Everything It Takes

Everything It Takes by Sandi Van left me with very mixed feelings.

I found the story interesting, and I related a lot to the main character Lily. Lily is a hard worker in school and is generally considered a rule follower or goody two shoes. However, I felt this book was extremely short. I finished it in under an hour. I do enjoy a nice, quick read, but I felt there was so much more that could be said and built up (and that is why I was unhappy with the length.) I felt the authour could have built relationships better and stronger if she had written a longer story. I wanted to know more about these characters and relationships. I wanted to know more about this club, environment, families, etc. The entire story was very surface level.

Of course, I love books written in verse and Van did a great job with that. The writing was wonderful and fluid.

Overall, a wonderful idea for a story, but I found it to be more of a teaser. I will read more by Van in the future.

I received an eARC from West 44 Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I enjoy the power of verse novels to demonstrate word play and to help us know a character really well. I felt this book did both and would gladly use it in my reading courses — and also recommend it for others.

Everything it Takes tells the story of Lily, a student searching for an extra curricular club to round out her college applications. She stumbles on Green for Good, an environmental group who push boundaries as they fight for the planet. The group is made up of diverse characters and a romance brews between Lily and the group's leader Fiona. The poems are well written and tell a quick but satisfying story. Would recommend to students interested in an inspiring activist story.