Everything Must Go
Young Adult, Contemporary
Wednesday Books
October 3, 2017
Kindle
416
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won't admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he'll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn't show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.
Told in a series of letters, emails, journal entries and various ephemera, Flora's dramatic first year is laid out for all to see, embarrassing moments and all.
“So this is where we begin: with me, naked and in love in the bathtub, like many a tragic protagonists before me.”
Um, is it possible to find your friendship soulmate in a book? Because if so, I think I’ve found mine.
From the very first page I was instantly hooked and obsessed with the storyline and the main character. Flora is a witty feminist, vintage fashion lover, blindly infatuated with a boy whom uses her as a muse for his photography blog. She’s anything but predictable and is one of the most complex characters I’ve ever come across in a YA book. Although she may seem a bit plastic and materialistic in the first few pages, as the story progressed, I found myself relating to her thoughts and views on life, while also desperately wanting to be her best friend.
“At the surface, she’s pure 1958, but inside beats the heart of a Jezebel editor.”
This book isn’t your typical self-discovery,” this is who I was meant to be!” story or romance novel; it’s so much more. I interpreted it as an interesting and unique take on the idea of the manic pixie dream girl cliche and the idea that we often view someone the way we want to view them, rather than accepting who they truly are. Flora becomes a popular feminist icon, in ways she has no control of, and must learn to deal with her newfound, and somewhat created for her persona, while trying to understand who she really is and who she wants to be. The story also discusses mature topics in a refreshing, lighthearted, and humorous way, that will leave the readers reflecting on their own life and experiences.
“Miss Tulip isn’t supposed to exist in this world, or feel rooted to it in the form of just one person. But at the same time, she isn’t lofty or merely an ideal…”
What makes this book even more vibrant and unique, is all of the sub-main characters. Since the storyline is told through a series of emails, letters, and journal entries, you get a better understanding of each character’s thoughts, versus if it was told through first person narration and dialogue. Each character has their own set of struggles and traits that set them apart from others. There is no such thing as a stock character in this novel. Everyone somehow leaves an impact or is substantial enough to be noteworthy, and that made the book so much more thought-provoking and entertaining to read.
Everything Must Go isn’t merely a story about self love, but instead the process towards figuring out who you are and who you aren’t. Through the tellings of her first sexual encounter, forming “platonic soul friends”, experiencing heartbreak, discovering art, seeking awareness of important issues, and more, we really start to discover who Flora is, while also understanding that it’s okay to not be one thing or have to belong to one city or person.
“I’m only saying that I want to be weathered by the storms of life. I want to be struck by lightning and I want to grow despite of it. I want to do lots of my growing underground, spreading roots, and even if I’m dead, I’ll be growing.”
I’m so thankful I got to read this book months before it’s release date! If you’re into activism, badass and ambitious women, and just understanding life in general, then I totally suggest you buy Everything Must Go once it hits bookshelves on October 3rd! I cannot wait to read more from this author.
xoxo,
Eliz