Her and Me and You

by Lauren Strasnick

Struggling with family problems but determined to make new friends after moving and missing Evie her best friend since childhood, Alex is attracted to Fred and he to her despite the jealous meddling of Fred's twin sister Adina.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Teen, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Romance

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2010

About the author

Lauren Strasnick’s debut novel, NOTHING LIKE YOU (Simon & Schuster, 2009), was an RWA RITA award finalist in two categories, Best First Book and YA Romance. Her second novel, HER AND ME AND YOU (Simon & Schuster, 2010), was a 2012 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her work has been translated into French, German, and Portuguese. In addition to writing, Lauren teaches fiction in the MFA program at Antioch University, and also leads weekly novel workshops at Writing Pad in Los Angeles. 16 WAYS TO BREAK A HEART, Lauren’s next book, will be published by HarperCollins’s Katherine Tegen Books in 2017, and will also be published by HarperCollins in Italy and France.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 rating

Umm...yeah. I don't really know what to say about this book. It only took me about an hour to read. Thank goodness. I think if it took longer I would have been upset at wasting my time.

This book was just so flat for me. Alex is a complete pushover. Her best friend from back home, Evie, isn't very nice to her. Adina is just plain awful and Fred sticks up for Adina's behavior. And Alex knows that her behavior isn't right but hangs around anyways. Pitiful. (And for some reason, the way she kept calling her mom "Mommy" at her age was just weird for me.)

And I kept waiting for there to be something more. Some big climax or reasoning as to why Adina was the way she was. But there was nothing. It was like the book just ended.

I love books about twins and was looking forward to reading this one, but unfortunately it let me down.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I came into this with insanely high hopes, and they were not at all disappointed. Just like NOTHING LIKE YOU, HER AND ME AND YOU is a slim, haunting story with chapters like vignettes, and it hits you harder as it goes and means more to you once you've closed it than you realized while you were reading.

The book definitely improves as it progresses; the last third of the book is stunning. The first few scenes were a bit too straightforward to me--the conversations seemed to hit their marks too quickly--but once the main characters and conflicts were introduced, that issue disappeared.

My issues were small. The end was a bit abrupt and maybe a smidge too tidy, and I don't feel like the eating disorder/body image aspects were fully explored, but that isn't what the book is about, and I know I'm more sensitive than most when those issues crop up. And unlike NOTHING LIKE YOU, where the slimness was one of its virtues, I wanted this to be longer. I wanted to see more of the characters.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it was too short; the story did work at this length, and it worked beautifully. Strasnick can still say more in fewer than 200 pages than most can in 400. And it's a compliment to her that I wanted more time with these characters.

All in all, an absolutely breathtaking book, and not one I'm going to forget any time soon.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

So bizarre. There was just no real ending, it was a completely abrupt halt. I kept waiting for the final reveal, but nothing ever came. A shame, because this had an interesting premise.

[Kyleigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis of this book I really wasn’t all that intrigued, but I figured I would give it a shot. Turned out I have better instincts than I give myself credit for. What drove me absolutely crazy with this book was that it had no relevance. Nothing. Nada. The pages could have been full of drawings to color in and it would have more content than the story. Okay maybe that was a bit harsh. I may be exaggerating just a tad. I just can’t even begin to express my frustration with this book. It had all the potential in the world to be a pretty decent read. Sometimes potential is just not enough.

While I am all for unique writing style, I have to say I did not enjoy reading this. It was choppy and about 90% of it was dialogue. Dialogue is all well and good, but even the dialogue didn’t hold much in the way of interest. It was short, choppy, and really rather uninteresting. There was no descriptors to accompany the dialogue either. Maybe on a rare occasion…maybe. For instance instead of ‘“I do not have a crush on Fred,” I replied indignantly, feeling my cheeks turn red,’ it was “I don’t have a crush on Fred.” The End. With almost every single set of dialogue! It was so vague that I had trouble picturing anyone or scenery. I’m a creative person but even I had trouble filling in all the blanks. Frustrating to say the least.
As for the plot…. What plot? The most exciting portion of the whole book was when someone got in a car accident and I could honestly say I did not care one bit. It was just a whole bunch of teenage angst. And I HATE teenage angst! . There was no conflict, no tension, barely even a romance. This is largely due to the writing style. There were things that happened that would cause conflict and tension, but the writing was just so bare boned that it all fell flat. The main character’s father cheated on her mother. She hates and loves him, yet I didn’t catch a whiff of any emotion. I didn’t feel what she felt, I didn’t even wonder because I just didn’t care. It is truly rare when I could not give a rats ass about what happened in the story. I’m not hard to please when it comes to books, so when I say I really didn’t enjoy this you will understand just how blah it was. And truly that’s what it was. It wasn’t bad. It wasn’t offensive and there wasn’t anything in the characters or story that made me hate it. It was just lacking in everything. The story was non-existent, the characters uninteresting, and the writing was bland. Just plain blah.
Another thing that was bothersome was the fact that I got through the whole entire book and was just left with more questions. The ending was so abrupt and just so weird I literally flipped the page and flipped back to make sure I hadn’t skipped one. Adina’s weird obsession with her brother, why she was anorexic, why their father was always AWOL, and just what the heck was going through Adina’s mind was all not answered. Nada! I just got the vague impression of “Well that’s F-ed up” and moved on. That was what really irritated me about this novel. The lack of answers. Just utterly frustrating.
Since I don’t have one single positive thing to say about this novel I won’t drag this out much longer. Did I hate it? No, I just couldn’t find one single thing that I liked about this novel. It was just so bare. As my Spanish teacher would say “Beef it up!” The story and everything in general just needed MORE! At least it was short and didn’t take me long to read. I don’t feel like I wasted a significant amount of time reading it. So ya. First ever entirely negative review. Shocker. I didn’t think I had it in me.

[Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not quite sure how I feel about Her and Me and You. I enjoyed the overall storyline and the characters were intriguing, but, by the end, the book still felt incomplete.

After Alex’s dad has an affair and breaks her family apart, she moves with her mess of a mother to her deceased grandma’s house a few hours away. Without her best friend Evie and her favorite parent, Alex feels isolated and alone.

Strasnick’s characterization of a lonely, angry, and understandably frustrated girl are spot on. Alex is easy to relate to off the bat, but I found her to also be quite the pushover, which may or may not have been intended. Alex seems to let people walk all over her and let her down again and again with little to no protest. There are moments where she explodes and all her anger come out, but I wanted to see more of that.

As for the twins with the abnormal relationship, they were…different. I like Fred. He seems like an okay guy and he was developed well, as was Adina, but the hot and cold from both of them grated on me a bit. Their close relationship is viewed as more than a little strange to the outside world and when Alex gets thrown into the middle of it, she understands why.

I really enjoyed the ambiguity of Alex’s sexual orientation and her reaction to both of the twins. She’s young and not really sure who she is, so it worked really well. Strasnick’s writing is also gripping and pulled me in. The chapters are short and the story moves quickly, so it’s easy to get caught up in it. I finished the book in about an hour or so, not wanting to put it down. I have to say that I really wasn’t satisfied with the ending. Towards the end, things began to escalate and get more and more chaotic and I loved that, but then it just ends. And here I am, left wanting more.

Opening line: I met Fred first. ~ pg. 1

Favorite line(s): Three. Three used to fell right. Me, Mom, Dad – the perfect unit. Now three felt lopsided and odd. Me, Evie, Ben. Me, Adina, Fred. Someone was always, always getting pushed to the side. ~ pg. 123

*This is an ARC and lines, page numbers, etc. are subject to change

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Alex's dad has an affair her mom and her move to a new town. There she makes a new friend in Fred and is thereby forced into a friendship with his twin, Adina. Adina seems to flirt with her... and Fred. The other girls Alex meets at school tell her to stay away from the twins, because they are bad news. But, when things with her old best friend start to crumble she has no choice but to cling to Fred for life support. Adina however, could do without Alex hogging her brother and may try anything to stop them.

This was a really interesting book. I loved how well you got to know the characters in such a brief time frame. Alex is cool but broken from her parents split, Fred is a nice guy but is hindered by his sister Adina and Evie is the old best friend. The relationships between the characters were so chaotic and authentic which I appreciated thoroughly. Lauren Strasnick created a heartbreakingly realistic story about what it means to be a teen. Strasnick took a seemingly normal situation (crushing on a guy) and made it far more interesting and entertaining by throwing in a crazy twin. I will definitely be reading more Lauren Strasnick in the future. This was an excellent read that took something ordinary and made it a little more feisty.

First Line:
"I met Fred first."

Favorite Line:
"He looked down then back up, 'you don't like my shoes?'"

[Dahlia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Strasnick's spare writing style, and the rapid pacing of her stories, and how much she captures with so few words. In her other two books I've read, this has totally worked for me. In this one, though, it just felt like a half-done story she didn't feel like finishing. There was so much compelling in what I read, but I don't understand how this was published as a complete novel. It certainly didn't feel to me like one, so much as set-ups for several different cool ones. Basically, it made me glad I've already read The Secret History and Underneath Everything, so at least i could fill in blanks with more complete stories.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intense, fast-paced read, Lauren Strasnick pulled me into the twisted, passionate world of Alex, Fred, and Adina. I finished the novel in just over an hour, but the story continued to ricochet through my mind even after the last page was turned.

Alex is the main character, but it's Adina and Fred, and their interesting relationship, that steal the spotlight. Fred is immediately likeable and it wasn't difficult to imagine why Alex would fall him, even as she's being warned against him... and his sister.

It's Adina, however, that gave the novel an almost sinister feel. Right from the beginning, the reader can tell there's something not right with Adina. She's possessive of Fred, manipulative of everyone, and her fragility makes her easy to underestimate. As I read, I couldn't help but be a bit impressed by her deft manipulation of Alex and Fred. The lengths she was willing to go to achieve her goal was terrifying, but I found it hard to look away.

The novel is comprised of more than just Adina and her games. Alex and Fred's relationship unfolds slowly, tenderly. The two are comfortable, yet hesitant and I found myself hoping they'd break free of Adina's control, despite how interesting I found her intrusions and designs.

Strasnick has succeeded in writing a gripping novel populated with compelling characters that will leave you wondering where the last two hours have gone.

Grade: A

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

What kind of fucking ending was that

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex moves to a new town with her mother when her father gets a new girlfriend. Her family life isn’t so great now, but at least she still has her best friend. But she’s slowly leaving Alex behind when she gets a boyfriend. At the town and her new school, Alex befriends Fred. Fred has a twin sister, Adina, who is an enigmatic as Fred. Alex isn’t sure what to make of this pair of siblings who keep to themselves.

One thing is for sure though: two’s a company and three’s a crowd. Alex is slowly feeling like the permanent third wheel.

Her and Me and You is a fast-paced novel because of its stylistic of narration. It is told in first person and short, clipped sentences. Despite this face-level of an easy-breezy read, Her and Me and You is so much more.

Fred’s and Adina’s past is a haunting one and the reader constantly wonders the psychological effects that it dealt to these young children. It lingers on the mind throughout the book especially when Adina does odd thing or anything. Adina in particularly is one slippery character: she has her quirts and her niceties. One thing frustrating about the first person narrative is the lack of knowledge on the other characters.

Adina is so very fascinating. She is part anorexia and part bipolar and all insane. But the reader does not if this is true. All we know is what Alex perceives. Adina could be in fact a sane girl who is manipulative and conniving and staged everything to keep Fred. I want to read more of Adina.

Alex’s close friend from her old town (God help me, I can’t recall her name) is one that many readers have probably read elsewhere. The girl who has had history with the main character, but changes and develops over time into someone who is different than the childhood friend. And not for the better. She (oh gosh, what’s her name!) is not as memorable as Adina (as you can tell by the lack of name) but she does play an important role by connecting Alex to her past.

Alex’s old town where her father and current girlfriend still lives is just another form of her life constantly changing. Here, her father, is a man of the past that will forever be a part of her. There, her soon to-be stepmother, is a woman of the future that will become part of her. These two characters are no more snobby than you or I. They are concerned on what Alex thinks, what Alex feels, and tries to open their home as still her old home. And for that I cannot hate them. Instead I believe that it portrays society perfectly.

As you can tell, Her and Me and You is such a short novel (around 200 pages) but it packs so much between the lines. Her and Me and You is a haunting novel that will stick to the reader. But there were so many lingering questions that I feel leaves Her and Me and You hollow.

[Christie (The Ludic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex and her mom have moved to Meadow Marsh to live in Alex’s dead grandmother’s house because “my favourite parent, Dad, had done some very bad things with a paralegal named Caroline.”

Faster than you can say trouble, with a capital T, Alex meets Fred and his twin sister, Adina. They’re – odd. Well, at least Adina is, but Alex is drawn to them anyway. Mostly she’s looking for an escape from the wreckage of her parents’ marriage and her mother’s subsequent nosedive into a bottle.

There’s not a lot of plot here – nothing much happens – but the triangle between Alex, Fred and Adina is almost immediately fraught with a weird and buzzing tension that Alex can’t quite get a handle on. One minute Adina is her bestie, the next she’s icing Alex out. To further complicate matters, Alex finds herself drawn to Fred, “his freckled face made [her] want to bake a batch of cookies. Down a gallon of milk.”

There’s also the problem of what Alex has left behind: her best friend, Evie, for starters has fallen in love and Alex felt “furious” about it. “Everything had changed so fast. Dad. Mom. Evie. Especially Evie.”

Her and Me and You is a relatively light-weight coming-of-age novel that is just better than average because despite the fact that it has many of the standard YA realistic fiction hallmarks: divorced parents, absent parents, eating disorders, underage drinking, high school drama, it also has a compelling protagonist. Alex doubts herself in the way of all teenage girls, but she also has a wonderful capacity for growth and forgiveness. I liked that about her.

Her and Me and You is a strangely compelling YA novel and I think it mostly has to do with how it navigates the tricky world of teenage relationships.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Thoughts: I really wanted to love this as I really enjoyed Nothing Like You but this one was just ok to me. We meet Alex who is new to town and her friends Fred and Adina who are twins. I know there was just something not right about them, or more about Adina. I could tell right away that Alex and Fred were a good match but throw in Adina and I know nothing good could come out of it. She was just in the way the whole time! I wanted to tell her to get her own life. Some would say she wanted to protect her brother but others would say she was just bonkers! For a long time I wasn't sure if she liked Fred or she liked Alex. I also wasn't sure if there was more to the Fred/Adina story. The book is short, the chapters are short so its easy to get sucked in and know you want to finish the book in one sitting. I liked this book, I liked the loops it throws you for, I really liked Alex and Fred, I just couldn't stand Adina and maybe thats why I didn't flat out love this one. Alex was warned to stay away from Adina and Fred so I heard someone else whose read the book, say she was warned, haha. My favorite character was probably Fred and I would have liked to see even more of him.

Overall: I liked it. It was alright. Its a short book so its worth a read.

Cover: I love the cover! Its so beautiful! I mean, it makes me want to get out my umbrella and walk down this street!

[yash · Rating 1 out of 5]

Its very rare for me to finish a book feeling more disconnected that when I began, but this left me stranded in a narrative that felt emotionally empty and just overall undercooked.
By the end of it, all I could say was: "What was the whole point of this book? :

Alex just drifts through the whole story with very little growth or insight, and her relationships lack any emotional resonance needed to justify all that freaking drama.

I found myself wondering why I was still reading it at multiple points in the book.

It was absolutely pointless, the story went no where, there was no resolve, no climax, no NOTHING! Barely anything happened and then when it seemed like maybe something would happen, it died down again and then just ended.

1/5 - harsh but, for me, it felt like a beautifully wrapped box with nothing inside.

[Laura (Booksforbreakfast) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy! I always have been a Lauren fan with her Nothing Like You novel, and this one didn't disappoint at all. I laughed and cried right along with Alex and could really relate to her. It's so easy for characters (especially heroines) to become whiny and obnoxious but I find with Lauren, she makes her characters strong and likable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, it's a great novel with a beautiful message and it's rather easy to read. It's short and most of it is just dialog and not description which I liked. I read it in just a few hours because it was so short and it's that good!

[Sarah Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m SO mad about this books ending! The synopsis was misleading. Which turned out to be fine actually. It was fast paced, not thrilling but not boring. It definitely hooked you and made you just wanna know more. But, just when things were about to get somewhere it just stopped. Totally just your typical teen drama. I would compare the ending to the movie Thirteen. Crazy shit just went down and then the girl is spinning on a playground thingy and it’s done. Just left you complete shook that it’s just over. Like someone just ripped the end of the book off and you’ll never know what the missing chapters say.

[Dawn Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine Ernest Hemingway as a teenage girl, and that's Lauren Strasnick's distinctive voice in this book. It's lean and straightforward: no wasted words. An editor's dream.

And the content: involves an interesting and sinister love triangle. You'll just have to read it to see.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is like crack for me. i don't think i could ever get enough.

[Lena ♫ ♪ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange, strange book. I actually don't know what to say about it. Hmm...review, later.

[Anna Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It only gets three stars because of the fact that the ending was pretty much non-existent. And it REALLY pissed me off!!! Because other than that I really liked this book! :)

[Golden.valley.library · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had high potential but fell flat for me.

[Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was not my normal cup of tea I'm not a fan of incest so this book was a no for me and the plot lacked big time.

[Jaden Haas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sooooo this book actually sucks. The ending: 👎🏻👎🏻 Alex was such a brat. I don’t know why anybody in that story associated with her. Evie her old best friend is a stupid flirt that thinks the world revolves around her. Charlotte the new friend-ish is a complete jerk that needs to get her head out of her butt. Fred was somewhat decent. He sounded like a really nice guy but I think Lauren Strasnick should rename him “Doormat” cause he lets people walk over him ALL THE TIME. Mainly Adina. OOOOH don’t get me started on Adina. The TWIN SISTER. Wait…. never mind we are going to get started on this. I HATE ADINA SO MUCH. You may say “Jaden, hate is a strong word.” WELL… that’s why I’m using it. She is the most toxic character I have ever read. So toxic and mental and selfish. She’s described as anorexic by the people around her and they make it a joke. WTH That’s not something to joke about. I don’t know why this book was published at all. The only thing I liked about it was how it was written. I didn’t get bored no matter how messed up it was. That’s what the two stars are for. Jeez… I wish there was a 0 stars setting though. This book definitely deserves it. The cover is super stupid. Like there is not even one scene where it is snowing. Sooo why is there a girl with an umbrella in the snow. Once again, it does not make ANY sense. Oh and it is labeled as a romance book. Seriously??? This is what you call romance!?!? She never actually talks about her feelings for him. It just like, “I guess I’m in love with him…” You got to be kidding me!!! And Adina is even more toxic towards them with their relationship. She runs off any person Fred is ever interested in. SHE EVEN KISSED HIM WHEN SHE WAS DRUNK!!!! What in the Alabama is this?!?! OHHHH and what is with these parents letting their kids drink alcohol. Alex’s father lets her and Evie drink a bunch of wine. Adina and Fred are practically living home alone with a big stock of wine. She’s getting drunk all the time. Alex even offers to run to the liquor store for her mother!?!? I hate this book so much. Also, the ending is super stupid. It just ends at the most random scene. Please don’t read this book. It’s not worth your time.

[Just A Ginger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just honestly, WTF? This was an interesting 4.5 star book. Missing half a star because the main character was a bit pathetic like most girls in Young Adult books.

You know falling in love with a guy and not knowing how the hell to tell him, or get him to like her back. Pathetically gooshing over him well being pathetic. She should have dropped him on his reend halfway through the book.

Anyways it was a very good interesting read. It didn't seem like it had a huge plot or anything it was rather simple but some mysteries seemed to flow throughout the book. Like does Adina really have a thing for her twin brother Fred? And I kept wondering through the whole book did those two siblings ever hook up? I wanted it to be revealed but my queastions were never answered. Something dramatic happend at the end of the book ONE little thing. And I'm sitting there going 'okay now the big reveal'!

And then it ended. It ended and you just sat there going "Uhm Lauren Strasnick you lazy ass you forgot to put the last few chapters in here". Honestly there was no way that could EVER be considered an ending EVER. I've read disapointing endings, heart warming endings but this just makes me want to smack the author and go 'Honestly? You couldn't just write two more chapters and wrap it up?'

Overall I advise you not to read this book because although it's great in the beginning, okay in the middle, mediocre in the end, it has NO conclusion No ending. What a waste of my time.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I don't really understand. The synopsis suggested an alternative narrative. I was interested in understanding the conflict and characters better, however it seemed that the conflict appeared and was ignored. Then the book just decided to end. Big question marks. After getting to know Alex, I didn't mind her character; I understood she was a young teen experiencing a lot of social pressures and was trying to cope with all of the changes and persons around her.
I'd really rate it 1.5 stars because it wasn't "ok", but I didn't hate it. I just wish there was something more. Unless the message was to get yourself away from toxicity? Or that teenage years have a lot of hardships that you just gotta face? No clue.
Good luck future readers. The perk is that it's a quick read and written consistently.

[Kibbenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird.

Friends treating friends badly. Love interests treating love interests badly. Sister who's more than a little off her rocker. And... the MC just goes along with it, like, "La, la, la, this guy I don't know is totally worth the abuse of his clearly obsessed sister."

And then the book doesn't even go into the real issues!

[Becca M · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fine. A quick read that took me less than two days. Sometimes it felt too fast. I was just hoping for more depth for the characters, particularly the protagonist and her best friend from her hometown. Maybe if it were longer it would have had time for more of that.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but i wanted a better/more interesting ending after how crazy things were going.

[Raya Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

fuck this shit i'm starting my next reading cycle of priory

[Malak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a bit weird, but an okay book overall, not boring but not thrilling.

[Meghan-Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

i mean….sure?