I Never

by Laura Hopper

Janey King’s priorities used to be clear: track, school, friends, and family. But when seventeen-year-old Janey learns that her seemingly happy parents are getting divorced, her world starts to shift. Back at school, Luke Hallstrom, an adorable senior, pursues Janey, and she realizes that she has two new priorities to consider: love and sex.

Inspired by Judy Blume’s classic Forever, I Never features a perfect, delicious, almost-to-good-to-be-true high school relationship . . . and it doesn’t shy away from the details. Destined to be passed from teen to teen, this is a young adult debut that will get readers talking.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Banned Books, Fiction, Teen

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to calm myself down before I could even contemplate writing a coherent review.

I'd just like to preface this my saying, I'm not a very picky reader. My average rating is like a 4.2! If I enjoy the story I can usually overlook a lot of flaws. I picked this book up because I saw it on my favorite Booktuber's channel, and it was supposedly a must read for every young adult.

I hated this book with every ounce of my being. Quite frankly it offended me. Is this the kind of trash they think teenagers need to be reading? Is this how I'm supposed to act? Are these the kind of stupid decisions I'm supposed to make? Am I supposed to be so "emotionally unstable" during my ripe teenage years that I allow my emotions to control me? Well excuse me for wanting to break that mold.

I think my biggest issue with "I Never" was the main character, Janey. Never before have I encountered a main character I loathed like I loathed Janey. I hated Luke. I hated Sloan. I hated Danielle. None of them even came close to comparing to how much I disliked Janey.

She was absolutely unbearable. She repeatedly reiterated how boring, plain, and much of "nobody" she was. Yet she constantly acted superior to her friends and those around her. She specifically said she didn't want to be the "kind of girl who needs validation from boys" but then she completely contradicted herself. She point blank said she was only "someone" after she was "endorsed" by her popular senior boyfriend. She complained about how plain and unmemorable she was(petite, perky runner seems pretty memorable to me) until her boyfriend literally made her stand in front of a mirror naked and admire herself. She refused to appreciate her body until he approved of it, and then suddenly she floated around basking in the aura of her newly discovered beauty. She let a guy validate her worth through his opinion of her body. Sounds to me like she "needed validation from boys."

She constantly questions why Luke would ever want to date her, and I honestly have no idea because she overreacts about everything! The fights she picks with him are utterly ridiculous and make her seem like a twelve year old. Janey's inner monologue is so immature, and she sounds at least four years younger than seventeen. Not to mention after he showers her in compliments and praise and does absolutely nothing to earn her distrust, she still questions his motives in dating her and acts insane and jealous.

I didn't even have the heart to be mad at Luke. He was clearly just a dense, pretty plot device who'd tell Janey precisely what she needed to hear while having hot make out sessions with her so she'd feel confident. He was a walking cliche.

This book is supposed to narrate the tumultuous waters that come along with falling in love and having sex for the first time. I'm not going to go into graphic detail but it did not do that. The romance between Luke and Janey was rushed. It was insta love. There was no spark and no chemistry, because their personalities were so flat. They rushed into sleeping together way too quickly and the lead up was weak.

I know the author's focus was on sending a sex positive message. I don't think she succeeded. Janey's mom attacks and reprimands Janey when she thinks she's sleeping with Luke. They never have a positive, healthy conversation about Janey's new relationship. Later in the book they resolve this problem when her mom unrealistically caves in on her opinion about the pace of Janey and Luke's relationship. She let's Janey and Luke spend the night together after prom of all nights! There is still no conversation. She is supposedly one of those "cool, progressive" parents that prepares their children for adulthood but we don't see that. She simply goes from angry at the prospect of her daughter sleeping with Luke to an "I don't care, do what you want" sort of mentality. That is not a sex positive message. That communicates to teenagers that it's okay to be irresponsible.

In addition to the lacking "sex positive" message this author's trying so hard to drive home, there's an unrealistic message attached with the sex. The steamy scenes in the book were not young adult. They were surprisingly graphic and new adult. I love myself a good smutty romance but in a book that's supposed to be raw and realistic is not the time nor place.

Going back to the so called "sex positive" message, I noticed the author glossed right over STD's and STI's. Janey and Luke never once thought about the consequences that could potentially come along with their actions! They only cared that they were young and in luuurve! Did they use protection? Yes. Pregnancy should not have been their only concern. Disease is a very real, very important factor that comes along with sex. Again, I won't go into detail but a certain part of this book left my head spinning because of how misinformed Janey was when it came to STD's. Not all of them can be prevented and her and Luke didn't even have a conversation about it!

The fact that Janey never had any sort of conversation with her parents about safe sex at the appropriate time(like maybe not in high school?!)) and additionally was misinformed about sexual diseases proves she was much too immature to be engaging in the activities that she was.

"I Never" virtually send a message to young adult girls telling them that they need to base their worth off the validation of men's opinions of their bodies, overact and distrust their boyfriends based off of nothing but their out of control hormones, and have sex completely unprepared and with no thought about the consequences or the future.

I'm sorry if I've repeated myself or made myself unclear at any point. This book hit a nerve, and I'm afraid I went off on a bit of a tangent. I'm ready to bury it in the depths of my bookshelf where I'll never have to look at it again.

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this story and even though I haven’t ever read the Judy Blume book it’s being compared to, I was intrigued...sadly I was bored right from the start.

Janey and Luke are both so boring. There are a few details given about them, but both of them felt quite flat. Janey’s inner monologue sounded much younger than 17 and I never really settled into it.

Plot wise, I don’t even know what to say. There’s a bit more drama than I was expecting as Janey seems to overreact a lot. I did like the sex positivity through out, but fair warning: the sex scenes were more graphic than I was expecting for a YA book. I’m not condemning in any way, but I’m sure it could come as a surprise to some readers.

Overall, it was a quick read and I think that might be the nicest thing I can say about it.

**Huge thanks to HMH Books for providing the arc free of charge**

[Samantha (WLABB) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me back 30 years to when I was experiencing a lot of those firsts that Janey embarked on in I Never. I am such a sap and an HEA girl, that I had to shed a tear or two at the end, that part was hard for me, but I really thought Hopper did a great job navigating all these new, sometimes good, sometimes bad, milestones in Janey's life.



This is a book about the things Janey had never experienced before, and it was quite a wistful walk down memory lane for me. It is blurbed as being the modern day Forever, which I can agree with, as I read that book back when I was 15. It opened my eyes to a lot of new things I was feeling and thinking about, and I found some solace in knowing that I was not the only one.

•Pro: This book is very sex-positive. There were frank discussions about sex between Janey and her girlfriends, Janey and her mom, Janey and Luke. I really appreciated all the different angles from which Hopper approached the subject.

•Pro: Janey was not only experiencing first love, she was encountering a lot of other firsts: the first time seeing her parents as people, seeing them as flawed; she was starting to see that the world is not all black and white, but rather, there is a lot of grey, and this is a really pivotal time in a teen's life.

•Pro: Hopper showed how the dynamic changes in one's other relationships, when they begin a romantic relationship. Janey's friendships changed, as did the way she related to her parents. She had to adjust. There were bumps, but she evaluated and made the adjustments necessary to make it all work.

•Con: The ending was tough for me. I am an HEA girl, and although the ending was pre-determined from a very early point in the story, and is true to its inspiration, I still found it a little sad.

•Pro: This was a story about Janey exploring her autonomy. That time in a teen's life, where they pull away a little from their parents, and begin to keep some things to themselves, while they make some of their own decisions. It was very realistic and relatable.

•Pro: I liked Luke and Janey together. I thought he pushed her in a lot of good ways. He was patient and caring, and smooth-boy said all the right things.

•Pro: I did think Janey grew some over the course of the story. She had quite a few ideological shifts with respect to her parents and sex. She was not totally over her insecurities, but she knew she wanted to work towards that. She knew she wanted to be able to feel wanted, beautiful, and desirable even if she was not attached to a man telling her that. I felt like she was moving in the right direction.

•Pro: This book is really honest and realistic. I worked in a high school for 12 years, so if you think this is not the stuff going on in some teens' lives, you are mistaken.



Overall: A bittersweet and honest story of firsts, which left me a little teary-eyed and wistful.

*I would like to thank the publisher for the early review copy.

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[Thamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes from the meet cute to the problems more common in a teenager's relationship in a very comprehensive and sometimes a little too graphic manner.

Janey had never spoken to Luke even though they are in the same track team at school. After an embarrassing incident going back from her last vacations with her now about-to-divorce parents, he's taken a sudden interest in her. And she can't take her eyes off him.

Why is the rating so low for this? I avoid reading what people say but always think it's weird when the average rating is below my own. I'd even considered saying this was a 3.5 because it felt a little above my usual 3-star books. As it happens, I had gotten this book so long ago (hides in shame) that I'd forgotten the proposal of being like a new Forever by Judy Blume. From what I concluded as I read the many 1-star reviews—they are usually like unicorns when it's still before publication dates!—, I think people got it exactly for that reason though, and so they were disappointed.

I won't say I was in love either. At the same time, it was impossible not to feel at awe with what the author accomplished in a normal-length without feeling rushed (most of the time, at least—we'll get there). I'm sure if I were a teenager I would have loved reading a book that discusses first times, falling in love, dealing with changes in the way I Never did. However, I do think the make out scenes got a little bit out of hand, almost into New Adult grounds. This was one thing that bothered me, sometimes it felt as if I were reading erotica, which will probably raise concern of parents and defeat purpose. I don't think she needed to go so far, it's not like there aren't enough NA's around if an older teenager feels like it, so this is a pity.

As I mentioned before, she managed to go from A to Z of relationships and the rhythm in the book didn't feel rushed at all. Nonetheless, I don't think it was so believable how fast things progressed for Janey, to a point even her parents seemed okay with her active sexual life, even lending her a whole apartment for that? Instead of a rule, I'd call her an exception among teenagers. Am I too outdated on how the mind of an inexperienced teen works? And maybe I was too inside Janey's point of view but Luke's feelings never convinced me as real. That speed got me frowning but, as I said, the book itself had good rhythm.

I like how the portrayal of her friends, although Brent sometimes made it awkward. I'm not so sure what his role was supposed to be and sometimes I even forgot he existed. Aside from that, books reminding us that teenagers can have good friends as a rule always earn extra points with me. It wasn't all heavenly but no one was faking anything, either. Also, each in the trio was a break from the stereotype you'd expect. One isn't really the easy lay, the boy isn't the one forever in love with the main girl and the other isn't a prude. Each have their own personality in addition to what they may look like. Nice job.

My decision not to give a 3.5 was actually set in stone due to the end. This is not about being happy or sad. To be honest, it was probably the most verisimilar. But I don't think it represented a closure to this story and it basically made me swear very bad words. It was like Janey had become even more passive than she was in the beginning, like she had unlearned to control her own fate. That's not the lesson I wanted my teenager self to learn. And right because I was so frustrated, the whole magic dissolved and I questioned much of the evolution I thought Janey had had.

So yes, Hopper didn't succeed in many parts. But it wasn't a bad book. It was quick and easy to read.Unfortunately, the ending was aggravating and the couple didn't do it for me. So it's your good old 3 stars. But I do recommend it to teenagers, this is the kind of book I loved reading back then.


Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

[Caitlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a disappointment this was. The blurb said it was about a girl struggling with the idea of a romantic relationship and whether she was ready for it. As a person who thinks about that idea a lot, I was excited to see it explored here. But nope! This did girl did not for a single second doubt if she wanted a relationship. She jumps in with no inner conflict at all. Also, she only finds herself beautiful because the guy tells her that she’s beautiful—she relies on him for all of her confidence and personality. Then sex comes up. There are three chapters back to back where they come close to having sex but she says she’s not ready, which would be interesting if we got to see her internal debate. Once again, there is no thought process being explored. After these chapters, she does a total 180 and becomes a sex bunny—literally the last half of the book is just them having sex every other chapter. That would be fine if there was some deep character development, but nahh she just wants to get laid all of a sudden. If you’re into shitty romance books you might like this, but if you’re going into it hoping for a book that matches the description, be prepared to be disappointed.

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is being touted as the new "Forever" by Judy Blume. It is the story of first love (leading to first sex). The writing is not very captivating and the story really drags. The characters are hard to even like. The long expository passages just drag. I did think that the novel initially touched on the problems with teen sex and getting too serious too fast, but the problems were resolved very quickly and not very realistically.

[Mary]

Thoughts:

I'm a big fan of what I feel are ~realistic~ portrayals of teenage experiences (think Those Girls) and sex positive books in YA. There's still a need for more positive, un romanticized narratives, but I Never was a good start. This novel is pitched as being the "new" Judy Blume's Forever. I've never read Forever (this actually made me want to for the comparison) but there are certain high hopes that come along with comparing ones book to a cult classic. When I first came across I Never was very quickly intrigued by the premise, not only because of it's explicit discussion of sex, but also because it was about the first time. Before I get into the nitty gritty I should preface that this review might get a little TMI, I mean we are discussing sex here so please don't read beyond your comfort level.

I never isn't a particularly short/long book, but I absolutely blazed through it in a day. My ferocity reminds me of the way that I tend to consume Taylor Jenkins Reid books–I fall fast and hard. The interesting premise of I Never aside, I very quickly found Janey to be a very boring protagonist. She seemed ~semi~ well developed...I think what she lacked the most was an emotional depth? I struggle with saying this because Janey does have emotional reactions in appropriate situations, but I think that they all felt a little contrived. BUT while I found the averageness of Janey to be a negative aspect of the book, this could potentially make her a more universally relatable character. Janey remains insecure throughout the novel, and I was disappointed with this lack of personal development because if Janey had changed due to her first boyfriend it would have been her "changing for a guy", it would have been her changing due to new experiences. The lack of this development in the novel caused Janey as a protagonist to be dissatisfying. However, boring Janey aside, her life is incredibly grounded in other details. The shifting relationship between her parents and the unexpected shift in home life continues to be a focal point throughout the novel, balancing out the romance. This is also another shoutout for family in YA, and although Janey doesn't have any siblings, her relationships with her parents amidst the tumultuous change in dynamic rings true for many people's experiences.

Janey's story is not just grounded in her family, but also in her relationships. Janey's friends are very present during the novel, and Hopper makes a point to emphasize that friendships are not always hunky-dory. Important friendship lessons aside, I found that all three of Janey's closest friends could have been more developed. Their interactions, while sweet, always felt like surface interactions. I wish we could have seen Janey's friends as more realistic people, because I think that they would have complimented Hopper's characterization of Janey. I was proud to see the inclusion of a boy-girl friendship, but disappointed that it didn't really have a purpose other than for her friend to disapprove of Janey's new boyfriend (Luke). I also appreciated the respect the girl friends had for their varying levels of sexuality, especially because the social construct of a "virginity" was generally left out of the novel. But again, I felt like the characters were more tools for a message and not people.

And now, the romance. I didn't LOVE that Luke was "popular" (and thus viewed as unattainable" because it romanticized their relationship in a cheesy way. Again, I felt like the relationship was contrived. However, social status aside, the beginning of their relationship was KILLER. I loved how Hopper conveyed the nerves and distractions and general feelings of excitement that come along with first dates. I loved it! The majority of the relationship was lovely, they were communicative and consensual. However, as sex positive as I Never was, I thought that Janey's parent's were a ~little~ unrealistic in the way that they handled it, but that's just me. Towards the end of the novel Janey began to be frustrating. Why didn't she and Luke discuss the whole "I'm a senior going to college" thing sooner. It just felt unrealistic that suddenly the reality of the situation just dawned on them. I'm honestly surprised she didn't dwell on it more.

There were times when I Never was incredibly brave. And then there were times in which I felt like it could have been bolder. Janey has literally never orgasmed before her first relationship, and this disappointed me. In a novel chock full of other sexual positivity, why couldn't we have had a positive portrayal of female masturbation? I take issue with this. Also, while I Never's depiction of couples fighting in healthy/unhealthy ways (and distinguishing between the two) was awesome (!!!) I was frustrated that Hopper left out the hardest type of conversation...the "I love you but have to let you go conversation", because from the moment Janey and Luke go on their first date the reader is aware that this is where their relationship is headed. Deep down Janey and Luke really do care for each other, but the lack of this conversation detracts from the book. It's inclusion would not only have wrapped up several unanswered questions for the audience, but also would have been a very healthy way to reassure readers who are going through similar experiences. Lastly, I Never was very, very heterosexual, and this was disappointing. For novel that made so much of an effort to show sex positivity (which is still important), I wished that this had been expanded to include people across the spectrum in some way.

Final Thoughts:

As critical as I have been of I Never and its character development, there are so many things that this novel does well. Hopper has crafted relatable characters, characters going through the types of teenage experiences that make your heart ache. In this day and age sex positivity in teenage literature is imperative and important. I Never is not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction. This novel can open the doors for lots of inclusive novels to come and in the mean time it can remain relatable for the average American teenager.

[Tanya (Girl Plus Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS

With the strong comparisons to Judy Blume's Forever, which I remember well from my own adolescence, I was curious what I Never would bring to the table. Hopper does a credible job in exploring all the firsts that come with first love while neither condoning nor judging.

Janey is a high school junior who is a good student, good athlete, has strong friendships and close relationships with her parents. When her parents announce their separation and a new romance develops with a popular boy at school, everything in Janey's life seems to be shifting. When some of her friends aren't particularly supportive of her new relationship, Janey struggles to find her footing while she navigates unfamiliar territory.

"Just as one part of my life starts to flourish, everything else goes down the toilet. First, my mom is clearly worried that her angelic daughter is being corrupted. Then Brett gets pissed at me for being secretive. And now Sloan tells me I'm a shitty friend. Have I really done so much wrong? Am I supposed to stay away from Luke to maintain the status quo and make other people happy?"

Janey is surprised that falling in love doesn't necessarily make everything fall into place. She's plagued with insecurities - about her body, about her lack of experience, about Luke's interactions with other girls. While first love is heady and thrilling, it also brings its own set of new problems. Hopper did an admirable job of showcasing this and showed Janey wrestling with both the excitement of her new relationship with Luke and all the changes that came with it.

Janey's relationship with her parents was a real highlight. I appreciated the openness between she and her mother in particular and their willingness to talk even when they weren't seeing eye to eye. The mother's need to protect her daughter and Janey's push for privacy and independence felt totally realistic.

"I've heard parents and teachers refer to the years from puberty to adulthood as the formative years. I suppose that means it's a transitional period that shapes the kind of adults we turn out to be. If that's the case, then we all need to give one another a break. We're going to change and grown and make mistakes. We're going to reinvent ourselves."

Hopper covered all the highs and lows of teenage first love: butterflies, exhilaration, hormones gone wild, angst and heartbreak. While main characters Janey and Luke sometimes felt a little flat,
they were still likable and it was easy to be charmed by the bittersweet nature of first love.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to express, that this was one of the most relatable books I’ve ever read. Literally, if I had one word to describe this book, I would say: real.

Janey was a character I felt I could relate to on a deeper level. Especially with her thoughts on her parents separating as my own parents have separated as well. Janey’s reactions were very typical when it came to her insecurities and her naiveté on sex. I will say there were times I grew a little irritated by her, but that didn’t happen too often throughout the book (so, I’m gonna let that slide).

I loved the familial relationship between Janey and her mother. She was very open and supportive towards Janey, plus it reminded me of my own relationship with my mom (she and I are very close). The friendships between Janey and her friends. It was so honest, real, and it reminded me of myself and my friends. Again, very relatable.

My only issue with this book that prevented me from giving it a full 5 stars was the romance. Okay, before you get upset, I just want to state that I understand the sole purpose of this book is the discovery of one’s sexual awakening and things (like romance) tend to focus on one person (and that person alone). However, I still felt that the romance was a little too insta-lovey and it moved way too fast. Personally, I’m not into the insta-love trope. It just makes the story too cliché and unrealistic. I do appreciate some good romantic angst between the main love interests and there was just none of that present.

I read this book in a matter of three days and it was one I very much enjoyed. I loved how sex positive this book was and I feel that many other teenagers (in their late teens) will be able to relate with what is happening in this book. This novel is pretty much all about a girl who is experiencing her sexual awakening and it does a perfect job of opening up discussions about sex, including the intimate details on it (especially with issues on condoms and what to do with them). Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to teens who are figuring themselves out in terms of their first relationship and their first time having sex.

Review can also be found on my blog: NicoleHendersonReads

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

To close out her holiday vacation, Janey King's world is rocked by two events. The first is her parents' announcing their separation. The second is being seen rocking out to her music on the plane-ride home by fellow track team member and all-around popular guy Luke Hallstrom.

Janey soon finds the spring semester of her junior year is in upheaval. Trying to comes to terms with her parents' separation and Luke's romantic interest, Janey finds that her previous priorities of grades, track and family are taking a backseat to her budding romance with Luke.

Laura Hopper captures the initial excitement, anxiety and breathless anticipation of young love in her debut novel I Never. And while the novel markets itself as examining Janey's decisions about how far things should progress in her relationship with Luke, there's actually a bit more to the story than that. Janey's journey feels like it's taken from a John Hughes film.

For the most part, the story feels authentic and Janey's journey is well-told. Whether it's reconciling her feelings about her parents' divorce, trying to figure out how much to tell her friends or the comfort level she feels with Luke, Jane's voice is an authentic and engaging one. The reactions of her friends works well, though some are more supportive than others about her new relationship with Luke.

The romantic arc that Janey follows hits pretty much all of the standard highs and lows of a teenage romance. There's angst, there are butterflies and there's humor along the way. I will admit I found some of the book stretching the realm of plausibility (her father allowing her access to his new apartment seemingly as a place for her and Luke to make love seems a bit of stretch).

Marketed to young adults, I Never doesn't shy away from frank discussion of sexuality nor does it pull any punches when it comes to love scenes. The novel isn't as detailed as many romance novels, but it still includes multiple scenes of Janey and Luke enjoying and exploring their romance.

All in all, I Never is an authentic, honest story of teenage romance and the decisions and pressures that can go along with it.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received an ARC of this book as part of the Amazon Vine program.

[Eve Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a few times with friends, an amazing book. Would recommend :)

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just the cute, light romance I needed for the weekend, but... as a piece of literature, it really doesn’t hold that much value. While parts of it are relatable as a 17-year-old girl, it’s very clearly written by an adult trying to sound like a teenager. It was a stereotypical, love-at-first-sight, oh-wow-I’m-dating-the-hottest-senior-in-school novel with a small amount of originality thrown in.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"What I'm learning is that having a boyfriend makes me worry about that superficial stuff even more. If i say something wrong or wear something ugly or put my shorts on inside out, am I going to lose the thing I never even thought I wanted in the first place?"

Seeing this cover at Ala, I knew that I had to read this. Then I read the synopsis and I was positive that this would be my first read after coming home from Chicago. Thanks, Ala Chicago!!!

We all remember the weird awkwardness of our first time. We thought we were in love and that it would be the greatest moment of our lives. How wrong we were!

As I started to read this (like an idiot) I started to read some reviews. People have a lot of not so nice things to say about this book. A lot of comparisons to Judy Blume and her novels. This is where I lucked out. I have never read anything by her, so I believe that's why I enjoyed this so much. We watched someone grow from an insecure girl who started dating someone who people were envious of to a lady who was confident and secure in her life and relationship.

Review to come

[sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

woah. and i thought coming of age wasn't a top five favorite. this was.... everything? like did i want to cry at the end? of course i did because they were literally perfect, but like i get it. it sucks. but i get it. her whole experience -pre and post luke- is just very real and relatable, and i think that's one reason this did it for me. what i would do to read this for the first time again is infinite. INFINITE.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend called this "[Judy Blume's] FOREVER for today," and while it is much less serious and brooding than I remember FOREVER to be, it is an emotional, clear, and fun look at first love, the first serious boyfriend, and the first time.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janey can’t believe the popular Luke Halstrom asks her out. At seventeen, she’s never even kissed a boy, let alone dated. Her best friends have had or almost had sex, but Janey isn’t ready.

While I don’t usually read romances, many reviews called I NEVER a sex positive book, so I figured I’d read. The characters’ different, healthy approaches to sex (and other sexual activities) was the strongest part of the book. Luke never pressured Janey, the decision was entirely hers. One friend had sex with her longtime boyfriend, another hooked up frequently for her own pleasure, but was still a virgin. Janey’s parents were open-minded, though her mom did freak out when she found Janey’s condoms. I wish her mom had offered to take her to Planned Parenthood or a gynecologist to talk about the pill and reproductive health.

Janey was my biggest issue. She often acted much younger than her age, especially with Luke. Insecurity was at the root of her immaturity. In my opinion, if you freak out when the person you’re dating talks to an attractive person, you’re not ready for a sexual relationship with that person. Janey’s decision when to have sex was well thought and mature, I had difficulty reconciling the two Janeys. Luke was a little too perfect to be real, taking away credence for the romance.

A mixed review for I NEVER.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t a hit for me. It felt very much like a wattpad story, which is not always a bad thing, but not what I had expected. The writing wasn’t anything astounding, for example chapters would generally end with a small summarization of her feelings such as, “The thought of my parents not being together, as parents should be, is making me so sad. I guess I’m caught between needing them desperately and needing my independence even more.” That was it. I never had that feeling of “Wow, I need to read the next chapter!” There wasn’t a lot of drama, and when there was any it lasted maybe 7-10 pages AT THE MOST. Another thing, the *scenes* were pretty graphic to be marketed as a teen book. I’m trying this new thing of picking up a book from the new in teen section of my library whenever I go, as opposed to doing a ton of research and looking at reviews beforehand as usual, and from the description on the inside cover, it seemed like a solid bet. By the time I was halfway through, I felt almost uncomfortable. I started reading YA books in around sixth grade, and if I had found this one I would have been mortified lol. Long story short, this was pushing the limits of what I consider a “teen” novel. That being said, it was a quick read, took me maybe 5 hours in total. Would be good for a long car ride, maybe just sit in the backseat.

[ⒿⓄⓈⒶⓁⓎⓃ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Never is a book I fell in love with as soon as I read the first paragraph. This book was so good that I read it in one sitting. I promise that this book will not disappoint.

Anything and everything about this book made my heart melt reading this. I cried a couple times, laughed, cheered, and even yelled at the book. This book is perfect for a high school girl growing up to be the best woman she can be. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels the need to read a good romance story and learn the ups and downs of high school. Love can be complicated. Growing up is hard. Life IS hard. I now have a nickname for my friend who loves peaches.

I cried at the ending because Janey is most likely never going to see Luke again. I also laughed about her talks with her friends and when she was buying condoms for Luke. I cheered whenever they forgave each other and yelled at the book whenever they fought. I yelled at the book especially when Janey had to vent about seeing her mom make love to another man she didn't know and how her and Luke acted towards each other about it. Other than that I Never features a perfect, delicious, almost-to-good-to-be-true high school relationship . . . and it doesn’t shy away from the details. Destined to be passed from teen to teen, this is a young adult debut that will get readers talking. It got me talking.

-Peachy Keen

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Some authors may not have smartphones, but they should be aware that many teens do and autocorrect makes it very difficult to do "teen text" as it is traditionally thought as. It's time to move on from thinking that 17 and 18 year olds in upper-middle class California do not own smartphones and still text like "2 nite" and "c u l8r" when T9 was a thing (thanks for the reminder, Damian). Do you know how hard it is to text like that now? I'm not saying no one does it, but come on. Put in all the emojis you want if you want it to reflect 2017-ish in the future, but otherwise... just leave it alone.
2. Giving a best friend character the nickname E.B. standing for "everything but", as in she does everything BUT sex, is just another form of sexual shaming.
3. I could go on, but will leave it as this is a book that reads like it was written how an adult thinks teens think. "OMG, we're coming back again. Yay." (pg. 67)

[Ron Bahar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'll admit, as a middle aged man, I'm not in the target demographic for Laura Hopper's debut novel, I Never. However, I also admit that I was thoroughly gripped by Hopper's realistic, funny, yet gut-wrenching love story of a seventeen year old girl and eighteen year old boy. Her detailed, complicated psychological and physical descriptions of blossoming sexuality left me blushing, but in a good way. Hopper doesn't hold back, and while her fearless approach to writing is admittedly inspired by and certainly reminiscent of Judy Blume's Forever, the author is able to do so in an engrossing, modern, original, and, perhaps most importantly, thought-provoking manner. I Never is a superb read, and I highly recommend it for young adults and older adults alike.

[c · Rating 1 out of 5]

Inspired by Forever, nowhere near as good.

[Brittney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay book. A little too much insta love, though that was kind of expected. While it's sex positive, I wasn't a fan of Janey becoming more secure of herself all because of Luke.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy Cherry by Lindsey Rosin. They both take a similar sex-positive, supportive tone and offer a pretty frank discussion about teen sex (having it or not) -- Janey has one best friend who has been having sex with her boyfriend for months, whereas her other best friend does "everything but" sex with lots of boys. Janey herself is the total n00b who's always focused on school, track/debate, and her family/friends -- never even caring what she's wearing or how she looks. However, Cherry was more "educational" in the variety of topics the 4 besties discussed -- they talked about different types of sex, different contraception, orgasms, and used slang terms alongside medical terms. I did like how Janey's sexual awakening happened alongside her parents' separation and subsequent return to dating/sex-with-people-who-are-not-her-mom/dad. Janey has to wake up and grow up in many ways in I Never.

That was another thing that I noticed in both Cherry and I Never -- both books have an incredibly inexperienced character who, upon embarking on a relationship, suddenly "levels up" very quickly. And sure, I guess that happens to some people, but as a person who was somewhat naive myself as a teen (in relationships, anyway), I considered loss of innocence in a child to be a tragedy. Yeah, these are almost-adult teens. But they are still children, in a way. For the switch to flip, for them to go from virgins to savvy sex goddesses in a matter of weeks -- it's alarming. And I'm not even a parent.

I *am* a little disappointed that I Never didn't tackle more about possible consequences of falling in love (whether negative or positive). When Luke starts paying attention to Janey, she changes, dressing for him and feeling insecure. We can consider some to be good changes (appreciating her own sexiness and desires, learning to maximize how she looks), but "bad" changes are barely touched on. Two of her friends get jealous about the new relationship -- they don't speak to Janey for a few days and a quick, honest apology heals the rift almost immediately. Janey also mentions a few instances when, instead of doing homework or preparing for debate, she spends hours with her new boyfriend instead. And we really only see the negative effect of that once, when realistically, spending hours that you used to devote to one thing on some other thing is going to have a measurable effect.

I was a little blown by Janey's admission to Luke that she had never masturbated before (and she's a junior in high school). I understand that people develop at different rates and have different libidos and upbringing regarding sex, but...never? NEVER?! She never felt aroused before and had to do something about it? Now, I also know some folks are asexual and feel little to no sexual desire, but Janey isn't ace. Once she starts kissing and making out with Luke, she feels the desire, all right. But her experience is so out of line with my own teenage experience that it's hard for me to buy.

To add: I'm continually impressed by guys (and girls) who just go for it. Luke was interested in Janey and made it clear almost from the very start. (He does confess that he couldn't work up the courage to talk to her on the plane back from Cabo.) But he's forward and mature in letting her know their first date is a date, hinting for a kiss, telling her he wants to have sex with her but will wait, and putting his number in her phone and encouraging her to call. I've always liked shy, awkward-ish guys, so this notion of being clearly and actively pursued has not really happened to me.

Tone is tough to tackle (alliteration not intended). With a frank book about teens falling in love and decisions about sex, an author has to strike a balance between sounding authentically like a teen and giving solid info but without being preachy. Sometimes Janey sounds so young, especially the multiple times when she calls her mother "Mommy." And she is pretty young. But then she goes on to have weird preachy after-school special or self-help book kinds of thoughts, like:

"I've heard parents and teachers refer to the years from puberty to adulthood as the formative years. I suppose that means that it's a transitional period that shapes the kind of adults we turn out to be. If that's the case, then we all need to give one another a break. We're going to change and grow and make mistakes. We're going to start and end relationships. We're going to reinvent ourselves. Real friends need to give each other room to screw up, blossom, change, and figure out who we want to be."

"I can now fully understand that part of growing up is accepting that my parents are grownups, and grownups are complex human beings who have not only needs, but also shortcomings and flaws. They mess up, just like I do. I'm not going to stop missing up just because I get married and have kids. Even though my mom and dad look and act, in my eyes, like old people, I guess they don't feel much different than they did when they were seventeen. They're working hard to meet my needs as well as their own."

"I have fallen in love and become aware of an array of new and pressing needs. I now feel the need to be touched and pleased. Knowing what it feels like to be truly wanted has made me realize that I need that, too. It's scary to need something that I cannot provide for myself. It makes me feel vulnerable to know that these emotions that are making me feel whole could go away. ...I don't want to feel complete only when there's a boy around who loves me. I won't always have a boyfriend. I don't want to always have a boyfriend. I want to be single and independent at various times throughout my life, and I need to be okay with that."

"Luke was absolutely right. He was right that sometimes people need sex with no strings attached. As hard as it is to admit, my mom is a woman who is coming out of a marriage that lacked a spark. She deserves to have some crazy, grownup fun, even if it throws my worldview into a tailspin. Danielle, too, is ready for a fling without a commitment. People need different kinds of sex and affection at different times of their lives."

"Luke and I look at each other with both satisfaction and sadness. We were kind and respectful and honest. I learned so much from Luke -- about myself, about sex, about growing up and falling in love. Luke taught me how to be adored and how to be vulnerable."

So here's the weird part. I Never contains pretty frank discussions of sexual desire (multiple mentions of Luke's penis/erection/boner, Janey's wetness as she gets aroused) and the sex itself without cutting away. But I wouldn't call it an unflinching discussion of sex. Instead, it's all romanticized, literally with phrases that you would find in romance novels. Luke's "impressive erection stands at full attention," and Janey muses at the incongruity of helping Luke's mom with the dishes after dinner, but minutes later, Janey is enjoying "[Luke's] boner practically tearing a hole in Sloan's dress." Those are all very sexy -- again I appreciate that Hopper is not coy when describing these teens' experiences -- but it's pretty unrealistic. Real sex is awkward; sometimes things don't go as planned and sometimes gross things happen. But in this book, it's all "As the pleasure mounts, we move with more intensity. My hands clutch the pillows tightly and the sensations build inside my entire core... The heat, rhythm, and the gasps between us escalate and I'm about to shatter into an orgasm when I hear the faintest of whispers." Come on, people -- this reads like a romance novel.

Maybe books are written this way to speed things along, but my experience with YA books that deal with first-time sex (and the times afterward) is that suddenly it seems to always be about sex. Anytime the couple gets together, they have frequent, enjoyable sex. And there is no worrying about awkwardness, periods, pain, pregnancy, STIs, etc. And I'm not sure how realistic that is for people in high school, especially girls. Usually you have to sneak around and find opportunities to be alone (so it could be weeks or months before the next time you can have sex), and anytime you notice weird discharge or bumps or your period is a few days late, you start worrying even though you used protection.

Reading about first love is difficult for me lately. I'm 37, married almost 11 years, and now have a few serious relationships under my belt. It's bittersweet thinking of those innocent younger days when everything was new, everything was a first time. And kisses, sexual experiences -- those are intense emotional moments, heightened by the knowledge that it's all very new. Janey was so excited about the first time she and Luke could have sex at leisure without worrying about getting caught, as well as the first time they spent a full night together, and I realized I take all that for granted.

Something else that I personally found unrealistic was how easily high-schoolers Janey and Luke could find private places to be alone for lengths of time. Like when they are in the privacy of her backyard, or naked in Luke's hot tub, or in his bedroom (while his parents are downstairs), or at Janey's dad's apartment when he's out of town. I know some people have busy parents who aren't always around, but again, this didn't reflect my own teenage experience in any way.

[Hallie]

I received a digital ARC from HMHTeen and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Judy Blume’s Forever has always been an important book to me. It was my first Blume book and a really old tattered copy was handed down to me by an older cousin with all of the juicy parts marked with post-it notes when I was in middle school. I was instantly intrigued by I Never when I saw it being compared to Forever.

Unlike Blume’s main character, Janey is dealing with a lot more than just her first love. Janey is blindsided by her parents separating and breaking up her easy life. She has to quickly adjust to a new life of two homes and two sets of rules. The beginning of the book focuses on Janey trying to adjust to the idea that her parents haven’t been happily in love like she thought. Hopper perfectly captures the moments of turmoil that come from being a teenage child of divorce and realizing your parents are people too with their own hopes and desires. Janey has to reimagine her family’s future and the things she’s always believed to be true about love and living happily ever after. I Never follows a year of Janey’s life that has many ups and downs.

Enter Luke Hallstrom, the most popular guy in school who Janey happens to see on a plane home from vacation. Luke notices Janey at the perfect time in her life when she needs a distraction from her home life. Luke, a senior, has never paid any attention to Janey before but they have a believable meet-cute on the airplane that jumpstarts their relationship. The two are quickly inseparable and the relationship provides the perfect vehicle for Janey to try to find her own definition of love in the wake of her family breaking up. Janey also has three best friends in various stages of their own sexual development. Danielle is in a committed relationship and the first friend of the group to have sex. Sloan has earned a nickname of “E.B.” because she’s known to do everything but have sex. Brett, Janey’s male best friend, serves as Janey’s biggest foil because of his outspoken views on how girls should look, think, and act. Each friend provides an alternative to Janey and serves to show multiple point of views about sex.

Like Blume’s Forever, Hopper explores the first time and includes detailed descriptions of sex. Luke, who turns out to be a caring and considerate first boyfriend, lets Janey take her time to feel ready before they have sex. I Never is ultimately a sex-positive book where Janey feels comfortable exploring what she wants. Her mother and Janey’s best friend, Brett, (a not-all men type) both criticize Janey at first for her “fast” relationship. By the end of the book she develops a mature outlook on sex and is able to have an open dialogue with her mom. She realizes that just because she doesn’t want to have a hook-up or a one night stand, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with girls who do.

I Never is a contemporary version of Forever but it certainly stands on its own for readers who have never read or heard of Blume’s classic 1975 novel. Though there is sometimes clunky and unnatural dialogue, I Never will appeal to teen readers of romance and contemporary. Pair I Never with a book like Moxie or Cherry to give readers a well-rounded feminist and sex-positive repertoire.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at www.bickeringbookreviews.com

Summary:
Seventeen year old Janey has never had a boyfriend and she has never really wanted one. But everything changes for Janey when she meets Luke Hallstrom. Luke is a senior superstar who not only notices Janey but he likes her and wants her. Janey enters her first relationship with her first boyfriend where she gets to experience many more firsts.

Review:
There were so many reasons I liked this book and only a couple reasons I didn’t. “I Never” is a book about a young girl’s sexual awakening. It follows the story of a girl from her first kiss through losing her virginity and beyond. The book talks honestly about Janey’s experiences and her insecurities. She is not perfect and she questions why someone would want her. That part felt very really. Also, Janey has a realistic reaction to sex. Hopper doesn’t shy away from talking about all aspects of sex from the emotions to the physical and the possibility of teens wanting to have casual sex. Characters talk about birth control and enjoying sexual activities. Yes, at times the book feels a little graphic for teen audiences however there is nothing more graphic than what they can see in the average R-rated movies. All of this comes together to make “I Never” a book that teen girls are going to want to read. However, I will admit that “I Never” is not the perfect example of teen lit. Janey never felt completely developed to me and her love story with Luke felt a little rushed. Plus, much of the dialog between the characters felt disingenuous. But, these are issues noticed by an adult reading the book and these issues would most likely not even be noticed by a fifteen year old reader.

Bottomline: “I Never” has some problematic aspects when considering character development and plotting but the novel intended audience will want to devour this book.

Final Rating: 3.5 our 5

[Dennise Pendergrass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent read, and bittersweet. Definitely put me back to the time surrounding my first time. I appreciated all of Janey's insecurities, as they were super relate-able. I had a lot of similar feelings. Even with her parents giving her the space to do what she wanted to do, granted it took my parents a lot longer to give me that space. Some of the obstacles Janey faced were a little too easily overcome, but this is a book, not a how-to.

The characters were a little flat. I liked how it went from the beginning all the way to the end of the relationship. It wasn't the best thing I've read, but far from the worst.

[abi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ya know, I kinda forgot I read this book until a few days ago. Then I remembered all the wacky shit that happened in this book. I think originally read this in 5th grade, and I loved it? Ya know why? Because it had sex in it. That’s literally it. I then showed it to all my friends, who then also read, and they also loved it. And this book was fun for me at that age. But now looking back, damn this book is a whole ass dumpster fire. I remember the male lead was such a douche canoe, and when our characters were having sex they used...whip cream? I’m scarred for life over that. Anyways don’t read this lol

[Cambear · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a breezy read focused on the emotions of first love/sex. This does a good job of capturing some of the insecurities and intoxication and for being sex positive with some pretty graphic descriptions for YA.

However, the characters (main and supporting) are too idealized and one note. They serve to provide an specific POV on sex, but don't really come alive. Mostly that's because the plot is pretty simple so there's no need for other characters to mess with things.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of the book for review.

[Pernille Ripp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sex-positive, high school and up

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

High school me would have loved this book! (Grown up me liked it too!) Janey is sure she is nothing special, just an average girl, with an average body. But after Winter Break of her junior year, two major things happen that shake up her average life. First, her parents announce that they are separating. Second, super popular, hot, track star, senior Luke starts showing an interest in her. At first she can't believe that someone like him could possible be interested in someone like her, but as their relationship progresses she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. She also has to face her own insecurities and hang ups in order for them to have a successful relationship. Full of excellent dating advice thanks to Janey's wise friends, this is the perfect book for young women embarking on their own romantic adventures. Highly recommended for grades 9 & up.