Author: Gayle Forman
Rating: 3 - 3.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release.
So far, the inevitable hasn’t worked out so well for Aaron Stein. While his friends have gone to college and moved on with their lives, Aaron’s been left behind in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, running a failing bookshop with his dad, Ira. What he needs is a lucky break, the good kind of inevitable.
And then he meets Hannah. Incredible Hannah – magical, musical, brave and clever. Could she be the answer? And could they – their relationship, their meeting – possibly be the inevitable Aaron’s been waiting for?
I've only ever read one Gayle Forman book before this one and I was so excited, because I really loved I Was Here when I read it three years ago. Which is why I was sad when I was like 20% into the book and almost wanted to quit. I just couldn't get into it. It was so hard to keep going. I didn't really like the characters, didn't understand the storyline just yet and thought the writing was confusing. So many conversations without them being any relevant.
But I kept going. I pushed myself through it and around 50% I actually began to enjoy it a little more. Once things speed up and you realize what Aaron's story is about, you find a connection and want to keep going. I'm grateful for that otherwise I wouldn't even have considered writing a review.
So, there is the topic of addicition in this book, of having debts, of loving loved ones, of being different than anyone else. All very important subjects and some are better dealt with than others. Especially that whole being-in-debt-situation. Why is it that they can still afford driving through the whole country? I didn't understand that, but maybe I am one of those readers overthinking things and facts instead of just going with the flow. Is that a flaw? Not sure.
Also, I thought it was super cute how obsessed Aaron was with Hannah. I totally got this whole YA-swoony-immature-love kind of vibe from it, but considering even the reader didn't know a damn thing about this girl other than her being in a band, I was relieved when things turned out the way they did - that seemed very realistic and I liked how the author dealt with that matter instead of romancing her way through the story, making up excuses. And though it was never really addressed how Chad treated Aaron in the past (spoiler alert: poorly!), I liked how their friendship developed and also how Gayle Forman pointed out that there's this unconditional kind of friendship, a give-and-take, 100% there for you when you need it. I think that was one of my personal highlights of the book.
Working at a library, I always enjoy the scenery of stories taking place in a bookstore, a café while talking about literature or even a library. If the setting and the writing is good, of course. Gayle Forman managed to create a home-atmosphere, so there is that. Kind of weird that Aaron is calling his father by his first name, did I miss something? Is there a reason for that? Especially since he calls his Mom, Mom. Uhm...
All in all I was a bit disappointed by the story, but am still glad I managed to get through the lump I felt when picking it up and kind of liked it when finishing We Are Inevitable.
