Great book! I could not put the book down once I begun reading it. Excited for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Wendy Wunder's "Maya Knows Everything" is an absolute must-read! It was so good - the humor and the relationships. All of it was just what I needed after bawling reading another book. This sharp and hilarious coming-of-age novel brilliantly captures the essence of teenage angst and the burden of knowing too much. Maya, our omniscient protagonist, brings a fresh and intriguing twist to the genre, making every page a delightful blend of wit and heart. Wunder’s writing is both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, perfect for fans of John Green and Nicola Yoon. As Maya navigates her unique abilities and the complexities of new relationships, you'll find yourself deeply invested in her journey. It's a thought-provoking, feel-good read that tackles heavy themes with a light touch.

The premise of this book is so good but it’s written in such a stereotypical typical manner. There was no flow to the plot and it was a lot of descriptive paragraphs that did nothing for the story as a whole. I found the dialogue questionable, as the things said in this book are nothing like how people in real life would talk. Thank you for the Arc, I tried. Also the cover could use some work as well.

In Wendy Wunder's "Mysterious Ways," readers immerse themselves in the life of Maya, a seventeen-year-old with the uncanny ability to know everything about everyone instantly. This gift, both a marvel and a curse, propels Maya into a journey of self-discovery amidst the complexities of identity, mental health, and human nature.

As Maya grapples with her extraordinary talent at Whispering Pines Psychiatric Facility, she faces the challenge of forming genuine connections while burdened with knowing everyone's secrets. Encountering a boy who piques her interest, Maya confronts the limits of her abilities and wrestles with the notion of whether there can be such a thing as too much knowledge.

Wunder skillfully intertwines real-world issues with the supernatural, exploring themes like bullying, social struggles, and self-doubt inherent in adolescence. The characters are intricately developed, each dealing with personal demons that add richness to the narrative.

While some elements of Maya's story may test believability, Wunder's portrayal of teenage challenges and personal growth remains relatable and engaging. The plot, filled with twists and emotional depth, captivates readers until the final pages.

"Mysterious Ways" offers a thought-provoking take on knowledge, perception, and the human experience, making it a compelling read for fans of contemporary young adult fiction. It provides a fresh perspective on the trials of growing up in a world where excessive knowledge can become a burden rather than a gift.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC!

Wanting to be generous and offer this two stars because the idea of this novel is incredibly strong. A girl walking through life with the ability to hear the thoughts of other people? Fun, and potentially incredibly heartfelt. I also loved that it attempted to put an emphasis on those who battle with mental health, and a variety of other tender subjects this premise could lend itself to extremely well.

Unfortunately, nothing about Maya as a main character felt authentic, and any attempt at addressing larger, deeply important social issues wasn't met with any humanity or nuance at all. It all just felt like stereotype salad. In fact, it read as if it were talking down to readers at times (especially teens and millennials—the target YA audience), and that wound up being something that really bothered me.

I haven't read anything by Wendy prior to this, but I would be interested to go back and pick up some of her earlier YA novels because she's a very gifted writer. The execution of this, unfortunately, fell so, so flat for me.

3.5 stars because I loved the premise - all-knowing? check! able to read minds? check! worried about loving and being loved because of how different she is? you got it - check!

But for some reason, I couldn't get into this as much as I had hoped. The voice didn't draw me in which was surprising considering the nature of the story. It took me a long time to finish it, unfortunately.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

I'd like to express my gratitude to Wednesday Books for providing me with the ARC for review.

While the main character aimed to adopt a Gen Z-like voice, it came across as more derisive than genuine. Although she frequently went on rants, they didn't contribute substantially to the narrative. It's possible that her character develops further later in the story, but I wasn't compelled to continue reading. Additionally, the chapter narrated from the dog's perspective had a strikingly similar tone to that of the main character.

(Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC to review.)

Unfortunately, I stopped reading this at the 13% mark. After reading the prologue and eight chapters, the overall tone wasn't what I expected. The main character's voice attempted to sound like a Gen Z-er but felt more mocking than anything. She ranted a lot but didn't add anything to the conversation; maybe she does later in the story, but it didn't interest me to continue reading it. Also, the chapter from her dog's POV had a very similar voice to the main character.

As much as i was intrigued by the summary, I sadly didn't like it. I think it's a great plot but i just don't like the modern references. As a Gen Z, I definitely cringed and had to sadly put the book down. I'm sure if I was younger, I would like something like this but right now it's not for me. I will give it a try some other time though!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this e-arc

The book tells about Maya who has to stay at a psychiatric facility. She later attends a new school. Maya has to face some challenges like her ability to heal and read people’s mind. She also made friends especially a cute guy named Tyler. The chapters are short and it's a fast-paced read. Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

I tried reading this one SO MANY times, but I just can't. I don't understand what's happening and I'm sick of reading the same stuff hoping against hope that I find it somewhat interesting. I'm not gonna read this, it completely failed to engage me.

This was a tough book to get through because it was so out of touch and every other sentence was a generalized stereotype. The main character, Maya, is supposed to be an all-knowing teen, but doesn’t really know how to be around other people. It was an interesting concept, but poorly executed. I am gen z, but all the gen z characters (including maya) felt like some gen x’er had a conversation with a gen z on what they thought gen z was like and then only remember half the conversation and filled in the rest from the stereotypes. This book missed the nuance of people by a mile and replaced it with horoscopes, religion, and stereotypes to explain why people do stuff. It was a really unbearable book to read. The first third of the book is the worst, and while it gets a bit better around the halfway mark when the actual story starts, it is still hard to get to the story through the paragraphs of rambling about unimportant stuff. I never felt connected to any of the characters because they never felt like real people. Overall this was a book disappointing read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Our main character Maya csn hear the thoughts in your head. So being in crowded places can be overwhelming to her. She ends up in a mental health facility too, because they think she's crazy and had a god complex. This book is a bit all over the place and it just kept dragging on.

When I was first really getting into reading I picked up a book by this author and fell in love with it, I have anxiously looked so many times to see if she had released a new book and finally saw that this book was coming out soon. So I obviously checked NetGalley and requested a copy!
Maya is seventeen and growing up and learning things about yourself and the world is hard enough; but Maya knows too much. She just has to be near someone and she knows everything about them and what they're thinking.
She starts attending a new school and is trying to navigate life with this gift/curse. Is there such a thing as knowing too much?
This book was very cute and sad and honestly all the emotions haha.
I think if I had read this when I was slightly younger I may have enjoyed it more.
However, I still absolutely loved it and I am so happy to have been able to read this book that I looked forward to for so long.

I tried this book probably 5 separate times, and could never get past the first two chapters. Didn’t work for me, unfortunately.

The story felt a bit all over the place, and I didn’t find myself invested. I stopped after the second “chapter” (4%). I’d guess 3 stars, 4 for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

Told from multiple points-of-view, we find Maya can tell what people are thinking. When she goes back to high school after getting out of a psych hospital, she realizes it’s not always a good thing. When Maya meets Tyler and they both think uh-oh. Maya starts thinking about doing things with Tyler and when something happens, it sends Maya over the edge. Can they remain a couple?

“Mysterious Ways” is strange at first, and I was not sure if I would like it. However, the story gets better as you keep reading. Maya is omniscient, able to hear what people around her are thinking. That might seem good or useful, but many of the thoughts are negative: people thinking negative things about themselves or others (including Maya). This ability also gets Maya into trouble, as sometimes she responds to what other people are thinking or she becomes overwhelmed by all the thoughts and has a breakdown. As a result, Maya is a pariah, and spends time in a psychiatric unit. The story starts out during a six-week psychiatric stay, with Maya very much "doom and gloom", convinced that the world is an evil place and well on its way to being destroyed unless her generation wakes up and takes action. However, Maya also cares about people, and has the ability to link a person's thoughts together and set it to music, so the person's brain can process it better; for fellow patient Bobby, she takes his memories of his girlfriend and their breakup and makes it into something bittersweet, instead of end of the world devastating. After getting out of the hospital, Maya is sent to a public school. She doesn't fit in at first, and Lucy, the classmate who takes her under her wing, wonders if she made a mistake in doing so. However, as Maya starts making connections with people (Lucy, Tyler, Tori), and finds a cause to pursue, her view of herself and the world slowly starts to change. Her actions also help some of the other characters open themselves up to each other and be sources of support and encouragement. Maya also discovers a previously unknown side to her mother. In the end, Maya will realize that for all the evil and negativity in the world, there is also plenty of goodness if you pay attention.

I found this book entertaining right from the start. This story is filled with drama, love, healing, as well as some fun, playful moments bringing in some lightness.

4.5 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was extremely pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting standard YA fare, which I often enjoy but sometimes
feels formulaic. Instead, this book was a breath of fresh air, so smart and insightful and just the right amount of whimsical. It offered great insight into teens’ mental health in the broken world the adults have brought them into.
The character of Maya reminded me of a more awkward, moodier “Joan of Arcadia” if Joan could hear the thoughts of everyone around her.

I look forward to reading more by this author.