this book was good. it was a light contemporary with queer and poc rep and it dealt with grief (which i love in contemporaries) but i thought i dragged out for a bit too long. in the middle i was feeling a bit bored but i enjoyed the end and how the 3 stories came together

Do you remember what it was like to be on the edge of the rest of your life?

Can’t Say it Went to Plan is just that. 3 girls with 3 different stories all graduating high school. This book addresses the fears, the triumphs and the goodbyes.

Told by view points from each of the 3 girls, this book has a lot of characters. It was tough to keep them all straight at first. Zoe’s story started out heavy hitting and fizzled really fast. Samira’s story I did not feel ever truly concluded while Dahlia was finally able to let go of her troubled heart, just a little.

This was a tender story about transitioning from teenager to adulthood. Something we can all relate to. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a short, sweet read with nice summer vibes! The three mains were fun to read about, but the main issue was that there were a lot of side characters, which are it hard to keep track of what was happening. I expected the three storylines to intersect more, but I was happy with how they did, though. All in all, it was a fun, light read!

Can't Say it Went to Plan follows Zoe, Samira and Dahlia during their end of school adventures. The plot sounded like this would be a great read and I did enjoy the series, however -- I did find the first half of the book to be very slow and kind of hard to follow. It seems like we were kind of just dropped into this world following these girls with not enough back story before the plot plays out. The second half of the book was better and overall I did think this was a good story.

Can't Say It Went to Plan started off really slowly and rather confusingly as well. I didn't exactly know what was going on in it because it just dropped me into the story in each of the character's first chapters with no explanation about what's going on whatsoever. It also started right off the bat but was somehow really slow at the same time. The first few chapters after the first chapter were just the characters arriving at their different places to stay which wasn't that interesting and I found it rather repetitive given that there was a chapter from each of them for just settling in.
I was really nervous that the entire book would more or less just be the characters doing the same thing with different friend groups, but after the first few chapters, things really got going and I enjoyed seeing where each of their stories went. I liked how their paths crossed a few different times but I think I would have enjoyed it more if they actually all got to know each other and became friends. I feel like there was a lot of potential for this at times but it kept not happening.

The teens who are strangers all have one thing in common, their plans for a carefree vacation after school ends is turned upside down before it can even start.

A cute and funny YA story, this is a perfect summer read

This story started off well with characters Zoe, Samira and Dahlia. I liked Zoe and Samira but was a little worried that Dahlia’s story might be a little intense. Zoe’s story fizzles out pretty early and attempts to tap away at another issue that sort of feels like filler. Although I character of Samira, her story doesn’t quite stack up and feels like a mean girls story without the resolution. It was Dahlia’s story that felt most complete and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her heal and grow. I was disappointed that the stories didn’t have more overlap, but overall it was a decent read and I would this recommend it to others.

Can't Say it Went to Plan is a story that follows three girls on their spring break adventures. Sure, that sounds like a lot of fun, but the book kind of drags along after a while, jumping from character to character throughout. No characters are very fleshed-out and their problems seem trivial. This book is full of Australian/British terms, which some American teens may not follow (will my students understand what they're talking about when they talk about the loo? or a serviette?) Very tame in nature compared to some books I'v read lately: no swearing and no graphic sex scenes. That was a plus. While the girls' stories connect in small ways, I was waiting for the storylines to weave together and that didn't happen.

This book follows 3 different girls as they head out on a dream holiday with their friends to celebrate the end of school. They may be strangers, but they each have a specific goal behind their trip. The book is broken down by day, with the narrative switching between the 3 girls. Over the course of a week, they are each forced to face some deep issues, and find themselves in the process.

At first, I had trouble keeping up with the 3 different storylines. It jumps around a lot each day and it was hard to keep their stories straight. But soon I found myself wrapped up in their stories and wanting to see them succeed. The storylines touched on a lot of difficult angsty teen feelings and situations, as well as deeper emotions like grief and loss. I found myself caring about the characters toward the end, and I enjoyed the way their stories overlapped but didn't become one. The ending was inspirational, and celebrated the wide open blank slate of finishing school.

Can't Say it Went to Plan by Gabrielle Tozer was cute but nothing special. The characters did not feel as developed as they could have been, but it was cute.

Book Review for Can’t Say it Went to Plan

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Sweet, exhilarating, thought provoking, one of my fastest readings!

Three strangers : Zoe, Samira,Dahlia at young age are already getting through enough drama who need urgent break from stressful pressure about their mapped out future just for 7 days long getaway !

After the final year of the school only thing they need was peaceful, quality time! But before reaching the place they have their own dreamy vacation, they sense troubles are following them behind in everywhere as if they’re magnets they’re drawn to them. Their problems are chasing them like black clouds above their heads.

Pacing was well balanced and though provoking issues of the girls including sexuality, dysfunctional relationship and mourning were genuinely approached and realistically discussed.

It’s heartfelt, emotional, lovely and sweet reading with resonating characters and sensitive issues.

I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to short getaway, girl trip, young adult, girl power, impressive four stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360/ Harper Collins for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Can’t Say It Went To Plan follows three girls on a seven-day long getaway as they celebrate the end of school. However, the girls quickly learn that even the most perfectly planned trip cannot erase the stresses of life.
It was refreshing to read about characters that faced such real problems. Can’t Say It Went To Plan covers topics like grief, sexuality, relationships, and the overall confusion that comes with finding your path. It makes it easier to relate to the story and feel for the characters when the characters are dealing with issues that most people can understand.
Can’t Say It Went To Plan is a light, easy, read. However, the book’s writing was a bit plain, in my opinion, and would probably be better suited for younger readers which is a shame since older teens would probably connect most with the story’s themes.
My second biggest complaint is that I wish the girls’ stories would have intertwined more. Although they had a few scenes together sprinkled throughout the story, I kept waiting for their stories to connect in a bigger way, and unfortunately, that didn’t really happen. I did like how their individual plotlines progressed though. The development/growth of each girl throughout the story was very well done.
Overall, Can’t Say It Went To Plan is a good, light, fast-paced read, but falls into the trap of being a bit predictable.

This book was tons of fun to read! It held my attention from the first page! I thought it was a great book for teens in today's world!