Review: With You All The Way by Cynthia Hand

Ada’s life is a mess. She just caught her boyfriend cheating on her after a humiliating attempt at losing her virginity, and she’s had it up to here with her gorgeous older sister’s unsolicited advice.

But things really hit the fan during a family vacation in Hawaii, where Ada discovers her own mother is having an affair. Apparently, everyone is falling into bed with people they shouldn’t. Everyone except Ada. But when Ada decides she’s going to stop trying and start doing—sex, that is—her best laid plan overlooks an inconvenient truth:

Feelings, romantic or not, always get in the way.

Expected Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Publisher: Harper Teen

Review:

I want to thank Harper Teen for supplying me with a copy of this book to read and review.

I won't lie, I had high hopes. I have always loved Cynthia Hand and her writing. Angels, contemporary, collaborations, she seems to be able to take it all on.

That being said, this is not her greatest work for me. If you are looking for a drama filled book with a self-centered teen (I know, I know, that's typical in real life, too!) who makes serious errors in much of what she does and chooses, this one is for you. Is it a lesson? Probably. Did she learn it? In my opinion, no.

The main character is 16 year old Ada who seems to be fixated on fixing her life with sex. Do 16 year olds think about it? Sure. Do they obsess on it? Maybe. But for me, it was way too large of a part of this book. I found her constant return to and reiterations of it tiresome and ridiculous. I also had issue with her sister letting her flounder and wallow in her own self-pity.

Overall it was a fast read but considering my affinity for picking books up by this author, not one I can see myself recommending. Too much drama without real situations for my taste.

Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE, MY PLAIN JANE, and MY CALAMITY JANE (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, THE HOW AND THE WHY and the upcoming novels WITH YOU ALL THE WAY and MY CONTRARY MARY (also with Ashton and Meadows). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two cats, one crazy dog, two kids, and mountain of books.