I loved the writing and dialogue in this book and the story itself. I have to say I wasn't disappointed with this book and I am more of a fan of Abigail Johnson than I was before after reading this!

I liked this book, but I'm also a sucker for some male perspective in YA because I don't see it enough. I didn't think it was going to tackle such dark issues, but I like that it did. Teens go through a lot, and I actually sometimes like to see how YA authors tackle darker themes. It had a good premise. There were times when I felt like it didn't dig deep enough, but it was overall a good book.

I'm a fan of Angela Johnson, so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed this book.

I don't know what i was expecting from the book but i got bored a few chapters into it... i couldn't go through with finishing it. i did enjjoy however the way it was written, and if the author publish another book i'll give it a shoot, but this one just didn't speak to me.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

When I saw a new book by Abigail Johnson was available on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. Even if i fall was a five stars read for me and I adored that book. My hope was that I would fall in love with this one too. Now, it's not a five stars but it was still a really good book!

This book follows two fifteen years old living every other weekend in the same building. Jolene is living with her young step-mother when she has to stay with her absent father and Adam is visiting his father who just moved in after their parents' separation. Both of their families have issues but you'll find out that one of them will be willing to work on them and find a way to be happy again while the other parents don't really care.

I loved both characters. I know some readers didn't like Jolene, but I really didn't mind her personality. It was clear she was unhappy with her life and used sarcasm a lot. I didn't feel like she mistreated Adam either even if she wasn't the bubbly type.

It was really nice to see their situation develop. They have very different family, one more problematic than the other, and they find comfort in each other's friendship. It was really sweet to see their feelings grow and develop until they couldn't pretend otherwise.

The beginning and ending were my favorite parts. I felt like the pace was quicker or that maybe the pace slowed down in the middle and that's why it took me so long to get through it.

Every Other Weekend was a good book but it took me a long time to read it. I felt like the pace slowed down in the middle. The beginning and ending, I had no problem with. They were easy to read and quick and I loved that.

Every Other Weekend is the latest from Abigail Johnson. I have only read one other from her, Even If I Fall, and I absolutely adored it. She tackles taboo, serious issues in a young adult romance in a very unconventional way. This book was no different. It is about two teens, Adam and Jolene, who come from broken homes. They’re dealing with separated/divorced parents and all the subject matter that comes along with that, including adultery. Not to mention that they’re also dealing with a death of a sibling, and sexual assault, among other things. The subject matter is heartbreaking and difficult to read. This is by no means a happy book. It is meant to break your heart and make you think. I’m on the fence with this book. I struggled with the length of the story. It was incredibly long, and felt really drawn out at times. The characters also were not exactly easy to love. They were prickly, hard to understand and often hard to relate to. But, on the other hand, this book drew a lot of emotions out of me, so for that reason, this is a good read.

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this heart breaking, beautiful tale of two kids from broken homes.

Abigail Johnson did a superb job of creating real characters going through genuinely tough situations.

I’ll never look at apartment hallways the same after reading Every Other Weekend.

A little crazy, a little heart wrenching, but a whole lot of fun

I requested an arc of Every Other Weekend a very long time ago—so it’s hard for me to remember exactly what drew me into the story—but that’s not really relevant now, on the other side of having read it. Because now I can focus on all of the reasons why I enjoyed it instead of why I thought I would—and there were oh so many.

After more than two weeks of being home from work and social distancing, my concentration for reading is pretty much gone. But when a #24in48 readathon popped up last weekend, it felt like the perfect time to get caught up on some arcs. I only ended up reading six hours, but the bulk was spent with Every Other Weekend, completely immersed in Adam and Jolene’s story. I didn’t think that two sad fifteen-year-olds would be very good company amid a global pandemic, but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to be proven wrong. The two of them were exactly what I needed to take my mind off the real world for a couple of hours. Getting a chance to follow them as they almost begrudgingly gave into their feelings put me in such a happy mood that choosing to read Every Other Weekend over mindlessly scrolling through social media wasn’t a choice at all.

Abigail Johnson managed to write such a beautiful (and beautifully raw) story of falling in love for the first time that I would have been happy if that’s all that happened. But the book also gave space to grief, friendship, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and divorce. Instead of feeling pulled under by the story, though, Johnson still managed to make me feel hopeful. Sometimes you go into a story wanting a Happily Ever After, but Every Other Weekend gives a Happy For Now. And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I love Abigail Johnson due to her realistic way of tackling difficult issues; she certainly doesn't shy away from topics most authors wouldn't tackle. That's the impression she gave me when I first read one of her books, Even if I Fall.

Such is the same here. I really pity Jolene, the heroine. It seems that any bad thing the author can think up happened to her. Good thing she had Adam, a new neighbor who became her friend and eventually so much more. Yet, I hate the way she pushed him away a lot of times, as though she believed she doesn't deserve him. Perhaps that was what she was trained to think, what with her family background, and she'd rather push him away first than let him push her away eventually. It's gotten such that it became a dark, dreary read, so different from the first book I'd read that I got bewildered.

Still, I can't deny that the issues tackled here are realistic and I wish Jolene could've gotten more breaks from life. The romantic development is a slow burn, but for some reason, I can't find it in me to root for the couple. Still, each reader comes to a book differently and what may not work for me may not be the same for you. That said, I'm still going to take a chance on this author, and for that, I've already bought If I Fix You. Hope I'll like that more. Incidentally, the hero in If I Fix You is a friend of Adam's older brother Greg.

Arc provided by publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
Unfortunately I was unable to finish the book as it was not capturing my attention. I found the writing style to be a little boring and moved too slow. And the storyline did not go the way I was thinking it would. Overall I did not finish the book and it was fully on me. I believe this book would be liked by a lot of other people, it just wasn’t for me.

4/5 stars
Every Other Weekend is a semi-somber contemporary tale of a boy and a girl thrown together by the circumstances of their lives…every other weekend. Over the course of their weekends together their backstories are filled in. Adam’s parents are separated but ‘working’ things out, and Jolene’s are viciously and venomously divorced, decidedly using her as a pawn against each other. Their personal lives are in shambles. They couldn’t be more different, but they might just be each other’s saving grace. The characters were my favorite part of this book. Jolene an Adam are so real and relatable. They were also charming, entertaining, and sharp. Jolene was so sparky and tough, while Adam was the perfect counterbalance of sweet, caring, and soft. I also liked that their relationship evolved naturally and didn’t feel rushed at all.

Great book. Lots of laughs and emotions throughout. I loved all of relationships, familial and romantic. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Another underrated gem from Abigail Johnson! I think she is one of the top contemporary young adult novelists writing today and I wish her books were as popular as Sarah Dessen's. If you enjoy contemporary ya at all, especially love stories, please check out Every Other Weekend. Ms. Johnson's work is too good to miss

Every Other Weekend is an incredibly touching novel about family, love, friendship and striving for your dreams. I loved this book, the writing, the plot and the characters! We follow two teenagers as they are navigating their own family issues, which find them staying in the same apartment building every other weekend with one of their respective parents.

The main characters, Jolene and Adam, were captivating and relatable as they each try to find how they fit into their families that are falling apart in different ways. Jolene is an aspiring film maker who is a bit rough around the edges from watching her parents’ marriage break apart, resulting in an ugly battle between her mom and dad. Adam is a sweet and friendly boy mourning the loss of his oldest brother. His mom was unable to prevent her grief from coming between herself and her husband, and he has moved into the same apartment building as Jolene’s father. Jolene and Adam meet up every other weekend and go on their own adventures to try to escape their realities.

All I have to say is, I officially have a new book boyfriend! Everyone deserves their own Adam Moynihan. He truly loves Jolene for who she is and it’s just the cutest thing. She can be harsh and crass but he’s always so gentle and sweet to her. I found myself being so happy that each of them found one another and it was really interesting to read about Jolene slowly opening up to Adam over time.

Another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed was the multi-media component that was included. Text messages between Adam and Jolene were included for the time period between weekends and I feel like it made the relationship seem much more real. I feel like a lot of the story would have been lacking if we didn’t have that insight into the lives that they’re living whenever they’re not at the apartment.

Building off of that, I liked the alternating chapters and the formatting of the book with the contrast between the weekends where Adam and Jolene are together and the “in between” times when they’re apart. The weekends seem to be so great and kind of like their sanctuary while the “in between” times are messier and harder for each of them as they face real life. This really captured the whole essence of the book and the suggestion that Adam and Jolene were each other’s safe place.

This story truly and deeply explores what happens when someone else’s happiness matters more to you than your own and what you’re willing to give up for them, including your own happiness. I loved the relationship in this book that was both realistic and something that we should all hope for. I really enjoyed this book and I think that it explored a lot of interesting topics while also having the main things I enjoy in a YA novel!

I received an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I was really excited about the premise which is about a boy and a girl who both end up at this apartment complex due to their parents being split up. They end up meeting each other there and help each other through difficult times and form a friendship and attraction to each other. Now did this book actually deliver on this premise? Yes, it did.

You really get to see their friendship develop throughout the year and the different events that have brought them both to the point that they are at in this book. I loved watching the friendship and romance blossom between the two main characters and the fact that this was told in dual perspective so you really got to know both characters and what was going on in each of their lives.

Even though I did enjoy this book, it was really drawn out at times. If I remember correctly, this is a 500 page YA contemporary and it very much feels like it is 500+ pages. I feel like there were quite a few scenes that could have probably been cut out as they didn't really seem to continue moving the plot along and were more filler than anything. And I just didn't completely understand the characters and their motives. There was one scene in particular where one of the parents really seems to be trying to make things right and the main character just kind of blows up and doesn't really seem to be trying to understand what the others in his family might also be going through.

Also if you are sensitive to rape please be aware that this book does have mentions of it. I did like that this book does include in the back information to be able to report and thought that was a really good thing for them to include in both the arc copies as well as the final copies. It was rather hard to read as you are reading from one of the main characters point of view and you can tell that they are uncertain of things that are happening and that they are starting to feel icky about the situation that they are in but also the feeling that they don't have any where to go. And while I get what this part of the story was going for, this plot line wasn't really needed to get the characters to the end point of this story. I feel like things still could have been wrapped up the same even without this plot line.

Overall, the story was a three star read for me. It just felt really drawn out at times and both of our main characters were really whiny and not understanding of others and seemed to want to hold a grudge and were reluctant to let go of it.

Adam Moynihan and his brother Jeremy have to spend every other weekend at their father’s apartment since their parents split up. When their older brother Greg died, their family’s grief was so deep that they couldn’t stand it, which caused their father to need some time alone. Adam’s anger is palpable towards his father, and he and Jeremy fight constantly. When Adam meets Jolene, the girl who lives next door, his life suddenly seems a little better. Jolene also spends every other weekend at her father’s apartment, except her parents are divorced because her father cheated on her mother with their young athletic trainer. Adam and Jolene spend many weekends together, and soon they are falling for each other. However, life becomes even more complicated than it already is when circumstances begin spinning out of control for one of the duo, and things begin to look brighter for the other.

I enjoyed this book very much and I believe it addressed some very important issues. The writing was well done and realistic, and I sympathized very much with Adam and Jolene as they became victims of their parents’ shortcomings and mistakes. Different types of relationships were covered, including family and romantic relationships as well as unhealthy, toxic, abusive, and dangerous ones. In spite of the serious subjects covered, the humor and witty banter made this book very readable indeed. I found myself laughing out loud many times. I didn’t care for the profanity, but I believe this is a very important book for people to read because abusive relationships are addressed and detailed in a realistic and heart wrenching way. The warning signs were there, and I hope that abusive relationships will be avoided in the future because someone reads this book and takes it seriously.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Thanks Net Galley for the preview!

Adam and Jo were a modern day twisted up Romeo and Juliet. I was hooked on the story from the start. Anytime I was expecting something the author seemed to turn it another way-keeping me engaged. My only qualm is with the Jo and Guy dynamic. I thought it came in to the story a little late and wasn’t given the gravity it deserved. I would have loved to see more detail given the severity of the situation. It was a terrible thing to happen but I didn’t like that it seemed to be an afterthought added in. I loved the dynamic of brothers, Jeremy and Adam and how they both were dealing with humongous life changes in such different ways. I also hope the Jo can one day get away from her toxic parents and get her happy ending.

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.