Honestly i struggled to get into this book so i am not sure whether it was the book or my reading slump.

Maybe i will revisit it again after my slump ends so i can give a more thoughtful review.

This book caused me so much pain and suffering. I cannot believe how rushed and unrealistic this whole thing was -- I was honestly skimming pieces of this book because of how uninvested I was. There was no progression, no story, and absolutely no point for existing. This hurt to read.

August and Everything After brought back so many memories from high school and the struggle of telling people what my post-grad plans were when I hadn't even decided myself. I loved the book but hated the memories that it brought back.

This was pretty good. and I think had I been a bit younger I would have gotten way more out of it than I did now. This definitely would have been something fun and good to read as I graduate high school. But almost graduating college, I feel different about it in a way. But I still enjoyed it, and it was nice reading about other people going through the struggles I went through before starting college. I thought the writing was really well done, and the characters were really well developed. Overall this was a solid read and I highly recommend checking it out.

Quinn is struggling to get by after the death of a friend and is just waiting around until she will get a fresh start at college- although she tries not to think about the future. Spending a summer with her aunt in New Jersey provides a change before the future. Over the summer she runs into Malcolm, who is facing his own dark struggles, and together they try to prepare for what's next.

I thought this was a nice read, although a little heavy with problems for a summer read. The love came on quick and could have been a bit more fleshed out rather than instant.

Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and the fact that the title has been archived.

*I WAS SENT AN E-ARC IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

From the author of How My Summer Went Up in Flames comes an amazingly written contemporary about a girl with a bad past.

Quinn Gallo is a newly graduated girl who is struggling to find her "life plan" like her mom wants. For the summer, she's staying with her aunt and working two jobs in the town. While working for her job at a bar, the singer that is performing that night—Malcolm Trent—approaches her.

"You have pretty eyes, Quinn. You shouldn't hide them behind ugly glasses."

This quote is actually pretty relatable for me. I've gotten this comment before, even though I absolutely love my glasses and wouldn't trade them for any other pairs. Quinn and I actually share a few things. Like her, I also have cat-like eyes that multiple people have pointed out to me.

All in all, this story has become a new favorite. The characters were well developed and relatable, the plot was well understood and liked, and the tension was perfect. For that, this book has earned its rating of 5/5 stars.

I've enjoyed this author's books in the past, but I had trouble connecting to the characters in this book. After a couple of chapters, I had to set it aside. Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read and review this title.

Summer on the New Jersey shore offers Quinn a new start at life and love, but only if she can come to terms with her past

Graduation can't come soon enough. Desperate for a fresh start, Quinn is eager to escape to her aunt's house on the New Jersey shore for the summer, away from teenage drama and having to answer everyone's questions about "what comes next" after high school.Quinn can't bear to focus on the future. She doesn't even think she deserves one—not after her best friend died in a car accident that Quinn feels responsible for. While working in a bar she meets musician Malcolm Trent who, like her, is trying to get over a tragedy that they feel guilty for. After she joins his band as a drummer Quinn finds herself falling in love fast and must make a hard decision about where she goes next.


Overall I found this an okay read. The idea of the storyline was nice, and Quinn, her aunt and Malcolm are believable. But the storyline missed something. It was all a little entertaining, but nothing new that I haven't read in any other YA novel. It just lacked originality and some more excitement that makes you turning pages. It was nice though that she had such a good relation with her aunt, and that Quinn was able to find some forgiveness in the accident that killed her best friend.. If you're looking for a fast-paced book, this is not for you. If you are in for a slow romance, this might be one for you.

August and Everything After is a book about summer, love, and loss. First (and personally the most important to me) character development. This author is fantastic about delving into the characters minds and digging down deep. The characters are dynamic and don't necessarily say everything that they feel.
The plot is good as well. It moves you along with it. While it's not the most fast paced or thrilling book, it is touching and has a good message. It's not necessarily riddled with plot twists it does keep you wondering what's going to happen next.
I love the romantic plot of this book. Anyone who knows me know I love romance. I won't read a book that doesn't have romance in it (or I'll read it begrudgingly.) It's not overwhelmingly romantic but it is a main aspect of the plot. It's well written so that it's not sappy or disgusting but still makes you go awwwwww.
While I don't particularly like the ending I have to say that I respect the authors choice and understand why she wrote it like that. At least it's not a devastating ending like other books I've read.

A beautiful story about love and loss and grief and music.

I love the characters, 'Auntsie' in particular is fantastic! A cool, free-spirited music fanatic. I loved how the friendships and relationships developed and how things 'ended'.

The music stuff was all brilliantly real and researched, so detailed. I loved that Quinn was a badass female drummer and I especially appreciated that it was a process, she wasn't instantly good, everything was so realistic.

My only minor query was that in the UK at least you need to be legal drinking age i.e. 18 to work in a bar, whereas Quinn - in America - was working in a bar at 18 when the US drinking age is 21.

I was hoping for a book like The Summer After You and Me which I really liked, especially since some of the same characters are in this book. But something about this book didn't quite work for me. The ending was really unexpected and unexplained. I actually reread the end of the book to see if I missed anything. Quinn did seem to realize putting her plans on hold to follow a guy, especially one with addiction issues, was not a good idea. But one moment she was packing and telling her family she was going on tour, and telling Malcolm she loved him, and the next she was no longer in contact with Malcolm and was flirting with a new guy.... and the book ends. What??

This book was a little slow going for me until about 45% in, then it just flew by. Quinn is staying with her ‘Auntsie’ at the Jersey Shore for the summer after some things went down after her best friend dies and she hooks up with her teacher. So her mom sends her to stay with her aunt. She’s working at a bar when she meets Malcolm who has struggled with addiction in the past but is now sober. This book hits on some serious topics like, addiction and self harm, but had a good romance as well. I loved her relationships with her friends, aunt, sister and her mom. I got a little teary eyed a few times. All in all really enjoyable! Would definitely read more from this author.

I had to go look up the synopsis of this book. Of what I did read, I still couldn't even think of single thing that happened...but for there was music involved. I'm not big on the music scene/musician plots, and it's hard for me to get into this book. I made the mistake of looking at some other reviews, and heard that it's pretty fast instalove, and those 2 combined I just couldn't keep interested. I didn't get very far before I found I hadn't picked the book up in a week, nor could I remember anything I read.

Review will be posted week of 5/21/18

Quinn is dealing with a lot of guilt as her best friend died in a car accident that she feels responsible for. After a scandal at home involving a teacher, Quinn is spending the summer at the Jersey Shore at her aunt's house and working at the local bar. She is supposed to be figuring out what is next for her and come up with some sort of plan, but it's harder than it looks. She is definitely distracted by local musician, Malcom. He is the quintessential rocker and encourages her to play drums on his demo. Things progress to something more between the two of them, but she isn't sure this is the type of relationship is exactly healthy as Malcolm is very complicated and his past isn't squeaky clean to say the least. Can he help her move on from her past or will he complicate her life further? And ultimately this novel examines that big question for many seniors...what comes next? Jennifer Salvato Doktorski's August and Everything After is an edgier beach read for mature YA readers all set on the memorable backdrop of the Jersey Shore.

I thought Quinn was an interesting character in August and Everything After. Her complex past is heartbreaking and I wanted to learn more about her. I really enjoyed her relationship with her aunt as well as Quinn's interest in music.

Speaking of music, you can really tell that Doktorski knows music as well as bands. If you like this sort of thing, you will appreciate that the most about this book. The musical details, band life, demos, playing live in front of an audience, and the idea of going on tour is all explored in August and Everything After.

One of the things that Doktorski does well is depict a summer at the Jersey Shore. You can tell she is well versed in shore life and really brought the small town, the bars, and the quirky people to life very well.

I also appreciated that Malcolm and Quinn were dealing with grief regarding the untimely death of their friends. This made August and Everything After a more serious type of beach read. Quinn struggles with anxiety on a daily basis due to her complicated past and Malcolm struggles with addiction. So, obviously, this was a darker read than I anticipated despite the romance between Quinn and Malcolm.

If you enjoy darker beach reads that tackle serious issues that teenagers face everyday, then you'll want to check out August and Everything After this summer, especially if you love all things music. While this isn't my favorite of Doktorski's novels, I still appreciated the novel's message.

This contemporary teen novel had a bit of everything. Tragedy, sadness, loss, love, drugs, music, laughter and tears. I think that many teens can relate to parts of the book and would enjoy it. The ending was a bit odd and good all at the same time.

Quinn's best friend Lynn died in a car crash that she feels responsible for, and feels she should be punished for it. She is eager to get away from her hometown for awhile, and stay with her aunt Annie, whom she affectionately called Antsie, on the Jersey shore for the summer. There she meets Malcolm, a musician who has been dealing with his own issues. Nevertheless, she feels herself falling for him, and wonders if this is the new beginning she's been looking for all along.

I received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my honest review. I'm a huge fan of Sarah Dessen so I was intrigued by this book when it was compared to her novels. It was a great fast young adult read that I did enjoy. The ending kinda threw me for a loop but I liked the writer's style and how she interpreted each character.

Quinn just graduated from high school and is spending the summer at her aunt's house at the Jersey Shore while she figures out her next step in life. While working in a bar she meets musician Malcolm Trent who, like her, is trying to get over a tragedy that they feel guilty for. After she joins his band as a drummer Quinn finds herself falling in love fast and must make a hard decision about where she goes next.

This was a good read and I really liked all the characters. Like I said I really was not expecting the ending but still a great book.

August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski begins with a girl struggling years after the death of her best friend. She's sent to live with her aunt for the summer to come up with a life plan for her future. Enter Malcolm. The typical bad boy with a past of his own that mirrors Quinn's experiences.

There was a lot of angst and growing up in this one. I had a similar experience and lost a friend of mine in high school in a car accident too so this one hit close to home. I liked Quinn's choice at the end and the woman she grew into throughout the book. This book left me feeling hopeful that others can come out the other side of loss at such a young age.

*Thank you Netgalley and Sourcefire Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

As much as I tried to really love this book, I just couldn't. It started out great; the steady flow and the wonderful buildup had all of my attention. I loved the characters and their quirks, but I also loved how they felt real to me. But somewhere in the middle to end of the book, the story lost its luster (for me). This book was layered with so many different emotions, and this was something that drew me to the characters. They were strong and bold. However, as mentioned before, something just didn't sit right with me.

Quinn was a pretty complex character, as is Malcolm. She has PTSD, and struggles with what is in front of her. She has been dealt a crap hand in life, and has yet to recover. She succumbed to the numbness and is trying to claw her way out of that. We see many sides that are Quinn; gentle, sad, lonely, frightened, lovable, friendly, but also skittish. She has built a wall around her heart and life, so nobody can penetrate the hurt she has endured. She doesn't want to pass that along. She has a lot of self loathing. As the story builds, we see her start to peck away at her wall. Little by little she shines again. And then Malcolm comes into her life. And well, that sort of pushes her to remove those bricks around her heart.

Malcolm was a bit of a mischievous and surprising character. But I think that is why I liked Malcolm so much. He is flawed and wasn't afraid to admit to it. He had many demons; ones that were similar to the demons Quinn had. I think this is why they connected so well. They understood one another. They had similar thoughts and feelings. I loved that they were two lost souls dealing with heavy topics, in their short span of their lives.

I was quite intrigued that addiction was brought into this story. In today's world, that is all you hear or read about. Or at least know someone who is an addict or a recovering addict. Unfortunately, as the story grew to be something bigger, with the love aspect of the story, the actual addiction aspect got lost in the mix. Now, don't get me wrong, I see why it did. But I wish that it wasn't something that was easily swept under the rug. Addiction is an in your face problem, and not something to easily forget about.

This book was like tug of war for me. I absolutely loved the first half of this book, but as the book started winding down, I started to dislike the pace and how it ended. I can say that I get why it ended the way it did, but wished there was more. Overall, this was a cute story with wonderful characters. I rate this book 3.5 Stars.