I gave this book 4 stars. If you’ve ever had a really close best friend that you shared everything with and had an incredibly strong bond with then this book will resonate with you. The entire novel is witty and clever, you'll never be bored.

Most of the time I hate books written in this format, where you only get the story through two characters texting or emailing each other because I usually feel like I’m missing a lot of the story. That problem wasn’t present here as I felt because these two characters were so close they would tell each other a lot so I could get a feel for them as characters and the people around them.

It was well written and something I couldn’t seem to put down. It was also super realistic, there wasn’t really a moment in this book where I thought to myself “yeah right, like that could actually happen”.

While the story is about the lives of these characters and how they are trying to get through their early adulthood okay, it’s first and foremost about the friendship between these two characters and it’s beautiful.

What I found most relatable was that these people who went in and out of the protagonists’ lives were all people I know. We’ve probably all met the people that are being written in this book.

Overall, amazing contemporary about friendship and life. Would highly recommend this to those who love a good YA contemporary.

I heard so much about this book even before it was released, so I got so excited to read it. Then I started and just couldn't. It not that it's poorly written, but it's because it's just not my kind of humour.
It's worth mentioning that I didn't know who Gaby and Allison was before I read this, and therefor had no relationship to them as youtubers and such. I think it would really have helped to have, since I afterwards understood that this is maybe more for the fans who know how they talk so it's funnier.

Either way, I don't think there is nothing wrong with the book but it's not a book for me.

Everyone always talks about the effort you have to put into a romantic relationship or a marriage, but why would a friendship be any different?

I wanted to like this more than I did. I was all here for the format (I love stories told in emails and texts). I LOVED the clear love you can see between Ava and Gen from the beginning. And I loved the great conversational humor we get from both characters. Unfortunately, the beginning was the best part for me and it slowly went down from there.

As the story progresses, I realized I didn’t particularly care for either character - they both had their questionable moments that lead me to pull back. And we start to see more and more cracks in their friendship as well. We see them grow apart a bit, and start wondering if who they are now can still be best friends. It felt honest, which was nice, but I just started getting invested less and less. I liked that we got to see Ava openly discussing her anxiety and OCD and we got to see Gen’s exploration and realization of her sexual identity (she comes to identify as queer), but Ava was incredibly naive and insensitive about some topics (which Gen called her on). Overall, this was okay. I wish the story hadn’t peaked in the beginning for me. This was a story with some good moments, but overall a bit of a let down.

I like the wit of this book but I'm less fond of the whole package. Transitions are a great source of conflict for a novel and going off to college is a pretty big one. Many teens use their first year of near independence to experiment and when you and your best friend head in different directions it can lead to significant strain. So this had a lot of potential to explore interpersonal relationships. Instead we had a lot of judgement and rigid standards. The characters don't listen, just make snap judgements.

I received this book as an ARC reader for Netgalley for an honest review. I was excited to read this book and review because I enjoy books that are written in email/letter/text form. I feel that you can understand the characters better. I enjoyed the story of this book and I loved the characters. I enjoyed the fact that it dealt with some big issues in society such as mental illness, sexual identify crisis, alcohol and drug addiction.
My only issue with this book was the sudden change in the friendship of Gen and Ava. I didn't really enjoy the fact that one minute they are together in Boston and the next not speaking to each other and possibly hating each other. The story changed so fast and then ended.
I would love to read more about these two characters and see how their lives turn out. Things like will Ava find the right guy for her and will she learn to overcome more of her anxiety. Will Gen end up Alex in a monogamous relationship?? Will she realize her truest passion?? Will Ava & Gen still be best friends after college is over and the work world comes into play??

"then last night he CALLED me and asked me to come over to "talk". I assumed this was a thinly veiled booty call but was lonely so agreed"

* *
2 / 5

With a title like "i hate everyone but you" I was concerned that I was going to get a very hipster and "edgy" read aimed at thirteen year olds. I Hate Everyone But You is a very much older teenager book and is cram packed with sex, drugs, and unhealthy relationships; it also doesn't really have much going in terms of plot. This classic tale of going away to university and friendship was hilarious and relatable at first, but it quickly becomes apparent that neither of our two main characters, Eva and Gen, are particularly likeable and the book becomes rather preachy.

Does no one else have panic attacks that they're going to arrive late and ruin their lives so they overcompensate by arriving extremely early?

Ava and Gen have been best friends throughout school, but now both are headed to different universities. Gen packed her bags in the night and went across the country to attend university as far from her family as possible, Ava can't bear to leave home. Gen throws herself into a life of having sex with her professors, getting drunk all the time, and a bunch of weird relationships and drama whilst working at the paper. Ava struggles to get to therapy and to find friends, she tries out sorority life but feels increasing alienated. They sound like very different people on paper, but in reality their voices are so similar. Both have strong views, argue a lot, have a string of romances, and are only identified by a small chat icon that makes it hard both to connect with them and to tell them apart.

Unfortunately, both of them were pretty bad people. Sure, they had some relatable aspects; Ava struggling with her anxiety and finding it hard to connect with people and Gen working out her sexuality and how to be a real adult (tm). I had a fair amount of sympathy and compassion for both at first, because going to university is hard and navigating adult life and adult relationships is hard. But both are incredibly judgemental people (Gen literally says "I don't subscribe to labels unless I'm labelling other people" in the middle of chewing Ava out for mistakenly calling her bisexual), they're both pretty horrible to each other about the other's life and choices, but nothing ever seems to actually happen. It's like watching a filler episode of Gossip Girls or Pretty Little Liars: no plot, people being mean, lots of sex and ruined relationships, and it's kind of weirdly entertaining but you can also feel your brain cells dying.

Chelsea is kind of a basic bitch but she sort of knows it and doesn't care which is weirdly refreshing

The story is told entirely via emails, texts, and instant messaging transcripts. This kind of format can work very well, for example Illuminae, and here it kind of worked; it took me quite a while to remember which girl was which due to the lack of connection, but it was novel and easy to read. Since nothing is dated, I found it very difficult to keep hold of a sense of time throughout the book. Has it been two days since they last spoke? A month? I have no idea because nothing is dated!

I Hate Everyone But You started off with promise but quickly descended into nothing but petty squabbles, unhealthy relationship drama, and difficult main characters.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book

The style and narration of this novel are great and very engaging, but as the story went on I had a hard time understanding how these two young women were ever friends. As they head off to college with implied backstories, they start to become a super oblivious women and her label-eschewing, open-minded BFF. Their contrasts made it hard to understand what they ever had in common. As the story unfolded, it felt like nothing was happening and I put this one down.

Hi, everyone! I finally finished I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin and it was amazing! I was excited for this book since I first found out about it in May. Then, when I finally got the chance to read it, I dug in, looking forward to all the little moments where I’d have time to enjoy the text messages and emails between Gen and Ava. You could see the connection they had through just a few words and not being in the same place and time! There was that and the fact that I’m always on the lookout for a good femship that has complex characters as friends but also focuses on them as individual people and not just stock character best friends. I Hate Everyone But You pulled that off by giving voice to So, yeah, I really liked it! 🙂

What really had me with this book was the characters within it. They added more to the story; no, they made the story! Gen’s side of the story was completely dramatic and what you’d expect a soap opera to be like. There were just so many “what?” moments, but it just stopped short of overwhelming and made the book work. Ava’s adventures were a bit different. Though she didn’t have as much going on as Gen, Ava was facing her own troubles, plus her social anxiety. However, she still managed to have a few “what” moments of her own. What I liked most about Ava’s relationship with Gen is that she’s never felt like she had to be a “yes woman” in order to stay friends with her. Ava’s honesty is definitely needed some times, even when it comes off as rude or naive. It helps move the story along, plus later on she does apologize whenever Ava felt like she had overstepped.

Well, that’s all I have to say about I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin. I really enjoyed it and would recommend this to anyone looking for a good femship read!

I'm wondering when, if ever, I'll stop associating books that speak in IM with the "ttyl" series -- probably never. But these two college freshman are growing up and trying not to grow apart. I have some issues with the way mental illness is treated in this book, and it seems to be a huge part of each of the characters. Although both are dealing with their own mental issues, the abuse-survivor is the only one who seems to act believably, and she's not the one in therapy. The other seems to have any combination of anxiety and personality disorders, and despite being in therapy, doesn't seem to be making much progress. It's a confusing and conflicting message. Still, the friendship is tender and the experiences are interesting. It's a light read with some drama that I'd recommend to older fans of Lauren Myracle or reluctant readers.

I love this book. Reading it was like a conversation with friends. I love that the characters are so similar to the JBU show and that they are messy and real and well developed. The plots were not that ground breaking but I really enjoyed the way it was laid out. (And that said, must have been insane to plot/organise/edit to keep all the dates an conversations straight. Huge props!)

I was unable to finish this book. It meandered and was kind of boring. Parts were funny, don't get me wrong, but not funny enough or compelling enough to be able to finish it.

Super cute story played out in mostly text messages. It is like getting to be voyeur into a really fun and funny friendship.

For current and future fans of the YouTube show “Just Between Us,” Gabby Dunn and Alison Raskin’s “I Hate Everyone But You” give us the passwords to Gen and Ava’s messaging accounts. Gen’s just gone far away to college, and we get to read every email and instant message sent between them as they tell each other everything they’re going through during this new phase of their lives. We follow these imperfect friends trying to navigate through their separation, through discovering bisexuality and coming out, through anxiety and self-harm, through transformation, through disagreements, and through their new adulthood. It’s a thoroughly relatable, very queer, very feminist representation of just how real things can get after high school. For those familiar with Dunn and Raskin’s work, their unique voices and style of humor will certainly shine through. For those who aren’t you’ll definitely want to seek them out.

https://thebookishdeer.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/i-hate-everyone-but-you-review-giveaway/

Originally posted on Forever Young Adult on 2017 September 12.

BOOK REPORT for I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn and Allison Raskin

Cover Story: You Used To Call Me On My Cell Phone
BFF Charm: Yay x2
Swoonworthy Scale: 2
Talky Talk: Author Simulacrums
Bonus Factors: Long-Term Friendships, College, LGBTQ
Relationship Status: LYLAS

Cover Story: You Used To Call Me On My Cell Phone

The colors are almost obnoxiously bright, which works, plus the cell phone will scare away any olds who won’t want to read a book entirely comprised of emails and text messages, so I’d say the cover is doing exactly what a cover should do.

The Deal:

Ava and Gen are unlikely high-school besties who chose to go to colleges on opposite coasts. Gen, a free spirit, chose a small liberal arts school in NYC, whereas Ava—who, at four years old, told her parents she needed therapy—chose a big university just twenty minutes from home. Despite their wildly divergent natures, they’ve maintained a closer-than-close sisterhood, and Ava sees no reason this should stop just because they aren’t physically near one another.

But as anyone who has graduated high school and is over the age of twenty knows, it can be tough to maintain intimacy in relationships that were formed because of forced proximity. Can Gen and Ava’s friendship survive a coming out, casual drug use, sorority rushing, bad relationships, and friendship misunderstandings?

BFF Charm: Yay x2

During high school, Gen was basically adopted by Ava’s family since her own take turns conducting the Crazy Train. Because of the constant haranguing and passive aggressive nonsense she’s had to deal with, Gen is tough and sassy, and she isn’t afraid to call Ava on her shit. She’s also a little wild, probably thanks to a lack of supervision, and she makes some questionable choices that had me shaking my head (sorry, but I’m a goody-two-shoes at heart).

I definitely identified more with Ava personality-wise, though she has a lot more anxiety and social issues than I had at her age. She’s shyer, but just as snarky, and she would prefer to cling to what she knows rather than put herself out there—though, to be fair, she does rush a sorority because she is trying. Ava has way less romantic experience, and she relies heavily on Gen for boy advice, which made for some very hilarious step-by-step instructions.

Swoonworthy Scale: 2

This is a besties book, so while there’s a ton of emphasis on a relationship, it’s of a strictly platonic nature. But Ava and Gen do go through their fair share of boy and girl troubles and most of them are cringe-inducing and so obviously "freshmen dating woes" that hopefully they will look back on them in five years and go, “HOW did I let myself get drawn into that BS?”

Talky Talk: Author Simulacrums

If you can’t find something in this book to relate to, then you either a) hate pop culture references, b) never went to college, c) never had a best friend (I’m so sorry!), d) aren’t human.

Sometimes I think about the epistolary format and have to mentally brace myself, because it can feel a bit cumbersome if not done right. But I got swept up so quickly into Ava and Gen’s friendship, and it was easy to follow along with who was speaking (partially thanks to their cute little avatars) as they both had such clear voices (and different authors, though that doesn’t always automatically mean anything, as we are all well aware).

After I finished the novel I read up on authors Gaby and Allison, and suddenly it was obvious why Gen and Ava felt so authentic: these ladies poured a lot of themselves and their friendship into these pages. There were times I was so caught up relating to these tough but vulnerable women and remembering my own friendship woes that I had to remind myself that Ava and Gen weren’t real. The authors perfectly encapsulated the powerful nature of friendship, the kind that can kick you in the gut more than any romantic relationship ever could.

Bonus Factor: Long-Term Friendship

Reading this made me want to call up my female bestie or send her a long, emoji-infused email. It’s tough to maintain long-distance relationships, but it’s so satisfying when you meet up and can pick up right where you left off. New friendships are wonderful, but there’s something to be said for the people who’ve known you for more than a decade and still think you're the top.

Bonus Factor: College

It’s rare for us YA readers to jump out of high-school and into some College 101! This book has all the trappings of your first semester: frat bros; going to class when you feel like it and then, later, trying not to fail said class; lame parties that become cooler because there’s booze; rush week; doubting your major and future. All the fun stuff.

Bonus Factor: LGBTQ

Gen comes out to Ava in sort of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it way, and this leads to a lot of confusion on Ava’s part about how serious this actually is (though, really, no less confusing on Gen’s behalf too, as she tries to navigate what it means to be a college student and gay). The conversations they had felt realistic and honest, and sometimes a little painful, too.

Relationship Status: LYLAS

Even though you made it clear that there was only room for one close friendship between your pages, Book, I was still charmed by your humor and emotion, and I would gladly give you space to set your sleeping bag at my next slumber party. We get the same inside jokes and ache over the same life experiences, and that’s something special.

First of all, thank you for making me part of this blog tour, it's been fun reading I Hate Everyone But You. I haven't read anything like this before, I mean the format of it is new to me, I was actually waiting for the normal format of the book but I can't find any. LOL. Aside from that, I am curious with what will happen to the characters since they're best friends and they're living apart. Will they survive? Will they change? Who knows right? Also, to tell you honestly, the cover of that book is really cute! Simple yet pretty.

Being in a long distance relationship neither friendship nor lover is very challenging, it takes all the courage and patience to speak to a specific person. It takes time to wait for their reply and sometimes you'll panic when they're not messaging back. It takes some bravery too since you're willing to sacrifice things for them just like Ava and Gen, they are best friends. They live apart because of college. Both are trying to cope up with the new environment, new people and new friends. Both of them wants to experience the real college life and they just share those experiences via email or text messages.

Other things that I love about this book is that, the story is simple and sometimes it feels like you're reading your own email exchange to someone else. The story is straight forward and the conversation exchange are enjoyable to read. You'll get the typical best friend stories, the secrets that only them can decipher. And you'll get the best friend kind of advice which I think is adorable. These two (Ava and Gen) really caught my attention. They're both lovely and they truly care for each other despite their distance. At this moment, I could say long distance is possible.

Before receiving an eARC for this book, I had already planned and purchased tickets to go to the Chicago book tour stop for this novel. I have been following the authors for a couple years through their YouTube channel "Just Between Us" and could not miss a chance to see them. Luckily I got had a chance to read an early copy and I managed to finish the book the night before the event. It is fantastic.

This novel is essentially a modern-day epistolary, as the story is entirely told through emails and text messages. It was a refreshing style to come across. In addition to the humor, this novel touches on some very real topics such as sexuality, mental illness, identity, and friendship. Because of the dynamics of the characters they are extremely relatable, particularly for college freshmen. I felt so many emotions and laughed more with this novel than probably all other novels I've read combined. 

As for the event, I also never stopped laughing. It was a wonderful comedic experience that I got to see with my best friend. 

I definitely recommend these authors via their YouTube channel and real life, as well as this novel.

This book was a quick, fun “new adult” read that managed to cover some serious topics without coming across all Very Special Episode. The book covers queerness (pansexuality rep!) and polyamory plus mental health issues including OCD and there is a whole lot of drugs and alcohol. US YA can shy away from this so I was happy to read something where first year college students’ sex lives, drinking and drug use provide a background that is believable.

The format of combining emails and messages could have been distracted but actually made the book feel like it was actually two real life best friends who have highs and lows readers can identify with. The only weakness was that the parts of the novel where the friends are actually together in real life weren’t covered in as much depth as I would have liked.

I got really involved in watching the characters trying to deal with their relationship changing in so many ways as they are geographically and emotionally distanced for the first time and finding out about themselves and trying to present this to others. I was also into how their relationships with their parents and each other’s parents were weaved into the story. It’s sad, it’s funny, queer af and worth your time.

This book was one of those middle of the road ones for me. For one, I'm a sucker for any book that's written in a format like email/IM etc. But I felt like it was kind of all over the place. To me it seemed like there'd be some conflict but then it was suddenly over with and done. There was just no long conflict or anything and that just didn't work for me. Overall, I liked the writing but wasn't very big on the actual story itself.

This was so fun to read, I loved Ava and Gen, and couldn't put it down. So many feelings that I could relate to from college, moving away from friends, and growing.