Review: All We Have is Now by Lisa Schroeder

 
Welcome to the tour for All We Have Is Now by Lisa Schroeder! This is a young adult apocalyptic fiction that releases July 28, 2015 by Scholastic. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

All We Have Is Now by Lisa Schroeder

From the author of THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU, a groundbreaking novel about what matters most — when time is running out.

 

What do you do with your last day on earth?

 

There are 27 hours and fifteen minutes left until an asteroid strikes North America, and, for Emerson and everyone else who didn’t leave, the world will end. But Emerson’s world already ended when she ran away from home last year. Since then she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

 

The city’s quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them that he has been granting people’s wishes. He gave his car away so a woman could take her son to see the ocean for the first time, and he gives Emerson and Vince all the money he has in his wallet.

Suddenly this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in 27 hours — maybe even their own.
 

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Review:
All we have is now is one of those books that I knew that I had to read as soon as possible. I saw it on Goodreads quite some time ago, so I was thrilled when I received the email with sign ups to read and review - and participate in a blog tour. Not only that, but they sent a physical ARC which is just BEAUTIFUL. The cover of it is amazing, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a hardcover copy of the book when it releases on the 28th.

 

My favorite thing about this book is that it so easily rides the line of science fiction and contemporary, which happen to be my two favorite genres when it comes to young adult novels. While the main premise is that an asteroid is coming to hit Earth, and they only have a certain amount of time left to live, that is not made the overall focus. Instead, we get a unique and lovely view of the two protagonists, and the book takes on a positive light instead of dealing with the terror and negativity that would typically come from the given situation.

 

The two main characters, Emerson and Vince, were so easy to fall in love with. Emerson is an innocent young, homeless girl who ran away from home because of issues with her mother's boyfriend. She never would have survived being on the streets had it not been for her best friend, Vince. He had a hard enough life himself, being bounced from one foster home to the next, but you can hardly see it in his demeanor. He is such a wonderful and caring character.

 

As I said, the main focus of the novel was not on the fact that an asteriod is coming and that they are all going to die; instead, Schroeder decided to focus on a positive side of the story, and we see the main characters using their last day together to pay it forward. They decide to go about making things great for as many people as possible in the time they have remaining. None of them are expected to survive, and so they feel they might as well end things on a good note. I LOVED that the book took this turn instead of being dark and depressing - it's certainly a twist that I have not seen before with this plot!

 

As with any contemporary book, there was romance, which is always one of my favorite parts. The romance in this book was fabulous because it was incredibly subtle and sweet, and it was not insta-love or a triangle, or any of those things we see far too much. Instead, we see two young adults who have been friends for quite some time, and their feelings simple develop and the relationship falls together. It's beautiful and heartfelt, and I loved reading these parts.

 

Overall, this book was one that was incredible to read. The writing was amazing, and it left me thinking long after I finished reading. For me, the ending did leave a little to be desired, but the rest of the novel completely made up for that. This was a book that I did not want to put down, and did not want to end as I had grown quite attached to the characters. I simply loved the message that Schroeder portrayed - make the best out of the life you're given, and help others if you have the means to do so. This is a book that I would highly recommend to everyone, of any age. I plan to re-read it once I pick up a physical copy for myself.    
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WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

“Thoughtful, endearing, and surprisingly fun — a reminder of what’s really important in life.” –Suzanne Young, New York Times bestselling author of The Program

“All We Have Is Now is one of those books my teenage self needed — a thoughtfully crafted reminder that every moment is a gift and that we should be kind, especially to ourselves.” –Julie Murphy, author of Side Effects May Vary

“Heartwarming and hopeful. I’d take this book with me to the apocalypse!” –Amy Plum, internationally bestselling author of the Die for Me series

 

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FROM THE AUTHOR

 

How did the idea for ALL WE HAVE IS NOW come about?

 

When I was in high school, I had a leadership class where we did lots of different activities and exercises. One of the most memorable ones was when we all sat in a circle and our teacher, Mrs. Smith, said something like: “Imagine the world is going to end in 24 hours. I’d like you to share with us how you would spend those last 24 hours.” What made it so memorable was how emotional people got as they spoke of the ones they love the most, or relatives they hadn’t seen in a while and wouldn’t be able to see again. It wasn’t long before almost everyone was crying. It was strange and kind of eerie, but also wonderful, because it was such a great reminder of what matters most. Of course, the class clown, a kid named Eric, gave us all a break from our tears when it was his turn and he said something like, “I’d find a girl and we would have a fun 24 hours, and that’s all I’m gonna say.”

 

I’ve always been fascinated with meteors and asteroids. The one that happened over Russia in 2013 was slightly terrifying, seeming to come out of nowhere and creating a huge blast in the sky, injuring over 130 people. As I thought about writing a book that dealt with that question of – how would you spend the last 24 hours – this seemed like a unique premise to play with.

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Schroeder is the author of over a dozen books for kids and teens, including the YA novels I Heart You, You Haunt Me and The Bridge From Me to You. She loves tea and cookies, flowers, family hikes, books and movies that make her laugh and cry, and sunshine. Living in Oregon, she doesn’t get nearly enough sunshine, but the hikes are amazing. You can visit her online at www.lisaschroederbooks.com on Twitter at @lisa_schroeder.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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GIVEAWAY

 

The author will be giving away $40 Powells e-gift card (US) OR a signed copy of All We Have Is Now (INT) to the winner of the below Rafflecopter. The giveaway ends August 5th.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.