Dave and Julia have been best friends for years, and right
before they enter high school, they make a pack not to be
cliché, sealing the deal with a list of all the things they
will Never do. A few years later, graduation is approaching,
and they decide to use their last months to do all the
Nevers they wrote down even though rule #10 involves never
dating your best friend, and Dave secretly loves Julia. As
they break their rules, they will discover whole new sides
of life they were missing and more.
Adi Alsaid writes another winner with NEVER ALWAYS
SOMETIMES. The rich emotions, high with both hilarious
friendship moments and heart-wrenching truths, drive this
story of adventure and relationships. The third person
narration is divided between Dave, Julia, and the last
section that brings them together, giving a strong look at
both their lives, together and apart. Both friends are
distinctive and memorable, brimming with the complexity of
two hearts that are so complementary but perhaps not enough
for what one or both of them may want.
The dialogue makes this story stand out with the perfect
level of realism, never venturing towards cliché waters (or
at least none that don't still feel real and heartfelt).
Julia's snappy, witty lines cause endless chuckles, and
Dave's adorable thoughtfulness and sincerity is full of
warmth and charm. Their banter is friendship at its finest.
Though I absolutely love Dave's character, I do wish there
was more of Julia's side in the story. Her section is full
of so much character and depth, and I wanted her story to
keep going at the end. The interactions with her mother are
crushing at times, and I love how caring her fathers are,
even after a certain party. Her growth throughout is
phenomenal, but I still feel like there is more to her story
to explore.
In the case of recommending NEVER ALWAYS SOMETIMES, I pick
always. Adi Alsaid writes another deep, emotionally complex
story with Dave and Julia that readers will love.
Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be
cliché high school kids—the ones who
sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama
from homeroom and plotting their
campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own
Never List of everything they
vowed they'd never, ever do in high school.
Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never
die your hair a color of the
rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a
secret: he's broken rule #8,
never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high
school. It's either that or break
rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia
for as long as he can remember.
Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests
they do every Never on the list,
Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an
unfortunate shade of green. It starts as
a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia
discover that by skipping the clichés,
they've actually been missing out on high school. And maybe
even on love.