Thank you so much @NetGalley and @Inkyardpress for giving me this Advance Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. (Release Date | 07 January 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Adam Moynihan's life is torn apart when his oldest brother dies. His mum constantly cries and his father has moved out of their family home meaning that Adam & his older brother now spend every other weekend at his fathers new dump of a building. In this building his next door neighbour is a girl called Jolene Timber who is an aspiring director as she has been re-imagining her life ever since she was a little kid as she is treated like a pawn in her divorced parents games. Adam & Jolene begin to get to know each other as they are both forced to spend every other weekend in the same place.

MY THOUGHTS | I have read a couple of really good YA Contemporaries recently and this was another great one. I loved the witty, snarky banter between Adam & Jolene and found myself really excited for their interactions together. I wasn't that invested in the oldest brothers death, or the familial storyline but I was very invested in Adam & Jolene's romance.

This story was deep and very far from cute and funny. It's a 3.5 but deserving of the round up to 4 stars.

Adam had his life turned upside down again two years after his oldest brother's death, when his father decided to move out. He and his remaining brother needs to visit his run-down apartment complex every other weekend and Adam still hasn't reconciled with what his father did to the family. But these visits aren't so bad now he's met Jolene, another kid from separated parents who visits every other weekend.

I confess I was ready for angst but I didn't think the plot would go so deep. This is not written to be a tear-jerker, but it's still about the sad reality of a family torn down by death.

If I had to point something I really didn't like, that was Adam himself. He wasn't written to be liked. He's bitter and he's still a teenager, not totally in control of his own feelings and much less of how to express them. Still, he was such a brat from the beginning to the end... And poor Jolene, I admire this writer's courage to write in a character facing these many troubles. She had so many, and serious ones, I wondered how healthy this relationship was. I wanted to scream to the couple to just get treatment, because the two needed. Especially Jolene. Her situation really got me worried, as you may have noticed, lol.

This story felt real to a point I was breathless during some parts, even though there weren't any scenes that intense. The irksome bits were really on a psychological level.

My last issue with the book was more toward the end, with their neighbor. There was already enough going on, so I wonder why the writer felt the need to add salt to the hurt. I think the plot could have survived without it. I can't say what it is, but still I'm not fond of having this kind of violence unless it's essential, and not simply because it's a trigger.

In any case, this is a book for those into something less cute-ish. The main couple is still cute together, but their problems are so raw, that rarely goes through your mind while reading.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

This is not a light hearted read. It’s heavy. Sometimes I felt like it was too much. I hated the relationship between Jeremy and Adam and their dad. It just felt a little unwieldy. But Jo was an amazing character. So much depth and layers. Her story ripped my guts out. Her parents are actually the worst.

Jolene and Adam only see each other two times a month—every other weekend. From the beginning the two were drawn together, despite their living situations being less than ideal.  When she's not stuck with her alcoholic mother, Jolene is forced to live in close quarters with her dad's girlfriend. After a major tragedy in their family, Adam and his brother are forced to leave their emotionally fragile mother to spend weekends with their dad.

I really loved these characters. The were fun and spunky, but flawed and realistic characters. I really loved Adam and Jolene's relationship and their slow burn. They were up front with their feelings but didn’t rush into things - they had their own shit to figure out before they could focus on love.

Despite loving the characters, I felt like it lacked focus. It was really long for a YA contemporary, clocking in at 512 pages.  The big climax moment happens 3/4 of the way through the book with very little build up, almost out of nowhere. If the story was more focused on that one storyline for the entire book, then it would have been very compelling and interesting. There was just a lot of extra baggage that wasn't needed. 

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really hard read, and that's a good thing. Adam and Jolene meet when they're stuck at their respective dads' apartments, Adam because his dad left after his brother's death and Jolene because her parents are trying to use her as a pawn to bite at each other's throats. Her mother neglects her and emotionally manipulates her. Her dad is so absent that when a major event occurs to her in the novel, everyone just assumes that he won't care.

This also deals well with the aftermath of the death of Adam's brother Greg and the way that it fractures the relationship between Adam and his remaining brother Jeremy. Seeing the growth in their relationship was stressful but also really rewarding. Same with seeing the relationship between Jolene and her father's girlfriend, Shelly.

SPOILERS AHEAD REGARDING SHELLY AND JOLENE:

Finally, I really appreciated the way that this book dealt with forgiveness. Shelly used Jolene to get close to her dad and have an affair with him, but she gives Jolene so much grief for her attitude. Jolene begins to forgive Shelly, but she also makes it clear that she can't just let Shelly off the hook. I thought that was an important distinction. Forgiveness does not have to mean that you ignore the past.

Overall, I highly recommend this. Just know that it's a lot emotionally.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It's not where they want to be, but rather, where they have to be. Court orders and parental visitation schedules brought Jolene and Adam together every other weekend, and what started as a sort of punishment, quickly turned into something they both began looking forward to.

I am a H U G E Abigail Johnson fan. She just knows how to write a family drama, that hits all the right notes for me, and she has done so once again with Every Other Weekend.

This book was heartbreaking....

Both Adam and Jolene were struggling with some serious issues.

Adam was still mourning the loss of his oldest brother, while trying to deal with his family, who were trapped in the throes of grief. His pain manifested as anger, and led to some unnecessary family drama.

Jolene was also angry, but with good reason. She had been neglected by her parents and simply served as a pawn in their ugly divorce. Her story caused me physical pain, because it was hard to believe that people could be this cruel and uncaring.

This book was about family....

These broken families had a profound affect on Adam and Jolene, but their family situations were vastly different.

Adam, though he couldn't necessarily always see it, was very lucky to be part of a loving and caring family. They were each dealing with their pain in their own way, but it was easy to see that they were not irreparably broken. There were some really beautiful and heartwarming moments shared between and among the Moynihans, and it was lovely the way they would prop each other up at times.

Whereas Jolene's family was broken beyond repair. Her environment at her mother's home was toxic, and her father's constant absence left Jolene to wade through her issues all on her own, which led to some bad decisions and bad situations.

This book was about healing....

Adam and his family could not move past his brother's death. They were running in place, while drowning in their sorrow. Their time apart was a catalyst for change, which slowly, so slowly, pushed each of them to confront their pain and look to one another for comfort.

By trusting in Adam, Jolene began to open herself up to others as well. Once she began to invite other people into her life, she was able to recognize the precious few, who were really on her side, and she began to believe that she was worth being loved.

This book was about finding your "person"....

The best parts of this book, for me, focused on the friendship between Adam and Jolene. Adam was so sweet and tender, and though he made some missteps along the way, I always knew he had a special place in his heart for Jolene. He showed her that she was valued, important, wanted, and loved. And, she was just as important for him as he was for her. They were each other's quiet in the storm, the person they could take refuge in. They grew right alongside each other, every other weekend, and it was beautiful seeing the changes in them.

This book was about new beginnings....

By the end of the book, Adam and Jolene were in a much better place, and the ending put a smile on my face. There were still things that needed to be resolved in their lives, but I was so hopeful for Adam, for his family, and for Jolene.

As always Abigail Johnson has returned with a novel that will bring on all the feels. An unlikely pairing between two teens that are dealing with life on their own terms, come together to form a relationship like no other. This story will make you laugh and cry, it will make you look at those relationships around you with a greater bit of understanding while coming to terms that change is growth and something to embrace.

Every Other Weekend is a book with an interesting concept and layout that tries to do too much at once.

The book was hard to get into at first, and it felt like the development of the characters was very slow. As I was reading, I found myself confused about who was speaking and why new, random troubles were being added.

The book would have been much better off focusing on one or two of the topics: divorce, grief, abuse, romance, strained relationships, etc. than trying to tackle them all at once. Instead of being a heartfelt and enjoyable read, it felt bogged down and overwhelming.

I had a real hard time getting invested in this book. The beginning is very slow and I don't feel a true connection to the characters' emotions until I was 40% through the book. It is a sweet HS friendship/romance, but it is very slow to unfold. The copy I was provided was not formatted for the kindle and I also had a hard time figuring out who's dialogue applied to whom. The sentences ran together. This is by no means the fault of the author, or has bearing on this review; it just made it more difficult for me to read. The PC version was fine.

I was provided an advanced reader copy by the publisher. I have voluntarily provided an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review EVERY OTHER WEEKEND by Abigail Johnson. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars and here’s why:

LOVED IT! I work with teens and Ms. Johnson captured what it’s like to be a child navigating divorce. This is a contemporary story about finding yourself in the most unlikely way, and how the journey of overcoming grief and confusion can lead to a path of hope and self-discovery. Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC! <3

Wowie!

That was quite the adventure. I really needed to read something like this after just finishing a different novel that fell a little flat. Every Other Weekend does not disappoint.

Meet Adam and Jolene. Two people with seemingly different hopes and dreams, but yet similar grief and family struggles. It's these struggles that bring these two together in this coming of age novel.

As the name implies, Jolene and Adam get to see each other 'every other weekend' as they both have split parents. It's in these visits that they discover new things about themselves and start to mend that pain and anguish they both carry.

You will laugh, you will cry, you will maybe even get butterflies. This novel is not to be missed out on.

A must buy for my library.

real rating: 4.1/5

Abigail Johnson is a favourite! This book was more emotional than her others but I did enjoy it. The characters were well developed and I loved the supporting characters too, it was an enjoyable read.

Abigail Johnson is becoming one of my new favorite authors. Even with her stories having a seriousness to them she writes with such care, humor and love. In EVERY OTHER WEEKEND, Adam and Jolene meet when Adam's dad moves into the apartment next door to her dad's. While their circumstances are different, they form a bond, a friendship out of common need to escape their realities. Even if it's just EVERY OTHER WEEKEND. (Sorry!)

Often when a story has multiple POVs, I tend to prefer to read one over the other. That didn't happen with this story. It was impossible to separate Adam, Jolene and Adam & Jolene; they wereso beautifully woven together. Parts had me angry. Parts left me heartbroken. And still other parts made me laugh. I just loved it. I am very much looking forward to release day to give my copy a hug my copy and settle in for a re-read.

I wish Every Other Weekend could be required reading for every child of divorce. I'm almost 40 years old and I NEEDED to read this story. Jolene and Adam have 2 vastly different families, but they still get every other weekend childhoods. The grief, anger sadness, confusion, isolation, and booming silence never over shadows the whispers of hope that it will get better. I'm so thankful that this book exists and I was granted the privilege of reviewing an ARC thanks to Inkyard Press and NetGalley.

Sometimes life throws you curves.

Maybe that curve comes to you through a sudden event, a choice, or maybe due to circumstances that you have zero control over.

For Adam and Jolene, life seems to throw them each a series of curves. And coincidentally, it has also seemed to throw these two strangers together through the turmoil that is their lives.

Adam's life used to be so simple. He lived quietly in the country with his loving parents and two brothers. But that life doesn't exist anymore. After the death of his older brother, nothing seems to be simple or quiet anymore. Adam's parents can't get along. His father has moved away, and now Adam is finding himself spending every other weekend at his dad's new apartment.

Jolene's life is also organized into a detailed pattern of "dad's weekends" and "mom's." However, neither of her parents seem to care what Jolene does as long as the other parent doesn't get more than their fair share. Thrown in the mess of what used to be her parent's marriage, Jolene's life is now depicted by the arguments and decisions between each of their lawyers. Left all alone, it is up to Jolene to figure out what is next in her life as she waits until she is old enough to control her freedom.

It doesn't take long for Jolene and Adam to meet. Adam's dad is now the apartment manager of Jolene's dad's new place, and the windows in their rooms look out to each other. The two seem to weirdly connect on the chaos of their lives, and soon find themselves spending all their time together.

As the weekend's come and go, Jolene and Adam's friendship turns into something deeper. However, life for them isn't doing throwing more curves. The two now must find a way to help each other our of their messes or part ways forever.

Every Other Weekend is a raw story on the realities of divorce, abuse, grief, and neglect. The characters deal with real-life issues, and Abigail Johnson wasn't afraid to approach those realities within her story. The changing perspectives of the story allow you to get to know the characters and understand what all they are up against.

In my opinion, Every Other Weekend is well-written. It is real life, and it is messy. I would be aware that abuse and neglect are present in this story. Make sure that this book is put in the hands of someone ready and able to take on those topics with maturity and strength.

This book was so good! I had a difficult time putting it down.

When Adam's parents separate, he finds himself having to visit his dad at a ratty old apartment every other weekend. He's angry about having to do it, until he meets Jolene. Jolene is the victim of her parents' petty sniping at each other. Adam and Jolene get closer to each other, but they realize that their every other weekend relationship may not be permanent.

There are so many great things about this book. Adam and Jolene's families are so different. I would say they were great, but a better description would be well-written, because I wouldn't wish Jolene's situation on anyone. This book touches on many important topics that the two of them face, such as children who are made the pawns of their parents' divorce and the power dynamics that can occur when an adult takes advantage of a teen's vulnerability.

Every Other Weekend has a satisfying but realistic resolution.

This is a book I highly recommend, and I'd definitely read other books by this author.

This was a wonderful story about friendship, love, and possibilities. I could not put it down and even our middle grade reviewers loved it. Everyone said that it was an easy to read story with great characters and wonderful pacing. If you are looking for a book to check out that will suck you in until the very last page check this one out!


Go Into This One Knowing: Middle Grade/Young Adult Great transition title.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

Emotionally gripping story. Jolene and Adam spend every other weekend with their fathers at the same apartment complex. Adam is new to all this, as his parents have just separated. Jolene's parents have been divorced a long time. Each have had a difficult life and rely on each other on those weekends with their dads.

Thank you publisher and NetGalley for this eARC

I really enjoyed this book! It crosses over a bit with If I Fix You, and it was great to see a portion of how that story starts.

I really like Jolene and Adam, especially Adam. Seeing his family heal was very memorable and very real. I like how we saw more of each of the families further into the book as part of the backstory. It was hard to read about Jolene's relationships at times, but I enjoyed how her story was wrapped up, and all of her bad situations seemed very realistic. Looking forward to seeing more from Abigail Johnson!