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!

The review will be published on the publication date.

Für meinen Geschmack nicht heiter genug, sollte für viele Leser*innen aber klasse sein (3, 25 Sterne)

„Every other weekend“ ist ein Jugendroman, der mich zunächst optisch angesprochen hat. Ich liebe das Cover und habe dahinter eine durchaus heitere Geschichte vermutet. Die Synopsis deutet dann aber darauf hin, dass heiter nicht das Adjektiv ist, dass man als Beschreibung des Buches verwenden sollte. Nach dem Lesen der Geschichte kann ich diese Vermutung nur bestätigen.

Es gibt im Buch eine sich langsam entwickelnde Liebesgeschichte zwischen Adam und Jolene, beide sind zu Beginn der Geschichte 15, aber die Beziehung zwischen den beiden ist nicht das mit Abstand wichtigste Element. Beide sind gezwungen die Wochenenden bei ihren Vätern zu verbringen, da ihre Eltern in Trennung leben. Beide haben darauf keine Lust und an den jeweiligen Situationen sehr zu knabbern.

Ich habe per se nichts gegen ernste Themen in den Büchern, die ich lese. Wünsche mir aber eine gewisse Balance aus heiteren, lustigen und ernsten Momenten. Dies mag nicht immer der Realität entsprechen, aber deswegen lese ich ja auch gerne Fiction. Gerade diese Balance hat für mich in „Every other weekend“ nicht perfekt gestimmt. Darüber hinaus erschienen mir die Reaktionen der beiden Hauptcharaktere manchmal nicht ihres Alters entsprechend. Und ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob eine dramatische Entwicklung im Buch mit der genügenden Sorgfalt aufgearbeitet wurde, die ich dabei von Autor*innen erwarte.

Ich will das Buch aber gar nicht schlecht machen. Die Autorin hat ein durchaus faszinierendes Buch geschrieben und ihre Charaktere mit viel Feingefühl erschaffen. Ich denke, dass viele Leser*innen, die nicht so wie ich am liebsten heitere Liebesromane lesen, mit der Geschichte viel anfangen werden können und emotional voll involviert sein sollten.

I really enjoyed this one. I was in the mood for a YA read and this ARC came in so it was perfect. Adam and Jolene (and yes I sang the song every time) spend every other weekend with their dads at the same apartment complex. They are neighbors. Jolene's parents have been divorced a long time and hate each other, but Adam's parents have just separated and he is new to this life. This book is 500 pages so there is a lot that happens. Adam's family has had a tragedy that ripped his family apart but Jolene just has an awful life. They spend every minute together during their weekends, but at some point they cannot do that and Adam has to try to balance his new friendship and getting his family back on track, which makes Jolene turn to some bad things. I read to escape reality but I did not mind the realities of their lives in this book.

"Who needs an Erica when I've got you?"
"Jolene made me want to try for stupid, probably impossible things."
"You're worth being a really good friend to, Jolene Timber. I hope I get to be there when you realize that."
"Because it turns out it's a lot easier to point out somebody else's mistakes than recognize your own."

Every Other Weekend
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars
*
I was sent an ARC by NetGally for an honest review.
*
Two teens are forced to visit their dads every other weekend. Both are dealing with their own troubles and broken homes, eventually finding a safe space, not at a certain location, but with each other.
*
I appreciate the many topics this book highlighted, but I feel like it bit off more than it could chew. EOW tackles grief, divorce (obviously), abuse, neglect, toxic relationships, and sexual assault... so trigger warning for all of that!... but I can’t shake the feeling that because so many topics were brought up, most didn’t get fleshed out. The author either needed to add another 50 pages to dive in deeper, or take these important sub plots out of the story all together.
.
What I liked: I can say without a doubt that I adored how the topic of grief was handled in this book. How the loss of a loved one can literally tear a family apart. But if shared, grief can mend bonds and bring loved ones together. This was my favorite story line in this book. I loved watching an entire family work through their loss together.
.
Divorce was handled well, in my opinion, as well. Our teens have VERY different circumstances surrounding their broken homes. On one side we have parents who still actively love each other, and on the opposite end, parents who can’t even be in the same room as each other. Two extreme examples, but effective ones for this story.
*
Now, what I didn’t like... SPOILERS in this paragraph! One of our characters has to deal with LEGIT abuse and neglect from BOTH of her parents. And at the end of this story nothing is resolved... because that is just the way it is. In the end they divorce lawyers make her dad give her a car, hire a nanny she loves and pays for a summer program she is interested in... and that is it! Money, car, nanny. Abuse resolved with material things. I can’t be happy with the ending of this particular story line
.
At the end of the day, this book was ok. It had many moving moments where I thought this was going to be a new favorite. But it fell short in a lot of areas. I will be interested in other books that this author publishes in the future.

This one right here pulled at my heart strings so much I related to these characters a little more than I realized I was a kid who had divorced parents and I hated having to go to ones house and then back to the others it was a lot to deal with so I know how it feels to have to go to one on the weekends but this was a sad like romance if that makes sense. I liked this one and I gave it 4 stars

I understand that both Adam and Jolene are dealing with some major family issues but their anger really put me off them. I would start to like them and then they would say or do something to someone and I would go back to not liking them. Book is slow paced with a lot of back and forth between their houses and their weekend places. Story ended well.