Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, April 18, 2016

Never, Always, Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

How I Heard About It:  This title was found on the shelves of my local library.  I was in the audio book section.  The cover caught my attention and I was in need of a new young-adult story.  I decided to give it a try.

What It Is About:  Dave and Julia are best friends.  They are in their senior year..  Together they had created a list of things they would NEVER do during their high school experience.  Dave and Julia didn't want their years of high school to be like everyone else.  As they approach the end of their senior year the two of them decide to take their list of NEVERS and give some of them a try.  As they work their way through the list, Dave realizes that he has feelings toward Julia, but isn't sure she has those same feelings towards him.  They work their way through the list and experience some things they thought they never would.  Some of these are positive and some they don't enjoy so much.  As feelings are shared between these two friends, life becomes more difficult and complicated.  

What I Thought Of It:  The audio book was very easy to listen to.  The narrator had a great speaking voice.  The plot started out extremely strong, but as the story unfolded, the events became a little weak for me.  I enjoyed the premise of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things, but I didn't think the story went anywhere.  I have become a huge fan of young-adult novels, but this was felt really "teen-like".  The characters of Dave and Julia were fun, interesting, and ever changing which was a strong point of the book.  I'm glad I listened to it, but certainly isn't one of the best young-adult stories I've read.  

Who Should Read It:  The Amazon site states this book is geared toward ninth grade and above.  I would agree, but also think middle-school readers may enjoy the story as well.  There are some mature scenes in the novel, but nothing too explicit for young-adult readers.  I'm not sure if adult readers that typically read young-adult would enjoy the story.  The depth just wasn't there for me.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars



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