The Unexpected Everything written by Morgan Matson revolves around the characters Andie, Toby, Palmer and Bri and their summer endeavours. I think the title of the book is quite self-explanatory since Andie, the protagonist of the novel, has immaculately planned out her summer break but everything goes askew when her dad takes a leave from his political career in the wake of a scandal. The story of this novel can be summed up in the saying “the best things are unplanned for”.
In the aftermath of the scandal Andie’s summer programme for aspiring doctors gets cancelled and she ends up taking an unanticipated job of walking dogs and spending a lot of time hanging out with a cute dorky boy who wears a Doctor Who t-shirt (and various other cool t-shirts with references to Star Trek, etc). She is also forced to spend quality time with her dad, who she doesn’t get along with.
This book has absolutely everything from adorable dogs, pool parties, rebuilding family relations, friendships getting complicated to love interests. It depicts all the hardships that a typical teenager faces which makes it realistic and the readers can relate to at least one of the many diverse characters. While this book covers all these aspects the plot was light and amusing which hooks the readers all the more.
The books progresses rapidly because there is always so much happening in the story and let’s not forget the unexpected plot twists which keep you on the edge and you’ll be flying through the 500 pages before you even realise it.
The Unexpected Everything is a light-hearted, adventure-packed summer read which will make everyone crave the kind of summer Andie and her friends have; it really gets you into summer spirits. I like how Morgan Matson keeps the plot light whilst also making the readers feel a series of emotions.
As the book progresses the readers also get to grasp Andie’s personality development from a pretentious person and someone who always has everything figured out, to a person who is more carefree and open to opportunities.
You should definitely grab this book if you are looking for a quick intriguing summer read or a YA contemporary novel or just a book to give you a break from your daily routine.
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
