Rating: 3/5



Genre: YA/New Adult Contemporary



Recommended Age: 16+ (language, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc. Trigger warnings for rape, drug abuse, and abuse.)



I received this book for free through the KidLitExchange program. My opinions are all my own. If you’re interested in joining KidLItExchange and you live in America, please click on this fancy hyperlink.



Dear Best Friend,
I can already tell that I will hate everyone but you.
Sincerely,
Ava Helmer
(that brunette who won’t leave you alone)

We're still in the same room, you weirdo.
Stop crying.
G




So begins a series of texts and emails sent between two best friends, Ava and Gen, as they head off to their first semesters of college on opposite sides of the country. From first loves to weird roommates, heartbreak, self-discovery, coming out and mental health, the two best friends will document every moment to each other. But as each changes and grows into her new life, will their friendship be able to survive the distance?

I Hate Everyone But You, the debut novel by two emerging major talents in YA, Allison Raskin and Gaby Dunn, is a story about new beginnings, love and heartbreak, and ultimately about the power of friendship. – Amazon.com



Do you have that one best friend in your life that you always communicate with? Even across multiple platforms? That’s the relationship Gen and Ava have in this book! It’s a sweet read about a friendship that refuses to die even though the girls are separated by colleges on opposite sides of the USA. The story is told through mix media and I have to give it credit for truthfully showing college students experimenting in college with alcohol, drugs, and sex and I really loved how one of the main characters experimented with same gendered sex (she does not like to be labeled and thus I will not label her in my review. She is just herself and herself is fabulous). I loved how easy the book was to read and how addicting this book was for me. The writing was very well done as well, as you can feel the genuine love and friendship between these two characters. I also felt that while this book was told through mix media that the character development of these and other characters in the book was very well done.



However, I felt that the book was a bit too fast paced for me and that the plot was everywhere. The book is also in a mix media format, but the authors only included two forms of media that the friends talk on. I would have loved to see them incorporate more forms of social media that these friends communicate on. I am also concerned that younger children who pick up this book to read would consider the underage use of alcohol and the illegal use of drugs to be okay and that having sex with multiple partners also okay (it is okay but only if the person takes precautions to prevent STDs and the such and that they aren’t putting themselves in a position to be hurt).



Verdict: While I felt this story was a genuine story of two friends and how college is a time for experiment, I do feel that the story was just too fast paced for my liking and I felt that the book struggled a little bit with an overall plot. While I don’t think this book is for me, I think this book can be an amazing read for best friends to read together. It’s heartfelt and sweet. Totally give this book a shot if you have a best friend you love!