Everything All At Once (Chorduroys And Too Many Boys, Book 1) by Ivy Cayden
Publication Date: February 20, 2019
Teenage life (with a playlist).
Nearly sixteen, Kila Lorens showers herself in music, lives in plush corduroys, and always applies a double layer of lip gloss. She longs for the answers to this irritating trio of questions: When will she have her first kiss? Will Angus Lyr ever stop obsessi-texting Reese Seratine? And why did her former best friend, Brixton Kading, silently bow out of her life six months ago? The particulars of these unknowns—along with her mission to convince Maya Malta to share some sizeable news with a certain seventeen-year-old before he finds out from someone else—keep Kila’s eyes open at night.
But one late hour delivers something worth hiding: a private Nektir message from Timothy Cardiff, the tall, inky-haired enigma who rarely speaks in school, yet somehow morphs into Salt for Swordsmen’s frontman on the weekends. Amidst tandem listening and dizzying revelations, the two form an unlikely attachment. When their covert communication spills into the halls of Cypress High, they both wonder if this will be a short-lived or long-lasting entanglement.
Ethan Lorens—Kila’s cautious but optimistic older brother—mostly focuses on his new drums and his indie band’s potential. An after-school visit to Casper’s Music Underground presents some unexpected industry intel. Following years of hiatus, Emerald Rock plans to host another EmOpen. Casper encourages the boys to prepare for the contest, but Ethan, Brixton, and Angus wrestle with the group’s shortcomings. Could the young French chef they meet at The Hidden Meridian be the band’s missing link?
Sometimes dreams come out to play. Mixing Kila and Ethan’s friends together on a parentless weekend induces irreversible crushes, late-night courtship, and stinging heartache. With an elaborate, 67-song playlist to embed you in every magnetic moment and missed connection, you’ll experience the rush of Everything All At Once, the first book in the CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS™ series.
*Award-Winning Finalist in the Best New Fiction category of the 2020 International Book Awards*
*Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Young Adult category of the 2019 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest*
This book was really good. Ivy Cayden does a great job at reminding me of the good old teenage years when life was so much more simpler. I think that she was able to capture the teenage experience in a unique way and actually made this an enjoyable read. I’ve been stepping away from most YA reads recently just because I think I’ve grown out of my love for them but this one I think will hold a special place in my little heart. Each of the characters that were in this book were all great and there were a ton of them, which slightly had me confused at times. I absolutely loved reading along the book with the playlist that she created as well. It was definitely a unique experience for me since I usually don’t listen to music when I read but this just made the experience even better. My only thing that I really didn’t like was that it was written in third person. I just don’t know what it is about books that are in third person that I just really do not like. I feel like it just takes me such a long time to get through a book that’s her in this way. But overall, I really did enjoy this book. It was cute, fun and definitely more lighthearted, especially with everything that I read. It felt genuine, had some drama, felt completely awkward just like moments in high school sometimes did, and truly felt like a unique and fun read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author:
Ivy Cayden lives on the rugged, pinetree-lined Central Coast of California. Years ago, on her first visit to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, she fell in love with the tall trees in Felton and returns whenever she gets the chance. A vegan for over a decade, Ivy is passionate about supporting small businesses and all things indie–especially music. In addition to writing the CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS(TM) series, she founded and manages the indie music blog My Multi-Track Mind, where she interviews rising musicians, covers new releases, and posts moody playlists.
2020 International Book Awards Finalist, Best New Fiction
2020 American Fiction Awards Finalist, Coming of Age
2019 Best Book Awards Finalist, Fiction: Young Adult
Sara Reads Romance 