Everything That Makes You

by Moriah McStay

Overview

Ever wonder "What if?" Everything That Makes You is a romantic, epic story about one girl—and her two possible lives after an accident changes her fate.

Fiona Doyle's face was horribly scarred as a child. She writes about her frustrations and dreams in notebooks, penning song lyrics. But she'd never be brave enough to sing those songs in public. Fi Doyle never had an accident. She's the best lacrosse player in the state and can't be distracted by her friend who wants to be more than that. But then her luck on the field goes south.

Alternating chapters between Fiona and Fi tell two stories about the same girl—hopes and dreams and crushes, fears and failures and loss. This beautifully written realistic contemporary novel with a twist is perfect for fans of If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062295507
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/17/2015
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	779,196
File size:	633 KB
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Moriah McStay attended Northwestern University and the University of Chicago. Two graduate degrees and seven jobs later, she’s finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. Now she lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters. She’s happy with all the choices and chances that brought her there.

Everything That Makes You is her first novel for teens, and she’s probably at home right now working on another one.

Editorial Reviews

01/05/2015
In this thought-provoking first novel, McStay tackles questions of fate, coincidence and the impact of experience in two parallel stories featuring Fiona, a teenager from Memphis. The first story shows how facial scars from a childhood accident have affected Fiona’s self-image, relationships, and the activities she pursues. The second story explores how things might have been different for Fiona if the accident never occurred. The intertwined plots, unfolding in alternating chapters, contrast Fiona’s encounters with first love (with different boys) and self-discovery as she overcomes various obstacles during high school and her first year of college. While there are some similarities between the two paths (particularly in Fiona’s relationships with her parents and brother), the decisions she makes and opportunities she seizes are sharply contrasted. It is up to readers to weigh the physical and emotional traumas and scars that both Fionas grapple with. Entertaining and intellectually stimulating, the novel invites discussion about how much of a person’s life is determined by events and whether some tendencies are inborn. Ages 13–up. Agent: Steven Chudney, Chudney Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Entertaining and intellectually stimulating, the novel invites discussion about how much of a person’s life is determined by events and whether some tendencies are inborn. — Publishers Weekly

McStay’s debut explores the theme of choices and how those choices become the framework for the person who makes them. — School Library Journal

It’s impressive that McStay makes readers invest in both Fi and Fiona simultaneously; teens who have ever wondered what it might be like to live a totally different life will appreciate this experiment. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Everything That Makes You is an inspiring exploration of destiny, strength, and the power of human connection. I loved Moriah McStay’s spot-on dialogue and strong characters. A striking debut! — Susane Colasanti, bestselling author of Something Like Fate

The amazing dual stories of Fi and Fiona dare us to consider what it means to be driven by our passions, and how a twist of fate can alter our lives forever. A winning debut. — Leslie Connor, award-winning author of Waiting for Normal and The Things You Kiss Goodbye

From the Publisher

It’s impressive that McStay makes readers invest in both Fi and Fiona simultaneously; teens who have ever wondered what it might be like to live a totally different life will appreciate this experiment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Everything That Makes You is an inspiring exploration of destiny, strength, and the power of human connection. I loved Moriah McStay’s spot-on dialogue and strong characters. A striking debut!

Susane Colasanti

The amazing dual stories of Fi and Fiona dare us to consider what it means to be driven by our passions, and how a twist of fate can alter our lives forever. A winning debut.

Leslie Connor

It’s impressive that McStay makes readers invest in both Fi and Fiona simultaneously; teens who have ever wondered what it might be like to live a totally different life will appreciate this experiment.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

12/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—As a child, Fiona Doyle was in a horrible accident that left part of her face permanently scarred. Now in high school, she is an excellent student, has a family who loves her, enjoys talking to her best friend, Lucy, and has a crush on Trent McKinnon. In alternating chapters, readers meet Fi Doyle, the imaginary girl who escaped that horrible childhood accident. Now in high school, Fi is the best lacrosse player, has a family who loves her, and enjoys talking to her best friend, Trent McKinnon. In both versions of this story, Fiona and Fi successfully navigate through school, fall in love, go to college, and struggle with the conflict. As expected, Fi's life goes down a different path than Fiona's, but readers will see that theyhave much in common after all. McStay entertainingly weaves similar characters and circumstances throughout their worlds. It is interesting to see how each girl interacts with these people and reacts to her environment. The author consistently builds the plot without breaking the pace of the narrative. The story line flows from chapter to chapter even though there are two different points of view. The protagonists are believable and the language is appropriate. McStay's debut explores the theme of choices and how those choices become the framework for the person who makes them.—Jeni Tahaney, Duncanville High School Library, TX

School Library Journal

2014-12-22
One girl, two lives: Debut novelist McStay explores the impact of a childhood accident.When Fiona was 5, an accident burned her face and left her scarred. Always self-conscious about her scars, Fiona won't perform the songs she writes or tell crush Trent how she feels. At least she has her brother, Ryan, and best friend, Lucy. She undergoes an operation that heals her scars—but Fiona's insecurities remain even after starting college and falling for handsome Jackson. In a parallel storyline that alternates with Fiona's chapter by chapter and month by month, Fi is physically unflawed, but there are cracks under the surface. She's a fierce lacrosse player, living for the dream of playing in college, even if it means barely having a relationship with her brother, Ryan, and pushing away Trent, her best friend, who wants to be more. But a horrible ankle injury takes away lacrosse, leaving Fi adrift until she falls in love with the sickly, optimistic Marcus. Readers accustomed to time-slip and parallel-universe fiction should control their expectations, as intersections between the storylines are fairly subtle. McStay plays out her "what if" scenario in two separate plots; as separate reads, Fiona's story is straightforward, while Fi's is more interesting yet less successfully executed. As an experiment, the premise may intrigue more than the product, but readers who enter it on its own terms should find it satisfying. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews