So much love for this book. Even though there are no twists per se, this book kept me on my toes; it doesn't follow the typical summer contemporary formula, which made it feel even more real. The character development is just really well done - slow and steady FTW. Read this!!!

A fun summer romp, with meaningful exploration of family dynamics lightened by summer YA adventures. Nice writing, very fun tone.

Any Morgan Matson is a must read for me and this was no different. I really enjoyed the character of Andie and reading about her journey and who could dislike a book with so many cute dogs on the cover!

It's no secret that Morgan Matson is 110% one of my top three favorite contemporary authors. I legit love her books more than I could ever possibly convey in a tiny review, so I was pretty darn stoked when I got the chance to read an early copy of her newest book, The Unexpected Everything.

Three things immediately grabbed my attention (besides the fact that it's MM):

1. The cover. I really loved the design of her last book, Since You've Been Gone (which I also HIGHLY recommend if you haven't read it!!), and I am so happy they decided to kind of stick with the same scheme with The Unexpected Everything. Plus the colors just POP beautifully! Oh, and the fact that there is a bunch of dogs on it? YES YES YES ALL THE YESES I LOVE DOGS

2. The dogs. I adore any and all dogs, and I have always been a dog person. I can honestly say I've never read a book about a girl who walks dogs, and it was a major point in why I was so excited to get my hands on it. As expected, Morgan Matson delivers individual, amazing personalities to each dog that makes an appearance in the story. I loved the dogs probably as much as I love the ship, which I'll get to shortly.

3. The synopsis. It screams summer read, which with summer right around the corner, ended up being the perfect way to summarize Andie's story. (Also the fact that the main character is named Andie - even if it's spelled different than Andye) AND CLARK. I LOVE THAT NAME AND ALL I CAN THINK OF IS SUPERMAN WITH HIS CUTIE BLACK FRAMED DISGUISE GLASSES AND I'M FANGIRLING WAY TOO EARLY IN THIS REVIEW SO MOVING ON....

If you're considering jumping into the Morgan Matson book character universe, you must know a few things. She's a phenomenal writer. She brings so much 'realness' to each character that I feel like they are each a real, living person. I care about all of them SO DARN MUCH. For me to say that about a contemporary novel, means quite a bit. It takes a lot to accomplish that (in my case). Not only that, but she also sneaks old main characters into tiny places in her new books, and I absolutely adore seeing them again!! Then the relationships. Not just the romance-ship. They are so well-crafted, deeply thought out, and completely relatable. I grew to care about all of Andie's best friends, her father, etc. because they are so relatable and complex. Watching their relationships go through the everyday ups and downs of life reminded me that everyone goes through them, and maybe my ups and downs aren't so bad.

Back to THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING... Andie thought she had this whole summer figured out. She planned everything. That's Andie. The planner. But all her summer plans fly out the window when her politician father gets involved with a political scandal, effectively ruining what she considered her dream internship. Now, with absolutely no plans, Andie must figure out how to fix it, and fast. Unfortunately, with it being the end of the school year, not only are all the good internships snatched up, but pretty much every single internship you could think of is as well. Just when Andie thinks she's doomed to utter boredom, on top of being stuck under her usually absent father's eye, she unexpectedly meets Clark, who just might turn out to be everything Andie was hoping for.

I SHIP THIS SHIP SO HARD, YOU GUYS. CLARK & ANDIE ARE MY OTP. THEY ARE BAE. THEY ARE PERFECTION. Okay, really though, I'd be totes cool if Andie ditched Clark so he can be with who he truly belongs with (cough, me, cough), but let's be real, that probably won't ever happen unfortunately (because he's fictional and all, ya know).

Without a doubt, this is Morgan Matson's best novel yet. It's been a little bit since I finished reading it, and I still can't get it off my mind. I went and bought a finished copy from Target today JUST so I could read the exclusive bonus content, because I'm obsessed and I never want this story to end. One other thing that made me love this book even more, was the snippets of pages from this book series that were interspersed throughout the novel. They were one of my favorite parts! I can't appropriately squeal and flail about how much I adored them and/or why, because SPOILERS and I don't mess with those! So just take my word for it, and pick up THE UNEXPECTED EVERYTHING by Morgan Matson today, whether it's your first Matson book or second or third...well, you get the picture. You won't be disappointed! I guarantee it!

-Becca

I finally read this book! And I’m so so happy that I did! It was the absolute perfect read to round out my summer of reading!

I read Since You’ve Been Gone years ago, back when it first came out, and it was my first experience with reading a Morgan Matson book. That one quickly became one of my favorite contemporaries — the friendships are incredible, and the romance is adorable — what else do you need? Well, apparently, dogs.

The Unexpected Everything was just as wonderful as Since You’ve Been Gone. I adored the characters and their friendships, the romance, the scavenger hunt, the doggies, Andie’s father…um, basically everything!

So, these characters. We’ve got main character Andie, her friends Toby, Bri, Palmer, and Palmer’s boyfriend Tom. Then there’s Wyatt, Toby’s long-time crush. Topher, Andie’s friend, and fellow politician’s kid. Andie’s father. And of course, Clark. I immediately loved Andie from the very start. Her group of friends was also so wonderful. Matson writes relationships in such a real way, which I really appreciated. For example, Toby and Bri were the best friends in the group, and Palmer the late addition. I loved how this representation of the friend group didn’t make it seem like the girls were all equally best friends because that’s just not the case for real friendships.But I also loved how the group’s friendship was so strong and solid. While the other girls were definitely side characters, they were clearly such different voices and characters. I also quite liked Tom! He is really such a great boyfriend to Palmer, knowing that his place in the group is second to the girl’s friendship, which I thought was an important message. But I also liked how he was also such great friends with Andie, Toby, and Bri.

But I also loved how the group’s friendship was so strong and solid. While the other girls were definitely side characters, they were clearly such different voices and characters. I also quite liked Tom! He is really such a great boyfriend to Palmer, knowing that his place in the group is second to the girl’s friendship, which I thought was an important message. But I also liked how he was also such great friends with Andie, Toby, and Bri.

As love interests go, I didn’t like Wyatt, and you’ll know why when you read it for yourself. Topher doesn’t really count as a love interest, but I appreciated his and Andie’s relationship. He was there for Andie when she needed it, especially when dealing with the political side of her life. But Clark! I fell in love with him from the very start. He was so sweet, a little awkward, very kind, and just an all-around good guy. The fact that he’s an author of a bestselling fantasy series was just the icing on the cake!

His and Andie’s relationship was smooth sailing for most of the book, which I actually quite enjoyed. I loved how Matson didn’t write in dramatic events to add conflict between them. Much of the story was focused on Andie’s personal struggles with commitment, her family, and friendships. Again, I’ll applaud Matson for being an author of such authentic stories!

For those of you that have read Since You’ve Been Gone (and I believe Matson’s other books as well), you’ll notice some familiar faces make small appearances! Those little nods to her past book made me light up with surprise, and want to reread SYBG!

All in all, I think I may have loved The Unexpected Everything even more than SYBG! This book is full of incredible friendships, relationships, and summer experiences that will light up your day. If you love contemporary, this is a must read. If you love cute couples, this is a must read! Just read this book, because you definitely won’t be disappointed!

Andie is a Congressman’s daughter. Her mother died 5 years earlier and her father is obsessed with his job, basically absent from her life. Andie relies on her 3 best friends to provide a network of stability and security. The foursome do everything together, sharing all their inner hopes and desires. Andie keeps her emotions reigned in, always casually dating for a few months and then moving on. But when her dreams of a summer spent at Johns Hopkins come to a screeching halt, she takes a job as a dog walker. It’s surprising how comfortable she is with the animals, given that she’s never had a pet. But with the new job comes an assignment to walk the dog of one very cute guy named Clark. Clark is two years older than Andie and lives on his own in his publisher’s house, a sanctuary where he is supposed to overcome his writer’s block and write the next book in his famous fantasy series. Clark is a homeschooled boy who was a published author at age 14, reminiscent of the real Christopher Paolini, the young author of the Eragon series. Somehow Clark breaks through Andie’s barriers and gets close to her. All seems to go swimmingly but there are bumps in the road – friendships collide, old fears surface and Andie’s father who has been re-establishing their relationship, may be returning to his distant ways. Matson’s characters are delightful and interesting and the friendships are amazing. Clark is adorable with his dimples and glasses, totally irresistible. The fact that Clark is a famous published author in his teens is an interesting factor and his writer’s block makes for an engaging situation as bits of his fantasy story surface. Andie’s fondness for the pets under her charge will warm the hearts of dog lovers and the romance is sweet and endearing, sure to captivate readers.