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All the Things #1
Something
Katie has loved Levi, the boy next door, for as long as she can remember. He used to be her best friend, but now her heart breaks a little more every time he pretends she doesn't exist.
He's the popular, wealthy school captain, while she's the poor scholarship kid. They've barely spoken in two years, so Katie doesn't understand why Levi has started climbing through her bedroom window. Or why he's telling her secrets he's hiding from everyone else.
When the mean girls include Katie in their malicious game of truth or dare, she has a chance to get answers. To find out the real reason Levi is talking to her again. Will everything be as perfect as Katie imagined, or will the truth destroy her?
Something is part one of All the Things, a three-part Young Adult Contemporary series that will make you want to find out the truth, even if it hurts.
He's the popular, wealthy school captain, while she's the poor scholarship kid. They've barely spoken in two years, so Katie doesn't understand why Levi has started climbing through her bedroom window. Or why he's telling her secrets he's hiding from everyone else.
When the mean girls include Katie in their malicious game of truth or dare, she has a chance to get answers. To find out the real reason Levi is talking to her again. Will everything be as perfect as Katie imagined, or will the truth destroy her?
Something is part one of All the Things, a three-part Young Adult Contemporary series that will make you want to find out the truth, even if it hurts.
- GenresRomanceYoung Adult
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2018
15 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Last
30 books366 followersK. A. Last is a graphic designer and author blessed with a vivid imagination. She has a Diploma in Graphic Design, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art History, and Visual Culture. She lives in the Australian countryside with her family and a menagerie of animals, where she loves to immerse herself in creativity and nature.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 25, 2018
I've read this trilogy of novellas over the last month, and decided to post a combined review because I read them back-to-back, and because the story really is a novel in three parts, with cliff-hanger endings for the first two books.
This story reminded me of how awful it is to be an introverted teenager at the bottom of the social pecking order, and I really felt for Katie on those grounds. Katie is an art nerd, the smartest kid in the class, and - worst of all, socially - attending wealthy private school on a scholarship. Her parents don't come across as truly poor, but they are maybe lower middle class and Katie's in a school full of rich brats.
That's not to say Katie doesn't have any friends at all, because she does; her bestie, Karen, is wonderful: tough, a straight talker, and willing to leap in front of a bullet (or a bully) to protect her friends. Katie's other friends, Jessica and Stacey, spend less time on screen (and for the longest time I actually thought they were secretly dating ... alas, no). Still, they are a solid posse.
On the face of it, Levi is my least favourite kind of love interest: hot but with a troubled past, secrets, and a tendancy to be rude to the leading lady. But his rudeness mostly runs to ignoring Katie, rather than being outright cruel or monstering the main character, and you can see he doesn't really mean it. It's more that he made a bad decision when he was younger - that Katie wasn't cool enough for him - and now isn't quite sure how to walk it back even though he clearly wants to. And it turns out he's actually kind of a sweetie. So I forgave him.
As well as struggling with whether to trust Levi again, Katie is also wrestling with study and that most teenage of issues: what to do after she finishes school. Her parents want her not to "waste" her scholarship and expect her to study law or medicine, but Katie is less than keen. This was one issue that I thought deserved a bit more airtime in the third book - her mother does something that I considered a truly low act (no details, because spoilers), and Katie was far more forgiving than I thought she should be.
But maybe that's because I'm a mean old lady. ;)
There are some other minor characters that I had mixed feelings towards, all of them Levi's friends. Veronica grew on me, but I never really got onboard with his two male friends. (See above comment about me being a mean old lady. I don't forgive as readily as Katie does.) On the other hand, Katie's brother is amazing.
If you want to read a story about a teen girl learning to trust and finding her feet in the world, one that is an easy read and comes in digestable chunks, then this is the story for you.
Note that I received a copy of Something in exchange for an honest review (though I bought the other two books myself).
This story reminded me of how awful it is to be an introverted teenager at the bottom of the social pecking order, and I really felt for Katie on those grounds. Katie is an art nerd, the smartest kid in the class, and - worst of all, socially - attending wealthy private school on a scholarship. Her parents don't come across as truly poor, but they are maybe lower middle class and Katie's in a school full of rich brats.
That's not to say Katie doesn't have any friends at all, because she does; her bestie, Karen, is wonderful: tough, a straight talker, and willing to leap in front of a bullet (or a bully) to protect her friends. Katie's other friends, Jessica and Stacey, spend less time on screen (and for the longest time I actually thought they were secretly dating ... alas, no). Still, they are a solid posse.
On the face of it, Levi is my least favourite kind of love interest: hot but with a troubled past, secrets, and a tendancy to be rude to the leading lady. But his rudeness mostly runs to ignoring Katie, rather than being outright cruel or monstering the main character, and you can see he doesn't really mean it. It's more that he made a bad decision when he was younger - that Katie wasn't cool enough for him - and now isn't quite sure how to walk it back even though he clearly wants to. And it turns out he's actually kind of a sweetie. So I forgave him.
As well as struggling with whether to trust Levi again, Katie is also wrestling with study and that most teenage of issues: what to do after she finishes school. Her parents want her not to "waste" her scholarship and expect her to study law or medicine, but Katie is less than keen. This was one issue that I thought deserved a bit more airtime in the third book - her mother does something that I considered a truly low act (no details, because spoilers), and Katie was far more forgiving than I thought she should be.
But maybe that's because I'm a mean old lady. ;)
There are some other minor characters that I had mixed feelings towards, all of them Levi's friends. Veronica grew on me, but I never really got onboard with his two male friends. (See above comment about me being a mean old lady. I don't forgive as readily as Katie does.) On the other hand, Katie's brother is amazing.
If you want to read a story about a teen girl learning to trust and finding her feet in the world, one that is an easy read and comes in digestable chunks, then this is the story for you.
Note that I received a copy of Something in exchange for an honest review (though I bought the other two books myself).
October 31, 2018
4.5
This book spoke to the soul of the 17-year-old girl in me. The one who hurt and grieved and tried her best in so many things. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down – I was making supper with a spoon in one hand and my tablet in the other (I do not recommend doing this).
Katie: She’s book smart and very sweet but still has so much naivety; some of it is very frustrating because I’m not sure if it comes from real, sheltered innocence or just fear and refusing to open her eyes to see what’s really going on around her and how to respond to it. Part of it is my favorite kind of naivety, the kind that kids and very young adults should have – because I wish my 17-year-old-self had possessed it – where they’re not caught up in dabbling in adult words and deeds. She’s kind, a little bit self-absorbed, caring and a bit of a natural introvert. She also possesses more than a healthy amount of fear that she internalizes but that does tend to guide her decisions and directs her movements.
But being shy and introverted doesn’t mean that she doesn’t possess a special kind of bravery because it requires bravery to live someone’s else’s dream for you; it requires bravery to have your heart broken every day and it requires bravery to care and give the benefit of the doubt even when you’ve been hurt so badly, especially when no-one sees the scars.
Levi: The term diamond in the rough springs to mind. There’s so much there – hidden behind the partying, most-popular guy in school façade. I enjoyed reading about Levi because he’s finding his bravery in this book, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint and so while I cheered for him in his little victories, I had to hang my head in my hands when he made questionable (I cannot think of a kinder word for I-want-to-beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-bottle-and-then-just-hug-you-tight) choices and acted on those. There are glimmers into the reality of him that you can see when he has more vulnerable moments and the cracks show. Levi, is a walking, aching heart.
Levi and Katie have a history that very few know about, a lifetime of knowledge of each other and a shared grief, made worse by Levi’s actions and deeds over the last few years. Levi is part of a group of bullies and while he doesn’t directly bully Katie, you become aware of how soul-crushing being ignored really is – I feel like it’s as bad as being verbally or physical abused because, how painful is it to be treated like you don’t even exist at all, especially after so much?
These main characters are joined by their own groups of secondary characters; on Levi’s side, 1 friend in particular is not entirely what people think and is such a great example of getting caught up in what’s come before and what they should be doing and how they should be acting – and honestly, it’s not just the main characters who need to find their brave in this book. Katie’s friends are supportive and try very hard to pull her out of herself and while they don’t always succeed, they always have her back. Her best friend has an incredible strength of character, shows so much spunk and maturity and is always willing to defend others – I just know that there’s a story there because I adored her so much.
I enjoyed this book and was immensely grateful that Book 2 and 3 was already around so that I could get my fix and try to not feel so completely undone and… well that’s quite enough from me. It’s enough to say that Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger and my feelings about that were expressed quite loudly at home!
The .5 deduction was for uhm... knowing people and still... and then... I cannot complete this sentence!
This book spoke to the soul of the 17-year-old girl in me. The one who hurt and grieved and tried her best in so many things. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down – I was making supper with a spoon in one hand and my tablet in the other (I do not recommend doing this).
Katie: She’s book smart and very sweet but still has so much naivety; some of it is very frustrating because I’m not sure if it comes from real, sheltered innocence or just fear and refusing to open her eyes to see what’s really going on around her and how to respond to it. Part of it is my favorite kind of naivety, the kind that kids and very young adults should have – because I wish my 17-year-old-self had possessed it – where they’re not caught up in dabbling in adult words and deeds. She’s kind, a little bit self-absorbed, caring and a bit of a natural introvert. She also possesses more than a healthy amount of fear that she internalizes but that does tend to guide her decisions and directs her movements.
But being shy and introverted doesn’t mean that she doesn’t possess a special kind of bravery because it requires bravery to live someone’s else’s dream for you; it requires bravery to have your heart broken every day and it requires bravery to care and give the benefit of the doubt even when you’ve been hurt so badly, especially when no-one sees the scars.
Levi: The term diamond in the rough springs to mind. There’s so much there – hidden behind the partying, most-popular guy in school façade. I enjoyed reading about Levi because he’s finding his bravery in this book, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint and so while I cheered for him in his little victories, I had to hang my head in my hands when he made questionable (I cannot think of a kinder word for I-want-to-beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-bottle-and-then-just-hug-you-tight) choices and acted on those. There are glimmers into the reality of him that you can see when he has more vulnerable moments and the cracks show. Levi, is a walking, aching heart.
Levi and Katie have a history that very few know about, a lifetime of knowledge of each other and a shared grief, made worse by Levi’s actions and deeds over the last few years. Levi is part of a group of bullies and while he doesn’t directly bully Katie, you become aware of how soul-crushing being ignored really is – I feel like it’s as bad as being verbally or physical abused because, how painful is it to be treated like you don’t even exist at all, especially after so much?
These main characters are joined by their own groups of secondary characters; on Levi’s side, 1 friend in particular is not entirely what people think and is such a great example of getting caught up in what’s come before and what they should be doing and how they should be acting – and honestly, it’s not just the main characters who need to find their brave in this book. Katie’s friends are supportive and try very hard to pull her out of herself and while they don’t always succeed, they always have her back. Her best friend has an incredible strength of character, shows so much spunk and maturity and is always willing to defend others – I just know that there’s a story there because I adored her so much.
I enjoyed this book and was immensely grateful that Book 2 and 3 was already around so that I could get my fix and try to not feel so completely undone and… well that’s quite enough from me. It’s enough to say that Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger and my feelings about that were expressed quite loudly at home!
The .5 deduction was for uhm... knowing people and still... and then... I cannot complete this sentence!
October 1, 2018
Addicting, but annoying
The main character has been in love with her neighbor her whole life, but when she begins to attend his private school, he acts like he hasn't been friends with her and is part of a group that actually bullied her. This picks up when he randomly started climbing in her window again after 2 years. She is supposed to be all 'I don't need you', but it seems like every time he screws up, which is practically every other page, she forgives him or ignores it so she can have him in her life again. For a girl who is supposed to be so smart, she seems pretty dumb about him and his friends. I can't even chalk it up to naivety because her group has been dealing with the bullying for awhile. That being said, I had to force myself to stop reading this at bedtime and was counting the minutes until I could finish it. It was addicting, even if the characters were annoying.
The main character has been in love with her neighbor her whole life, but when she begins to attend his private school, he acts like he hasn't been friends with her and is part of a group that actually bullied her. This picks up when he randomly started climbing in her window again after 2 years. She is supposed to be all 'I don't need you', but it seems like every time he screws up, which is practically every other page, she forgives him or ignores it so she can have him in her life again. For a girl who is supposed to be so smart, she seems pretty dumb about him and his friends. I can't even chalk it up to naivety because her group has been dealing with the bullying for awhile. That being said, I had to force myself to stop reading this at bedtime and was counting the minutes until I could finish it. It was addicting, even if the characters were annoying.
August 16, 2018
I recevied a free arc for an honest review. I liked the story and it's premise. However, it's characters personalities I had trouble with. I don't fault the story for that because they're my own personal peeves and a story shouldn't be faulted for its varying human conditions. I found Katie to be a bit naive most of the time, but she was a good, strong character. Levi was a terrible person to begin with, even if he does sound good-looking. I loved Karen, even though she annoyed me at times. I liked Daniel even though he didn't make that big of an appearance. It's a good palate cleanser when you've read a lot recently.
August 23, 2018
Great YA Romance Book
What a great YA book. It has all the angst teenagers feel as they go through the process of liking someone they're not sure liked them back.
Katie is the typical teenager who wants to both kiss and hit Levi. And he's the great YA Book! typical guy who doesn't know what to do.
And despite the few words that made me cringe because I was taught never to say them (current teens say them all the time) this is still a clean book.
So glad that the next book will be released soon!
What a great YA book. It has all the angst teenagers feel as they go through the process of liking someone they're not sure liked them back.
Katie is the typical teenager who wants to both kiss and hit Levi. And he's the great YA Book! typical guy who doesn't know what to do.
And despite the few words that made me cringe because I was taught never to say them (current teens say them all the time) this is still a clean book.
So glad that the next book will be released soon!
August 31, 2018
Why’d you stop
I can’t download the next book fast enough! I need more! I fell in love/hate with the characters. I’ve been trying to find a YA book to love and this was it!
I can’t download the next book fast enough! I need more! I fell in love/hate with the characters. I’ve been trying to find a YA book to love and this was it!
September 28, 2018
Feels younger than YA. More preteen. Not a complete book. You're left hanging off the cliff at the end. Very unsatisfactory.
October 19, 2018
Wow how sad 😩
November 3, 2018
Sweet loving heartbreaking
Wow school can be tough and even tougher when your not one of the rich kids, Katie very sweet bright student is not one of them Levi was once her best friend what happened between them all those years ago?
And then there's the rich girls who make her life hell what happens throughout the last few weeks of school is just... But what happens at the formal well you need to read to find out.
Loved it sweet, gorgeous, sad and heartbreaking
Wow school can be tough and even tougher when your not one of the rich kids, Katie very sweet bright student is not one of them Levi was once her best friend what happened between them all those years ago?
And then there's the rich girls who make her life hell what happens throughout the last few weeks of school is just... But what happens at the formal well you need to read to find out.
Loved it sweet, gorgeous, sad and heartbreaking
Read
November 3, 2023DNF
Just couldn't get into it
Just couldn't get into it
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews