All This Time

July 1, 2020

Gr 7 Up-At his high school graduation party, Kyle's eager about what comes next: college with his girlfriend and a long future together afterwards. But when a car crash takes all of that away, Kyle must find out who he is without Kimberly. When Marley enters Kyle's life, he's not sure he's ready to move on, but eventually the idea of a relationship with her feels too right to resist. This book drops a number of curveballs, particularly in the latter half of the story, which is structured like a fairy tale. This mix of contemporary realism with fairy-tale elements doesn't always mesh well, sowing an awkward atmosphere that struggles to create meaningful depth. While themes such as identity, independence, and grief are familiar and universal, the lack of effective character depth and the cumbersome narrative leave the exploration of these themes feeling superficial. Chemistry between the love interests is similarly incomplete, making it difficult to enthusiastically root for the relationship's success. Meanwhile, a series of twists toward the end contribute to an overall sense of insincerity. VERDICT Fans of the authors' Five Feet Apart and Sandy Hall's Signs Point to Yes will likely be interested, but may find the novel unfulfilling and mediocre. An additional purchase.-Abby Hargreaves, DiC P.L.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
A modern-day fairy tale about two teenagers suffering from loss who find healing in one another. Despite the ups and downs in their relationship, Kyle and Kimberly have always made up, and Kyle looks forward to attending college together after graduation. But on the night they should be celebrating, Kimberly confesses that she has committed to a different college and breaks up with him. As they argue, their car crashes, and Kyle later wakes up in the hospital and learns that Kimberly is dead. In his grief, Kyle blames himself for her death. He struggles to leave his bed most days, ignores calls from his and Kimberly's best friend, Sam, and has visions of Kimberly and life before the accident. One day, while visiting Kimberly's grave, he meets Marley, a girl who likes telling stories and is mourning the death of her twin sister. Predictably, their natural affinity for one another evolves into romance. It is unfortunate that Kyle essentially moves from one romantic relationship to another on his journey to better understanding himself and his co-dependence on those closest to him, although his gradual development into a more considerate person redeems him. The pacing remains even until the critical plot disruption, resulting in the rest of the story feeling disjointed and rushed. All characters are White. For readers in need of a happy ending but not much else. (Fiction. 12-16)

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August 24, 2020
The plan was that Kyle would give his longtime girlfriend Kim a charm bracelet, she would stop being so distant, and they would go off to college together. Instead, she breaks up with him for good, and they end up in an accident that leaves Kim dead and Kyle with head injuries and nightmares. Feeling lost and guilty, Kyle visits Kim’s grave and meets Marley, who is pretty, reticent, and endlessly kind. As the duo become friends, former football star Kyle realizes how self-involved he was and begins falling in love with Marley. With no last name, no apparent school affiliation, a tragic backstory, and a knack for telling wise, poignant stories, Marley seemingly embodies a variant of a trope: the shy pixie dream girl. That is, before the big twist. Daugherty and Lippincott (Five Feet Apart) have crafted a fairy tale romance for readers who believe in second and third chances, as well as improbable but destined love. That the pair has built it atop the book’s first half—a fundamentally realistic story of Kyle’s maturation—makes the twists more affecting and, for the right readers, more romantic. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2020
Grades 8-12 Kyle and Kimberly have been a couple for years, and with their best friend, Sam, they are graduating from high school. It should be a time of celebration because the three of them will attend UCLA together in the fall. But Kim reveals she's attending Berkeley instead because she wants to know who she is by herself. Kyle, upset, takes his eyes off the road as they continue their disagreement, and they end up in a massive car wreck that results in Kim's death. Grieving, Kyle blames himself and withdraws, while experiencing hallucinations and flashbacks of Kim before her death. Once he finds the courage to visit Kim's grave, he meets a girl named Marley, who mourns the death of her twin. In an unsurprising move, Kyle and Marley fall for each other, but the plot twist, which surfaces almost too late in the story, saves the day. Is there a happy ending? It's not a spoiler to say yes. Readers who loved the writing team's Five Feet Apart (2018) will eat this one up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)