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All Our Worst Ideas
By Vicky Skinner
YA Contemporary
Hardcover & ebook, 320 Pages
August 11, 2020 by Swoon Reads
Summary
Two teens who have nothing in common work together at a record store in All Our Worst Ideas, a powerful and voice-driven YA novel from Vicky Skinner.
When Amy, on her way to becoming valedictorian of her graduating class and getting accepted to her dream school, gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she takes a job at a record store to ease the pain. She needs a distraction, badly.
Oliver, Amy’s record store co-worker, isn’t so sure about Amy—his complete opposite—but what he is sure of is his decision not to go to college. He just can’t figure out how to tell his mother.
As they work late-night shifts at the record store, Amy and Oliver become friends and then confidantes and then something more, but when Amy has a hard time letting go of what she thought was her perfect future with her ex, she risks losing the future she didn’t even know she wanted with Oliver.
My Review
ALL OUR WORST IDEAS is a story about a girl who has one goal she has worked really hard all through high school for: to make valedictorian in order to earn a scholarship to go to Stanford (and get accepted there, of course). This is no easy feat with some competition from another student as well as other distractions. The characters are easy to connect with and relate to, with lots of humor, sarcasm, and whit. Then there's some serious music weaved throughout the story, so if that's something you enjoy in stories, it's a win here. The romance is genuine and sweet with some definite swoon-worthy moments. Fans of YA contemporary romance will find much to love in this story!
I really loved these characters, even though I wanted to shake Amy sometimes (really, every time she thinks about Jackson!). Amy is smart, but more in that she works really, really hard. She has a crazy family and I adored her mom. I wanted her to have a bit more of a backbone instead of letting some people walk all over her. I also wanted her family to be a bit more involved in making sure she's taking care of herself. It was a bit scary, honestly. Oliver... he is this complex guy with all this angst, but not in a way that made me not like him. It actually made me like him more. He's prickly, but he has a history and a life that is far from perfect. Honestly, he's a big softy inside and such a good guy. I just melted when he talks with Amy later on, and with the music and places he shares with her. Plus he doesn't know what he wants to do exactly or where he's going. Both Amy and Oliver just want to be accepted and loved for who they are. They want to feel like they belong somewhere. How many of us can relate to all of those things in some way? The romance was so sweet and I just really loved it.
My one criticism would be content. There is so much swearing, consistently throughout the story, from all the characters. There are also references to Amy losing her virginity and then another off-screen scene. So, I'd recommend this to those who don't mind the content and older readers since it almost felt more new adult to me.
In the end, was it what I wished for? I enjoyed this one. It pulled on my emotions, making me laugh, swoon, and cry. It's full of great characters, a sweet romance, and an engaging story that is easy to relate to.
Content: Lots and lots of swearing (including the s-word and a lot of f-words), fade-to-black love scene and other references and innuendo, gay references (if that's an issue for you), and an alcoholic father (which might be a trigger for some).
Source: I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley through Xpresso Book Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Vicky Skinner was born and raised in Texas, where she started writing novels about kissing cute boys when she was fifteen and eventually earned a BA in Literary Studies from The University of Texas at Dallas. She’s a full-time writer, a part-time runner, and she currently lives in Dallas with her husband.
Tour-Wide Giveaway
Print copy of All Our Worst Ideas
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