4 stars

Read this book to witness the start of Kristin Dwyer's long and actively lauded career as a YA writer.

Readers meet Ellis, the m.c., at her high school graduation in San Diego (Southern California) and discover immediately that she has the kind of baggage that gets checked and comes with hefty fees. Through a seamless mixing of present-day events and flashbacks over the past few years, Ellis's circumstances become clearer. Ellis's biological family consists of a mother and father who are both exceptionally troubled, absent, and unreliable, and as a result of her bio parents' challenges, she is left to her own devices often. Fortunately for her, her dad's long-time friend/acquaintance/champion, Sandry, has taken basically the opposite path, and she - along with her husband and three sons - all semi-take in Ellis as a member of their family. Though Ellis has complex relationships with all five of these chosen family members, no one can deny that her best friendship/potentially more relationship with Easton (the youngest son) is one for the ages. It's clear from the start that SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE maybe by but definitely between these two, and the novel is one in-depth look into how we all get to the present moment.

So much works well in this novel, and that is largely a testament to Dwyer's style. Dwyer's writing flows smoothly, is compulsively readable, and importantly for this novel, affords her the opportunity to create a slow burn scenario that doesn't necessarily include many events but DOES include many, many, MANY feelings and thoughts (which readers learn *are not free*). The style alone makes me certain that I'll be enthusiastically reading any future works Dwyer produces.

What worked a little less for me here are two items: (1) some of the details around Ellis and Easton's relationship in its early stages and (2) an aspect of the ending. I detest spoilers, so I'll keep this vague. Ellis and Easton - when they are living in the same location originally - have a particular habit that I found extremely bizarre because it doesn't seem to fit with the kind of parenting that Sandry, especially, reveals throughout. It made me uncomfortable, and I don't think it was necessary. Also, I couldn't believe it would be just fine with the adults in the house...or even other members of the family. It's also no secret that Easton's family exists in a space of immense privilege. However, as LACKING that privilege is a huge part of who Ellis is, the circumstances toward the very end (staying detail-free) bothered me. As a side note, I have no problem with the names Ellis or Easton, but I will always think of this book as the Bret Easton Ellis YA novel and will also wonder if the alternative was to name Ellis Bateman and Easton Patrick.

Very minor gripes aside, any raving about this book is - for me - warranted. Dwyer has a knack for YA contemporary realism. I'll be looking forward to reading a lot more of that from this author and to recommending this one to my students.

I loved the Albrey family in this book! The brothers were so funny in the way that they gave each other such a hard time, but also so real in the way that they stood by each other. And when Ellis came into their lives, they all fell into step to make her a part of the family as well. And the mom in the book was also such a perfect character to this family! The only reason I wouldn't (couldn't) purchase this for my middle school library is the the very descriptive sex scene, and because the characters are mostly adults (other than the flashbacks). But overall, I enjoyed reading it!

Finishing a book at 2 am isn’t always a good idea. I end up forgetting what I want to write for a review.

Starting this book I felt like I was going to hurt and I did, all in the right ways! This book definitely had me really thinking about how other people view each other by where you live and how you act and who you are. Ellis was so hard on herself and what she deserves and what she doesn’t. She holds herself back by the events that happen in her life. The turmoil she goes through is so unnecessary, if there was just some open communication but I think that this was done in such a good way! Sometimes we overthink things and shut down. Sometimes we have to go through rough moments in life to learn and grow from them.

Kristin really captured what it was to be an adolescent and all the emotions we go through. And I definitely cried in all the right moments. I rooted for Easton and Ellis and I was mad at Ellis and Easton and it was amazing! Kristin’s writing is so lyrical and captivating! Reading every word I felt all the love and nurturing she put into this book! I can read this over and over again and I’m sure I’ll cry everytime!

I highly recommend you pick this one up, it’s one that should be read! Thank you Kristin for allowing me to read this early copy for my honest opinion!

I was skeptical when I saw comparisons to Sarah Dessen, my first favorite YA author, but Kristin Dwayer lived up to the hype so much that this novel doesn't need the classic comparison. This book so strongly captures the intensity of teenage emotions I felt as if I were the one living the story. This novel is really something special, and I think it takes contemporary YA and raises the bar for the reading experience.

Sisters struggling to deal with their mother's death in car accident they survived 6 years earlier haunts the whole family. Calliope, 16, chooses to attend the same boarding school as her mother did and becomes involved in a secret society. Will she be able to solve a campus mystery and find answers to her own dilemmas? An unsatisfying ending.

Kristen Dwyer tells a heart-aching tale of lost love, broken family, and a search for self in a beautiful angsty way. SOME MISTAKES WERE MADE will take you back to the most vulnerable place in your heart, where your teenage lizard brain resides and feelings are these big expansive things that can't be contained. Her voice leads you through each turn of a story that reminds us that family can save us in the hardest of times, even break us at the bleakest, but love us through it all. I laughed, shed ONE tear, and finished it with a small smile. Trust me, this is a book you'll want to reread again and again and again.

“When did we get here? At this place of tallied wrongs and rights. This place where we speak the same language but cannot understand each other’s words.”
— 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙒𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚, Kristin Dwyer

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Holy crap. What a debut from Kristin Dwyer.

I stayed up until 4:15 a.m. to finish this beauty, and it was well worth the lost sleep. This is one of my favorite kinds of books: a will-they-won’t-they full of alllllllll the angst.

This book ended up being such a pleasant surprise. I loved the nonlinear timeline, the relationship between our MC and her found family, and the freaking TENSION because Ellis and Easton.

I don’t want to ruin anything by providing a synopsis. This is one that I read the blurb ages ago before requesting it on Netgalley, and when I finally picked it up all of that knowledge had completely abandoned me. Not knowing what to expect as each page passed by was a dream, and I truly believe it made this book all the more enjoyable.

I typically don’t like the miscommunication trope, and the way that MCs tend to talk in circles around each other without anything ever getting resolved (please ignore the fact that I am guilty of some of this in my own novel) but I genuinely felt like it was such an accurate portrayal of first love, and loss, and how when you’re 18 nothing makes sense and every little slight against you seems like the end of the world.

Ellis and Easton were two totally different people. Ellis had to be tough, strong, find ways to take care of herself. And Easton was surrounded by love and opportunities. These two together shouldn’t have worked, and yet…

This one is out April 26th, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND adding it to your TBR. Absolutely amazing debut, Kristin 👏🏼

Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

HOLY WOW! This was so, so good! What a heartfelt and romantic story. I couldn't put this down. Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up! You won't regret it! Full RTC

This book is beautiful. Kristin Dwyer, I really hope we get to read more from you.

Stunning story and writing-- especially for Dwyer's inaugural book debut. I honestly cannot figure out how to review this book because anything I say won't do it justice.

There's a lot of pain that is written in a way that I felt deep to my core. The characters are well developed, and I loved the contrast of switching chapters between now vs. before.

I say this about a lot of trauma- angsty- YA books... if more people read "Some Mistakes Were Made" and really thought about what the characters are going through we'd have a better, more empathetic society.

As many of us know, first loves – and first heartbreaks – are often felt far more intensely than others. Kristin Dwyer’s ‘Some Mistakes Were Made’ expertly captures the vulnerability that comes with trusting others with our hearts. After being away for a year, does Ellis still have a home with all those she left behind? That’s a question I found myself asking throughout her journey.

This achingly beautiful story of found family, acceptance, and first loves had me falling in love with every character, especially the strong but oh-so-vulnerable (but don’t you dare call her that to her face) Ellis. Dwyer’s storytelling is so evocative that I felt Ellis’ longing, her disappointments, and her joy. All of it. I highly recommend this debut to anyone who enjoys YA contemporary romance that has more meat, if you will, than most stories in its genre.

This debut is spectacular. Kristin Dwyer will make you feel from page one. I was captured by her writing from page one and it gripped me until the end. This was such a beautiful story about first love, coming of age, and found family. Some parts will hurt, but it wraps up just so perfectly.

This so very much a second chance, loved you since childhood romance but it was also bout belonging and balancing those expectations that feel so heavy that existing just becomes too much. Ellis had to navigate just simply being, and throughout the story you see her grow and come to realization about the relationships in her life.

I loved that the author added a couple chapters from Easton’s POV and went back and forth between past and present for a bit to show us how Ellis and East got to this point in their relationship.

So much angst, so many unspoken words, so much love. A beautiful story!

This was a lovely sad romantic read that I loved. Gave me kdrama vibes in the best way. Definitely giving this a rec to others.

This was a cute YA novel that gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings. I feel like it went at a good pace and switching between timelines made it move faster and keep up the anticipation. The author did a great job of transitioning time right when you'd get a clue about what was to come. I feel like the relationships are not unhealthy for students to read about, so I would recommend this to my older (7th or 8th grade) students.

I’m giving this a 3.5 but I bumped it to 4. Ellis was simply too judgmental and harsh with Easton and his family. This is angsty for certain, but not realistic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a YA contemporary romance. What fantastic writing and characters! I loved Ellis and Easton and all the Albreys. The emotions in this book were so real and conolex. I loved the past/present chapter outlines finding out about Ellis broken past and what shattered the relationship between Easton and E!lis! This novel really made me think about what defines a family and home. So good!

OMG. I really loved this book. It was so beautifully written. This book had me emotionally invested from. The first page and I didn't even know what I was invested in. I love the way it grabbed me and made me want know and understand the characters so bad. Definitely my best read so far in 2022.

This is a pretty angsty first love, coming of age book that reminds me of Sarah Dessen's book a bit. At times the characters felt a little more shallow than the fullness of Deese's but I'm seeing that seems to be a trend in YA nowadays? IDK why because I think characters are such a big part of why YA books stick. It's a likable read but nothing that really sticks with you as the vibe of the cover suggests.

This is a fantastic romance that I think will be a hit with fans of Colleen Hoover. It has some beautiful and heartbreaking moments in it as the love that was once between two young people has been forced to change and shift due to circumstances they can't control. Told in both the present and the years leading up to the present via flashbacks, the reader gets to watch Ellis and Easton's relationship evolve. It is a beautiful story of pain and family drama, as well as one of love and hope. This book made me tear up and laugh, which are both the signs of a great read! I enjoyed turning every page and I think that Dwyer's pacing in the story was perfect. I can't wait to see what she writes next. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

4.5 stars I really liked “Some Mistakes Were Made.” It reminded me of a more mature Sarah Dessen book and I love Sarah Dessen. I even found myself crying in parts which really surprised me. It’s YA but reads a little more mature to me.

The story centers on Ellis and the Albrey family. You could say Ellis comes from the wrong side of the tracks and the Albreys, a wealthy, influential family adopt her in a way. They are all important to her but no one is as important as Easton.

The format of the book starts in the now, and then goes to the past, back and forth. In the now, you realize early on that there has been some kind of catastrophic event that has caused a rift in the relationship. So when the story goes to the past you start learning more and more what happened. I actually enjoy this format because it also gives some mystery and keeps things interesting.

At one point I felt like the conversations between Ellis and Easton were repetitive but then I would remind myself that these are teenagers dealing with first love.

It was thoroughly enjoyable and I found myself loving Ellis and all the Albrey boys even if they were frustrating at times, especially Ellis and Easton.

I want to thank Netgalley and HarperTeen for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What an emotional heart crushing book. Some of the best books are the ones that make you feel like you are right alongside the characters in the book and feeling the same emotions as they are. This book does that extremely well. I felt like I was back in high school experiencing the heartbreak of the main characters.

Ellis has struggled her whole life not knowing how or where she belongs. She is caught in the tangled mess of her parents' struggles. Throughout her familial struggles, comes a family that accepts Ellis into their home. This family is made up of three brothers, their mom, and their dad. Ellis forms unique relationships with all of them, but forms a closer relationship with one more than others. Not knowing what a real family feels like, Ellis is conflicted about where her loyalty should lie. As a teenager, she is ultimately responsible for more than she should be, has to make decisions that she shouldn't have to, and ends up making some mistakes along the way.

One of my favorite parts about this book was the family dynamic portrayed between the Albreys. It felt so authentic. I also loved each of the brothers' personalities. They were all so different but yet they were cohesive.

This messy, emotional, roller coaster of teen-hood, is a must read for YA romance fans!