Today I have another review, and this one is of Everything All at Once, by Ivy Cayden! I finished reading this book at the end of November, and I really enjoyed it! I’m excited to share my thoughts on it today.
Everything All at Once
Author: Ivy Cayden
Release Date: October 2020
Publisher: Independent
Genre: Young adult contemporary romance
Series? Chorduroys and Too Many Boys: book 1
*this review is spoiler-free*
Synopsis:
Teenage life (with a playlist).
Nearly sixteen, Kila Lorens showers herself in music, lives in plush corduroys, and always applies a double layer of lip gloss. She longs for the answers to this irritating trio of questions: When will she have her first kiss? Will Angus Lyr ever stop obsessi-texting Reese Seratine? And why did her former best friend, Brixton Kading, silently bow out of her life six months ago? The particulars of these unknowns—along with her mission to convince Maya Malta to share some sizeable news with a certain seventeen-year-old before he finds out from someone else—keep Kila’s eyes open at night.
But one late hour delivers something worth hiding: a private Nektir message from Timothy Cardiff, the tall, inky-haired enigma who rarely speaks in school, yet somehow morphs into Salt for Swordsmen’s frontman on the weekends. Amidst tandem listening and dizzying revelations, the two form an unlikely attachment. When their covert communication spills into the halls of Cypress High, they both wonder if this will be a short-lived or long-lasting entanglement.
Ethan Lorens—Kila’s cautious but optimistic older brother—mostly focuses on his new drums and his indie band’s potential. An after-school visit to Casper’s Music Underground presents some unexpected industry intel. Following years of hiatus, Emerald Rock plans to host another EmOpen. Casper encourages the boys to prepare for the contest, but Ethan, Brixton, and Angus wrestle with the group’s shortcomings. Could the young French chef they meet at The Hidden Meridian be the band’s missing link?
Sometimes dreams come out to play. Mixing Kila and Ethan’s friends together on a parentless weekend induces irreversible crushes, late-night courtship, and stinging heartache. With an elaborate, 67-song playlist to embed you in every magnetic moment and missed connection, you’ll experience the rush of Everything All At Once, the first book in the CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS™ series.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Everything All at Once was so much fun to read.
There was a playlist on Spotify that went along with the book, and I was able to listen to each song at specific points on the book. The whole playlist was so well done, and it added a whole other level to the experience of reading the book.
The writing was really good, and I thought that it was really interesting being in the heads of all of the characters. However, at times it was a little difficult to always understand what was going on because there were so many different character’s to be following. This was mostly at the beginning of the book though, and as the story went on I understood it better and better.
I think that the most amazing thing about the book was how the author made those few days of the teenagers’ lives interesting. Reading the synopsis, I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect from the plot, what was going to bring the story together. And while there wasn’t one main plotline going through the book, I felt like it was almost a tapestry where each thread was a different character and it came together to form a final story, that didn’t quite end in the same place for everyone.
There were also so many wonderful characters that were written with depth and complexity. Maya, Kila, Ethan, Brixton, Timothy, Angus and more.
About halfway through, I really understood what the book meant with Chorduroys and Too Many Boys. It was kind of frustrating watching how Kila was so unaware of how many boys really liked her. It was kind of frustrating, honestly, being inside her head and so many others as well.
Maya and Ethan were both amazing, and I loved their storyline. Maya was one of my favorite characters in the book, and Ethan was also really great.
There was one character, however, that I really wanted to know more about. What was Reese’s deal? Why was she such a terrible person? Reese was made to be the villian of this novel, the one who really making life terrible for Kila. And while we did get some explanation, I didn’t feel like it was enough.
However, overall this book was a really satisfying read. The characters were interesting, and the writing and music combined made the reading the book a really unique experience.
Ivy Cayden lives on the rugged, pinetree-lined Central Coast of California. Years ago, on her first visit to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, she fell in love with the tall trees in Felton and returns whenever she gets the chance. A vegan for over a decade, Ivy is passionate about supporting small businesses and all things indie–especially music. In addition to writing the CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS(TM) series, she founded and manages the indie music blog My Multi-Track Mind, where she interviews rising musicians, covers new releases, and posts moody playlists.
An immersive and entertaining book, Everything All at Once by Ivy Cayden brings the reader to a unique experience, with a playlist with songs for every moment, and a cast of characters that will bring drama and humor to the story.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Recommendable: Yes
To who? For music lovers and avid readers looking for a fun and engaging read.
Have you read Everything All at Once? What did you think of this review? Chat with me in the comments below!
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