Not Your Typical Love Story: Read our Review of We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman

‘I got this whole-body feeling … it was like a message from future me to present me, telling me that in some way we weren’t just bound to happen, that we had, in some sense, already happened. It felt … inevitable.’

So far, the inevitable hasn’t worked out so well for Aaron Stein. While his friends have gone to college and moved on with their lives, Aaron’s been left behind in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, running a failing bookshop with his dad, Ira. What he needs is a lucky break, the good kind of inevitable.

Then he meets Hannah. Incredible Hannah: magical, musical, brave, and clever. Could she be the answer? And could they—their relationship, their meeting—possibly be the inevitable Aaron’s been waiting for?

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist. Forman’s hit novel, If I Stay, was adapted into a blockbuster film starring Chloë Grace Moretz in 2014. Now she returns with her most recent YA novel, We Are Inevitable.

I’m a big fan of Forman. I’ve read favourites like If I Stay and Just One Day, and I’m always in awe of her ability to pull at my heartstrings. We Are Inevitable is no exception. This novel is fresh, original, and a welcome addition to my growing Gayle Forman collection.

We Are Inevitable centres around Aaron Stein, a flawed yet lovable young man who’s struggling with the recent loss of his brother. This prompts him to question the inevitable—and so did I. Grief, change, life, moving on … they’re all inevitable. These inevitabilities can either be good or bad, and We Are Inevitable shows that it’s all about perspective.

Through flashbacks we learn more about the Stein family, and what led Aaron to the rut he’s in. Grief isn’t the core focus of the novel, but Forman’s stylistic choice allows it to be ever-present. While flashbacks keep you itching to find out more about Aaron’s past, I found it mimics the process of grief—where we replay the past to hang on to moments and memories.

We Are Inevitable will make you laugh, cry, and will even make you laugh while you cry. It’s endearing and heart-warming, with a cast of characters readers aged 12+ will love in many ways. Aaron feels he’s been dealt the bad kind of inevitable, but will Hannah be the good inevitable he needs? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Synopsis

A heartbreaking story about finding yourself and your people, from the bestselling author of If I Stay, a major film starring Chloë Grace Moretz. For fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, John Green and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. So far, the inevitable hasn’t worked out so well for Aaron Stein. While his friends have gone to college and moved on with their lives, Aaron’s been left behind in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, running a failing bookshop with his dad, Ira. What he needs is a lucky break, the good kind of inevitable. And then he meets Hannah. Incredible Hannah – magical, musical, brave and clever. Could she be the answer? And could they – their relationship, their meeting – possibly be the inevitable Aaron’s been waiting for?

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