All I Need by Susane Colasanti
Viking Juvenile (an imprint of Penguin), 224 Pages
Expected US Release Date: May 16, 2013 (according to the ARC)
Format/Source: Print ARC, via Around the World ARC Tours - thank you!
Challenges: Contemporary Challenge, SARC
The last night of summer is only the beginning.
Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?
Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.
----------------Goodreads summary
Notable Quote
Following your heart means allowing the possibility of finding true love to be stronger than the fear of rejection.
Before I even jump into any of this review, I feel the need
to disclose something: I don’t believe in soulmates. I’ve had varying reactions
to this when people find out. Some people are
just like “ok, that’s cool” and move on; others share my sentiments; and I’ve
had a few that are straight up offended, like I’ve just insulted their very
core belief. And maybe I have, I’m not in any position to say soulmates
shouldn’t be the basis of your life. I don’t say this opinion lightly, and I’ve
thought about it long and hard. I’m not some jilted, heart-broken mess of a
girl who’s saying it because she’s convinced she’ll never find her love. I just
genuinely do not believe in there being The One for someone.
So with that in mind, you can probably tell that I had a
hard time swallowing
All I Need. Usually I’m pretty good about suspending that
belief when it comes to reading, but for some reason it was difficult this time around. I do think a little of my 26-year-old cynicism was playing a part, since
I found it most hard to handle when Skye was all “but I know we’re meant to be
together, we can face anything” or things like that.
Perhaps that’s also because I was bothered by Skye as a
whole. She seemed very young, much
younger than a junior/senior in high school. I thought she was spineless and
needed to handle her best friends’ issues a little better. And I think my
biggest issue is that I felt like she couldn’t stand on her own – she had to
have Seth to be her own person. I get that that is what it’s like in high
school and first loves, but it was quite annoying. I want a character that can
stand on her own, that finds her way into being an individual, a character I
can want my little cousins to look up to; and unfortunately, Skye was not it.
However, I did quite like Seth! He too seemed a little young
for being a college guy, but I could handle him better. I thought he had real issues, and maybe it’s
because I went through college much more recently than high school (obviously),
I was able to sympathise with him more. Especially when it came to being
uncertain about his major and following his passion for art.
Let’s talk writing. We all know I love me some dual
narratives (do you know that? Because you should. Give me a dual narrative any
day of the week and I will be a happy reader.), and I quite liked it here, too.
The jumping timeline was a little startling at first, and I started getting a
little iffy about all the fast-forwards, but it’s fine. I really liked getting
the reactions of both Skye and Seth when important things happened. This story
would not have been bearable without them.
However! I had problems with the writing itself—it felt so
young, so very juvenile fiction. And I tried to read it with that mindset,
except the content was not juvenile – it was about college and gross roommates
and sex! It was a terrible mash up for the writing not matching the content,
and I couldn’t take it. I want to
recommend this for the younger set, as maybe a great bridge to the YA world
from MG, because it would be! Except I’d have to censor a few of the chapters,
because it was definitely not just-past-MG material.
All I Need was a fine contemporary, and one I don’t really
regret reading – but it had too many issues for me to recommend it. I really
like Susane Colasanti’s books, but I’d definitely go for
Keep Holding On or
When It Happens over
All I Need.
2.5 Stars
