July is dressed up and playing her tune: THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andie has her whole life planned out when it's derailed by an investigation into her Congressman father. When scandal hits her dad and his campaign, her hard won internship is lost, and she winds up with a job walking dogs for the summer. While doing so, she meets Clark, a handsome young author. But falling for Clark, spending time with her father, and enjoying a carefree job requires Andie to reach deep and get past her fears of being hurt in relationships and left behind--something she's dealt with since her mother passed away and her father focused fully on his job. Opening up to something real and true isn't easy.

This was a surprisingly emotional YA read, filled with nuanced characters and plenty of teen drama. Andie could certainly be frustrating. Even though we know she is this way because of her mom's death and her father's career, I still wanted to shake her sometimes. She could make some terrible decisions! But, it's nice to see a realistic teen character with some depth. I also enjoyed that this was a teen book that featured parties and teen antics, but didn't focus solely on drinking, sex, and drugs. A bit refreshing. Though I was surprised Andie's dad was okay with his high school daughter dating a nineteen-year-old!

I enjoyed Andie's interactions with her father, even though his changing emotions seemed a bit improbable at times. The book focuses on family and friendships, with a lot of time spent on Andie's friend group. Much of their story is told via text message, as well as narrative. I preferred reading about Andie's relationships with Clark and her father. This is a very long book, and it was the teen drama with her friends that made it feel so lengthy.

The dog walking angle is cute and funny (Bertie the dog may be the true hero of the story), and Clark's fantasy writing adds a different touch. There's a lot going on in EVERYTHING, but I enjoyed its message about living life to the fullest and insights into friendship, loss, and grief. 3.75 stars, rounded up.

View all my reviews