It is very unfortunate that I did not like this book. I tried to read it several times . I persevered but in the end I could not force myself to continue it. I really can’t say why I couldn’t finish it. I think it’s just one of those books that I just didn't get on with. I really wanted to like it, but sadly I did not.

After loving We Were Liars, I was thrilled to be able to read Again Again. However, this book left me confused and I struggled to follow the plot. Were we following alternative realities or was it all in Adelaide's head? I struggled to connect to Adelaide as a character and enjoyed Toby's story more. I also struggled with the verse style writing at times.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy.

E Lockhart is an author I would read over and over again, and Again Again is proof of that. Lockhart has a way of combining heart, emotions and character to create a poignant and heartfelt read.

Thank you to the publisher for my eARC copy of this book. Unfortunately I didn’t love this book and therefore didn’t finish, I just didn’t connect with this one. Not for me, sorry.

A beauty of a book, as everything E Lockhart writes is, I really enjoyed Again Again. Her writing style is as lyrical and beautiful as ever, and this is an emotionally intelligent book that never underestimates the reader. I will read anything she writes.

AGAIN AGAIN is a new style for the author but one that I think works well. This is a bittersweet and memorable tale that will haunt the reader long after finishing.

This book was incredibly confusing. I had no idea what was going on and did not enjoy it as a result.

I absolutely loved 'We Were Liars' when I read it years ago so was very excited to pick up 'Again Again'. Although the plot was quite twisty and confusing at times, it really did reflect the mind of a teenage girl - going over every conversation and situation about a million times, playing through every scenario until you have no clue what actually happened. I am normally someone who likes their plots tied up in a neat little bow so struggled slightly not knowing what the true ending was but I think that was the point of the book and I think that I am just going to choose to believe the last story for my own peace of mind.

Thank you for the review copy!

I came to 'Again Again' having read 'We Were Liars' as a late teen. In a similar vein to the earlier bestseller, Lockhart here sets up a literary world through which to explore pertinent socio-cultural issues (and particularly for a young adult audience). That being said, the trope Lockhart calls upon - that each decision of her protagonist creates a new reality in which to explore the ramifications of its outcome - requires a real suspension of disbelief. I imagine for a teen reader the novel may well serve as a catalyst with which to consider the extent and limitations of human agency, that life doesn't simply "happen" to someone, but as a 26-year-old I struggled to fully invest in the character of Adelaide.

I didn’t not like it, but I didn’t like it either, and I definitely didn’t get it. The idea of the multiverse and parallel stories/lives/events is really interesting, but I found it frustrating that I didn’t really know what *was* actually happening and what was imagined by Adelaide.

I would love to read this book eventually, however the arc I received was extremely messy, therefore I had to put it down for the time being. There was large paragraphs that I had previously read, placed over and over through the story, not allowing me to be able to follow the premise properly, causing much confusion. That being said, from what I did manage to read, I do believe this will be a wonderful story.

I'm sorry, but I ended up abandoning this book. I found it too confusing. Within the same scenes, she was jumping backwards and forwards and I couldn't work out what was true and what was imagination or whether she was living all dimensions.

I normally love E. Lockhart's books but I just couldn't get my head around this one.

"This story takes place in a number of worlds. But mostly in two." I found this to be an interesting read. Poetic and beautifully written, I raced through it. When I got to the end, I wanted to read it again, to fully appreciate the multiple story-lines. At the start of the book, Adelaide is trying to get over the end of a relationship. Whilst out dog walking, she meets Jack and falls for him instantly. The story then starts to split into a series of 'what ifs', indicated throughout the book by a change in font. I enjoyed the idea of multiple universes and watching her life take different turns, although I'll admit at times I got a little confused as to which reality we were in. However, that didn't really matter. The writing is the thing. The style almost veers into poetry at times. An original idea, beautifully executed.

This made me confused. The way it's written got me lost and I never found my way back.
I disliked how it would randomly break into verse. That didn't add anything to the story. It was pointless.
I'm just glad it was a quick read and I didn't waste too much time on it.

Unfortunately due to what’s going on I’m the world I only got my copy the day before my tour stop but I’ve already read the first 20% and it has reminded me how much I love E Lockhart’s writing. It’s both lyrical and accessible. I read We Were Liars in a day and I can see this being the case with Again Again too. Adelaide already has such a powerful voice, and you aren’t really sure how much to believe her. What is she hiding from herself?
The style of the different conversations, presumably in the different multiverses, is interesting. Check out the extract to see how it’s laid out (which isn’t quite coming across on the netgalley ARC I am reading) but I think when reading the finished copy you’ll know which conversation is the one in the current reality though it will be exciting to see how the different options interact as we move forward. I suspect it will be similar to Sliding Doors.
At the moment the love seems very instalove on Adelaide’s side at least but because of the other things going on I’m her life with school, her brother etc I can see how love is being used as an escape.
And bonus points go to this book if you love dogs because there’s lots of them running round this tale. I think one of them is only talking to Adelaide metaphorically rather than literally but with E Lockhart who knows. I’ll come back later when I’ve finished and add some more thoughts but for now I’m intrigued, drawn in and want to see how this all plays out.

On finishing here are my additional thoughts. I like how the focus on the sibling relationship becomes more prominent and the characterisation stays strong throughout. I’m not sure the multiverse element fully paid off for me but I suspect that this will be one that you’ll spot more on subsequent readings.

Really enjoyed We Were Liars and Dramarama so had high expectations here with the usual precocious, privileged, overwrought private school characters with snappy dialogue and unconventional plot. This is fine but not as enjoyable, the most credible dynamic is between Adelaide and her brother Toby, a drug addict, but the romances and her personal angst just fails to be that compelling really and the ‘multiverse’ concept offers little more than alternate romantic endings, and isn’t really developed to any satisfactory level.

Adelaide is staying on her private school campus over the summer holidays, with her dad so he can teach summer classes, while her mom and younger brother Toby stay in Baltimore close to his rehab centre. Her brother's addiction is her biggest secret.

As she passes time this summer, taking an extra class so she doesn't fail, walking dogs every morning, and trying to get over her recent break up, Adelaide wonders which version of herself is best to present at different events, and how things would play out differently depending on her responses.


E. Lockhart is, for me, a win-some-lose-some author. We Were Liars and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks were both 5 star reads for me. Fly on the Wall and Genuine Fraud were disappointments. 

Unfortunately, Again Again fell into the lose-some category for me. 

I liked Adelaide as a character. She was funny and witty and not automatically 'likeable' - she made mistakes and was needy and had all these qualities that often make female characters seem high maintenance, and uptight. 

But I liked her. She had a complex backstory, and I felt her trauma and experiences were reflected in how she behaved as a person in each of her relationships. 

As for the other characters... well I didn't necessarily like them but I found them realistic and true to teenage boys. Some of the ways people talked were a bit... off? But idk, maybe that was just it coming through Adelaide's perspective?

I also liked the text threads throughout. It's rare to find accurate depictions of how teenagers speak to and text each other and this was actually done well.

What I really enjoyed though was the... I don't know what you'd call them. Little snippets throughout the book of ways the conversation could have turned if Adelaide answered differently. Mostly only a paragraph long, but enough to give some insight into the parallel worlds Adelaide could exist in if she said just one word differently. They were fun and interesting parts of the book and I thought they were really powerful and a unique way of showing everything Adelaide wanted to say but either couldn't or thought better of it. We all have those moments where we're desperate to know how something would have played out had we not said something, or said something else. 

This all sounds really positive, doesn't it? But, Rebecca, you only gave it 3 stars?

I didn't like the ending, and that really dragged down the star rating for me. So, if you don't want spoilers, look away now.

Only read on if you have read the end or don't care about spoilers.

At about 80% or so of the way through the book, the story just ends. And for the rest of the novel, we get a different Adelaide, a parallel Adelaide. An Adelaide on the first day that we first met her on, but things happen differently, quicker, taking us to the same end point in time, but not in outcomes. 

And... I get the point of it. The idea that there are multiple versions of us and all that jazz. But the first version ended so abruptly and then the next was so quick and I liked the additions of the snippets I mentioned earlier. But I didn't see the point, I didn't see the connection, and I'm sure some people would really enjoy it and think it was so clever and different but it just didn't work for me.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hot Key Books for the eArc in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately this just didn't work for me.

Adelaide has a lot to cope with, after saving her brother from a drug overdose, falling in and out of love while trying to finish school.

Maybe I just didn't understand this book, and that's on me. There are 2? alternate timelines as far as I'm aware, where you see conversations happening at the same time with two different outcomes, and this is what confused me beyond belief.

I didn't care about any of the characters, probably because I didn't understand the story so there was little making me want to care about them.

There's a lot of pining, unrequited love, and desperation in this book, which I just don;t enjoy. This was the first book by E. Lockhart I've read so not sure if this is just her writing style or if it's only this book that hasn't done it for me.

This was an interesting book which repeated scenarios with slightly different consequences. It is a book about finding yourself and self-belief set against the trauma of adolescence. I was really excited to have the opportunity to read this, as I absolutely love 'We Were Liars.' However, there was something lacking for me in this book and I did not connect with Adelaide, though I did develop some sympathy for her situation as her previous experiences were revealed. Adelaide was searching for something which, ultimately, has to be found within, but as a result of this her relationships with those around her are fractured and misjudged. I did applaud her at the end and was relieved to learn that she was taking control of her future, but so many of the characters, possibly deliberately, felt caricature-like and stock characters that I foudn very few people were likeable!

I really liked the heart of this novel; the story of the protagonist was well told although I wasnt totally in love the style of the writing. The side characters could have had more depth as well, but overall I really connected with the story and was engaged throughout.