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Every Other Weekend
Can life begin again…every other weekend?
Adam Moynihan’s life used to be awesome. Straight As, close friends and a home life so perfect that it could have been a TV show straight out of the 50s. Then his oldest brother died. Now his fun-loving mom cries constantly, he and his remaining brother can’t talk without fighting, and the father he always admired proved himself a coward by moving out when they needed him most.
Jolene Timber’s life is nothing like the movies she loves—not the happy ones anyway. As an aspiring director, she should know, because she’s been reimagining her life as a film ever since she was a kid. With her divorced parents at each other’s throats and using her as a pawn, no amount of mental reediting will give her the love she’s starving for.
Forced to spend every other weekend in the same apartment building, the boy who thinks forgiveness makes him weak and the girl who thinks love is for fools begin an unlikely friendship. The weekends he dreaded and she endured soon become the best part of their lives. But when one’s life begins to mend while the other’s spirals out of control, they realize that falling in love while surrounded by its demise means nothing is ever guaranteed.
Adam Moynihan’s life used to be awesome. Straight As, close friends and a home life so perfect that it could have been a TV show straight out of the 50s. Then his oldest brother died. Now his fun-loving mom cries constantly, he and his remaining brother can’t talk without fighting, and the father he always admired proved himself a coward by moving out when they needed him most.
Jolene Timber’s life is nothing like the movies she loves—not the happy ones anyway. As an aspiring director, she should know, because she’s been reimagining her life as a film ever since she was a kid. With her divorced parents at each other’s throats and using her as a pawn, no amount of mental reediting will give her the love she’s starving for.
Forced to spend every other weekend in the same apartment building, the boy who thinks forgiveness makes him weak and the girl who thinks love is for fools begin an unlikely friendship. The weekends he dreaded and she endured soon become the best part of their lives. But when one’s life begins to mend while the other’s spirals out of control, they realize that falling in love while surrounded by its demise means nothing is ever guaranteed.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2020
478 people are currently reading
22717 people want to read
About the author
Abigail Johnson
8 books952 followersAbigail Johnson was born in Pennsylvania. When she was twelve, her family traded in snowstorms for year-round summers and moved to Arizona. Abigail chronicled the entire cross-country road trip in a purple spiral-bound notebook that she still has, and has been writing ever since. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, writing and directing a high-school production of Cinderella, and riding roller coasters every chance she gets. She is the author of several young adult novels including If I Fix You and Every Other Weekend.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,107 reviews
July 25, 2020
For sniff, sniff, again four (sniveling noises), okay let’s try again four ( sobbing sounds, this comes from my husband because I told him the plot of the book and he actually started to sob while he was chopping onions for his signature meatballs!), okay FOUR OH GOD I CRIED SO MUCH, THIS BOOK IS REALLY SAD, HEART WRENCHING and I think I’m gonna binge watch “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “SNL” episodes to recover from it stars!!!
Wow, this is way of too angsty, heartbreaking, emotional and gripping story for my taste. Some parts depressed me so much, I feel and hurt for those young beautiful characters have been going through hell in their personal lives.
Unfortunately nobody can have a chance to choose their family. If we have those chances, all those shitty parents feel more pissed off because they cannot find a person to blame for their miserable lives and they cannot find any other person to abuse… They always use the kids to leave invisible scars could never get healed at the end of their lives!
And yes, Jolene and Adam are also suffering from their own parents from hell, so they have been pushed to be grown up faster and punched by life’s harshest consequences because when life deals you a shitty hand, you may leave the table or you learn how to bluff to change the situation for your own leverage.
Their slow building not enemies but unlikeable fellows to friends and lovers relationship warmed my heart. The weekends turned into their small escapes from their compelling lives.
Some parts of book really made me sob so much and so many people stopped me to make sure I was all right ( My advice for you friends: do not ever read a tear jerker, ugly crier books when you’re at the public places. I did it when I push my shopping cart when I bought my groceries. The market security guy got so worried about me and as I told him about this book’s plot, he also started to cry.
I thought this book brought out his worse childhood memories. A few other women who eavesdropped our talking also joined the hysterical crying movement. One of the worst things, when I tried to calm the choir of ugly criers down, I realized the ice creams I bought already melted! Yikes!)
CHARACTERIZATION is good, realistic and well-rounded. The story line was upsetting, frustrating. I wanted to scream at the author to give a break and stop torturing those beautiful characters!
Only bad thing a little irritated me was too book’s longevity. Maybe a little reduction would be better for the pacing. The readers need to take a break from sniffing, crying, sobbing and other turmoil they have to endure during their reading. Just because of all those long pages push me lower my star points.
Special thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN TEEN for sharing this beautiful, emotional roller coaster with me in exchange my honest review!
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Wow, this is way of too angsty, heartbreaking, emotional and gripping story for my taste. Some parts depressed me so much, I feel and hurt for those young beautiful characters have been going through hell in their personal lives.
Unfortunately nobody can have a chance to choose their family. If we have those chances, all those shitty parents feel more pissed off because they cannot find a person to blame for their miserable lives and they cannot find any other person to abuse… They always use the kids to leave invisible scars could never get healed at the end of their lives!
And yes, Jolene and Adam are also suffering from their own parents from hell, so they have been pushed to be grown up faster and punched by life’s harshest consequences because when life deals you a shitty hand, you may leave the table or you learn how to bluff to change the situation for your own leverage.
Their slow building not enemies but unlikeable fellows to friends and lovers relationship warmed my heart. The weekends turned into their small escapes from their compelling lives.
Some parts of book really made me sob so much and so many people stopped me to make sure I was all right ( My advice for you friends: do not ever read a tear jerker, ugly crier books when you’re at the public places. I did it when I push my shopping cart when I bought my groceries. The market security guy got so worried about me and as I told him about this book’s plot, he also started to cry.
I thought this book brought out his worse childhood memories. A few other women who eavesdropped our talking also joined the hysterical crying movement. One of the worst things, when I tried to calm the choir of ugly criers down, I realized the ice creams I bought already melted! Yikes!)
CHARACTERIZATION is good, realistic and well-rounded. The story line was upsetting, frustrating. I wanted to scream at the author to give a break and stop torturing those beautiful characters!
Only bad thing a little irritated me was too book’s longevity. Maybe a little reduction would be better for the pacing. The readers need to take a break from sniffing, crying, sobbing and other turmoil they have to endure during their reading. Just because of all those long pages push me lower my star points.
Special thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN TEEN for sharing this beautiful, emotional roller coaster with me in exchange my honest review!
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October 12, 2020
the three stars are for the moral of the story and adam. adam deserves more but, holy cow, jolene ruined this entire book for me.
i just cant stand mean girls (and mean people in general). yes, i understand is a defensive coping measure. yes, i understand she comes from an abusive family. yes, i get that. but her meanness is just so off-putting that i couldnt tolerate her, and unfortunately half of the book is told from POV. she treats adam horribly and i really cant believe he could be friends with, and even fall for someone, who constantly puts him down. its just not a romance i can support or accept.
but i appreciate the message of the story - how loss and anger and less-than-ideal family situations do not have limit someones future. so i guess theres that.
↠ 2.5 stars
i just cant stand mean girls (and mean people in general). yes, i understand is a defensive coping measure. yes, i understand she comes from an abusive family. yes, i get that. but her meanness is just so off-putting that i couldnt tolerate her, and unfortunately half of the book is told from POV. she treats adam horribly and i really cant believe he could be friends with, and even fall for someone, who constantly puts him down. its just not a romance i can support or accept.
but i appreciate the message of the story - how loss and anger and less-than-ideal family situations do not have limit someones future. so i guess theres that.
↠ 2.5 stars
January 28, 2020
Pages: 432
Publication: January 7th 2020
Witty yet poignant story of love in a hopeless place!
Perfectly developed story about a pair of teens from broken homes who meet at the crappy apartment complex of their fathers, who have custody of them every other weekend. Both teens have heavy issues they are dealing with in their personal and family lives. They find escape, comfort and joy in being together when they would otherwise have nothing.
Jolene Timber is a rich girl from the city whose parents broke up because her father cheated on her mother. They had a personal trainer, named Shelly coming to the house regularly and Shelly became friendly with Jo in order to get closer to her father. Jolene’s mother then was caught them in bed together.
Now her father works so much Jolene never sees him and his lawyers demand that he gets custody every other weekend, which is just a way to get back at her unloving and sometimes abusive and alcoholic mother. So Jo is stuck with Shelly when she comes to the rundown apartment he rented in order to hide assets from her Mom.
Jo meets Adam, who grew up in the farming suburbs, on the balcony next to hers on his first day coming to see his father who is living in the apartment next to Jolene. Adam thinks his father is a coward for leaving his Mom and he shows his animosity to his Dad every chance he gets. His family didn’t break apart due to cheating, it happened because of a loss and he he feels like his Dad left during their time of need.
Jolene is a filmmaker and Adam wants to reassure his mother that he is doing fine at his father’s so he asks Jo if he can take a picture of her to send his Mom in order to say he met someone. They quickly become friends and thereafter spend just about every minute of every other weekend together. Jolene has a quick wit and is always teasing Adam, who blushes like nobody’s business. The book has more than it’s fair share of laughable moments.
As these two get to know each other on their “Dad” weekends and text during the week, they develop feelings for each other. The book is sweet, nostalgic, heartwarming and also deals with some tough issues such as personal loss, grief, abuse, neglect, and more. It was well written with great characters and supporting characters such as Shelly, Adams brothers Greg and Jeremy and Jolene’s friends Cherry and Gabe. I really enjoyed the story and the nostalgia of first love.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Publication: January 7th 2020
Witty yet poignant story of love in a hopeless place!
Perfectly developed story about a pair of teens from broken homes who meet at the crappy apartment complex of their fathers, who have custody of them every other weekend. Both teens have heavy issues they are dealing with in their personal and family lives. They find escape, comfort and joy in being together when they would otherwise have nothing.
Jolene Timber is a rich girl from the city whose parents broke up because her father cheated on her mother. They had a personal trainer, named Shelly coming to the house regularly and Shelly became friendly with Jo in order to get closer to her father. Jolene’s mother then was caught them in bed together.
Now her father works so much Jolene never sees him and his lawyers demand that he gets custody every other weekend, which is just a way to get back at her unloving and sometimes abusive and alcoholic mother. So Jo is stuck with Shelly when she comes to the rundown apartment he rented in order to hide assets from her Mom.
Jo meets Adam, who grew up in the farming suburbs, on the balcony next to hers on his first day coming to see his father who is living in the apartment next to Jolene. Adam thinks his father is a coward for leaving his Mom and he shows his animosity to his Dad every chance he gets. His family didn’t break apart due to cheating, it happened because of a loss and he he feels like his Dad left during their time of need.
Jolene is a filmmaker and Adam wants to reassure his mother that he is doing fine at his father’s so he asks Jo if he can take a picture of her to send his Mom in order to say he met someone. They quickly become friends and thereafter spend just about every minute of every other weekend together. Jolene has a quick wit and is always teasing Adam, who blushes like nobody’s business. The book has more than it’s fair share of laughable moments.
As these two get to know each other on their “Dad” weekends and text during the week, they develop feelings for each other. The book is sweet, nostalgic, heartwarming and also deals with some tough issues such as personal loss, grief, abuse, neglect, and more. It was well written with great characters and supporting characters such as Shelly, Adams brothers Greg and Jeremy and Jolene’s friends Cherry and Gabe. I really enjoyed the story and the nostalgia of first love.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Amazon|Twitter|BookBub
June 27, 2024
I quite enjoyed it!! Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Want to read
November 28, 2019this cover just added 2 years to my life
dnfed
March 21, 2022I wanted to love this so bad cause I’ve had it on my TBR for so long and it really sounded cute and like something I could enjoy, my library finally got the audiobook so I gave it a go, and sadly DNF’ed it 28% in. The protagonist is so obnoxious and clingy and I can’t stand it 😅😭
June 20, 2022
This was an absolute masterpiece! I wanted to insert so many quote-worthy passages from this extremely well-written novel, but I decided to let you discover the beauty of Abigail Johnson's prose for yourself. (I also want to use words like "stunning, highly intelligent, topical and relevant - A MUST READ!!!)
Abigail Johnson has created such endearingly unforgettable characters in Jolene and Adam. Jolene will crack you up with her wicked wit, her bravado and dramatic self-deprecating ways. She has had to create a bullet-proof shell around her heart in order to endure the war-zone that was her childhood. Jolene is a filmmaker by necessity, escaping into the world of movies, rewriting the awful script that real life has handed her. What a gutsy girl!
Jolene and Adam are angry, messed up kids who meet one another during their bi-weekly visits with their respective separated parents, who happen to live in the same apartment building. Their rage and discontent jumped out at you from the written page. It was almost impossible to stop reading this story.
Adam is so decent and adorable. He falls instantly under Jolene's spell, even though she fights to keep their relationship in the "friend zone" - because love is never anything anyone has ever freely given her before. (Her parents are selfish monsters!) The dialogue is fast-paced and often quite hilarious. I don't know if I have ever laughed (and sniffled!) so much during a YA before. Well done!
Jolene and Adam's slow burn relationship has its anxious moments, but the satisfyingly realistic ending will leave you crying happy tears. They don't know what the future will truly bring for these two, but we know the scenario that they HOPE will be what the Fates have in store for them. The scene where Jolene and Adam predict their joint Oscar acceptance speeches - his for the adapted screenplay of his first novel, hers for filming and directing that very same first novel - had me in stitches. Adorable! (Something tells me that they may very well make it - those are two very strong-willed, passionate young adults!!)
HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A 10 out of 5 stars!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Abigail Johnson has created such endearingly unforgettable characters in Jolene and Adam. Jolene will crack you up with her wicked wit, her bravado and dramatic self-deprecating ways. She has had to create a bullet-proof shell around her heart in order to endure the war-zone that was her childhood. Jolene is a filmmaker by necessity, escaping into the world of movies, rewriting the awful script that real life has handed her. What a gutsy girl!
Jolene and Adam are angry, messed up kids who meet one another during their bi-weekly visits with their respective separated parents, who happen to live in the same apartment building. Their rage and discontent jumped out at you from the written page. It was almost impossible to stop reading this story.
Adam is so decent and adorable. He falls instantly under Jolene's spell, even though she fights to keep their relationship in the "friend zone" - because love is never anything anyone has ever freely given her before. (Her parents are selfish monsters!) The dialogue is fast-paced and often quite hilarious. I don't know if I have ever laughed (and sniffled!) so much during a YA before. Well done!
Jolene and Adam's slow burn relationship has its anxious moments, but the satisfyingly realistic ending will leave you crying happy tears. They don't know what the future will truly bring for these two, but we know the scenario that they HOPE will be what the Fates have in store for them. The scene where Jolene and Adam predict their joint Oscar acceptance speeches - his for the adapted screenplay of his first novel, hers for filming and directing that very same first novel - had me in stitches. Adorable! (Something tells me that they may very well make it - those are two very strong-willed, passionate young adults!!)
HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A 10 out of 5 stars!
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2019
"It was a love story. Not romantic exactly, but the kind of love that maybe lasts beyond passion and heartache. It was a story of friendship, with all its possibilities laid out in front of it."
What a powerful story of love that enflames between two teens in a hopeless world. What can I tell you about Abigail's writing? It's gut wrenching, inspiring, beautiful, and absolutely well worth every page. This is the third book that I've read from Abigail and she continues to impress with with her flawless story telling.
Abigail once again created unforgettable characters of Adam and Jolene. This is the story of two teens that come from backgrounds that have been broken and they connect with one another through the pain, love, friendship, and healing. There is a lot of heavy content that is discussed in this novel but Abigail writes with ease and love through every single page.
Oh my gosh... did my heart break for both Adam and Jolene. Do you ever wonder how sometimes in this messed up and f...ed up world we find love? With all the heartache that surrounds us in this so called beautiful thing we call life? Well.. let me tell you right here ladies and gentleman between Adam and Jolene love does exist.
This was an unforgettable novel and can't give Abigail enough praise!!!
Highly highly recommend my friends!!
5/5 stars.
And... YES this hardly every happens for me. I've giving a book 5 stars... so RUN to pre order this.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Inkyard Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 1/7/20
Published to GR: 10/19/19
What a powerful story of love that enflames between two teens in a hopeless world. What can I tell you about Abigail's writing? It's gut wrenching, inspiring, beautiful, and absolutely well worth every page. This is the third book that I've read from Abigail and she continues to impress with with her flawless story telling.
Abigail once again created unforgettable characters of Adam and Jolene. This is the story of two teens that come from backgrounds that have been broken and they connect with one another through the pain, love, friendship, and healing. There is a lot of heavy content that is discussed in this novel but Abigail writes with ease and love through every single page.
Oh my gosh... did my heart break for both Adam and Jolene. Do you ever wonder how sometimes in this messed up and f...ed up world we find love? With all the heartache that surrounds us in this so called beautiful thing we call life? Well.. let me tell you right here ladies and gentleman between Adam and Jolene love does exist.
This was an unforgettable novel and can't give Abigail enough praise!!!
Highly highly recommend my friends!!
5/5 stars.
And... YES this hardly every happens for me. I've giving a book 5 stars... so RUN to pre order this.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Inkyard Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Publication date: 1/7/20
Published to GR: 10/19/19
Read
May 20, 2022DNF
I can't stand the male narrator's voice, it's so monotone! Also not feeling this at all. No rating🤷🏻♀️
I can't stand the male narrator's voice, it's so monotone! Also not feeling this at all. No rating🤷🏻♀️
January 10, 2020
1st ~ 5 star read ~ of 2020!!!
I am mentally kicking myself for not reading this book sooner because now that I've read AND fallen completely in love with Adam and Jolene this book has easily become one of my all time favorite reads. I stayed up all night reading it and the reading hangover the next morning was 100% worth it!
I loved that it made me laugh out loud, I loved that it was easy to claim Jolene instantly as a BFF, I loved how easy it was to fall for Adam (even when he was at his moodiest and you could tell he didn't much like my girl Jolene in the beginning haha!) and I even loved that it not only tugged at my romantic heart strings but it played all my other emotions like a well strung guitar.
This book deals with some pretty heavy stuff but it also gives you hope and friendship and love. Not just the romantic kind of love either. Family and friends play a huge part. And you get the good with the bad and all the complicated messes in between. Every other chapter had me either laughing, getting all mushy with the fuzzy feels, bawling my eyes out or wishing instant death on certain characters (you know who you are!) I swear my heart got battered reading this!
Every Other Weekend gave me some serious YA feels a la Fangirl. It had great characters that were complex, a story that was rich and the distinctive voices the author gave each of her characters was spot on. And not just Jo and Adam because there's a huge range of characters that contribute something extra to the story and paints a bigger and broader picture.
I wasn't expecting such a deeply moving story but I'm so glad that I took a chance because I can't stop gushing over this book. It really left an impression on me.
Memorable Moments:
• Pretty much all the back and forth texting between Adam and Jolene.
• How Adam envisioned their success, their friendship, their everything.
• When Adam promises to read The Fellowship of the Ring outloud to Jo, my book loving heart about melted!
• Jolene, always being able to pull Adam out of his funk and making him laugh.
• Adam reading Jolene's essay...
I could keep going but I'll end up quoting the whole book :)
Would I recommend? Yes, I really liked this one and hope others do too. This book just brought every emotion in me out and I know this story will stay with me for a long while.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
"You made me want to be happy again."
I am mentally kicking myself for not reading this book sooner because now that I've read AND fallen completely in love with Adam and Jolene this book has easily become one of my all time favorite reads. I stayed up all night reading it and the reading hangover the next morning was 100% worth it!
"I want all of you. Prickly, funny, sarcastic, brilliant, and sometimes-a-little-mean you."
I loved that it made me laugh out loud, I loved that it was easy to claim Jolene instantly as a BFF, I loved how easy it was to fall for Adam (even when he was at his moodiest and you could tell he didn't much like my girl Jolene in the beginning haha!) and I even loved that it not only tugged at my romantic heart strings but it played all my other emotions like a well strung guitar.
"All my life I've wanted to change things, to make them perfect and safe and unreal, because my reality was a mess. "
This book deals with some pretty heavy stuff but it also gives you hope and friendship and love. Not just the romantic kind of love either. Family and friends play a huge part. And you get the good with the bad and all the complicated messes in between. Every other chapter had me either laughing, getting all mushy with the fuzzy feels, bawling my eyes out or wishing instant death on certain characters (you know who you are!) I swear my heart got battered reading this!
"Adam, I never needed a movie with you, because when you love someone - and I can say it a million times if you want - it's already perfect."
Every Other Weekend gave me some serious YA feels a la Fangirl. It had great characters that were complex, a story that was rich and the distinctive voices the author gave each of her characters was spot on. And not just Jo and Adam because there's a huge range of characters that contribute something extra to the story and paints a bigger and broader picture.
"It was a love story. Not romantic exactly, but the kind of love that maybe lasts beyond passion and heartache. It was a story of friendship, with all its possibilities laid out in front of it. That's what Adam and I had."
I wasn't expecting such a deeply moving story but I'm so glad that I took a chance because I can't stop gushing over this book. It really left an impression on me.
Memorable Moments:
• Pretty much all the back and forth texting between Adam and Jolene.
• How Adam envisioned their success, their friendship, their everything.
...he saw us together. Not just for a year or throughout college, but always.
• When Adam promises to read The Fellowship of the Ring outloud to Jo, my book loving heart about melted!
I'm bringing you my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring next weekend. We'll find somewhere quiet and I will read more than the opening chapters to you."
• Jolene, always being able to pull Adam out of his funk and making him laugh.
She took both my hands like she was about to bare her soul to me. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, "If you feel like you need to cry, just give me a sign and I'll collide into you, knocking us both to the ground - that way everyone will think you're crying 'cause I kneed your junk."
• Adam reading Jolene's essay...
...the heart of her essay - Jolene's heart - beat beautifully through the whole thing.
I could keep going but I'll end up quoting the whole book :)
Would I recommend? Yes, I really liked this one and hope others do too. This book just brought every emotion in me out and I know this story will stay with me for a long while.
* * * ARC provided for an honest review * * *
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
SAFETY INFO:
March 31, 2022
Every Other Weekend was a very easy book to devour audio-wise. I kept seeing it on my hoopla app and I figured I should leap into it this month. After meeting the characters, I knew that I made the right decision.
Jolene and Adam were all kinds of cute. I loved how they randomly met and then become great friends. Along the way, feelings began to develop but they didn't do anything other than hug because of Adam seeing someone else. But everyone knew that they liked one another because of how close they were becoming due to their awful schedule with their parents.
Now I have divorced parents and I lived with my dad full time. I only went to my mom's every other weekend and I was barely there due to having soccer every weekend. So I could see how switching so much between parents can be a good or bad thing on kids. Especially when it comes to school, friends, or anything else really.
So in a lot of ways, I'm glad that they had each other. It definitely made it super easy to ship them together but I felt bad with how awkward their family lives were. Jolene and her mom made me cringe. So did her dad. It just didn't seem like her own parents really put her first because they were so worried about their own lives and hating the other parent.
As for Adam, I felt bad that he couldn't really connect with his dad due to how his mom was feeling. Then with his brother basically saying all the things he did with his dad kind of made me feel even worst because of how they are walking around egg shells with certain parents.
In the end, I'm so happy that I dove into this. It brought back some awkward memories with my own parents and their divorce but it was also a cute, and very emotional, read.
Jolene and Adam were all kinds of cute. I loved how they randomly met and then become great friends. Along the way, feelings began to develop but they didn't do anything other than hug because of Adam seeing someone else. But everyone knew that they liked one another because of how close they were becoming due to their awful schedule with their parents.
Now I have divorced parents and I lived with my dad full time. I only went to my mom's every other weekend and I was barely there due to having soccer every weekend. So I could see how switching so much between parents can be a good or bad thing on kids. Especially when it comes to school, friends, or anything else really.
So in a lot of ways, I'm glad that they had each other. It definitely made it super easy to ship them together but I felt bad with how awkward their family lives were. Jolene and her mom made me cringe. So did her dad. It just didn't seem like her own parents really put her first because they were so worried about their own lives and hating the other parent.
As for Adam, I felt bad that he couldn't really connect with his dad due to how his mom was feeling. Then with his brother basically saying all the things he did with his dad kind of made me feel even worst because of how they are walking around egg shells with certain parents.
In the end, I'm so happy that I dove into this. It brought back some awkward memories with my own parents and their divorce but it was also a cute, and very emotional, read.
January 30, 2020
Every Other Weekend By Abigail Johnson
This was my first time reading Abigail Johnson’s writing and I am definitely a fan. Johnson was able to beautifully craft a story that pulled at my heartstrings and was able to write about amazing and believable characters that are complex and definitely you want to read about. In this character driven story, Adam and Jolene’s life intertwines into a beautiful love story that is tender and full of heart. I enjoyed the amazing dialogue and inner perspectives of these characters’ vulnerability and also at the same time their strength to pull through adversities. Themes addressed in this story include, death and loss, abuse, grief, and navigating fractured relationships.
I highly recommend this read for a poignant and tender Young Adult Contemporary read that deals with complex issues in a dual point of view story line. An amazing must read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
This was my first time reading Abigail Johnson’s writing and I am definitely a fan. Johnson was able to beautifully craft a story that pulled at my heartstrings and was able to write about amazing and believable characters that are complex and definitely you want to read about. In this character driven story, Adam and Jolene’s life intertwines into a beautiful love story that is tender and full of heart. I enjoyed the amazing dialogue and inner perspectives of these characters’ vulnerability and also at the same time their strength to pull through adversities. Themes addressed in this story include, death and loss, abuse, grief, and navigating fractured relationships.
I highly recommend this read for a poignant and tender Young Adult Contemporary read that deals with complex issues in a dual point of view story line. An amazing must read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
February 23, 2020
DNF at 75%
April 1, 2020
I’ve been a fan of Abigail Johnson’s ever since she took me completely off guard with 'If I Fix You', where I was expecting one story and got a completely different one. 'Every Other Weekend' was just as much of a pleasant surprise, with strong characters and a story that tugged on my heartstrings. It tackled some pretty heavy topics and it wasn’t always easy to read. Some characters made me so mad I got tears in my eyes but it really was a beautiful, emotional story. Adam was a real sweetheart but boy, did I love the complexity of Jolene’s character and her snark.
January 23, 2020
Note: I received an ARC from Edelweiss, the publisher HarperTeen, and the author in exchange for an honest review.
*Warning*: This book does deal with heavy stuff such as separation anxiety (in a way, I think), grief, learning to get support, manipulation by families, sexual assault, teenage angst at an all time high, miscommunication (sort of between the main characters and others too). So be warned if you read this book. I already told you so.
But let's move on.
"A good destiny is two people finding each other without even looking." (Anonymous)
I think that quote up sums up Adam and Jolene's budding friendship to first love quite perfectly. This book ruined me, shattered me, pulled me up and down, wrung my emotions out every which way it could, and yet..I still loved it for doing all that.
I thank the almighty god and my goodreads pals for loving it and pushing me (not intentionally) to be curious about it and read it.
THIS IS THE BOOK WHICH MADE ME AND BROKE ME! 'Nough said.
I can't find enough words to praise and cry and praise and cry some more about how perfectly relatable, heart shattering and emotionally draining book this is.
I mean the story, yes it has been done in many other ways, but god it still never stopped me from picking it up.
Plus the cover, damn me. It's not hot, but rather quirky and cute, exactly what I wanted right now to get me up and out of my hell for the last couple of weeks which I resided in. (They (Lucifer) allowed me to rest though..so ye.)
Plus the characters were flawed in so many ways (but in such an awesome way) which made them even more relatable (despite me having a different life to theirs) with their problems, teenage angst and emotions. Yet, the good thing it was, they were more mature than any other character I ever saw in YA. Literally. No matter what problem crossed by, they solved it (even if took time)..god I loved their maturity so fucking much. Heh.
Yes, I have to admit, some of their solutions weren't best but kids are kids. (As a teenager myself, I agree with some of their solutions, but now I realize they weren't so perfect, once I started reviewing this.. But they are kids, they wouldn't know much about handling their situation without being complete dramatics about it and crying to someone they loved and not knowing how to deal right and proper.)
THEY WEREN'T ADULTS. That's the problem, I've seen with some of the goodreads reviewers who've reviewed this. Yes, they are children and yes they do a lot of things that an adult necessarily wouldn't agree with (probably reason enough you shouldn't really read this if you're an adult and you can't really go with unconventional solutions..) but they are kids in the end. People forget this a lot when they review it. They are kids and will do things that would necessarily deem them as stupid, risky even. But in the end it's just a book and they're just young, daring teenagers. That's all.
The romance. Well the romance was not fast-paced, I have to admit. (Probably would suck for people who love fast-paced plots with the romance coming in early like 100 pages or 200 pages earlier..) But it was perfect at their age, I think, as I said again, they are kids, and kids at 16 or any teenage age will never understand what it is like to love someone (on time) and want them around when you miss them. So I think it was perfect and the chemistry came at a brilliant time (and if anyone disagrees...why are we still talking?). At least they got time to act about their problematic situations and I guess..have a life? Sorry to those who think romance should always come first in these books. Y'all need more substance in life than just simple romance in books that are not like what you expected.
The ending - You know what I loved most? The ending. WHy? Because in the end, the author showed us that not everything can get better all at once or with a stick chanting words of bippity boppity boo, everything will automatically change for the good of all. She still showed us how some people don't change, but they can get on the mend. Not everything is perfect by the end, but you get there. You get there. That's all.
PLUS THAT ESSAY! Damn, I'm actually jealous of your writing, Jolene. But you're such a talented and sweet girl, so I'll let it go this time. Cheers.
The problems people had with this book - 1. Too long (people, they needed time to sort out their shit, what do you think, they're magicians?) 2. Characters didn't click romantically (well interactions needed to happen y'all, and this isn't some new adult novel where they explored their chemistry through sex..geez) 3. Characters are too childish (yeah well they're teenagers and clearly you're too mature, your wise one..*rolls eyes*)
So ignoring the petty problems of adults above..this book was one perfect package that lifted me up, up, up, up, uuuup! Gah, I've never soared high this much until today.
So thank you to the people mentioned already for landing me this book, and I sincerely hope I get to read more books by this author in the future.
PS: The character Daniel (mentioned in the book) does have his own book called If I Fix You. Up to you if you'd like to read in order. I'm eager to try it. So fingers crossed, I can find it and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed this one.
Until the next read,
TMR
*Warning*: This book does deal with heavy stuff such as separation anxiety (in a way, I think), grief, learning to get support, manipulation by families, sexual assault, teenage angst at an all time high, miscommunication (sort of between the main characters and others too). So be warned if you read this book. I already told you so.
But let's move on.
"A good destiny is two people finding each other without even looking." (Anonymous)
I think that quote up sums up Adam and Jolene's budding friendship to first love quite perfectly. This book ruined me, shattered me, pulled me up and down, wrung my emotions out every which way it could, and yet..I still loved it for doing all that.
I thank the almighty god and my goodreads pals for loving it and pushing me (not intentionally) to be curious about it and read it.
THIS IS THE BOOK WHICH MADE ME AND BROKE ME! 'Nough said.
I can't find enough words to praise and cry and praise and cry some more about how perfectly relatable, heart shattering and emotionally draining book this is.
I mean the story, yes it has been done in many other ways, but god it still never stopped me from picking it up.
Plus the cover, damn me. It's not hot, but rather quirky and cute, exactly what I wanted right now to get me up and out of my hell for the last couple of weeks which I resided in. (They (Lucifer) allowed me to rest though..so ye.)
Plus the characters were flawed in so many ways (but in such an awesome way) which made them even more relatable (despite me having a different life to theirs) with their problems, teenage angst and emotions. Yet, the good thing it was, they were more mature than any other character I ever saw in YA. Literally. No matter what problem crossed by, they solved it (even if took time)..god I loved their maturity so fucking much. Heh.
Yes, I have to admit, some of their solutions weren't best but kids are kids. (As a teenager myself, I agree with some of their solutions, but now I realize they weren't so perfect, once I started reviewing this.. But they are kids, they wouldn't know much about handling their situation without being complete dramatics about it and crying to someone they loved and not knowing how to deal right and proper.)
THEY WEREN'T ADULTS. That's the problem, I've seen with some of the goodreads reviewers who've reviewed this. Yes, they are children and yes they do a lot of things that an adult necessarily wouldn't agree with (probably reason enough you shouldn't really read this if you're an adult and you can't really go with unconventional solutions..) but they are kids in the end. People forget this a lot when they review it. They are kids and will do things that would necessarily deem them as stupid, risky even. But in the end it's just a book and they're just young, daring teenagers. That's all.
The romance. Well the romance was not fast-paced, I have to admit. (Probably would suck for people who love fast-paced plots with the romance coming in early like 100 pages or 200 pages earlier..) But it was perfect at their age, I think, as I said again, they are kids, and kids at 16 or any teenage age will never understand what it is like to love someone (on time) and want them around when you miss them. So I think it was perfect and the chemistry came at a brilliant time (and if anyone disagrees...why are we still talking?). At least they got time to act about their problematic situations and I guess..have a life? Sorry to those who think romance should always come first in these books. Y'all need more substance in life than just simple romance in books that are not like what you expected.
The ending - You know what I loved most? The ending. WHy? Because in the end, the author showed us that not everything can get better all at once or with a stick chanting words of bippity boppity boo, everything will automatically change for the good of all. She still showed us how some people don't change, but they can get on the mend. Not everything is perfect by the end, but you get there. You get there. That's all.
PLUS THAT ESSAY! Damn, I'm actually jealous of your writing, Jolene. But you're such a talented and sweet girl, so I'll let it go this time. Cheers.
The problems people had with this book - 1. Too long (people, they needed time to sort out their shit, what do you think, they're magicians?) 2. Characters didn't click romantically (well interactions needed to happen y'all, and this isn't some new adult novel where they explored their chemistry through sex..geez) 3. Characters are too childish (yeah well they're teenagers and clearly you're too mature, your wise one..*rolls eyes*)
So ignoring the petty problems of adults above..this book was one perfect package that lifted me up, up, up, up, uuuup! Gah, I've never soared high this much until today.
So thank you to the people mentioned already for landing me this book, and I sincerely hope I get to read more books by this author in the future.
PS: The character Daniel (mentioned in the book) does have his own book called If I Fix You. Up to you if you'd like to read in order. I'm eager to try it. So fingers crossed, I can find it and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed this one.
Until the next read,
TMR
December 3, 2020
I was reading this book and I read the first quarter, and then I finished the first half and then I finished the other half and I truly wasn't expecting it, but this made me sob so so much.
AHHHHHHHHHH. JOLENE.
I'm so glad. So so so glad she exists and so appreciative that even though this is fiction her story and everything about her is so so so real and so important.
I enjoyed her character so much! She was young and still is when this book ended, but she grew so much and changed so much and was a really, really lovable character to follow despite her "flaws". She made me laugh and cry and sob and smile and scream and made me lose it, but her character was always so real and I deeply appreciated that.
I'm glad this ended the way it did! It made me laugh and sob and I thought it wasn't gonna be as good and that many things would go wrong or take a completely different route, but I really, really enjoyed the way everything turned out and I think it really realistically portrayed many of the themes it explored, it accomplished what it set out to and the characters and their feelings were explored so much which I really loved and it's one of my favorite things about this book. This feels like it was just the right time for me to read this book which just makes it more meaningful.
"I want to tell love stories that maybe end as broken and as messy as they started. And ones that end happy and hopeful, as the girl realizes that happily-ever-after isn’t just a silver screen fantasy."
AHHHHHHHHHH. JOLENE.
I'm so glad. So so so glad she exists and so appreciative that even though this is fiction her story and everything about her is so so so real and so important.
I enjoyed her character so much! She was young and still is when this book ended, but she grew so much and changed so much and was a really, really lovable character to follow despite her "flaws". She made me laugh and cry and sob and smile and scream and made me lose it, but her character was always so real and I deeply appreciated that.
I'm glad this ended the way it did! It made me laugh and sob and I thought it wasn't gonna be as good and that many things would go wrong or take a completely different route, but I really, really enjoyed the way everything turned out and I think it really realistically portrayed many of the themes it explored, it accomplished what it set out to and the characters and their feelings were explored so much which I really loved and it's one of my favorite things about this book. This feels like it was just the right time for me to read this book which just makes it more meaningful.
"I want to tell love stories that maybe end as broken and as messy as they started. And ones that end happy and hopeful, as the girl realizes that happily-ever-after isn’t just a silver screen fantasy."
January 25, 2020
See my full review at my blog here!
https://pawsomereads.home.blog/2020/0...
“It doesn’t matter because of you. Two weekends a month. It’s not a bad trade-off.”
Every Other Weekend is an incredibly touching novel about family, love, friendship and striving for your dreams. I loved this book, the writing, the plot and the characters! We follow two teenagers as they are navigating their own family issues, which find them staying in the same apartment building every other weekend with one of their respective parents.
The main characters, Jolene and Adam, were captivating and relatable as they each try to find how they fit into their families that are falling apart in different ways. Jolene is an aspiring film maker who is a bit rough around the edges from watching her parents’ marriage break apart, resulting in an ugly battle between her mom and dad. Adam is a sweet and friendly boy mourning the loss of his oldest brother. His mom was unable to prevent her grief from coming between herself and her husband, and he has moved into the same apartment building as Jolene’s father. Jolene and Adam meet up every other weekend and go on their own adventures to try to escape their realities.
All I have to say is, I officially have a new book boyfriend! Everyone deserves their own Adam Moynihan. He truly loves Jolene for who she is and it’s just the cutest thing. She can be harsh and crass but he’s always so gentle and sweet to her. I found myself being so happy that each of them found one another and it was really interesting to read about Jolene slowly opening up to Adam over time.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the multi-media component that was included. Text messages between Adam and Jolene were included for the time period between weekends and I feel like it made the relationship seem much more real. I feel like a lot of the story would have been lacking if we didn’t have that insight into the lives that they’re living whenever they’re not at the apartment.
Building off of that, I liked the alternating chapters and the formatting of the book with the contrast between the weekends where Adam and Jolene are together and the “in between” times when they’re apart. The weekends seem to be so great and kind of like their sanctuary while the “in between” times are messier and harder for each of them as they face real life. This really captured the whole essence of the book and the suggestion that Adam and Jolene were each other’s safe place.
This story truly and deeply explores what happens when someone else’s happiness matters more to you than your own and what you’re willing to give up for them, including your own happiness. I loved the relationship in this book that was both realistic and something that we should all hope for. I really enjoyed this book and I think that it explored a lot of interesting topics while also having the main things I enjoy in a YA novel!
Thank you to Abigail Johnson, Inkyard Press and FFBC Tours for sending me a physical copy in exchange for an honest review!
https://pawsomereads.home.blog/2020/0...
“It doesn’t matter because of you. Two weekends a month. It’s not a bad trade-off.”
Every Other Weekend is an incredibly touching novel about family, love, friendship and striving for your dreams. I loved this book, the writing, the plot and the characters! We follow two teenagers as they are navigating their own family issues, which find them staying in the same apartment building every other weekend with one of their respective parents.
The main characters, Jolene and Adam, were captivating and relatable as they each try to find how they fit into their families that are falling apart in different ways. Jolene is an aspiring film maker who is a bit rough around the edges from watching her parents’ marriage break apart, resulting in an ugly battle between her mom and dad. Adam is a sweet and friendly boy mourning the loss of his oldest brother. His mom was unable to prevent her grief from coming between herself and her husband, and he has moved into the same apartment building as Jolene’s father. Jolene and Adam meet up every other weekend and go on their own adventures to try to escape their realities.
All I have to say is, I officially have a new book boyfriend! Everyone deserves their own Adam Moynihan. He truly loves Jolene for who she is and it’s just the cutest thing. She can be harsh and crass but he’s always so gentle and sweet to her. I found myself being so happy that each of them found one another and it was really interesting to read about Jolene slowly opening up to Adam over time.
Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the multi-media component that was included. Text messages between Adam and Jolene were included for the time period between weekends and I feel like it made the relationship seem much more real. I feel like a lot of the story would have been lacking if we didn’t have that insight into the lives that they’re living whenever they’re not at the apartment.
Building off of that, I liked the alternating chapters and the formatting of the book with the contrast between the weekends where Adam and Jolene are together and the “in between” times when they’re apart. The weekends seem to be so great and kind of like their sanctuary while the “in between” times are messier and harder for each of them as they face real life. This really captured the whole essence of the book and the suggestion that Adam and Jolene were each other’s safe place.
This story truly and deeply explores what happens when someone else’s happiness matters more to you than your own and what you’re willing to give up for them, including your own happiness. I loved the relationship in this book that was both realistic and something that we should all hope for. I really enjoyed this book and I think that it explored a lot of interesting topics while also having the main things I enjoy in a YA novel!
Thank you to Abigail Johnson, Inkyard Press and FFBC Tours for sending me a physical copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 10, 2020
"Look, are you going to be around a lot?”📚 Series: No.
“Every other weekend.”
He hung his head. “Me too.”
I didn’t bother with a fake smile. “Yippee.”
📚 Genre: YA Contemporary Romance.
📚 POV: First person, alternating
📚 Cliffhanger: No
📚 Content Warnings: Parental neglect. Divorce. Abuse. Dealing with family dynamic changes. Dealing with grief. Toxic relationship. Sexual assault.
📚 Read if: you are in the mood for something angsty, slow-burn, and well-written.
📽📽📽📽📽
Aaaah, I can’t believe I found another new favorite. 2020 is being extremely good to me!
Okay, before we delve in deeper! Let me just say wow over how pretty this book cover is. To be honest, I always get drawn in by amazing covers. And in recent years, the trend is in illustrated covers. I love the artwork in this one. I did a little digging and the artist is Marissa Korda!
Now, for this beautiful read!
Every Other Weekend is the first time I encountered the author Abigail Johnson, but I am sure that this will definitely not be the last! It is told in the point of view of two teens, Jolene and Adam, who are both sent to their dads every other weekend due to a custody agreement after a divorce.
Jolene and Adam met each other because their weekend homes are adjacent. Jolene is an aspiring filmmaker and loves reimagining how her life may be. Adam, however, wants his parents to reunite with each other while dealing with the grief of losing his brother.
This book is a little long and offers its story through a slow burn type of way. But, don’t fret, Johnson is skilled with wordweaving that you won’t really notice that you’re at 500 pages!
Quick warning: Readers must also approach this story with caution as soooo many triggering events are scattered throughout this read.
The writing style of this book is light and fun. There were lots of witty banter. But the issues interwoven within talks about something very deep and serious. As I am a self-confessed sucker for reads that squeeze my heart and soak my pillows with tears, I can definitely say that this book was able to deliver the angst-level that I was craving for!
When you pick up this book, which you absolutely should, be prepared to laugh out loud and then cry your heart out!
📽📽📽📽📽
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Main Character:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Significant Other: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Thrill Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
m🌼 Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Ending: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌼 Audiobook Production: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.64/5 ☁
Much thanks to Inkyard Press and The Fantastic Flying Book Club Tours for sending me a copy for review and for inviting me to be a part of this tour. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own. Also, all quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
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September 8, 2019
Every Other Weekend delves into many important topics for young people and Abigail Johnson does this with remarkable skill through the two very distinctive voices of Adam and Jolene. I loved Adam. His grief felt real and relatable, as did his flaws and actions, but mostly I loved his kindness and modern sense of honor. We need more heroes in YA like Adam! As for Jolene, she’s my kind of heroine. Passionate and driven, all the while hiding her vulnerability behind snark and banter. Jolene’s emotional development and the slow burn romance that helped pull her out from behind her high defences kept me turning the pages.
This is a coming-of-age story with real heart and authenticity. A must read!
This is a coming-of-age story with real heart and authenticity. A must read!
July 12, 2019
I’m not sure if it was Abigail’s intention to leave me sobbing on an airplane with no one to talk to about my feelings but here we are.
January 13, 2020
I've had this book on my NetGalley backlog for a while now and finally got to it - somehow I requested a YA drama, not my usual fare. And surprise! It's 512 pages. I think that's a bit long! But I did enjoy the story of a friendship that develops over a series of every other weekends, time Jolene and Adam only get because their families are unraveling and parts of each moved into a rundown apartment building. Themes of grief, negligence, friendship, navigating good vs bad relationships, etc. But just too long. Although... I am not really the target audience.
I received access to this book through NetGalley. It came out January 7, 2020.
I received access to this book through NetGalley. It came out January 7, 2020.
February 4, 2022
My 2022 kicked off with one hell of a book slump. Short stories, audios, and book after book all left unfinished. Nothing worked until, out of pure desperation, I pulled a book out of my sea of piles and said, “This is it. I’m reading this book.” And oh, did I pick a gem. Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson not only ended my book slump, but became one of my favorite books to boot. All because of…
JOLENE. I love this girl! She’s a smartass, a badass, and a filmmaker with a dream. She says things like “fetching” and “shoot the breeze” and love, love, loves the movies. A girl after my own heart. Her sweet/sarcastic nature has no filter. Anything could and does come out of her mouth! Jolene will make you snort laugh one minute and break your heart the next. Her parents are and possibly have always used their daughter as a pawn. And as a result of long, bloody divorce battles, Jolene spends every other weekend at her Dad’s apartment. Notice I didn’t say with her Dad. He’s nowhere to be found. Jolene spends most of her time aggravating and avoiding her Dad’s girlfriend, Shelly. That is until Adam is sentenced to time at the same apartment building.
Adam, Adam, Adam. My hand goes right over my heart when I say his name. I adore this sweet, blushing boy. Adam has one brother he’s constantly fighting with, a Mom lost in grief, and a Dad who left. His family is in pieces after the death of his big brother, Greg. And Adam is angry. Angry he has to spend every other weekend away from his Mom. Angry he has to spend time with his Dad in the city. Angry! Until he meets Jolene. Can these two lonely, broken hearted individuals with angry, guarded ways possibly find love and light in each other?
Our story is told in weekends together and weekends apart and the time in between. During their weekends together, Jolene and Adam spend every minute they can together. They wander around the snow-covered streets laughing, filming, and talking. So much talking and laughing! The banter is quick and fun and filled with sparks. I loved how these two talked to each other. They connected. Clicked! At first sight. You’ll feel it. I laughed, aw-ed, and teared up almost every single interaction between these two. They both face big issues, but the way they showed and shared their hearts was brave and inspiring and beautiful. My heart knew I had something special from the very first over the balcony railing meet up. Adam and Jolene formed a little bubble of two away from their pain and anger. They found each other. And I’m so happy I found them!
I can sit and ooh and ahh over Jolene and Adam all day long, but let me try to make an actual point here. Ms. Johnson says a lot in this story. A lot about love, grief, self respect, and more. At first glance, I thought this book might be too long or too much. Even after I finished it, I took a few minutes to ask if this or that was really necessary. YES! Is the answer. Every piece clicked into place. The way the different characters and relationships mirrored each other and related to each other was amazing. Every single character had something to say about connections and relationships and respect and love and pain. So don’t let the page count deter you. Once you start reading and spending time with this book, you’re gonna wish for more.
Love is a powerful thing. We can all hurt, help, and heal each other in this world. And it takes love to do all of that. This book shows that in so many different ways. The good and the bad. You’ll see it all. Toxic relationships, inspiring connections, broken hearts, and open hearts. Love can get messy, but usually the best things in life are. From “fragile boy emotions” to the best Valentine’s Day gifts ever to beautiful, blushing ears! Haha…We see so much blushing—Adam’s face and ears and neck! I love it. I love so much here. I might have to make a list. Um…Yup I do. Feel free to stop here though. Stop reading this rambling review and start reading the book. Go!
HIGHLY recommended.
Just a few more of my favorite ingredients, moments, and quotes from this book.
--Jeremy’s “turdness”
--Adam almost falling down the stairs when he sees Jolene in her school uniform for the first time. Haha…Boys!
“This line…”Movies can be more real than life. They’re life the way the filmmaker wants it to be, or life the way the filmmaker needs to show the world, or life the way the filmmaker is afraid it is. It’s true life, even if it isn’t exactly real.”
--Jolene’s gap-toothed grin
--Daniel.
--And I can’t help thinking and asking…What is Adam’s favorite movie? Haha…I’m betting it would make Jolene growl.
I can’t wait to read more from Abigail Johnson.
January 14, 2020
—.:*
Quick recap!
☆ This book is about two struggled teens who develop an unlikely friendship during their encounter on their fathers' apartment complex.
☆ Read this book if you're a fan of heartwarming teenage first love story that featured hard-hitting issues.
☆ You might want to consider it because it was 500+ pages long and some could be intimidated by the number, but I'd say you'll enjoy every single page. A lot of triggering behaviors were also featured in this book, such as parental abuse, sexual assault, and toxic relationships.
Every Other Weekend is a must-read hard-hitting contemporary. Although it was narrated fun and lightly, the issues within this story were far heavier, making you realized just how deep a person could feel their loss and grief about it. Trigger warning applied for an abusive relationship, emotional and physical abuse from parents, the loss of loved one, sexual assault.
—.:* Read the full review here!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
☆ This book is about two struggled teens who develop an unlikely friendship during their encounter on their fathers' apartment complex.
☆ Read this book if you're a fan of heartwarming teenage first love story that featured hard-hitting issues.
☆ You might want to consider it because it was 500+ pages long and some could be intimidated by the number, but I'd say you'll enjoy every single page. A lot of triggering behaviors were also featured in this book, such as parental abuse, sexual assault, and toxic relationships.
Every Other Weekend is a must-read hard-hitting contemporary. Although it was narrated fun and lightly, the issues within this story were far heavier, making you realized just how deep a person could feel their loss and grief about it. Trigger warning applied for an abusive relationship, emotional and physical abuse from parents, the loss of loved one, sexual assault.
—.:* Read the full review here!
Thank you Inkyard Press for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2020
Loved this.
November 5, 2019
Every Other Weekend has reminded me that realistic fiction and romance are not overrated. I generally don't read this genre of books since I like to be far away from reality when I read but this one sounded interesting and I'm glad I gave it a shot.
Every Other Weekend follows two teens, Adam and Jolene, with complicated family issues who spend every other weekend together at a shady, run-down apartment complex. Despite seeing each other twice a month, their friendship leads to healing and finding a sense of belonging. It sounds like a cheesy Hallmark movie but this book gets you in the feels. Johnson does such a fantastic job discussing loss, mental health, messy relationships, and finding redemption and hope in dark times. This was so engrossing and such a lovely, bittersweet novel.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN publishers for providing a free ARC
Every Other Weekend follows two teens, Adam and Jolene, with complicated family issues who spend every other weekend together at a shady, run-down apartment complex. Despite seeing each other twice a month, their friendship leads to healing and finding a sense of belonging. It sounds like a cheesy Hallmark movie but this book gets you in the feels. Johnson does such a fantastic job discussing loss, mental health, messy relationships, and finding redemption and hope in dark times. This was so engrossing and such a lovely, bittersweet novel.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN publishers for providing a free ARC
October 12, 2021
I loved that it was equally impossible to think about anything or anyone else when I was with her.
Trigger Warning: emotional abuse, sexual assault and loss of a loved one.
This is one of the longer contemporary novels i've read in recent years and i did enjoy it a lot more than expected at first. This story is layered and well thought out with all the characters in the book all very complex which made them really relatable and easy to get a hold of.
Following two different teenagers who are in somewhat of the same situation with both of their fathers living in an apartment building after the marriages have fallen apart to different varying degrees. Adam i related to a lot in most aspects of the story with enjoying school and being close to friends which is something i was in high school whereas Jolene is completely different and is the more outgoing and movie obsessed teenager and i related to her as i have an obsession with reading.
The family dynamics over the course of the book were all really well done and i loved getting to see how different both families were to each other. Adam's parents have both taken time apart from each other and are not living with each other however are still married and seeing their transformation going from grieving parents, blame to overcoming it and slowly starting to mend the relationship of their family together. You then have Jolene's family where her parents are in a nasty and long divorce battle that is going back and forth trying to blame something on the other. You have her father who's now with a girl who's younger and you see Jolene's journey with her mother who really doesn't care for her and a father who's absent a lot to her slowly accepting that she is stronger than she imagined and will be fine on her own.
I also loved the enemies that slowly over the course of the book morphed into this loving relationship of two teenagers who are not only finding themselves but also exploring this new found relationship the two share. The weekends in the beginning were very short and just something for the two to kill some time during their stay in this apartment complex to this forming and and slow burning relationship the two end up having in the book. Adam and Jolene may be two totally different characters but i feel like they ended up working well of each other and their relationship was so beautiful and i'm glad things took a turn in the right direction. Another thing i would touch on is how Adam handled the incident with Jolene getting sexually assaulted and is willingness to help her and get her through this absolutely difficult time. He was so involved with the process of how things went i was amazed with how it was handled.
This was my first Abigail Johnson novel and with how much i loved this one i regard this book highly and recommended that you pick up this book and give it a chance. It has so many emotional, happy, heartbreaking and shocking moments that it will leave you in a puddle of your own tears or near too it!
Trigger Warning: emotional abuse, sexual assault and loss of a loved one.
This is one of the longer contemporary novels i've read in recent years and i did enjoy it a lot more than expected at first. This story is layered and well thought out with all the characters in the book all very complex which made them really relatable and easy to get a hold of.
Following two different teenagers who are in somewhat of the same situation with both of their fathers living in an apartment building after the marriages have fallen apart to different varying degrees. Adam i related to a lot in most aspects of the story with enjoying school and being close to friends which is something i was in high school whereas Jolene is completely different and is the more outgoing and movie obsessed teenager and i related to her as i have an obsession with reading.
The family dynamics over the course of the book were all really well done and i loved getting to see how different both families were to each other. Adam's parents have both taken time apart from each other and are not living with each other however are still married and seeing their transformation going from grieving parents, blame to overcoming it and slowly starting to mend the relationship of their family together. You then have Jolene's family where her parents are in a nasty and long divorce battle that is going back and forth trying to blame something on the other. You have her father who's now with a girl who's younger and you see Jolene's journey with her mother who really doesn't care for her and a father who's absent a lot to her slowly accepting that she is stronger than she imagined and will be fine on her own.
I also loved the enemies that slowly over the course of the book morphed into this loving relationship of two teenagers who are not only finding themselves but also exploring this new found relationship the two share. The weekends in the beginning were very short and just something for the two to kill some time during their stay in this apartment complex to this forming and and slow burning relationship the two end up having in the book. Adam and Jolene may be two totally different characters but i feel like they ended up working well of each other and their relationship was so beautiful and i'm glad things took a turn in the right direction. Another thing i would touch on is how Adam handled the incident with Jolene getting sexually assaulted and is willingness to help her and get her through this absolutely difficult time. He was so involved with the process of how things went i was amazed with how it was handled.
This was my first Abigail Johnson novel and with how much i loved this one i regard this book highly and recommended that you pick up this book and give it a chance. It has so many emotional, happy, heartbreaking and shocking moments that it will leave you in a puddle of your own tears or near too it!
January 14, 2021
"You want some advice? Divorce kid to divorce kid?" She immediately raised her palms when I started to object. "Sorry, divorce kid to separated kid." It was clear from her tone that she considered that distinction a technicality. I felt that irritation from our first meeting stir to life. "Don't waste your energy on the small stuff."
"Small stuff?"
"Yeah, you know, tiny acts of rebellion like living out of a suitcase and--"
"Smoking?"
Her mouth twitched and she bit back a smile, the slight movement effectively snuffing out my irritation. "Okay, yes, and smoking."
(The following book contains swearing, alcoholism, juvenile sexual assault, an emotionally abusive relationship, and references to child abuse)
I was going to cut Abigail Johnson some slack because I thought this was her debut novel, but I got to the end and she was going on about her other books so there's really no excuse. It's like she took everything trope in YA fiction, dumped it all in this book, and thought she didn't have to try anymore. Snarky artsy girl with issues, All-American boy whose perfect family is torn apart by tragedy, sappy romance, attempts at diversity (note: making the only two Koreans the illiterate cleaning lady and the young adulteress who gets slut shammed doesn't really count as representation,) random pages showing text exchanges, a #metoo lecture, a ton of pop culture references, and, of course, alternating POVs. The writing was lackluster, the characters were one-dimensional, the story lacked cohesion, and the book as a whole was just unoriginal and boring.
February 13, 2022
''So that's your girl?''
''Yeah.'' I nodded, still staring after her. ''I don't know if I'm hers, but she's definitely mine.''
I am obsessed, y'all. I went into this read expecting a nice, sweet romance that I'd like just enough, but it is just oh so much more than that, my heart is warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. Yes, it's nice and sweet, but it's also smart, funny and sad (all at once) and special .
An issue that I sometimes have with YA romance is that the story focuses so much on the relationship between the two main characters, it doesn't focus on the two characters individually. Every Other Weekend aces this masterfully, both Adam and Jolene's personalities, pasts, families, likes and sorrows are so well-built I could barely believe it. Just perfect, and Jolene might just be one of my favourite MC's I've read in the past few years, which is a lot considering usually teenage MC's get on my nerves more than anything (no offense, I was also a teenager four years ago, it's just a fact).
I don't have enough compliments for this story. Seriously, if you enjoy YA romance, just read it, you won't be disappointed - because yes, you'll get the cute romance story, but also so much more. I'm now on my way to read everything that Abigail Johnson's ever written, thank you very much.
Also, there's no beating somewhat-enemies to friends to lovers. It's the superior trope and I'll die on this hill.
''Yeah.'' I nodded, still staring after her. ''I don't know if I'm hers, but she's definitely mine.''
I am obsessed, y'all. I went into this read expecting a nice, sweet romance that I'd like just enough, but it is just oh so much more than that, my heart is warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. Yes, it's nice and sweet, but it's also smart, funny and sad (all at once) and special .
An issue that I sometimes have with YA romance is that the story focuses so much on the relationship between the two main characters, it doesn't focus on the two characters individually. Every Other Weekend aces this masterfully, both Adam and Jolene's personalities, pasts, families, likes and sorrows are so well-built I could barely believe it. Just perfect, and Jolene might just be one of my favourite MC's I've read in the past few years, which is a lot considering usually teenage MC's get on my nerves more than anything (no offense, I was also a teenager four years ago, it's just a fact).
I don't have enough compliments for this story. Seriously, if you enjoy YA romance, just read it, you won't be disappointed - because yes, you'll get the cute romance story, but also so much more. I'm now on my way to read everything that Abigail Johnson's ever written, thank you very much.
Also, there's no beating somewhat-enemies to friends to lovers. It's the superior trope and I'll die on this hill.
May 13, 2020
Trigger warnings (TW):
Real rating: 4,5 stars.
I'm, wow. I'm a little shook. This book was really, really good. I could feel the complex, messy, real and three dimensional main characters. I adored the dialogue, the back and forth, the complexity of the relationships between the characters, the slow-building romance, the family relationships, the emotions the ughhh. I just really, really liked this book okay and definitely recommend it. I will be reading more from the author, that's for sure.
Read my full review of Every Other Weekend on the blog!
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
Real rating: 4,5 stars.
I'm, wow. I'm a little shook. This book was really, really good. I could feel the complex, messy, real and three dimensional main characters. I adored the dialogue, the back and forth, the complexity of the relationships between the characters, the slow-building romance, the family relationships, the emotions the ughhh. I just really, really liked this book okay and definitely recommend it. I will be reading more from the author, that's for sure.
Read my full review of Every Other Weekend on the blog!
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bookstagram - Bloglovin'
October 28, 2024
took a real weird turn towards the end - lets not normalise whatever the fuck this book was
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