I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlet goes off to college taking with her an unknown secret and makes a true friend and a difficult choice.

Excellent novel. Great story line.

This book is not what I expected it to be at all. I thought it would be an easy summer read but it’s not (not that that’s a bad thing, of course!).

Scarlett and David are two science loving geeks completely different from each other. She has a set path and David is living in the moment, experiencing everything to the maximum. As they both try to figure out life, they can’t deny their attraction for each other. The story is written in multiple timelines with snippets that are Scarlett’s nows. In the past, Scarlett and her friends are facing an uncertain future, and when Scarlett and David get together, they must deal with he aftermath of their decisions. In the now, Scarlett is on her way to David’s funeral.

It was hard getting into the story at first, especially because the characters seemed selfish and immature at times but.. they’re teenagers so it’s normal. if something, this book is an accurate representation of teenagers and I am very impressed with the way Youngdahl captured their spirit. They way they think and act, and the problems surrounding them are very realistic. And although, like I said already, it was hard to get hooked to the story at first, the more I read the less I wanted to leave the characters. Not because I especially liked them and not because of the story itself either, but because I truly felt for these teenagers.

This book is both beautiful and tragic at the same time.

Choices, and Consequences with a Science Twist
As Many Nows As I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl is a phenomenal debut YA novel that doesn’t shy away from big issues, instead it hits them head on with thoughtful eloquence.

I feel designating this as “YA” is doing Youndahl’s novel a severe injustice, and there isn’t a certain age or demographic that wouldn’t adore the journey of choices and consequences with a science twist. I’m (begrudgingly admitted) a few years away from when I was a young adult, and yet all the feelings that Youngdahl evokes in her work folded back the fabric of time and sent me straight to when I was a newly-fledged high school graduate and the future was at my feet.

Scarlett is a scientist. She approaches her story in a non-linear way, that at first takes a bit to get used to, but she’s smart about this. She needs her audience to understand the logic, and reasoning behind the choices she makes and then how she handles the consequences of those choices. She learns early on that a human reality is not nearly as cut and dry, black and white, as how her chosen field of science can be. This is why that I feel like anyone who is a teen, young adult, as well as all adults would find this story enthralling. There are themes like teen pregnancy, and drug use that prevalent, however with how Youngdahl approaches each topic I feel no reason for parents to be alarmed. After all, we all have consequences to the choices we make, and Scarlett and David are no different.

Graceville Colorado is the tiny town where Scarlett spends her childhood. She’s been with her peer group since before they were all in diapers. She didn’t know how she ended up in a pseudo-competition with David, the best friend of her boyfriend, but she realized that maybe their lives were meant to be entwined since childhood. Both of them are smart, driven, science-oriented and Graceville has all but had them crowned to greatness. But what happens when your destiny seems pre-ordained? What happens when you leave the comfort of your small town for life in college?

The summer after graduation becomes a catalyst for a journey that will shape Scarlett for the years to come. As a reader, we get to see how the choices of Scarlett’s summer shape the path for Scarlett’s present, as well as her future. Youngdahl shows a crafty hand at swirling emotions, with science, and the daunting unknown.

Near the end of the book, I couldn’t tear myself away. I needed to see how Scarlett would handle the twists and turns that life had thrown her. More than once, my heart ached with hers for the boy that was there, bright and bold, and then gone again on his own path.

Without a doubt, this is a 5 star read! This book will stick with you for a long while.

Thank you, Penguin Random House, for giving me a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I NEVER KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM DAVID. EXCEPT THAT SOONER OR LATER HE’D ACT LIKE AN ASS.

Here’s a silly question: Do you like unlikeable characters? Character growth is always a significant factor when I write reviews, so books with intentionally frustrating protagonists can be quite tricky for me to critique. This literary debut surprised me; I didn’t expect it to deal with controversial topics such as abortion, drug abuse, and promiscuity. As much as I wanted to stay objective, my personal beliefs eclipsed my enjoyment and obliged me to judge the characters for their choices. Nonetheless, you can rest assured that this book has a few strong points.

As Many Nows as I Can Get is the love story of Scarlett and David, two physics nerds about to go their separate ways because of college. They start as friends but become lovers after Cody, Scarlett’s boyfriend, dumps her for inadvertently emasculating him. Scarlett doesn’t want to have a DTR talk with David because she refuses to start a long-distance relationship. Also, she thinks that David is very unstable and unreliable.

Even though the chapters were short, I couldn’t finish the book quickly. The characters went through a lot of things that either tugged at my heartstrings or ignited my temper. I had to put the book down several times to give my heart a break. There were some sweet and happy moments, but they weren’t enough to negate my stress.

Since Scarlett’s mom was sex-positive, Scarlett usually had no qualms about giving in to her desire for David (and Cody). She was confident that her hormonal rings would keep her safe. Sadly, she became too complacent. One moment of forgetfulness compromised her bright future. To make things worse, she didn’t know who was the father of her growing child. And guess what? She didn’t do anything about it. David, her “true love,” remained ignorant until the end. Scarlett’s parents also didn’t know that their daughter was pregnant. All of these things made me scratch my head in irritation.

I was neutral in regards to Scarlett’s decision to set up her baby for adoption. I understood that she was in no position to raise a child. To her credit, she carefully chose her baby’s future parents. I was so relieved that Scarlett didn’t have an abortion in spite of her pro-choice standpoint. If the baby had been a product of sexual assault, I would have felt differently. Man, this is such a sensitive topic, especially in today’s politically correct society.

David wasn’t likable, either. He was always stoned, and he never replied to Scarlett’s urgent texts. I hated how he left Scarlett alone for hours just to cross the border and sell drugs. Their trip to the Great Divide was less of a date and more of a ruse. So whenever something terrible happened to David, I felt apathetic.

To be fair, Scarlett and David were funny conversationalists. They could talk about physics or biology without boring their audience. As a fellow nerd and teacher’s pet, I also liked that they took their studies seriously and dreamt of joining the Ivy League. If anything, the protagonists were excellent students.

In essence, As Many Nows as I Can Get is predominantly for Liberal readers. If you’re looking for a love story with progressive ideologies, you might enjoy this daring debut. On the other hand, if you’re beliefs are more conservative, I encourage you to tread carefully.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl.

Through her journal entries that bounce between present day, and a year earlier, Scarlett tells the story of how she ended up traveling with her best friend, after losing her best friend/boyfriend David to an overdose. Both teens being brilliant, but deeply unsatisfied, Scarlett describes her often unsettling relationship with David, and the consequences that came from their fast and furious romance.

Initially I was a bit eye-rolly with this one. It smacked a bit too much of a sappy YA romance. But the more I read it, the more I appreciated it. And, as unbelievable it felt at times, it actually struck me as incredibly BELIEVABLE. Like, I felt like I could have told the same story at some point in my young life. As a little blip of insanity amongst a life of normal.

There are tons of teen stories in the world of YA fiction about first loves, life changes, poor decisions and leaving home – but few of them feel as relevant or necessary these days as As Many Nows As I Can Get does.

Shana Youngdahl’s debut novel puts a fresh spin on the old trope of problematic teen love, telling the story of an overachieving young girl who’s drawn to a charismatic boy with a dark problem, and the far-reaching aftereffects of an impulsive summer together.

Full review at Culturess: https://culturess.com/2019/08/22/many-nows-can-get-tells-familiar-story-complex-new-way/

I loved the small town feel of this story. The author touched on a lot of really tough issues. I enjoyed the romance. I struggled with the time warp feel of the chapters, in the present, in the past, telling the story from several different points of view. Teens have always dealt with tough issues - and the "bad boy" persona usually wins out over the nice guy. The book talked about some very important topics that need to be covered in today's society, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, adoption.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-book ARC.

Thank you #netgalley and @penguinbooks for the free e-book!
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This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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4*
Pros: Beautiful description and refreshing narrative style. Complex and flawed characters. Promotes women in STEM. Feminist and diverse. Focuses in a number of life issues, such as first love, sex life, drug and alcohol dependency, mental health issues, teen pregnancy and many more. Well-rounded and relevant ending.
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Cons: Lead character's self-centered nature equaled extremely overlooked and underdeveloped secondary characters.

Scarlett oh Scarlett. I am not totally sure what even to say about her. She was so eccentric and knew so many facts and information about science. I really liked her, and I felt for her after all the unexpected things happened. I felt like I related to her in a way because I had a first love that was like David, always getting into trouble, going off the rails, but brought an electric charge into my life.
Scarlett has so much to learn and figured out once her life takes the unexpected turn that it does when she goes to college. I think if I had been in her shoes I would have acted the same way, not knowing what to do and who to turn to. I am so glad that she had Mina to help her figure things out and guide her into a more confident state where she could step up and do things for herself again. I don't know that I loved this book and some parts I found hard to follow with all the jumping back in forth in time. But I do think it is a good teen read that will resonate with some.

The opening of this book is playful and fun, but as Scarlett reveals more of her past there is an intense need to find out what has happened. Dark and real, this book is hard to put down. The mystery of what happened is well drawn out and even with the interrupted timeline, clear chapter headings keep the reader on track.