We Didn’t Ask for This
By Adi Alsaid
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Publisher: Inkyard Press
standalone
Number of pages: 384
Kindle Edition
Source: ARC from NetGalley
YA
Rating: PG-13
Read 3/30/20 – current
Central International School’s annual lock-in is legendary. Bonds are made. Contests are fought. Stories are forged that will be passed down from student to student for years to come.
This year’s lock-in begins normally enough. Then a group of students led by Marisa Cuevas stage an ecoprotest and chain themselves to the doors, vowing to keep everyone trapped inside until their list of demands is met.
Some students rally to their cause…but others are aggrieved to watch their own plans fall apart.
Amira has trained all year to compete in the school decathlon on her own terms. Peejay intended to honor his brother by throwing the greatest party CIS has ever seen. Kenji was looking forward to making a splash at his improv showcase. Omar wanted to spend a little time with the boy he’s been crushing on. Celeste, adrift in a new country, was hoping to connect with someone—anyone. And Marisa, once so certain of her goals, must now decide how far she’ll go to attain them.
Every year, lock-in night changes lives. This year, it might just change the world.
This is going to be a review that is totally different from my usual reviews. That’s because I haven’t finished this book as of yet. Here’s the thing, I really like this book. It’s not going to end up as a DNF for me, but it’s not the right book for me at this time. Let me explain.
First, I am a huge fan of YA. All age ranges of YA from children’s books to middle grade to high school to older teens, I generally love them all. This story has wonderful voices and I can totally see my teenage niece loving this story and the flow. I’ll definitely be recommending it to her from what I’ve read (a little more than 50%) so far. I just can’t concentrate on this story with everything else in the world going on. I need more of an escape.
If you’re reading this at a future date, I’m reading this book and writing this review during the Covid-19 pandemic. Reading about an extended lock-in and kids dealing with some serious issues is just not the story I need at this time. While it may be fine for other people with different temperaments than me, I cannot say. I just know that with my personal anxiety issues and history of depression I’m struggling to get though the story at this time.
So, I plan on adding to this review when I complete this book. In the meantime, I’d like to recommend this story, most especially to those between 15 and 20. I think there will be at least one character in this book that speaks to everyone as there is quite a cast. Even if you, like me, have to wait until after things “return to normal”. I just want it to be on your radar.
For the first time I’m rating a book DNF (yet) but highly recommended.
** I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in my review are my own and given freely. **
All In Good Time 