Everything That Counts

by Melissa Algood

'I’d been treating life like a chess game, forgetting to live in the moment when I had a chance. I had to change all that.' decides Blake Morgan

Blake is the biggest geek in all the graduating class of 2005, possibly in all of Annapolis, maybe even the entire world. He decides that talking to a girl, doing something unexpected, getting an F, and performing a brave act during his senior year will make him into a whole other person. Maybe even cool.

Yet when he checks something off the list he hurts the few people who love him just the way he is. A loser. Is he able to repair the damage? Is changing who you are worth it? Can Blake be an astrophysicist and have a supermodel as a girlfriend?

Blake Morgan is stupid enough to wreck his life, but is he smart enough to put it back together?

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2017

Reviews

[Gay Yellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tender and affecting book. Blake is a socially awkward, brainy teen who struggles to fit in. Sophie, his best (and almost only) friend, is a ballerina. She's the only one Blake feels close to, but their relationship is compromised by a huge misunderstanding. The author captures the angst-ridden high-schoolers beautifully. While there are a few editing glitches, they should not deter the reader from enjoying a very touching story.

[R.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delight to read. This coming-of-age story about a boy who knows he is a geek, but wants to be the popular kid is an instantly recognizable one. He doesn't realize what he truly has until he almost loses it. I wish all YA books were as well-written as this one. Looking forward to more from this author.

[M]

I can't read this book. There is a huge error not even 10% of the way in. Jasper, a friend of blake's, tells Blake that the girl that he just met and HADN'T EVEN TOLD HIM ABOUT YET was behind him by 'name' but not even the right name. A girls name that had never been mentioned, and after a quick glance at the next few pages, wasn't mentioned again. Also the interactive dialogue between the group seems more like what would go on between kids much younger if these are going to be upperclassmen.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. It's a solid YA book. Well-written, entertaining, and a bit quirky. I love that the setting is in the early 2000s (Maryland) as it very much reminded me of my own childhood. I met Melissa at a local author event. Her enthusiasm about books, libraries, and writing was a delight! I look forward to reading more of her work and wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

[Adam Mahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

i was sucked into this book immediately. I was the shy skinny kid in school. I felt all these same things. This was beautiful and I'll absolutely read this many more times going forward

[Brandi Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my typical genre, but loved it. Great story, great characters.