Everybody Hurts
Joanna Nadin and Anthony McGowan
Atom
352pp, £7.99 (paperback)
ISBN: 9780349002910

I’m partial to a bit of young adult romance. Everybody Hurts is fairly typical of the genre - and no less enjoyable for that.

The girl with the medical condition, the boy from the other side of the tracks, the bonkers bestie, the dysfunctional family and the gay friend have all been seen before. But, because this book is well and truly British, with characters and colloquialisms (and swearing) that we encounter on a daily basis, it’s infinitely preferable to The Fault in Our Stars. It’s grittier, and without the candy coating. And there’s no emphasis on main character Sophia’s medical condition.

The dual narrative written by two different authors could have so easily been clunky, but Sophia and Matt have dynamic and realistic voices that justify the collaboration. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments and some emotional ones make this a book that will be extremely popular at our school.

Gill Ward is senior librarian at Fortismere School, London

Pupil reviews

‘Teenage love and other issues’

Everybody Hurts is a story that cleverly portrays teenage love and other issues that are faced by young people, as a hilarious and moving tale. It is full of twists while still being realistic, and has a perfect balance of sad moments and side-splittingly funny ones. Following the story through the eyes of two characters is another exciting element that made the book all the more enjoyable. Everybody Hurts is uplifting, touching and lively - a great book that I would definitely recommend.

Callista Fontanive Bird, Year 9

‘Lacked a bit of depth’

I thought that Everybody Hurts was a refreshing take on the classic love story. I found the personalities of the two main characters, Matthew and Sophia, really quirky and I liked the contrast between their lives. However, some parts of the storyline were quite stereotypical, and thus less enjoyable, and I thought it lacked a bit of depth. I also felt the story progressed too quickly, for instance, when Matty and Sophia got together after one week of knowing each other - I found that a bit hard to relate to. I think what makes this book work were the funny events that carry the story - I especially liked Will’s character. This book is definitely better than most romantic comedies, but it’s missing a certain factor that would have made it one of a kind. Overall, I liked reading it, but would have loved to see something original and unexpected happen.

Bobbi Carsley, Year 9

‘For mid-teens who like romance’

Everybody Hurts was a well-written book that involves a lot of (to say the least) potentially challenging topics and language. The split narration was extremely well done, with each split placed in the perfect position to leave the reader with a cliffhanger. I would definitely say that this book is for mid-teens who like romance (as in romance) and some drama. The stories of Matt and Sophia are equally as intriguing as each other; both are completely opposite, so as to not bore the reader. I found that some of the more minor characters could have been fleshed out and highlighted a bit more to take a break from some intense scenes, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story.

Maddie Cooper, Year 9

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