Monday, July 13, 2015

Review (56): Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom

Don’t Ever Change
M. Beth Bloom

Release Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Format: eARC 
Source: Edelweiss

My Thoughts: 
Eva has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. So when she hands in her last writing assignment of her high school career and her writing teacher tells her she should focus on writing “what she knows”, she is a little distressed and realizes she doesn’t actually know all that much. She decides to take advantage of her last summer before college to gain new experiences and finally live a life worth writing about. That’s how she ends up as a camp counselor even though she is wholly unqualified, how she finds herself falling for the last person she ever thought possible, and how she almost loses her two best friends. 

Eva is a judge-y, know-it-all who has this irritating need to be different than everyone around her. But despite all of this, I found myself liking her. She knows how problematic she is (because she is told by pretty much everyone she talks to) and she genuinely seems like she wants to change her negative attitude. She realizes that she hasn’t lived any life changing moments thus far because she hasn't really let herself; she’s been more preoccupied trying to be different and unique that she has shunned people and passed up opportunities. She kind of reminds me of my high school self in this regard, unfortunately.

Her sister, Courtney, is also a great character. She is 21 and, although she is more confident and in control than Eva, she is also a little lost and trying to find herself. She is going to community college and doesn’t sound like she fully knows what she wants to do with her life—except maybe travel. I really liked her and Eva’s relationship. She is always there whenever Eva needs her and is actually great at giving her advice and making her realize when she’s being difficult or ridiculous. 

The plot isn’t particularly exciting or action-packed, but it is real. The book takes place the summer after Eva’s senior year and is spent just like any new graduate probably would; with a summer job, spending as much time with friends as possible, and coming to terms with the fact that going to college means leaving the only home you’ve ever known. What I also really liked about this is that Eva doesn’t go through a magical transformation and doesn’t turn into a completely different person by the end of the story. She learns a lot about herself during those few weeks but she herself recognizes that this is just the beginning and that she has a long way to go. And I think that’s perfect.

| Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Bookdepository |

Click HERE to read an excerpt!

* Thank you to the author and publisher for an eARC in return for my honest review *

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this one because I've seen many negative reviews. I loved Eva, because I found her to be really relatable. She's going to my dream college and she wants to be a writer, which is awesome, because I really want to write a book one day.
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh really? I actually haven't read any other reviews for this yet, but I can understand why some people would feel that way. Eva is a difficult character but the fact that she knows this and is willing to work on it is what won me over. Glad to hear you liked it as well!

      Delete
  2. I also recently read this book, but I didn't like it as much. Yes, Eva is frustrating, but as you say, she does realize she's been in the wrong. What got me was the totally selfish way she approached her relationships with guys--which she never seems to realize is wrong. Like, she never feels remorse about cheating on her boyfriend with Foster, and that second time she kisses Foster he seems pretty reluctant, but she pushes him to make out anyway, which I thought was iffy. I don't know, I just felt like she realized her selfishness toward her friends but not anybody else.

    That having been said, I *loved* Eva's relationship with Courtney. And I really like what you said about Eva's change being realistic. When I first finished this book, I thought Eva didn't change enough, but now I can see your point--someone so ingrained in their ways wouldn't change completely over a few months. She realizes she needs to change (in some areas, anyway), which is an important start. Great review! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I completely agree with you about her relationship with the guys. I should have written about that as well.

      Delete

I LOVE getting and reading comments. Knowing what you guys have to say really helps me figure out if you are enjoying what I'm posting or not, so thank you.