Book Review :: We are Inevitable, by Gayle Forman

We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman
ISBN: 1471173771
Published by Simon & Schuster
on 2021-06-01
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Source: HarperCollins NZ
Find at Simon & Schuster AUS
Goodreads

'I got this whole-body feeling . . . it was like a message from future me to present me, telling me that in some way we weren’t just bound to happen, that we had, in some sense, already happened. It felt . . . inevitable.'

So far, the inevitable hasn’t worked out so well for Aaron Stein.

While his friends have gone to college and moved on with their lives, Aaron’s been left behind in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, running a failing bookshop with his dad, Ira. What he needs is a lucky break, the good kind of inevitable.

And then he meets Hannah. Incredible Hannah – magical, musical, brave, and clever. Could she be the answer? And could they – their relationship, their meeting – possibly be the inevitable Aaron’s been waiting for?

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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We are Inevitable, by Gayle Forman

A book that is set in a book store is already in my good books. We are Inevitable is set in such a place, and it is magical. Aaron has taken ownership of his family bookstore, Bluebird Books, after his father, Ira, decides it’s time to pass it down the family line. But here’s the thing: the bookstore hasn’t made an income since Aaron’s mother left and his brother died. It’s rough.

So while Ira loyally opens the shop up every single day at the same time it’s always been open, they’re lucky if they get one customer. With Ira’s health going downhill, life to live, and groceries to buy, Aaron does the unthinkable: agrees to sell the bookstore.

While all this is happening, Chad, a kid in Aaron’s brother’s year when they were at school, starts hanging around the bookstore, and eventually, Chad and Aaron start hanging out more. They go to see a Beethoven’s Anvil show, and there Aaron meets Hannah, the lead singer and his ‘inevitable’; they were meant to be.

Circling back to the selling of the bookstore: enter a ruckus and unruly but good-hearted band of merry helpers, Ike, Richie, and Garry. They see Aaron and Chad trying to build a wheelchair ramp for Chad in Bluebird Books and offer to help. Which quickly spirals out of control and suddenly Aaron finds himself surrounded by people fixing the store. Only, he hasn’t told them he’s selling it and there’s no point.

My thoughts on We are Inevitable

It seems a bit busy and chaotic in terms of storyline and plot, but it’s really quite simple: We are Inevitable is about discovering who you are and where you fit into the world. It’s a story of loss and love, and people trying to do the right thing. It’s a story about books and the power of reading, and equally of music, and the power of listening.

While the story is predictable, it’s sweet, and I had a lot of fun getting to know the characters. One of my favorite things about this book is that Forman has named the chapters after book titles, and each relates back to the chapter in some way. It was a fun ‘have you read this book’ sort of way to kick off each chapter.

If you’re after a book that’s quick a snappy (less than 300 pages!), that is sweet but also fast-moving and a bit chaotic, then We are Inevitable might be the book for you!

Have you read We are Inevitable? What did you think?

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Thank you to HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. This does not affect my opinion and all thoughts are my own.