All Of The Above is a story about sexuality, sexual fluidity, self harm, eating disorders, falling and being in love, and other stuff teenagers have to deal with like school and stress and frustration over all of the above (get it?).
I relate so much to the characters in this book. Partially to Toria, the protagonist, partially to Polly or Daisy and I know people who are like that. I know people who used to cut themselves like Polly, I know people who can't be open about their sexuality like Beasley, I know people who are struggling with different things. And this book didn't just include one problem or one thing people, especially teenagers I guess, deal with, but so many different ones. That's something special and that's something I absolutely love about this book.
Sometimes it may seem like the book is going nowhere or that there's no real story arc but it's just like life is. There's always change, there's always different stuff going on. A lot can happen in a year. And it did in Toria's year.
I cried and laughed while reading this book, I had goosebumps on my arms because it all got too real for a second and too relatable (but that's okay) and I marked literally 30 pages with post it notes so that I can go back and find all those amazing quotes or moments I really liked.
In which other book do you find conversations about slut shaming, asexuality and societies expectations in how girls and women should look in the same 100 pages? I don't know many or any, in fact.
There are also so many fandom related references in there, I am in love. And people actually USE the internet to DO stuff on there and blog and stuff like this which I sometimes miss in other YA books. In those the characters just text each other but that's it. And who of us only texts, seriously?
All Of The Above is not romanticising anything about life. Especially not mental health. There is a lot of really good serious talk in there, the "that's just how life is, deal with it" kind but the kind you actually think about and don't just brush aside because it's some cheesy shit no one finds helpful.
I could go on and on forever about specific conversations or passages in the book I loved but, come on, just read it yourself. It's definitely worth it.
I'm a bit sad I had to wait so long for that one relationship to actually happen because I WANTED it to happen since like page 20 but it in the end.
I'm also really in love with the last few pages. It's like the conclusion of an essay but it's something actually meaningful, something I want to remember. I like that. I need that.
This will be one of the books I hope to remember for a long time, those I will leave in my bookshelf with all the colourful sticky notes.
All Of The Above is as great as I wanted it to be and better.
I'm definitely fine with that.
All Of The Above isn't like many other books I have read, in every aspect there is. It's a novel, yes, but it also includes some amazing and beautiful poems and cute and funny illustrations. It's about so many different topics. And it's inspiring. A hell lot of inspiring. And encouraging. Helpful in a way.
I think there are so many things I took from this book and so many thoughts I have and I don't really know what to do with them or how to write them down.
All Of The Above is a story about sexuality, sexual fluidity, self harm, eating disorders, falling and being in love, and other stuff teenagers have to deal with like school and stress and frustration over all of the above (get it?).
I relate so much to the characters in this book. Partially to Toria, the protagonist, partially to Polly or Daisy and I know people who are like that. I know people who used to cut themselves like Polly, I know people who can't be open about their sexuality like Beasley, I know people who are struggling with different things. And this book didn't just include one problem or one thing people, especially teenagers I guess, deal with, but so many different ones. That's something special and that's something I absolutely love about this book.
Sometimes it may seem like the book is going nowhere or that there's no real story arc but it's just like life is. There's always change, there's always different stuff going on. A lot can happen in a year. And it did in Toria's year.
I cried and laughed while reading this book, I had goosebumps on my arms because it all got too real for a second and too relatable (but that's okay) and I marked literally 30 pages with post it notes so that I can go back and find all those amazing quotes or moments I really liked.
In which other book do you find conversations about slut shaming, asexuality and societies expectations in how girls and women should look in the same 100 pages? I don't know many or any, in fact.
There are also so many fandom related references in there, I am in love. And people actually USE the internet to DO stuff on there and blog and stuff like this which I sometimes miss in other YA books. In those the characters just text each other but that's it. And who of us only texts, seriously?
All Of The Above is not romanticising anything about life. Especially not mental health. There is a lot of really good serious talk in there, the "that's just how life is, deal with it" kind but the kind you actually think about and don't just brush aside because it's some cheesy shit no one finds helpful.
I could go on and on forever about specific conversations or passages in the book I loved but, come on, just read it yourself. It's definitely worth it.
I'm a bit sad I had to wait so long for that one relationship to actually happen because I WANTED it to happen since like page 20 but it in the end.
I'm also really in love with the last few pages. It's like the conclusion of an essay but it's something actually meaningful, something I want to remember. I like that. I need that.
This will be one of the books I hope to remember for a long time, those I will leave in my bookshelf with all the colourful sticky notes.
All Of The Above is as great as I wanted it to be and better.
I'm definitely fine with that.
September 3, 2015
I read the sample chapter after YALC (you can read all about that here, including my experience of meeting James Dawson) and that only made me more desperate to get my hands on a copy. The characters had attitude and sass and personality, and I couldn't wait to find out more about them and their lives.
I read All of the Above in two sittings, and if I could have cancelled everything else in my life to be able to read it in one, I would have. It was that good.
From the moment new girl Toria arrives in town, she attracts attention. Which group will she slot into? The geeks? The freaks? The plastic girls? It's almost luck that she gets 'buddied up' with Daisy and finds herself surrounded by a mismatched group of eclectics - a group who quickly give Toria purpose and help her re-engage with society. As the novel progresses each friend faces their own challenges, and it's the support and encouragement of the others that pulls them through.
All of the Above is definitely Toria's story, but I defy anyone who reads it not to fall in love with the whole cast. I laughed, cried and totally bought into their relationships. Driven by issues such as sexuality, mental health, eating disorders and self-harm but built primarily around love and friendship, this book had me in reeled in right from the off. You'll recognise people you know in the characters and that only adds to their appeal. I fell a little bit in love with Polly, she's brash and brazen and acts without thinking of the consequences. She's exactly how I wanted to be at seventeen, although in reality I was more of a Toria, far too caught up in what other people thought of me to be true to myself. Although this is a YA book, I'm sure this will also appeal to the adult market.
I loved the seaside setting and could absolutely envisage the arcades, the pier, the crazy golf course. James Dawson does the most fantastic job of creating characters and scenes that stay with you long after you finish the final chapter - I was left craving more and I don't think it'll be long before I reread this one.
I'm really cautious about giving too much away, because to share the key plot points would be to dilute the impact it'll have when you read All of the Above, and read it you must. So, how would I describe this book?
a) Funny?
b) Insightful?
c) Engaging?
d) Cram-packed with emotion?
e) Superbly written?
I'd have to add a further option - f) All of the Above.
One of my favourite books of 2015, without a shadow of a doubt
I read All of the Above in two sittings, and if I could have cancelled everything else in my life to be able to read it in one, I would have. It was that good.
From the moment new girl Toria arrives in town, she attracts attention. Which group will she slot into? The geeks? The freaks? The plastic girls? It's almost luck that she gets 'buddied up' with Daisy and finds herself surrounded by a mismatched group of eclectics - a group who quickly give Toria purpose and help her re-engage with society. As the novel progresses each friend faces their own challenges, and it's the support and encouragement of the others that pulls them through.
All of the Above is definitely Toria's story, but I defy anyone who reads it not to fall in love with the whole cast. I laughed, cried and totally bought into their relationships. Driven by issues such as sexuality, mental health, eating disorders and self-harm but built primarily around love and friendship, this book had me in reeled in right from the off. You'll recognise people you know in the characters and that only adds to their appeal. I fell a little bit in love with Polly, she's brash and brazen and acts without thinking of the consequences. She's exactly how I wanted to be at seventeen, although in reality I was more of a Toria, far too caught up in what other people thought of me to be true to myself. Although this is a YA book, I'm sure this will also appeal to the adult market.
I loved the seaside setting and could absolutely envisage the arcades, the pier, the crazy golf course. James Dawson does the most fantastic job of creating characters and scenes that stay with you long after you finish the final chapter - I was left craving more and I don't think it'll be long before I reread this one.
I'm really cautious about giving too much away, because to share the key plot points would be to dilute the impact it'll have when you read All of the Above, and read it you must. So, how would I describe this book?
a) Funny?
b) Insightful?
c) Engaging?
d) Cram-packed with emotion?
e) Superbly written?
I'd have to add a further option - f) All of the Above.
One of my favourite books of 2015, without a shadow of a doubt
May 27, 2016
There were elements of this that I liked and a lot that I didn’t. In culmination it was a bit of a mess, but there were enough decent bits to keep me reading.
All of the Above is essentially a story about friends, but it’s also about a lot of other things,too. That was the overall problem, so many issues were touched upon that no particular one was looked at in any real depth and this was to the books detriment. There were parts I loved though, like how everyone hung out at the local crazy-golf course.
The story is told from the perspective of sixteen year old Toria. At the start of the book she’s just moved to a new town outside of London and has started at a new school. Soon after starting she makes friends with the crowd that doesn’t quite fit in with everyone else. This crowd of ‘misfits’ includes Polly, a pink-haired girl who isn’t afraid of anyone and swears at just about anything that moves.
Polly, the ring-leader of the crowd, take Toria to the local crazy-golf course where they all hangout. The first time she’s there she meets Nico, Polly’s ex-boyfriend. After Toria gets Polly’s blessing that her and Nico can begin a relationship, this is most of the focus of the first half of the book.
After a fairly meandering first-half, the story suddenly hits the accelerator and loads of other issues come into play, such as eating disorders, grief, sexuality and identity. The issue of whether love can transcend gender was the focus of the last portion of the book, but I felt that this was handled in such a way as to make it clique.
It was acknowledged during the narrative that a huge number of topics were hit upon and the rationalisation given was basically ‘this is a representation of life and life is messy.’ I felt this was a bit of a flimsy reason as to why the story was so diverse personally. I also didn’t like some of the narrative choices, for example every swear word appeared like this f*****. This was really annoying because when starred words appeared I would pause to work out which word it was, which took time if it wasn’t an obvious one like f***. The wording choice was also a little strange at times and didn’t always feel authentic.
I liked elements of this, especially the addition of the crazy golf course shutting down, which sparked Polly and her friends to campaign for its reopening. It was also pretty realistic and quite fun at times. Unfortunately it was a bit too clique for me and muddied with too many issues.
All of the Above is essentially a story about friends, but it’s also about a lot of other things,too. That was the overall problem, so many issues were touched upon that no particular one was looked at in any real depth and this was to the books detriment. There were parts I loved though, like how everyone hung out at the local crazy-golf course.
The story is told from the perspective of sixteen year old Toria. At the start of the book she’s just moved to a new town outside of London and has started at a new school. Soon after starting she makes friends with the crowd that doesn’t quite fit in with everyone else. This crowd of ‘misfits’ includes Polly, a pink-haired girl who isn’t afraid of anyone and swears at just about anything that moves.
Polly, the ring-leader of the crowd, take Toria to the local crazy-golf course where they all hangout. The first time she’s there she meets Nico, Polly’s ex-boyfriend. After Toria gets Polly’s blessing that her and Nico can begin a relationship, this is most of the focus of the first half of the book.
After a fairly meandering first-half, the story suddenly hits the accelerator and loads of other issues come into play, such as eating disorders, grief, sexuality and identity. The issue of whether love can transcend gender was the focus of the last portion of the book, but I felt that this was handled in such a way as to make it clique.
It was acknowledged during the narrative that a huge number of topics were hit upon and the rationalisation given was basically ‘this is a representation of life and life is messy.’ I felt this was a bit of a flimsy reason as to why the story was so diverse personally. I also didn’t like some of the narrative choices, for example every swear word appeared like this f*****. This was really annoying because when starred words appeared I would pause to work out which word it was, which took time if it wasn’t an obvious one like f***. The wording choice was also a little strange at times and didn’t always feel authentic.
I liked elements of this, especially the addition of the crazy golf course shutting down, which sparked Polly and her friends to campaign for its reopening. It was also pretty realistic and quite fun at times. Unfortunately it was a bit too clique for me and muddied with too many issues.
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