Review: As Many Nows as I Can Get by Shana Youngdahl

Title: As Many Nows as I Can Get
Author: Shana Youngdahl
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 432

Content Warnings: underage drinking, sexism, cancer, hospitals, drug use, drug overdose, death of a parent, grief, ghosting a two year relationship, talk of suicide, anxiety, depression, talk of eating disorders, talk of gun violence, unplanned pregnancy, talk of abortion, talk of miscarriage, gaslighting, misgendering, car accident, animal death, fatphobia

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A timely, searing, and unconventional romance from an urgent new voice in young adult fiction

In one impulsive moment the summer before they leave for college, overachievers Scarlett and David plunge into an irresistible swirl of romance, particle physics, and questionable decisions. Told in non-linear, vivid first-person chapters, As Many Nows As I Can Get is the story of a grounded girl who’s pulled into a lightning-strike romance with an electric-charged boy, and the enormity of the aftermath. Cerebral, accessible, bold, and unconventionally romantic, this is a powerful debut about grief, guilt, and reconciling who you think you need to be with the person you’ve been all along.

As Many Nows as I Can Get completely caught me off guard in the best way possible.

This book does have a content warning list a mile long so please make sure you practice caution while reading. There are so many difficult topics and themes but they are handled with care. Real life is messy and this story shows that.

Scarlett’s story is told in non-linear chapters which I thought would give me a hard time but it was really easy to follow. Everything flowed together perfectly and the order in which things were told made sense. Youngdahl arranged everything in a way to where the reader gets the needed information at the exact right moment.

And the characters? I love them with my whole heart. Scarlett is so fucking strong and I don’t think she gives herself near enough credit. Mina is just an absolute saint and I wish she was my best friend. And their science friends are all just so nice and supportive and they filled me with warm fuzzy feelings. Cody and David were jerks but they were important to the story so I kind of liked them too.

The book is a little bit longer but it honestly never felt like it. Every word had a purpose and for me, there were no lulls in the story. It went by so quickly because I couldn’t focus on anything other than soaking everything in.

As Many Nows as I Can Get pulls you in from the very beginning and doesn’t let go until it has breathed everything it has into you. A truly phenomenal and important story that is not to be missed.

Does this sound like a book you’d like? Do you prefer realistic stories that mimic life’s messiness or stories that make you forget about all of that for a while? Let me know in the comments!