Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson
Publication Date: January 7th, 2020
TW: past sibling death, emotional manipulation & abuse, sexual assault
When I picked this book up, I was in a weird reading mood. I had been hopping around books until I finally forced myself to stick with this one. It ended up being a good decision because I finished it pretty quickly. Every Other Weekend is a semi-somber contemporary tale of a boy and a girl thrown together by the circumstances of their lives…every other weekend. Over the course of their weekends together their backstories are filled in. Adam’s parents are separated but ‘working’ things out, and Jolene’s are viciously and venomously divorced. Their personal lives are in shambles. They couldn’t be more different, but they might just be each other’s saving grace.
What I Liked:
- THE CHARACTERS (well, Jolene and Adam at least). They were just so real and relatable. They were also charming, entertaining, and sharp. Jolene was so sparky and tough, while Adam was the perfect counterbalance of sweet, caring, and soft. (I like to describe him as a miniature sun.)
- The shifting chemistry of Jolene and Adam’s relationship as it developed was interesting and surprising in the routes it took. A lot of the romantic developments were unexpected, but refreshing, and sometimes a little mystifying.
- The story was satisfying with its significant character depth and development. Also, the story and plotting devices are blended together really well. (So, you know how sometimes things happen too conveniently/cleanly for them to be believable? Yeah, none of that hear.)
- There aren’t a lot of happy moments in this book, so the book does tend to have a somber tone about it.
What I Didn’t Like:
- My one issue with this book is that because it mostly follows them on their weekends together, there’s very few side characters outside the MC’s families. I would have loved to have a scene of either one of them at their respective schools with their friends, especially Adam.
- There’s a B-plot with Jolene’s friends, but Adam’s are literally mentioned twice the whole book and introduced briefly, once.
Recap:
Overall, Every Other Weekend is a solid read, with relatable characters and quality sarcasm. I recommend this book to anyone who wants something with heart and depth. Also, anyone who prefers a more somber/serious tone for their contemporaries.
4/5 stars
xoxo, Bree
*Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*
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