Long has it been since I have considered Gayle Forman to be a favorite author of mine. One fall while I was away for my first semester of college, I read her books, If I Stay and Where She Went. Obsessed with the idea of two characters drawn to each other after horrendous circumstances and additionally, years spent apart, I longed to read more by her. Unfortunately, nothing else she has written has captured the magic I felt while reading her duology. When presented with the opportunity from Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House, I was excited to try out her newest novel, We Are Inevitable. The catchy premise of one Aaron Stein, struggling to keep his father’s bookstore alive and falling in love with a musician, intrigued me. I thought, Well, it has been at least three years since you attempted to read her books. You’re older, hopefully wiser, and in the middle of a major romantic comedy binge. Let’s give it a try.
I have extremely mixed feelings on We Are Inevitable. I enjoyed the idea of the premise, but my disappointment for this book lies in its execution. Aaron’s first-person perspective is whiny, irritating, and depressing. He is so caught up in his own head, that he lies to his father, is extremely rude to new friends, and does not really charm Hannah the way that she should be charmed. This book was branded to me as a comedy with romance, but I wanted it to be a romantic comedy. I did not find him funny, nor the antics he and his friends became involved in. Hannah is a well-crafted character, but she still feels a little empty. We can see why someone could develop a crush on her, but she isn’t fleshed out enough to feel like a romantic love interest that our main character should dive head over heels for.
Instead of giving this a try, I recommend two romantic comedies that I have loved this year so far, Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur and The Flip Side by James Bailey. The Flip Side also includes a first-person male protagonist, who is funny, sweet, and endearing. He is absolutely flawed and goes on a mad goose chase around the world to meet Sunflower Girl, someone he met at a museum and missed the chance to ask for her phone number. It’s wacky and fun, but it also hits all of the points that Forman missed while writing this novel.
I have extremely mixed feelings on We Are Inevitable. I enjoyed the idea of the premise, but my disappointment for this book lies in its execution. Aaron’s first-person perspective is whiny, irritating, and depressing. He is so caught up in his own head, that he lies to his father, is extremely rude to new friends, and does not really charm Hannah the way that she should be charmed. This book was branded to me as a comedy with romance, but I wanted it to be a romantic comedy. I did not find him funny, nor the antics he and his friends became involved in. Hannah is a well-crafted character, but she still feels a little empty. We can see why someone could develop a crush on her, but she isn’t fleshed out enough to feel like a romantic love interest that our main character should dive head over heels for.
Instead of giving this a try, I recommend two romantic comedies that I have loved this year so far, Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur and The Flip Side by James Bailey. The Flip Side also includes a first-person male protagonist, who is funny, sweet, and endearing. He is absolutely flawed and goes on a mad goose chase around the world to meet Sunflower Girl, someone he met at a museum and missed the chance to ask for her phone number. It’s wacky and fun, but it also hits all of the points that Forman missed while writing this novel.