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Everybody Hurts
Matt and Sophia live in the same city, but they come from opposite sides of the track. By rights they should never have met. They definitely should never have fallen in love at first sight, of all cliches.
But, to their great surprise, they do. That's the easy part. It's what to do next that they struggle with.
Friends, family and circumstance are mostly against them. They betray themselves; then they betray each other. And in the end they learn, the hard way, what it takes for love to survive.
It's true what they say. Everybody hurts sometimes. But sometimes, too, the pain is worth it.
But, to their great surprise, they do. That's the easy part. It's what to do next that they struggle with.
Friends, family and circumstance are mostly against them. They betray themselves; then they betray each other. And in the end they learn, the hard way, what it takes for love to survive.
It's true what they say. Everybody hurts sometimes. But sometimes, too, the pain is worth it.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 3, 2017
7 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Nadin
146 books124 followersJoanna Nadin is an English author of juvenile fiction best known for the Rachel Riley series of teenage novels Based on Nadin's own childhood, the series follows the comedic narration of a 13-year-old girl.
Nadin has also written several books of juvenile fiction. These include two books for the Oxford University Press "Project X" series designed to encourage boys to read.
Nadin previously worked as a policy writer for the Labour Party (UK).In 2001, she became a special adviser to Tony Blair.
As a child I buried myself in books both at home in Essex and at my grandparents’ houses in Cornwall, where I spent a large part of my time, and where many of my stories are now set. Books and later films were an escape not just from where I was but who I was, which, as I saw it, was pretty much a geek. They gave me the freedom to become someone else, from George in the Famous Five to Velvet Brown winning the Grand National to Baby dancing the Chachacha with Johnny Castle.
Nadin has also written several books of juvenile fiction. These include two books for the Oxford University Press "Project X" series designed to encourage boys to read.
Nadin previously worked as a policy writer for the Labour Party (UK).In 2001, she became a special adviser to Tony Blair.
As a child I buried myself in books both at home in Essex and at my grandparents’ houses in Cornwall, where I spent a large part of my time, and where many of my stories are now set. Books and later films were an escape not just from where I was but who I was, which, as I saw it, was pretty much a geek. They gave me the freedom to become someone else, from George in the Famous Five to Velvet Brown winning the Grand National to Baby dancing the Chachacha with Johnny Castle.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 21, 2017
3.5 stars. Quite humorous - very English so I think some of the colloquialisms and English culture references will not translate so well to Australian audiences. Quite a lot of profanity.
April 21, 2020
Thought this book was going to be dull... There I was on the first page, second, third and hooked! Exciting, funny, interesting. Definitely a book that should be read.
November 8, 2024
Cute YA book!!
September 4, 2017
My Thoughts on Everybody Hurts
Everybody Hurts was a very easy read, and I read it just two sittings. It was your typical YA love story, told from the two main character’s perspectives, with many tropes we’re familiar with in the Young Adult literature world.
Read the full review on This Splendid Shambles.
Everybody Hurts was a very easy read, and I read it just two sittings. It was your typical YA love story, told from the two main character’s perspectives, with many tropes we’re familiar with in the Young Adult literature world.
Read the full review on This Splendid Shambles.
September 23, 2017
I don't usually read cheesy YA romance novels, and very rarely do I enjoy them much. This was kind of an impulse read, and I probably wouldn't have read it usually. But I'm glad I did.
It is pretty cheesy, and the voices of the characters are maybe over-exaggerated and trging-too-hard. But something about the writing was just really good, and I often found myself not wanting to put it down. Even though it was about love and sex and brain tumours.
Jango is an interesting character, who seems like a plain old bully/idiot at first but actually turns out to be pretty good. His home life is complicated, and his friendship with Matt is more valuable than he lets on. But near-death experiences bring out the truth - and Jango's affectionate, kind side.
Like I said before, it does all feel a bit too artificial - the "teenage" lingo is just not right, and the events are maybe played out to be more dramatic than they needed to be. I'm not actually sure how much I liked either of the main characters, but the telling of the story was great and made up for any dislikes I had.
It is a bit of a feel-good, cheesy romance in the end, which is nice to read sometimes. It's got a lot of twists - bad luck, bad tempers - that make it a bit more unique than similar YA romances. 4 stars.
It is pretty cheesy, and the voices of the characters are maybe over-exaggerated and trging-too-hard. But something about the writing was just really good, and I often found myself not wanting to put it down. Even though it was about love and sex and brain tumours.
Jango is an interesting character, who seems like a plain old bully/idiot at first but actually turns out to be pretty good. His home life is complicated, and his friendship with Matt is more valuable than he lets on. But near-death experiences bring out the truth - and Jango's affectionate, kind side.
Like I said before, it does all feel a bit too artificial - the "teenage" lingo is just not right, and the events are maybe played out to be more dramatic than they needed to be. I'm not actually sure how much I liked either of the main characters, but the telling of the story was great and made up for any dislikes I had.
It is a bit of a feel-good, cheesy romance in the end, which is nice to read sometimes. It's got a lot of twists - bad luck, bad tempers - that make it a bit more unique than similar YA romances. 4 stars.
March 30, 2018
I am a huge fan of books with multi perspectives and I love it when they come from two different writers. It is interesting to see how they dance around each other and to examine the nuances of each others’ writing.
Everybody Hurts by Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan is a perfect example of this. It is boss.
It tells the story of Matt and Sophia who meet in unusual circumstances and fall in love despite the surrounding drama that they have to deal with. It is a Romeo and Juliet tale for a modern audience.
Matt and Sophia’s story is gorgeous. It is heart-warming and told in a very relatable style. The teenagers are recognisable and relatable. This is a must read for the teenagers you know.
Everybody Hurts by Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan is available now.
For more information regarding Joanna Nadin (@joannanadin) please visit www.joannanadin.com.
For more information regarding Anthony McGowan (@anthony_mcgowan) please visit www.anthonymcgowan.com.
For more information regarding Atom (@AtomBooks) please visit www.atombooks.co.uk.
Everybody Hurts by Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan is a perfect example of this. It is boss.
It tells the story of Matt and Sophia who meet in unusual circumstances and fall in love despite the surrounding drama that they have to deal with. It is a Romeo and Juliet tale for a modern audience.
Matt and Sophia’s story is gorgeous. It is heart-warming and told in a very relatable style. The teenagers are recognisable and relatable. This is a must read for the teenagers you know.
Everybody Hurts by Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan is available now.
For more information regarding Joanna Nadin (@joannanadin) please visit www.joannanadin.com.
For more information regarding Anthony McGowan (@anthony_mcgowan) please visit www.anthonymcgowan.com.
For more information regarding Atom (@AtomBooks) please visit www.atombooks.co.uk.
July 28, 2021
3.5 stars
This book was good. Enjoyable, for the most part, gritty in some areas and questionable in others. It's a realistic British teen read, with things actual British teenagers would say and do. I've read it twice and I probably enjoyed it more the first time, though the ending still had me in suspense the second time round.
It's told by the POVs of Matthew and Sophia, a 16 and a 17 year old leading two very different lives. But despite the fact that Matthew lives in the rough end of town and Sophia lives in the good end, they find each other, and begin a relationship full of secrets, laughter and love. I can't really say much else without spoiling it, but I will say that although the book was written well, and I do like Matt and Sophia's relationship, I think the overall book is quite weird in some parts. If you're easily offended I definitely wouldn't recommend it to you. I might read it again, but it's not something I'd be terribly excited for.
Recommended for: ages 14+. Sexual references, moderate swearing, knife crime
This book was good. Enjoyable, for the most part, gritty in some areas and questionable in others. It's a realistic British teen read, with things actual British teenagers would say and do. I've read it twice and I probably enjoyed it more the first time, though the ending still had me in suspense the second time round.
It's told by the POVs of Matthew and Sophia, a 16 and a 17 year old leading two very different lives. But despite the fact that Matthew lives in the rough end of town and Sophia lives in the good end, they find each other, and begin a relationship full of secrets, laughter and love. I can't really say much else without spoiling it, but I will say that although the book was written well, and I do like Matt and Sophia's relationship, I think the overall book is quite weird in some parts. If you're easily offended I definitely wouldn't recommend it to you. I might read it again, but it's not something I'd be terribly excited for.
Recommended for: ages 14+. Sexual references, moderate swearing, knife crime
August 4, 2018
2.5 stars.
Really hate it when I get sick in the middle of a book and end up not being able to read it for days because you physically can't..... BUT I did really want to read it the whole time and that's a great thing. Probably the most British book I've ever read and you'll never hear me complain about that. Was it the best book I've ever read? No. I did like it a whole lot though, even if I couldn't for the life of me understand why Matt was friends with Jango at all. What an absolute twat he was throughout the whole of this, couldn't stand him. Sophia and Matt as a couple though I really dug, even if it was instalove but at the same time it's advertised as instalove so you can't really be mad about that now can you. I do recommend picking it up if you like meet cutes and other clichés every once in a while, the way this is written is by far the best thing about this book even if the plot is a little so so.
Really hate it when I get sick in the middle of a book and end up not being able to read it for days because you physically can't..... BUT I did really want to read it the whole time and that's a great thing. Probably the most British book I've ever read and you'll never hear me complain about that. Was it the best book I've ever read? No. I did like it a whole lot though, even if I couldn't for the life of me understand why Matt was friends with Jango at all. What an absolute twat he was throughout the whole of this, couldn't stand him. Sophia and Matt as a couple though I really dug, even if it was instalove but at the same time it's advertised as instalove so you can't really be mad about that now can you. I do recommend picking it up if you like meet cutes and other clichés every once in a while, the way this is written is by far the best thing about this book even if the plot is a little so so.
January 21, 2018
Everybody Hurts follows the lives of two young people called Sophia and Matthew who meet by chance for the first time in a hospital canteen.
Once the characters have been introduced to us and they have met each other and a 'phone number' is exchanged, that is when the storyline gets more interesting.
I found reading this book quite enjoyable and it was hard to put down. Both Sophia and Matthew were believable and felt real to me.
All in all I found this to be an easy, YA contemporary read.
Once the characters have been introduced to us and they have met each other and a 'phone number' is exchanged, that is when the storyline gets more interesting.
I found reading this book quite enjoyable and it was hard to put down. Both Sophia and Matthew were believable and felt real to me.
All in all I found this to be an easy, YA contemporary read.
February 5, 2021
Such a wonderfully uncomfortable coming of age novel. I bought it for my daughter (who’s not read for a while) but it looked at me for too long so I devoured it!
It’s a really sweet, awkward and scarily cute read. The characters sing out loud and clear and the story carries the reader at a rapid pace, back and forth from one side of the tracks to the other.
A well-written, action-packed, coming of age story with edges.
It’s a really sweet, awkward and scarily cute read. The characters sing out loud and clear and the story carries the reader at a rapid pace, back and forth from one side of the tracks to the other.
A well-written, action-packed, coming of age story with edges.
November 7, 2019
I never really felt an emotional connection to the main character tho i did like the depth of Jango and his character development
The writhing itself was quite unique and will be loved or hated, i found it quite annoying but in the same way as it was adorable, the plot was enjoyable yet I won't be fast to read it again
The writhing itself was quite unique and will be loved or hated, i found it quite annoying but in the same way as it was adorable, the plot was enjoyable yet I won't be fast to read it again
November 15, 2017
Excellent characterisation - not only are the leads well drawn but supporting characters are also vivid & compelling & dual narration device is really effective. Unflinching in tackling big themes, it is both moving & very funny. Superb!
October 4, 2017
I loved this book so much!!! it was so funny and had many plot twists. This was much better than i thought.
November 25, 2017
What utter rubbish.
December 13, 2017
There were lines in here that absolutely cracked me up!
June 6, 2023
Half way in its really good and pulls you in to find out more but the last few chapters was meh. Love the british sarcasm and dry humour in it.
January 1, 2024
YA meet cute with lots of British slang.
January 21, 2025
eh. it was ok, a quick read and was very face paced, but the timings of everything seemed off, like everything seemed to happen in the space of a week and a half
July 28, 2025
really cute YA romance book high recommend
May 6, 2020
I enjoyed the story. But I found myself getting bored easily.
August 28, 2021
very funny and loved both the characters
never-or-stopped-reading
December 11, 2023Too childish for me.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews