Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but it does not influence my opinion of the book nor this review in any way.

Honestly... I'm not even sure where to start with this review. How do I communicate how much I adored this book with words rather than with gifs or emoji's? Even then, I'm uncertain I can capture the heart of this book, like it captured mine, or how much it gave me while I was reading it. It truly did capture my heart, and I will definitely be looking out for more from Abigail Johnson in the future. 

In terms a basic summary... Adam's oldest brother died two years ago, and his family has been ripped apart by grief. Unable to take it, his dad moved out, living in an apartment 30 minutes away from the beautifully restored farmhouse Adam grew up in. Now, Adam only lives with his dad in the shitty apartment every other weekend. His new next door neighbor is Jolene, the daughter of bitterly divorced parents, who lives in her dad's apartment every other weekend, merely because her dad enjoys taking Jolene away from her mom. The rest of the time, she lives with her mom, who is definitely a psycho narcissist of the worst caliber, who enjoys taking away everything Jolene loves from her life. 

Neither Jolene nor Adam is happy. But with being fifteen and living in a shitty apartment complex with no driving license and no way out, they spend the time together and open up more and more. Jolene is a brazen, bitingly sarcastic fifteen-year-old, wrapping herself in self-aggrandizing comments to hide her deep-seated insecurities about having absolutely no one in her life who cares for her. You can't help but fall in love with her, because she's stubbornly hilarious with all her witty-comments, and and she broke my heart. She's the literal symbol of "you can't choose your family," and for this poor girl, I really wish that she could. 

Adam, too, had so much going on in his life. I loved him because he wasn't just pigeon-holed into the stereotypical role of "good boy," or "Bad boy," but instead read like real, funny guy. He's decent and adorable, and he immediately fell under Jolene's spell. He's honest and just wants his family to be whole again, horribly grief-struck from both losing his brother, and losing the family he had before they all became wrapped in their own shrouds of mourning. He may be fifteen, but he's up there in book boyfriend territory, for sure (once he gets older). He truly loves Jolene for who she is, and it's literally the cutest thing. She can be harsh and crass, but he's always so gentle and sweet with her. 

Their connection was obvious and the dialogue fast-paced and hilarious. I laughed more than I cried, which is saying something because I cried in this book. Jolene and Adam were two very angry, messed up kids. Jolene's situation was nothing short of royally  f*cked up, but as they started to hang out together during their bi-weekly visits with their respective parents, as neighbors, they became each other's safe space in a way that felt very genuine and honest.

It's an emotional read, as Jolene and Adam's discontent and rage jumps at you throughout most of the novel. But it's also a really great story of friendship and vulnerability. Jolene had never been freely loved by a single person other than a housekeeper she no longer gets to see, and Adam was wracked with grief and anger at his parents. 

I absolutely feel in love with these two endearing characters. Their friendship was so real to me, and watching it evolve as they learned to lean on each other and become more and more vulnerable with each other brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Jolene had me cracking up with her bravado, wicked wit and dramatic self-deprecating ways. It was all a symptom of the bullet-proof shell she constructed around her heart to escape and endure the horrible war-zone that was her childhood. 

Their relationship was a slow burn that evolved and unfolded so beautifully. My heart clenched and stomach dipped right along with the character's as the other said something in flirtation or friendship. Towards the end, Adam started flirting more and more and my toes curled with Jolene's. I was so invested that I stayed in bed until 1:30 p.m., anxious to finish this story and anxious for my beautiful characters to get the ending they deserved. 

Abigail Johnson crafted this one so perfectly, I can't help but feel that it must have been semi-autobiographical at some point. I don't know this to be true, but she got so well in the head of these two fifteen-year-olds, both horribly terrified and desperately hopeful towards the future. I went into this expecting an adorable story about two teens become friends, but it was so, so much more than that. It was equally gut-wrenching and adorable, and I loved reading this story about finding friendship, then love, in such a hopeless scenario. I loved watching them find and connect with each other through their pain, friendship and healing. The characters were each so rich and distinctive, and it was so emotional, tender, honest, and real that I know this one will end up as one of my favorite reads of 2020 ✨

I have so much more to gush and say, but I think this is one of those books that everyone needs to read. Truly, consider picking this one up. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Tours for the review copy 😊

As a child of divorced parents, I enjoyed this look at how divorce can effect teenagers. I wish the author had dug a little deeper into the dynamics of divorced parents and their children—at times the relationships felt over the top and a little caricatured. Other than that, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Adam and Jolene and Adam and his brother(s). That was the highlight for me. I would recommend this to people who have experienced or are experiencing their parents divorce as a way to see another side of divorce but I wouldn't recommend it to people who are hoping to gain a new perspective on divorce.

This was a super cute YA romance with some darker themes (pedophilia, child abuse, and death). I really enjoyed it and would def recommend to those who enjoy contemporary YA fiction who appreciate less fluff and more realism.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review, "Every Other Weekend' by Abigail Johnson. This book explored a lot of real themes. It was so relatable to any kid who grew up with divorced parents. The content felt incredibly heavy to me since I felt very similar to Jolene when I was her age. While some of the content was heavy, it was very enjoyable. I liked the writing style and how the characters were more than 1 dimensional. This one is well worth picking up.

I loved Every Other Weekend! I loved the reality of the romance, as well as the adults who suck at adulting (at least for a little bit). As a middle grade librarian, I am looking for more romantic stories like this one: no sex on page, but realistic in a way that makes young teenagers want to read. Would definitely recommend!

It’s such a heart gripping sad story that at times was hard to read what these wonderful kids had to go through.
It was a wonderful friends to lovers book that showcases no one has a choice in who their family is. The characters were really well rounded and it was so good. Ugh the tears!

This is definitely a book that I absolutely adored! I had heard nothing more than praise for this book and it took me a short while to actually sit down and start reading this to understand why. The amount of wholeness that I felt after reading this just filled my heart and it felt like I was watching a really funny and cute movie with two characters that I could root for and feel an emotional connection to.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Most of the time, I love YA books. Occasionally, there is a book, movie, or tv show that I just cringe my way through because it's all SO very high-school. This was one of those.

Not that the writing or storyline was overwhelmingly juvenile, but as an adult who reads a lot of YA, there are occasionally those instances where you realize you're too much of an adult to really appreciate it for what it is. I think for actual teens--especially those in similar situations--this would be a great choice. As an adult, I'd recommend skipping it.

Featuring two struggled teens who develop an unlikely friendship, Abigail Johnson’s upcoming contemporary, Every Other Weekend, is going to hit you right in the feels with its complex characters, hard-hitting plots, and simple yet captivating setting of an old, crappy apartment complex. Following the story of Adam who’s still deep in grief years after the death of his beloved oldest brother and Jolene who’s trapped between her parents’ divorce and endless fights, Johnson is not shy away from digging into their deepest emotions and state of mind not just as regular teens, but also as ones who tried to conceal the years of suffering by becoming distant and unapproachable.

Told in alternating perspectives, the story begins with Adam being on his way to his father’s apartment with his brother, Jeremy. The two didn’t get along, although Adam’s admiration for his oldest brother, Greg, who died a year before, was obvious from the way he’s grieving. Healing and moving on might be easy to do, if it’s not for the fact that Adam didn’t just lose Greg, but also the picture-perfect family that he previously had. His mother couldn’t function properly anymore and seemed to burst into tears at almost every given moment. His father wasn’t doing any better and ultimately decided to take off instead of facing off the tornado that tore their family apart. As a result of losing one of their sons, his parents decided that they needed to move on, not just from grieve, but also from each other, resulting in Adam and Jeremy scheduled visiting at their dad’s apartment on every other weekend. Confused and angry for a decision that Adam considered to be completely ridiculous, he lashed out his emotions towards everything, except his mother, who he very much loved. But that’s before he met Jolene, the passionate and witty girl next door that seems to always have a camera in her hands.

An aspiring filmmaker and one that is very much passionate about anything movie-related, Jolene was stuck in the middle of her parents’ divorce and constantly used as a pawn. She went back and forth between her parents’ place and she rarely got to experience their affection and growing believing that love isn’t real. On one of the weekends, during her stay at her dad’s apartment who is constantly too busy with work to even show up to meet his daughter and instead gives that responsibility to the mistress that caused the divorce in the first place, Jolene met Adam while she accidentally captured their first encounter on her camera. Though their first encounter was more awkward rather than romantic, the two decided that hanging around each other was the best option that they could get out of their stay in their fathers’ apartment.

My favorite thing about Every Other Weekend is definitely Johnson’s ability to craft such a beautiful and heartfelt story, making them go beyond 500 pages, yet not once I felt that the story was dragging or even too long. Contemporary doesn’t need a long elaboration on its worldbuilding because they pretty much exist just in our world, hence the reason why authors could put more highlight on the characters or the plot instead. Johnson executed these two remarkably. While the heart of this story is the encounter of Adam and Jolene, the narratives regarding the other aspects of their life were still delivered thoroughly, making their characters more complex rather than just serving one sole purpose of meeting teach other.

I loved the fact that Johnson took the time to narrate how the characters were dealing with other people and things in their life aside from each other, making this story more enjoyable and real to be followed. While it wasn’t my favorite, Adam’s dynamic with his remaining brother, Jeremy, was striking and showed just how badly siblings could treat each other. I also enjoyed following Adam’s love journey because of how real it was narrated, especially in portraying teenagers’ love life and all of its complications.

Meanwhile, Jolene’s friends, Cherry and Gabe, were also a decent addition in this story. Aside from Adam and Jolene’s blooming romance, we also got a peek at Cherry’s toxic relationship with her on-and-off-again boyfriend. Jolene tried multiple times to make Cherry realize just how badly her boyfriend treats her, and this is pretty much happening in real life too. I think Johnson did a wonderful job of narrating the dynamic of two friends who obviously cared about each other, yet the case could be alternated when others involved, in this case, Cherry’s boyfriend.

In conclusion, Every Other Weekend is a must-read hard-hitting contemporary. Although it was narrated fun and lightly, the issues within this story were far heavier, making you realize just how deep a person could feel their loss and grief about it. Trigger warnings apply for an abusive relationship, emotional and physical abuse from parents, the loss of loved one, and sexual assault.

I really enjoyed reading Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson. I loved the multiple viewpoints, and I loved reading about both characters. Both of the characters were well developed throughout the story and I loved seeing the growth they made as the story went on. There were a lot of really important subjects talked about in this book that a lot of teens face, but they might not have many options available to read about it. It talked about divorce, death of a family member, family separation, sexual abuse, and lack of familial love. I think that many teens would be able to connect with the characters and what they were going through throughout the story. I enjoyed reading about the slowly developing friendship/romance between the two characters, and found myself rooting for them since neither of them had someone else to really count on. I especially loved the fact that Jolene had Adam to talk to and be there for her. Even though the book was fairly lengthy, I was able to breeze through it and read it within 2 days. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Very lovely read!

The author did such an excellent job creating a story line that was unique, sweet, and charming!

I look forward to reading more novels by this author!

This is my first novel from this author and it really touched me. It deals with real life struggles seen from the minds of two confused teenagers, Adam and Jolene.
Adam had the perfect life and family ties, until his older brother dies. Then everything spirals out of control: his father leaves them, his mother falls to depression, and he and his other brother can’t manage a day without a fight.
Jolene dreams of being a movie director, where she can make happy and loving movies, nothing like the life she lives. Her parents divorced and using her as a pawn leaves her feeling unloved and with selfdoubts.
It is until they both get to know each other when Adam gets to spend every other weekend at his father’s apartment that an unexpected friendship starts to forge that could maybe help each other mend their broken and untrusting hearts. But things are not simple and will the quiet and peaceful refuge they find in each other be enough to help them heal and discover that their worth does not depend on their circumstances, difficult as they may be, but what they are inside and how they can forge a beautiful life in spite of the the problems and challenges thrown their way?
This was a beautiful young adult novel. Although I’m not a teenager, I think this can be very relatable to many young adults, and also help us bigger adults, to see how our decisions affect the people we love most and we can sometimes be selfish not to see this in the midst of our own problems.
Adam and Jolene’s friendship and growing romance was really sweet. I loved the way Adam helps her see her real worth, and how loveable she is by cherishing her. They both grew and learned their lessons along the book, and it was inspiring to behold it.
Life is never perfect, but I liked how this book ended and how the characters helped each other become better persons and change their vision of things. Forgiveness, second chances, and redemption are some issues that were beautifully portrayed in this book.
I definitely recommend this book, for young and not so young as well. Inspiring and relatable!
I received a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased review.

"I want all of you. Prickly, funny, sarcastic, brilliant, and sometimes-a-little-mean you."

Such a lovely story, it deals with some pretty heavy issues.I wasn't expecting such a deeply story with a meaning but I glad it was!It touched me in so may ways and Iloved every minute of it!Adam and Jolene bonded over similar life circumstances.I loved the romance it was slow burn !

Overall, it was a fantastic read with a poignant story!

I didn't get really far in. About 10% I think? For some reason, I couldn't connect with the characters in the book as I have with Abigail Johnson's previous books.

Every Other Weekend is the first time I encountered the author Abigail Johnson, but I am sure that this will definitely not be the last! It is told in the point of view of two teens, Jolene and Adam, who are both sent to their dads every other weekend due to a custody agreement after a divorce.

Jolene and Adam met each other because their weekend homes are adjacent. Jolene is an aspiring filmmaker and loves reimagining how her life may be. Adam, however, wants his parents to reunite with each other while dealing with the grief of losing his brother.

This book is a little long and offers its story through a slow burn type of way. But, don’t fret, Johnson is skilled with wordweaving that you won’t really notice that you’re at 500 pages!

Quick warning: Readers must also approach this story with caution as soooo many triggering events are scattered throughout this read.

The writing style of this book is light and fun. There were lots of witty banter. But the issues interwoven within talks about something very deep and serious. As I am a self-confessed sucker for reads that squeeze my heart and soak my pillows with tears, I can definitely say that this book was able to deliver the angst-level that I was craving for!

When you pick up this book, which you absolutely should, be prepared to laugh out loud and then cry your heart out!

I made it about 35% of the way in and just didn’t connect with the story or characters. Definitely more of a me thing and not necessarily the book. It was just too “down” for me at the moment and I feel like my personal feelings were prejudging the book’s direction. The writing was fantastic and I plan to revisit one day.

Every Other Weekend explores isolation, grief, abuse, and neglect, as two teens find themselves thrust into a friendship, bound by their similar custody arrangements.

While Jolenes parents are divorced and absolutely loathe each other, Adam's family has been torn apart by grief over the death of his oldest brother. The book dives deep into the feeling of love and the feeling of its absence, in choosing to connect, and what to do when you can't let go.

I found Adam's family's grief to be really realistic and raw; and all of the terrible things he experienced came from a place of love.

However Jolene was truly isolated, living with a mother who was physically abusive, alcoholic, and had episodes of Munchausen, and with a father who was so absent as to literally never appear on the page except in conversation. As Jolene's feeling of unwantedness escalates, she finds herself in an incredibly difficult world, choosing to put her trust in very dangerous people.

Though this is ultimately a romance between two teens with big spark, I didn't actually need it to be a romantic connection; I think I would have been just as taken with the story if they had forged their connection as friends.

It's a lovely read, though definitely a harsh story.

And I would include CWs for physical abuse, sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse, verbal abuse, gaslighting, victim blaming, death of a loved one, and grief. I would recommend this book for a time when you can sit with anger, sadness, and hope.

EVERY OTHER WEEKEND is a contemporary YA with all the feels. It's messy and emotional, with plenty of drama, but also fun and quirky. The characters are easy to like and commiserate with as they deal with their dysfunctional families, while also falling in love with this story as they fall in love with each other. Recommended to YA contemporary readers.

I couldn't help but love these characters in all their crazy messiness that has become their lives. There's just something raw and vulnerable about them from the beginning that immediately drew me in. I really loved the whole premise of them both seeing each other every other weekend when they're visiting their dads' places and how their relationship grows over all the weekends they're together. I also loved the other relationships in this story, not necessarily the other people, but more in how vivid and well-drawn the other characters were and all the tension and challenges all the relationships posed. There were some really difficult topics this story brings out, but there definitely wasn't any rationalization for any of the poor behaviors as it was all portrayed in a straight-forward way that just makes you relate to the main characters and think at the same time. The ending was sweetly perfect.

I also had a few issues with the story, but nothing that you wouldn't find in most books in the genre. There was quite a bit of crude content and some things that were just tough to read. I'm not always big on drama or when characters are inconsistently not smart and so a few spots were a little too much for me. There were also places where the writing was a little jerky or where there were typos (maybe it could have used another copy edit pass or two?).

In the end, was it what I wished for? This story was a mix of heavy and sad and sweet. I loved the hero's family dynamics as well as some of the friendships and definitely the romance. If you enjoy messy, emotional YA romances that are about a whole lot more than the romance, then check this one out. I'd also suggest this to fans of Katie McGarry.

Content: Swearing, innuendo, derogatory comments, references to affairs, smoking, drinking, sexual assault, divorce, separation (several things that might be triggers for some).
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through the Fantastic Flying Book Club, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This novel started out long and slow, which is what bumps this one down to four stars for me. However, halfway through, the characters we’re developing. They became less stereotypical. The emotions of grief and love and loneliness became so real, and I really grew to love the characters.
The romance was written well, developed over time, and a gentle, new love between teenagers.
There is also great sibling bonding in the book which I adored.
This story was a great breath of fresh air to start off the new year.

I made it 1/3 of the way through this book and unfortunately couldn’t continue reading. It didn’t really grab my attention and keep it the way I had hoped it would. I will likely try to read it when I am more in a contemporary mood in the future.