Everything Must Go

by Jenny Fran Davis

Flora Goldwasser is private school perfection - all wrapped up in a vintage Grace Kelly dress. But when she leaves elite Manhattan for an academy of unwashed hippies and ironic hipsters in the Hudson Valley, Flora discovers that when it comes to popularity and approval there is no commutative property. Her love of Maison Kayser macaroons, perfect French conjugation, Jackie Kennedy sunglasses, and Audrey Hepburn movies make her the ultimate outsider in a land of kale, quinoa, and tattered tunics.

Told through a collage of letters, emails and clippings, Everything Must Go is a thoughtful, nuanced story about identity, sex, friendship, and the bridges we cross (and burn) as we grow into ourselves. A budding Marxist, a Jenna Lyons doppelganger, and a jacked dude named Agnes come together with a vending machine full of vintage accessories as Flora throws off the mantle of expectations, assumptions, and perfection -- the trappings of her old life.

Everything Must Go is an offbeat, modern novel with emotionally rich and compelling characters.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, High School, Coming Of Age

414 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2017

About the author

Jenny Fran Davis received her MFA at the University of Iowa, where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Reviews

[Rebbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a Young Adult book when I requested it on Netgalley (thanks for the ARC, btw), so it wasn't what I was expecting but was nevertheless a fun and fast read.

The other reviewers are completely correct, this is an original story with progressive and liberal leanings that is so much fun to read with its wittiness and quirkiness. Even the postmodern format of blog posts, emails, etc. was enjoyable, considering the nature of the book.

If you like feminist novels, funny narrations and a unique writing format, this book is for you.

[Nidofito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much better than I had hoped for! Even though I took huge breaks while reading it, I had no trouble whatsoever getting back into it. That's pretty impressive since it's the author's debut book and I'm a reader who has more or less identified the genres that work for me and stick to them, and this isn’t necessarily a go-to genre for me.

Anyways, I think readers that have gotten bored of the typical YA romances should give this book a try. Everything mentioned in the blurb does happen, yes, but there is so much more (both content and the depth of it) to this book and its protagonist, Flora. It's quirky and fun and it's a unique coming-of-age story that I hadn't come across before.

[Christine Lucia Asha · Rating 3 out of 5]

MUST READ BOOKS in every genre:
Thriller Say Goodbye
Memoir The Yellow House
SciFi Murder by Memory
Romance Time Loops & Meet Cutes

Not sure what to make of this....a collection of diary entries, letters, emails and recollections. My second biggest nitpick of this was the 'natural' birth taking place in a garden. The natureist decides to cut the cord (big natural no no) with a dirty(!) garden tool.

First biggest nit-pick is the plethora of Jewish names repeated ad nauseum for no reason - Dr. Levin was mentioned 4 times in 7 lines. But. Just. Why??? AND somehow it has a ton of Jewish people (French Canadian?!) for no real reason....New York has basically every nationality, but not RICH ones.....hmmmmm

It was hard to get into the beginning but the other sections seemed to correspond to their latter and more intriguing pace.

[Eloise · Rating 5 out of 5]

i LOVED this book. the characters are so original and funny, and the entire story is hilarious and thought provoking. not like other YAs! the author sent it to me even though i don't usually read YA fiction, but i connected so much to flora and found everything about this novel fresh and exciting.

[Madalyn (Novel Ink) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.

Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book! I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review, but that does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Everything Must Go was certainly not the book I expected, from start to finish. However, the book I actually got was a bit of a hidden gem. This book was smart, funny, and feminist. It’s definitely one of the more *~intelligent~* YA contemporaries I’ve read recently, but the writing never took itself too seriously or came off as pretentious. This is a story about making mistakes and somehow finding yourself along the way.

One thing I adored about Everything Must Go was the format. The story is told through a collection of documents, from letters, to emails, to journal entries, to blog posts. (Side note: the formatting was a little wonky on the e-ARC. This is a book I’d probably recommend reading a physical copy of for the best experience.) The actual plot is a bit hard to describe– and, besides, I think this is the sort of book where it’s best to go in blind– but it follows our protagonist, Flora Goldwasser, as she falls in love with her older history tutor and subsequently decides to leave her prep school in Manhattan and follow him to Quare Academy, a Quaker school of about 30 students in upstate New York.

Even though the story has no real narrator– although present-day Flora does add some asides in between documents occasionally– I really got a sense of who Flora was through the correspondence she sends to her loved ones. I loved reading from Flora’s perspective. She is definitely not a standard quiet, reserved YA protagonist. She’s loud, opinionated, brash, impulsive. And I loved her for all of these qualities. At first I thought she was going to be a typical manic pixie dreamgirl type (seriously, she only wears vintage clothes, lives in Manhattan, and followed a boy she barely knows to a school she didn’t even want to attend), but she redeemed herself over the course of the story. She made some enormous mistakes, but she really made the best of every situation she got herself into. I just love reading about YA protagonists who are loud and impulsive… because that’s who I was as a teenager. One thing I appreciated was the way she acknowledged and checked her own privilege (and also how the people around her weren’t afraid to call her on it).

I also loved the cast of characters who went to Quare with Flora– they were all so different, and they all taught Flora different things and helped her on her journey of finding herself. She went through such immense character growth over the course of this story, and a lot of it was brought on by Quare. Flora’s day-to-day life at Quare was hilarious and stereotypical and made all the more funny through reading her own accounts of the weird things she witnessed in the letters she wrote to her friends and family back in Manhattan. And this is totally nerdy, but I also loved reading about the coursework at Quare. It was so feminist and progressive and intersectional. I was here for it. The school setting played a large role in the story, as opposed to simply standing as filler.

I enjoyed the Miss Tulip side plot, too. I’m trying to be vague– because spoilers– but I was really curious to see how all of that would wrap up, and the ending did not disappoint. In fact, I loved the ending of this book so much. It was a bit ambiguous, but it was done so well.

All in all, I applaud Jenny Fran Davis for managing to pull off such a peculiar story in such a fantastic, smart way. Everything Must Go is a book that I find impossible to describe, but if I had to summarize it in three words, they would be: witty, feminist, surprising. I highly recommend checking this one out if you’re looking for YA contemporary with excellent feminist commentary and a story that might surprise you in the best way.

[Liz Cettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

intelligent and super fun. im shocked other readers had problems with the progressive parts of this story-- it's not like inclusivity is bad thing?!?!

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

So not what I was expecting! At first glance, I didn't think I could like a story about a privileged girl in a school where they talk about social constructs, feminism, and the like but I really got into Flora's life. She was this smart rich girl that loved fashion and was infatuated with an older boy. She learned so much about herself that she moved beyond that image. Very unexpectedly lovely and some phenomenal writing.

Flora becomes a fashion icon when she meets this older boy who's tutoring her and happens to be popular online for his photography. ... An older boy taking pictures of a girl that's younger than him and highly impressionable... yeah if that isn't a bad sign for what's to come for Flora, I don't know what is... Anyways, she's so enamored by his charm that she decides it's a good idea to follow him to a new school she really doesn't know too much about because if she did, she would have never gone there. The boarding school is basically like living Amish, very progressive, independent, but not down with anything that makes Flora, Flora. Needless to say, she has a tough time fitting in and worse of all, Elijah, our charming photographer, never shows up. Ah, how she learns so much about Elijah and his ways. Oh, how I wanted to strangle that man child.

I enjoyed that the writing was comprised of emails, journal entries, letters, and website articles. It's not something you read everyday. Actually, nothing about this story was anything like I've ever read or have ever seen being marketed for YA before. There's something about this unique story that drew me in. The characters, Flora's conflicts, and the way Flora learned so much about herself or at least started to explore who she is surprised me. It's a very unexpectedly likable read. Honestly, I've been so tired of the same old thing in YA where the mysterious boy turns up and is the only one the MC can talk to and blah, blah, blah. Everything Must Go was funny and refreshing. It did end strangely but I felt like I went on a journey with Flora and that's kind of what you want when you read a book. This is Davis' first book so I'm expecting a lot more great reads from her in the future.

[Karen Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis , is a delightful book full of wonderful characters and a fun filled story.
The Main character of Flora in the book, her style and ambition, trials and tribulations, keeps the reader intrigued as to what will happen next in the Quaker boarding school that she has enrolled in.
I would recommend this book for all ages , a great summer read.
I won this book through Goodreads. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Pipsprite]

This ended up being a DNF.
Full review to come later.

[Emily]

This book was SO much fun to read. It's smart, funny, and feminist, probably because its protagonist is smart, funny, and feminist. Flora Goldwasser is a (more socially- and self-aware) Georgia Nicholson for this generation of YA readers. (WOW that comparison makes me feel old.) Look out for Everything Must Go in October - full review to come!

[D.L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Here is my review! This was a great book.

https://deannawritesabout.wordpress.c...

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Everything Must Go by Jenny Davis, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

As of this post, the book had not yet been released.

There is plenty to unpack here--most of which I won't be able--but because I have only just finished reading, I am still processing the evolution of Flora Goldwasser. I could wait to write this later, but I'm afraid I'd lose the rawness of my thoughts.

Who is Flora? Flora is what some might call "extra".

Upon meeting her, you get the impression she took the long way around to "finding herself". The story is being told, in reverse, using notes, letters, emails, magazine articles, and memos.

The correspondence isn't only from Flora, but others considered pertinent to the telling of the story.

At 16 years of age, Flora has fallen head over heels in love (lust) with an artsy photog named Elijah Huck. Everything that follows, from the point of their meeting, tells the story of Flora's growth and evolution. Prior to that, despite whatever idea she has of herself, she is simply a girl who finds a pleasant distraction in a cute boy:

It wasn't that I needed his approval to exist. Even in this time of frissons and jittery stomachs, I knew my power without Elijah. I didn't need him to kiss me. I just really wanted him to, and that wild desire made my body feel like it was on fire. Let's be honest. I was in love, and it was the kind of love that made me forget myself.

Elijah ignites a passion within Flora. The two work on a project together. Once the project ends, Flora decides to leave her rich New York life behind to follow Elijah to an exclusive (and unconventional) school in upstate New York.

However, when Elijah changes his plans and opts to go elsewhere, Flora decides to stay at the school--a place that shies away from all things trendy and modern in favor of connecting with more rooted ideals.

How Flora comes to grow--as a direct result is being surrounded by people who aren't impressed with living lives centered around materialism and social acceptance of gender norms--is the crux journey.

What she finds out about herself is the prize.

I enjoyed this book. I don't consider myself a feminist in the radical sense, but I do recognize the power in owning who you are--sexually and emotionally--and a lot of this book is about understanding one's primary role in the overall scheme of things.

How do you define who you are as a woman? A man? What defines the type of person you'll become? Who's responsible for YOUR narrative? Are you subscribing to what you want or what you think others want/expect of/from you?

All of these questions, and more, entered my mind as I read this book.

There were too many characters, and too much going on, to truly do justice to this book here. You really have to read it for yourself to understand.

I enjoyed seeing the various perspectives of each and every one of the female characters: Dean seemed the most the most in-touch with who she was, while Sinclair and Juna offered the reader a different embracing of their own femininity.

Elijah, the main antagonist (of sorts), opened up plenty of questions regarding the role the patriarchy plays in man's fear of intimacy and sexual inadequacy.

The very things Elijah seemingly is against, are the very things he (inadvertently) comes to embody: his objectification and rejection of Flora only lend further proof to how much further he has to go.

Even more, the character of Wink also calls into question the role powerful women play in the patriarchy. At least, she did for me.

Like I said, lots to unpack, and plenty of discussions worthy of having once the final page is turned.

The prose (or lack thereof) was a negative, for me. I would have liked to have seen more prose. Emails, letters, and magazine excerpts succeed in telling the story, but were also a bit of a distraction from it at times as well.

That's the main reason this book received four stars.

[Leah · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 28%

I can't do it anymore.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is BONKERS. Or at least it starts out that way. The end result is a fantastic feminist read that will get you fired up and ready to let it all go.

Longer rview to come when I can form words better.

Advance copy received through my workplace via our book vendor ARC program.

[Sahitya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very new age and self deprecating feminist novel. It’s definitely very progressive and there were a lot of intellectual discussions throughout, but maybe I’m not smart enough to understand all of it and it left me confused a lot of times.

I still think you should give it a try if you are interested in feminist YA. Maybe it just wasn’t exactly for me.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is absolutely nothing I love like fishing through a big ol' pile of personal papers, so handing me the equivalent of a carefully curated, chronologically arranged and occasionally annotated scrapbook of a school year -- that manages to tell a story along the way? Best. Book idea. Ever.

The list of styles includes but is not limited to: emails and handwritten letters (not necessarily to or from Flora), attempted letters, blog posts w/ outfit photos, school progress reports, literary analyses, school newspapers and pamphlets, interview transcripts, journal entries, and even occasional bridges from present-day Flora to fill in missing details or provide better context for the scraps. No single entry takes up more than a few pages, so you can read it in any number of bite-sized pieces, or flip along at a fairly good clip.

I fell in love with Flora's voice instantly, in no small part because of "Miss Tulip" and her beautifully described collection of vintage clothing and love of fashion. I had no trouble understanding how she fell for Elijah or formed her weird, wild plan of attending Quare in the first place. Quare itself was exactly as wild and weird as I hoped it would be; half the fun in this novel is just trying to wrap your head around the escalating levels of "damn, bitch, you live like this?"

(It's not all bad, but I would absolutely be out on day 1 over the "no shell speak" rule. Heck if I am going to pretend that it's more impressive to keenly analyze a Toni Morrison novel than to put together an aesthetically pleasing outfit or figure out how to make your hair shine in a way that appeals to my monkey brain.)

This book is touted as a feminist novel, and it absolutely is, but it's a particularly well moderated type of feminist novel that doesn't take itself too seriously. There are so many starter pack buzzwords and cliches to which years of hard labor on Tumblr have made me immune, that my main takeaway was a fond "aw, that's cute, look how earnest she is in her pursuit of Morally Correct Open-Mindedness." I have seen many a young zealot quick to anger and lecture, but not so many who just casually incorporate the mindset into their everyday operating -- and even fewer who are allowed to occasionally react to things outside their natural comfort zone with an attitude of "Yeah, I know what I'm supposed to say in this situation, but actually: yikes." It's refreshing to see such a natural flow.

Flora does get a little more serious about her feminism in the second half, and slogging through the development of her performance piece is kind of a drag while everyone is busy losing their heads over her apparently amazing, brilliant social commentary (yawn...), but in the end, Flora seems to come to the very reasonable state of mind that Moderation and Independently Reached Conclusions Are Good, Actually, so it's really pretty satisfying all around.

I think what I really like about this besides the format, though, is that so many YA novels center themselves around a romance, and while this one certainly has relationship elements, it provides an incredibly thorough look at everyday student life as a whole.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

This debut young adult novel by Jenny Fran Davis is such a treat. I knew I had to read this book when I found out it is set in a Quaker School just outside of Woodstock, NY, which is practically my hometown! The cast of characters is as quirky as they come, as you might expect from the self-proclaimed artists' colony of Woodstock.

Flora Goldwasser is plunged into a new way of living when she follows her crush to a small, prestigious hippie school called Quare Academy. When she arrives, she learns that any mention of people's personal appearances is deemed "shell speak" and is strictly forbidden. The culture shock is just about all Flora, a former feminist fashionista, can handle, but she digs deep to find the strength to make the most of it. To top it off, she finds out that her crush has backed out of attending the school, and her master plan to win him over goes out the window.

Told through a series of letters, emails, reports, and news articles, Everything Must Go is positively fun to read. Flora is wise beyond her years, and though she expected to be winning the affection of her crush, she instead finds herself making discoveries about her true self. I expected a fluffy read with this book and was delighted to find that there was plenty of (vegan) meat to sink my teeth into. And just wait until you find out why Flora stuffs everything she owns into a vending machine! - Caitlin D.

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

I really enjoyed this book! It was quite an interesting journey with Flora, as she searched for her true self during a difficult period in her life. It was quirky, fun, and touched upon a bunch of interesting issues.

•Pro: I love mixed format books, and this one included emails, blog posts, photos, letters, and more. The different formats were used well, and were cleverly used to bring in different perspectives.

•Pro: Flora was a star. I loved her voice from page one, and I was so happy to go on this journey with her.

•Pro: The colorful cast of characters gave me the gift of laughter over and over again.

•Pro: Flora and her sister had a sisterly bond that made me jealous. Lael was an incredible big sister and was still there for Flora even when she went against her advice.

•Con: The ending was sweet, but I am not too sure what the intention was. Not disappointing, because I smiled, but still not sure about it.

•Pro: As radical as the school was for me, there were a lot of interesting ideas discussed and I like when I am made to look at something in a different way or left with food for thought.

•Pro: There are many, many feminists in this book, and therefore. lots of feminists discussions. But what I loved most about this girl-powered group, was how they wanted to support one of their own in her time of need.



Overall: A fun and quirky coming of age tale filled with wonderful and interesting characters, which left me with a smile on my head and a lot of interesting thoughts in my head.

**I would like to thank the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

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[Kayla K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quirky and colourful cover was what first drew me into reading Everything Must Go when I came across it on Netgalley. Although I hadn't yet heard anything about this book from other bloggers, I decided to be one of the first to dive into it.

Just like the cover, this book was for sure quirky. That's the one word I'd use to describe every aspect about it. Don't worry, by quirky I mean in an absolutely awesome way. From the characters to the plot, I adored it all!

Everything Must Go is basically about a teenage girl named Flora. When she meets and falls in love with a guy named Elijah, she decides to attend the school at which he is about to teach. A change of plans sends Flora there without Elijah by her side, and thus she has a bit of trouble fitting in with her peers. How will her year make out to be?

First things first, I want to applaud the unique format of this book. That's yet another thing that makes it amazingly quirky! Instead of writing paragraph after paragraph, the story is conveyed using letters, IMs, newspaper articles, and even more. It definitely kept me engaged and eager to find out what was coming next in the story.

Okay, I'm going to have to use that word again! Quirky. This is how I describe Flora. Hence what happened during the story in her troubles with fitting in, she definitely stood out in the sea of book characters I've read about. She was a feminist, which was awesome, AND she was an entrepreneur who was not scared to stand for what she believes in regarding femininity and self-expression. I can see myself remembering Flora for months, if not years, to come.

As for the storyline, events were sometimes a tad slow and confusing, but it may just be because I'm not quite used to the unique formatting of this book. Nevertheless, as I said in an earlier paragraph, I was for sure riveted and kept wanting more and more, which is ultimately what matters!

Overall, I don't really have anything negative to say about Everything Must Go. It was an uplifting, fun, and diverse story all about how we should always strive to be ourselves in a society full of people trying to fit in, and I really appreciated this message. If you enjoy reading unique contemporaries complete with a cool protagonist and a spectacular format to keep you amused, then definitely check this one out!

*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing that intrigued me about this novel, was the fact that Flora already has fallen in love. Most stories focus on the love story, instead this is a novel that promises to give you something else, something more unique.
Add to that the out-of-the-ordinary format of letters, emails and journal entries... Well, it looked promising!

So this is where we begin: with me, naked and in love in the bathtub, like many a tragic protagonist before me.

At about 25% in the novel I started to get doubts. Flora felt very focused on the way she looks and I still didn't get a lot of details on her life at Quare. Certain events are laid out, but it all feels very detached, even though you're reading parts of her journal - but mostly emails that have been send back and forth between Flora, her friends and her sister.
Honestly, I was thinking about maybe DNF'ing this... And I rarely DNF any book!

But then the turn-around came and I started liking Everything Must Go. Actually. Started. Liking. It. Flora turns out to be the funny feminist and, even though I couldn't really connect with her, I didn't feel like it was essential to love this story.
This novel is unique in the way that Flora has already fallen in love and she needs to find her way coping with that love. By going to Quare - somewhere a materialistic person doesn't really 'fit in' - she takes on multiple battles at once.
She has to fight to keep on to hope, love and, in a way, even friendship. She has to find her place in a little tight-knit community where standards are... Well, completely different than the standards she lives by.

"Girls are not machines that you put kindness coins into until sex falls out."

Even though the feminist-aspect in this novel is clearly portrayed, it was the "no shell-speak" rule at Quare that grabbed me most. Really, that rule should be present everywhere.
At Quare, the students are practically forbidden - but not really - to comment on the appearances of their fellow peers in any way. You have to ignore the "shell", focusing solely on the inner beauty of everyone around you. If you're to give a compliment, compliment someone on their creativity, their way of thinking, but not on their hair, clothes, jewelry.
This idea, this rule. This is what I'll remember about this novel. No more shell-speak.

"When you think of yourself as so different, you become so different. All you'll be able to think about are the ways that you're an outcast."

The big negative for me, though, is the format. Expecting to love it, I ended up disliking it quite a bit. Even though it was a fun way of reading, I have to say that I might've connected with Flora more if this book was written as a diary, instead of the compilation of journal entries and e-mails. The odd e-mail could've been added, of course. But the main gist should've been Flora's journal.
The main reason, except for connecting more? Flora's mails often feel as if it's supposed to be "just" prose instead of an e-mail. I can't imagine ever writing someone an e-mail in which I'm quoting whole conversations, all details included. I would, however, write those things in a diary.

I'm giving this novel 3 / 5, considering it's very promising and I enjoyed it, but the execution could've been better.

Kathy

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. I'm not being compensated in any way.

[eerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Everything Must Go! I could not put it down. Flora is such a complex character, and I just looove Juna! The story is so fresh and original I would love to see it adapted to the small screen at some point; would love to see Floras outfits and Quare's campus come to life! This book deals with so many relevant topics. I really wish this book was released when I was in high school, definitely would have been obsessed with it then as well.

[Kali Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A highly feminist novel is now in our midst! Flora Goldwasser is the epitome of a strong feminist figure with her vintage attire and her no bs persona, she brings the old school to the modern world. Shaking up societal ideals on what it means to be a strong and confident young woman and do amazing things through art, Flora takes an unexpected journey through queerness, sex, and finding herself. I loved the light and love this novel shared with readers. I felt very happy and could see how positive it is to stand out from the norm and be who you are without glitz and glam. Being a young woman myself, I know that it’s harder to be acknowledged and it seems like we are sometimes just made to be puppets for a man. I’m happy that this book concluded with a sort of respect and equality between men and women, but it really was not about men per say, it was about Flora breaking boundaries and making statements. This was an empowering novel along the lines of Moxie by Jennifer Matthieu. If you loved that novel, this is one you don’t want to miss out on reading!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe how quickly I read this. It's quite a long book but today I steamed through more than half of it in one go to get to the end!

Love love love. Quare was such an interesting setting and I loved seeing it through Flora's eyes, so disparaging at first but then over time SHE becomes more 'Quare' herself.

I think I had a bit of a crush on Dean too.

The letters/emails/diary entries format was really well done too. It didn't simply read like a bunch of letters; as most of them were from Flora it felt like her narrative interspersed with a few things from others.

I loved the Legally Blonde-esque idea too of going to a school for a guy and then growing to realise that he's a jerk who's not worth it, but the choice in going to that school turned out to be the right one, if for originally the wrong reasons.

[Cristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so in love with this book.

Everything Must Go is a story that is told through letters, emails, and journals throughout Flora's first year at the...hippie...boarding school called Quare. She gets here because of fascination and obsession with an older boy Elijah, who is a tutor at her school and a former Quare graduate. She thinks that attending this school will deepen the connection between her and Elijah, but she has no clue what she's gotten herself into.

She walks into a very hippie commune-like situation that's definitely very different from the life she led before.

This novel explores topics such as gender, sexuality, choice, and feminism.

In the end, it's a coming of age novel and e author has done a fabulous job!

[Tara Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an ARC of Everything Must Go by Jenny Fran Davis through a Goodreads giveaway...thank you! I was immediately drawn in by the cover, and imagined it would be a fun, light read. I didn't expect it to have such an impact on me, emotionally! It really hit home in a few places and I felt a connection to the characters. The story unfolds in a series of journal entries, letters, and emails. I really enjoyed it, and I definitely recommend it to those who enjoy books such as, Where'd You Go, Bernadette? Based on this debut novel, I see a promising future for Jenny Fran Davis. Congratulations!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed the format of the book as it provided different perspectives on the growth of the characters. I really enjoyed how the story looks at how we try on various personalities in an attempt to find ourselves and how it is important to view people not as single stories/snapshots from a moment in time but as complex individuals that cannot be neatly compartmentalized into boxes.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads first-reads giveaway.

Vibrant, unique, refreshingly cool narrator/heroine. A coming of age story, where she finds herself and what it means to be yourself and respect yourself and your choices; love is not always where you expect it. Easy to read and a unique voice.

[Roxana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyline. Fun read, enjoyed the characters. Love the cover by the way. Will recommend this book to others.

[Kelesea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Everything Must Go

Author: Jenny Fran Davis

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Series: Standalone

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars



I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.



Everything Must Go was the February pick for one of the book clubs I go to, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, at first. I was slightly confused by the description, and even more so after I began reading the book; the format was just so unusual. But I decided that despite my doubts, I would just jump in with both feet and let the book lead me where it would. And honestly, I was very pleasantly surprised. I was laughing, crying, screaming, cheering—this feminist, hilarious debut is one of my favorite books of 2017, maybe ever! It took a little bit for me to get into, and to get used to the format, but once I did, I was absolutely hooked. Flora’s journey through young adulthood, navigating romance, friendship, family, self-discovery, and autonomy is hilarious, timely, realistic, and achingly tender, and I loved every crazy, honest moment of it. I’ll never forget Flora Goldwasser, or her coming into her own! One of the best coming of age stories I’ve ever read!



Flora Goldwasser has made the decision to upend her life totally in pursuit of a hip, gorgeous photographer—so much so, in fact, that she even changes schools to get closer to him. But she realizes that upstate, bucolic New York is totally different from her posh, comfortable school in Manhattan, Flora goes to backpedal, only to find that it’s much too late. Surrounded by Quaker kids who value things like the outdoors, their inner qualities instead of what’s on the outside, and personal freedom (even if it means going to the bathroom out of doors), Flora finds that her new school is a whole world away from her beloved Manhattan, she’s certain that she won’t make it out intact. But along the way, she discovers her own autonomy, what it means to be herself, and the real value of friendship, family, and change. This book is one of the best of the last year, and I will never forget it!



I was a little iffy about this book at first; I wasn’t sure of the plot and the format threw me at first. Told through journal entries, emails, bits of screenplays and letters; it kind of reminded me of Feeling Sorry for Celia. But once it got going, I was absolutely transfixed; I was laughing, crying, cheering, groaning, and screaming with fury. I loved Flora and her distinct, wry voice; I loved her character development and watching her grow. She went from a naïve, confused girl to a strong, capable young woman, full of power and self-control and completely comfortable with herself. I loved it. The pacing was breakneck, and I couldn’t break away; even when I wasn’t reading it, it was continually on my mind. I also loved the other characters; Flora’s friends from her old and new school, as well as her family; they were a great foil to her funny, wry personality. The only person that I didn’t really like in the book was Elijah; he seemed just like the typical, run-of-the-mill hipster artiste poseur, and he really rubbed me the wrong way, even before the big thing happened that I refuse to mention in this review. The ending was wonderful; I laughed, I cried, I cheered. This book was like finding a new friend; I really loved it. One of the best books of 2017! The bottom line: An unapologetically funny and feminist debut that had me feeling literally everything, Everything Must Go was absolutely wonderful, and I will never forget it! Next on deck: Renegades by Marissa Meyer!

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[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

UNPOPULAR OPINION ALERT :

First and foremost, I do want to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book has been sitting on the back burner for too dang long and I do sincerely apologize for my delay in review.

With that being said, I'm sorry to report that this novel just did not work for me. And I tried, y'all. I read every last page before making my decision, but I just didn't click with this story, its characters, or its content.

I was initially lulled in by that bright and fantastic cover, because honestly who wouldn't be? And I loved the idea of a feminist novel targeted at teens that preaches self love and acceptance. Unfortunately, I didn't leave this book feeling empowered or inspired.

This story centers on our MC, Flora (read: a younger, vintage-obsessed version of Serena van der Woodsen, imo obviously), who leaves her ritzy all-girls school in NYC to attend an elite Quaker social justice school in order to follow the guy she loves. Plot twist? After being accepted to this new arts school she finds out the guy of her dreams won't actually be attending. Now enrolled at this new school (with a class of 32 students), Flora is forced to embrace new identities, ideologies, and ways of interacting with the world and her peers. Example: The campus forbids "shell speak" which is any commentary on a person's shell (body, looks, clothing, etc) so that you're forced to dig deeper and get to know them. A concept I actually thought was pretty cool despite the fact that our protagonist continues to use it until the VERY END of the novel. Even when she's judging people for being "hollow" and using "shell speak" against her she continues to prattle on about their looks/value system.

Now before this gets ranty, don't get me wrong, this novel is NOT all bad. It featured a ton of diversity, a protagonist that frequently checks her privilege, PLATONIC love (can I get an amen??), and truly intelligent writing -- especially within the progress reports/literary critique portions of the novel.

HOWEVER, my biggest problem with this novel is that those deep, interesting, enlightened portions aren't expanded or explored. It's not enough to just throw out the questions (via professor's feedback on her papers) or have a one-off line about a p.c. identity without exploring those concepts deeper. As the author is clearly well versed on these topics, I personally would have loved for more of the 400+ pages to be devoted to those types of discussions rather than consistent pining over an emotionally unavailable teenage boy.

At the end of the day, it's evident that Jenny Fran Davis is a smart and in-the-now writer whose work lands with a majority of readers. Just because this wasn't my cup of tea, doesn't mean it wouldn't be a great way to spend your afternoon.