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Reviewed by: Lisa Rice, Middle School Librarian Title: Never Never
Author: Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 9-12, Adult Genre/Type of Book: Mystery, thriller, romance
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Alcoholism, implied sex
Recommended for a school library: Yes (High School Library) Reason(s) for choosing the book: This was a recommended read. I enjoy Colleen Hoover books in small doses and was interested in reading this novel that she cowrote. It started as three separate books and in 2023 was made into one book, and I was curious about that. While I would not recommend this book for a middle school library, I think it would be fine for a high school library. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: From Charlie on p.322, " Fate is the magnetic pull of our souls toward the people, places, and things we belong with."
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Review:
Colleen Hoover is very popular amongst some high school and adult readers. Although I generally like her books, this book is not one of her best. Although I enjoyed the premise of the book, I did not enjoy the way it wrapped up at the end (although I did enjoy the journey). I am not really sure what happened at the end actually. Because this book has a lot of twists and reveals along the way, it is difficult to give specifics without giving anything away. I think high school students would enjoy this book, especially if a student enjoys the romance genre. It was a Best Book of the Month/ Amazon's Editor's Pick for 2023.
It is a book about fate, romance, soul mates, and discovering who you are. It is about soulmates (Silas and Charlize) who grew up together, fell in love, and fell out of love, as you do in high school.
As the book begins, every 48 hours, Silas and Charlie lose their memory. They can't remember who they are or who each other is, which is a problem if you are in school and need to know which class is next or who your best friend is, or if you are on the football team, and you can't remember how to play football. Silas and Charlie need to figure out their own lives, why this is happening to both of them, and how to stop it from happening, again and again. They leave notes for themselves to read, and it is through notes and journal entries and cell phone videos that we learn a lot about them as people and as a couple, along with some dark family secrets. The story takes place in New Orleans, and it is fun to explore that city with them.
The book has some positive themes and some fun ideas for high schoolers to weigh in on. For example, Charlie says, "Trust your gut. Not your heart, because it's a people pleaser, and not your brain, because it relies too heavily on logic." (p.331), or Silas, who says, "Why do I feel like love and irritation go hand in hand?" I like the idea of you can't change your past, but you absolutely can control the present, and at some point, you have to learn to walk away from things that stunt your emotional growth. These are good reminders for all of us.
Again, the book has a great concept, and mostly is a fun and intriguing read. I had hoped for a more satisfying conclusion.
Number of party hats:
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website