Having read most of the books that Gayle Forman has written, I felt that I should probably give this one a go as well. A few things intrigued me when I read the synopsis. We Are Inevitable has a male protagonist (I’m pretty sure all of Forman’s previous books have had female main characters), and the fact that this book involves a small, family-owned bookstore. Curiosity piqued! And of course, if you’ve ever read a book by Gayle Forman, you know that you’re in for a story with a little bit of romance that will tug at your heartstrings.

Aaron is living in turmoil. An asteroid has hit his universe and he’s not sure how he will survive the damage. His mom left amidst the chaos that ensued after said asteroid, and his dad seems to be living in denial, set in his ways and determined to keep his life as normal as possible. But things aren’t normal. The asteroid? Yeah, that’s a metaphor for a catastrophic family event. And now it’s looking like the bookstore that has been Aaron’s family’s livelihood is probably going under.

Then some unlikely events occur and a whole cast of characters come into the picture. There’s Chad, an old friend of Aaron’s brother who seems bound and determined to befriend Aaron whether he likes it or not. Then we’re introduced to three old men who begin to frequent the crumbling bookstore and take on projects that Aaron sees no point in. The bookstore is a lost cause in his mind, whether his dad can see it or not. The last person that comes into Aaron’s life may be the most improbable of all: Hannah Crew, a singer in a small band who happens to have more in common with Aaron than he thinks.

Here Aaron was thinking he was alone with the burden of the failing bookstore on his shoulders, but now he’s seeing that the fate of the business might be out of his hands, whether he believes it can be resurrected or not. Eventually, Aaron begins to realize that though he’s been trying to control a lot of things for a long time, they are out of his control. He begins to open up to Hannah, who helps him see that there might be hope after all. 

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Viking Books for Young Readers

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: 3 religious exclamations; 10 mild obscenities; 2 religious profanities; 2 derogatory names; 39 scatological words; 17 anatomical terms; 16 F-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore:  A boy thinks about how an asteroid may have destroyed the earth and prehistoric creatures died; a boy recalls how he ate a strawberry and had an allergic reaction and was rushed to the ER; a brief scene occurs where a boy accidentally elbows a man in the nose and the man gets a bloody nose; a minor mentions that his brother is dead and later says he died from his addiction; a girl brings up two car accidents that occurred where she was injured.

Sex/Nudity:  Food is referred to as almost pornographic; a brief scene occurs where sex is referred to; a brief scene occurs where making out is mentioned; two young men have a conversation about sex and how one of them is paralyzed and would like to have an operation that allows him to have sex again; a brief scene occurs where a boy is mentioned to look at porn; porn is mentioned in a brief conversation between two young men; a boy wonders what a kiss with a certain girl he is attracted to would be like; a brief scene occurs where a girl kisses a boy; a brief scene occurs where two young adults make conversation where sexual innuendo is used; a boy thinks about his non-existent love life and wonders if he will ever fall in love or have sex; a brief scene occurs where a boy is implied to be touching himself; a boy and girl kiss in a brief scene; a blow job is referred to in one brief scene; minors are mentioned to kiss in several brief instances; sex is referred to.

Mature Subject Matter:

Addiction; loss of a loved one.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Mention of hard drugs being used and goods being traded in exchange for them; empty beer cans are observed; a minor assumes his dad might smoke pot while he goes on long walks; an adult is mentioned to chew tobacco; a minor is offered beer by an adult; drug addiction and relapse is referred to; a group of older underage kids is observed to be passing a bottle that contains alcohol back and forth; rehab and AA/NA meetings are mentioned; a boy realizes he has fallen in love with someone in recovery from an addiction; a young adult is mentioned to roll a cigarette and smoke it; a minor claims he isn’t a drug addict and has never even smelled pot.