A nostalgic look at coming of age in the 1960s. Vivian, Biv, and Frankie are best friends whose story we hear one hot summer and how it changed their lives. My only complaint was that the story seemed to be telling more than showing what was happening, but I guess it was in part to show how the character was looking back and telling the story that happened when she was 11 from a much older age.

This is one of those books that you read very quickly because the story just goes so fast, this is a page turner and a story of a summer that would shape in change the lives of a group of kids. I would highly recommend this if you read and liked other books such as Where the Crawdads Sing, because it has that same heartfelt story of young people who are kids but I also have to face the grown-up world at the same time.

I ended up listening on audio. Loved the three main characters and how the author wrote their friendships and naïveté. It's cool to read this POV almost looking over the shoulder of the children and absorbing the impacts as an adult. Atmospheric and so well written.

I put this one down at about 13% because the main characters were just not working for me. Everything about this book felt just slightly "off" and that prevented me from getting into it at all. I've seen tons of rave reviews for this one, so it's gotta be a me issue!

This novel was a sweet time-passer with some thrilling parts. A coming-of-age story placed in one unforgettable summer, 1960, it finds three preteen girls,best friends, navigating small town secrets, narrow minds, and the mysteries of adulthood. For me, some of the characterizations didn’t ring true, but some folks who love simple and wholesome narratives may love it. I received a free advance copy of this novel from the publisher, through NetGalley .

Let me start by saying that this book has great reviews by other readers. For me, however, I had a difficult time getting into the book. I liked the characters and Kagen does a great job with characterization, but I kept waiting for something to happen. I was at 50% of the book, and I couldn't really figure out when the climax of the story was going to happen. So, please, don't let my review stop you from reading this book. It just wasn't for me.

This book was given to me for my honest review.

I had to DNF this one. I just could not get in to the storyline and did not find it interesting enough to keep reading.

Given the rave reviews, I'm clearly an outlier here.

The pros: The writing is immersive and atmospheric, beautifully capturing the carefree youth of children growing up in 1960 small town America.

Unfortunately, I have a lot of cons.

For me, this felt like a middle-grade adventure. Almost the entire story is about the friendship between three 11-year-old girls, the drama they create, their excursions in the town, and the games they play. Some complex topics are alluded to, such as mental illness, homophobia, race, and sexual assault, but they remain on the periphery, shadowy and unexplored.

We're told in the synopsis that three patients escape from a psychiatric hospital, making it sound as if these girls will be in danger. This escape doesn't happen until the 75% point in the story. In fact, pretty much nothing of substance happens in the first three-quarters of the book. When the escape finally occurs, it's not a surprise, since the book's description tells us to expect it, but more of a relief that SOMETHING finally happened.

If I'd tried reading this entire book, I'd have likely given up long before the big but ultimately anticlimactic escape. I wound up borrowing the audiobook from Scribd and alternating between reading and listening. The narration is quite good, so I managed to push through in the hopes that the payoff would be worth the wait. For me, it wasn't.

Overall, a nice coming-of-age story set in Wisconsin. At times, however, the story dragged a bit for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Every Now and Then.

This is a story about three eleven year old friends who spend a summer together while exploring and getting into trouble. They are also fascinated by the mental institution. But when three patients escape, their lives will never be the same.

I tried hard, and I just kept reading, hoping that eventually I would get into this one, but the more I read, the less I cared. The story just wasn't solid enough, and honestly, the girls kind of drove me crazy. Not to mention the fact that (in my opinion), they were waaaay to precocious for eleven year olds. Plus, I just never felt like the story ever went anywhere.

The book is an immersive experience. It delves into a friendship between three girls rarely seen nowadays (I personally haven’t, given most people’s frequent movement). The picture painted shows both the good and the bad of an older time, with lesser supervision which comes with its own issues.
Our narrator is an old woman now and is talking of her childhood and one summer in particular. They learned a few lessons from the summer, but they do not get the full impact of it till they get older. The focus is on our boisterous trio, the ‘tree musketeers’ ( I found this moniker very apt and fun to keep encountering over the narrative). Their summer begins with a list of things they intend to do but the heat and the presence of a mental health institution close by adding extra dimensions to their situation. We are shown as well as expertly told of all the people in the town (who are essential to the narrative) and what their individual days look like. There is continuing darkness hanging on the tale’s telling because we know something big is set to happen.

I liked the voices’ age because, despite their constant snooping, they only understand parts of what happens around them. They are perceptive but not worldly enough to completely absorb all the information. This was refreshing because children rarely sound their ages in books that I end up reading. The book does bring up how people different from the norm were treated in their small town at the time, from skin colour to sexual orientation, I will refrain from mentioning how because I might be giving away more than I usually do in my reviews.

It is slow in parts while swift in others, overall I was invested in the outcome although I would have wanted to know how they all ended up the way they did in our current time (family etc.).

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

What an incredible book! I had fallen into such a slump with reading when my life got to busy but this was just the book I needed to get myself out of it. You'll fall head over heels in love with the Tree Musketeers and the patients they come to consider good friends at Broadhurst. The twist at the end is one that I didn't see coming but made it all the more special. Every character is full of life and most likely piss and vinegar in this novel and you won't forget them. They're some of the most well rounded characters ever written. I swear, Biz is real by the end of this!

Every Now and Then was a gripping coming of age story set in the 1960's. The friendships were enviable. The characters are witty. The portrayal of the time period is spot on. The plot is engaging. Very good!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful coming of age story. I loved that it took place in the 60’s which is where I spent my childhood. Ms. Kagen is a master storyteller and I highly recommend this novel.
Many thanks to Alcove Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Alcove Press for my copy of Every Know and Then in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Lesley Kagen, and I will definitely be picking up some of her older titles in the future. This book was a step back in time. There as so much nostalgia of the days when kids ran free all summer long , rode their bikes all through town, and slept out in the tree house with their best friends. I ebjoyed the innocence of it many times. I felt like I was I right there with them in the 1960s in the small town of Summitt, Wisconsin.

The friendship between Biz, Viv, and Frankie was an unbreakable bond. I felt like Kagen portrayed the friendship very well, it was not all sunshine and roses. The bickering and love/hate feelings felt very genuine. But the "Tree Musketeers' had a plan for the summer, took risks, and had each others back as they went out in search of the truth. I liked that this book tackled some subjects that were very controversial for the time period, racism, mental healthy, and homosexuality. With all that, the book ended up having a interesting feel to it, a mixture of women's fiction and mystery/thriller.

This book gave me major vibes from the move Now and Then, so anyone that enjoyed it should definitely pick this book up!

A historical fiction with an excellent cast of characters!

I really enjoyed the setting of Everything Now and Then. To me, it’s important to be transported into a story and the best way to do that is to set the scene. From there, everything else just flowed. Highly recommended!

I jumped on this one immediately as Where The Crawdad's Sing and This Tender Land were two of my favourite books last year, and I love coming-of-age stories, so I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately this fell flat for me. Most of the book seemed to drag (plot), making it a really slow read for me that I had to push through, and I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Will still try other books by this author though as the writing style itself wasn't bad. Thanks!

I absolutely loved this book! It's an absolute must-read that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to read a touching coming of age students. Perfect for external reading outside of the classroom and a story that is sure to stay with you well after the final pages have been closed! 4/5 Stars!

The story of an unbreakable friendship throughout a mysterious 1960’s summer that is lyrically written and pulls you in and holds you there. The characters are snappy and witty, using phrases and anecdotes of the time. The plot is intriguing, it builds you up and takes off with you. Themes of racial relations, sexual orientation and mental health run strong, and the vocabulary of the era is woven throughout. Not reminiscent of anything I’ve read before, and I couldn’t put it down.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I wanted to read it and I'm glad I did. It was a great coming of age story and I enjoy picking these types of books up every once and again.

This book really kept me engaged from start to finish. It's set in 1960 in a small town and tells the story of three girls who are on the cusp of adolescence when one summer everything changes. I loved the innocence of the three girls and how each girl had such a big personality. While I grew up a couple decades later, this definitely brought me back to my childhood summers, being free to ride bikes around my neighborhood, being outside all day from sun-up to sun-down, and not being tied to any electronic device.

Of course, I didn't have a mental institution near my house, and that is where things take a dark turn for the girls. Not to mention, this is what drew me to this book. I loved how just as I am fascinated with this, these young girls were equally fascinated and drawn to this place. They make friends with the more gentle patients, but after spending time there, begin to realize something rather sinister is going on with other patients.

This book tackles some rather heavy topics, yet it does so with such a light hand. It was so well-written and quite thought-provoking at the same time. This was my first time reading this author, but it won't be my last.