BOOK
EVERYTHING
★★★★★ “A light, fun, fantastically gripping story of young love, music and the ups and terrible downs of high school. Highly recommended!” –A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
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“Everything All At Once is, in every way, a bit of a BLAST! The author so knows her readers, offering them ’easy to get along with protagonist, an array of teenager-related dilemmas they can relate to, and a musical backdrop that’s not gimmicky but adds to the story.
So, what’s it all about? In a nutshell, the story follows Kila and the ups and downs of teenage life. There’s lots of what you would expect in a book in this genre; there’s the ‘intensity’ of first love, the first kiss, wanting what you can’t have and having what you don’t want. Is it predictable? No, it’s not. The author’s simply giving the teenager what they want.
In terms of writing style, it’s also very good. It’s light, not overly descriptive, and the pacing is excellent. This is not a plot-driven story; it’s character-driven. In this book, the characters are the jam which holds everything together. Thankfully, the author knows her characters very, very well; this shows in the consistent and very individual way they act.
There is a lot of self-discovery going on in this story, particularly for Kila. And, I must say, it is very well-written. It’s insightful too, and very much helps the reader to not only understand Kila, but also start to care about what happens to her. The author also understands how important ‘speech’ is to not only develop the characters, but also the plot.
So, who’s this book for? I’m tempted to say teenage girls will enjoy it the most. Say, 13 – 15 year olds. I think, if you enjoyed books such as Twilight – although you won’t find a vampire in this book – then this is for you. Also, if you love music, this book is a bit of a gem. I loved the idea of listening to a specific song as you enjoy a specific part of a chapter. I had a go and, honestly, it adds mood/atmosphere to the story. How fab is that!? Enjoy!”
–Five stars, A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
★★★★★ “As a great addition to a classroom or personal library, young adult readers will become enraptured with Everything All At Once while anxiously awaiting (as am I) the next in the series.” –Lisa McCombs for Readers’ Favorite
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“Kila has everything a girl could want: A happy family, more than one best friend, a boy who adores her, and a killer playlist. Her only problem is that the boy she likes isn’t the one who wants her. There is also someone else who sparks her interest. How was she to know who is a contender for her heart? Maybe, just maybe, she really doesn’t know what her heart really wants or needs. As Kila struggles with indecision and unfair choices, she realizes that high school relationships are often made up of false charm and undetermined shifts in personality. It’s not all good and can be dangerous “dressed up in” vocals, making music the universal catalyst of life.
Everything All at Once by Ivy Cayden is aptly titled in this unique teen story of first love, first kisses, and appropriately manufactured musical interludes. Cayden presents a unique way to enjoy an already fun story. Throughout the text are highlighted song titles that, when downloaded, the reader is encouraged to activate for an interesting addition to the reading experience. Well-developed realistic characters share their musical interests to make this almost a dual plot, filled with age relatable symbolism and common teenage situations. As a great addition to a classroom or personal library, young adult readers will become enraptured with Everything All At Once while anxiously awaiting (as am I) the next in the series. ”
–Five stars, Lisa McCombs for Readers’ Favorite
★★★★★ “Alongside Cayden’s descriptive imagery and detail, the music added a fantastic depth to the events. I felt far more immersed and connected to the mood and the character’s conflicts while listening to the songs they were listening to in the story. All the songs were clearly selected carefully to fit the tone of the event, and they all fit perfectly.” –Literary Titan
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“Everything All at Once is part of Ivy Cayden’s Chorduroys and Too Many Boys series. Here Cayden paints a fresh and interesting narrative portraying all the ups and downs of teenage life. It’s filled-to-the-brim with interesting characters and twisting plot developments. This riveting story follows our main character, Kila Lorens, and how she navigates her way through relationships and teenage life in general. Cayden paints a vivid and realistic picture of teenage life. The worries and trials and tribulations young people typically face are things often forgotten as we get older, like worrying about our first kiss, heartbreak, and losing friends. The book does a fantastic job of capturing the emotional turmoil of that time in our lives. Young people will undoubtedly find themselves relating to parts of this story, and adults will be treated to waves of embarrassing yet-somehow-comforting nostalgia.
Aspects of this book felt very personal and raw, cringy in a good way, but the nostalgia brought it back to being charming. I thoroughly enjoyed being thrown back into my younger years through this book. My favorite element of this book was the addition of an accompanying playlist; each song assigned to a part of the story. Alongside Cayden’s descriptive imagery and detail, the music added a fantastic depth to the events. I felt far more immersed and connected to the mood and the character’s conflicts while listening to the songs they were listening to in the story. All the songs were clearly selected carefully to fit the tone of the event, and they all fit perfectly. With Cayden’s great knowledge of music, hosting an indie music blog, I was not at all surprised to find so many fantastic hidden gems in this playlist. I truly adored this element of the book, alongside the story itself, because of how much more it added to it. This element really set it apart from other typical teen-fiction I’ve read in the past.
Everything All At Once is a charming and emotionally stirring novel. The immersive and relatable conflicts were so exciting and addictive that I found myself unable to put the book down! I would love to read more of Cayden’s work in the future.”
–Five stars, Literary Titan
“Original, entertaining and memorable, Everything All At Once is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to middle school, high school, and community library Contemporary YA Fiction collections for young readers ages 14-189.” –Midwest Book Review
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Children’s Bookwatch: October 2021
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575
The YA Fiction Shelf
Everything All At Once
Ivy Cayden
The Hidden Meridian, LLC
9781949293005, $19.99, PB, 496pp
“Nearly sixteen, Kila Lorens showers herself in music, lives in plush corduroys, and always applies a double layer of lip gloss. She longs for the answers to this irritating trio of questions: When will she have her first kiss? Will Angus Lyr ever stop obsessi-texting Reese Seratine? And why did her former best friend, Brixton Kading, silently bow out of her life six months ago? The particulars of these unknowns — along with her mission to convince Maya Malta to share some sizeable news with a certain seventeen-year-old before he finds out from someone else — keep Kila’s eyes open at night.
But one late hour delivers something worth hiding: a private Nektir message from Timothy Cardiff, the tall, inky-haired enigma who rarely speaks in school, yet somehow morphs into Salt for Swordsmen’s frontman on the weekends. Amidst tandem listening and dizzying revelations, the two form an unlikely attachment. When their covert communication spills into the halls of Cypress High, they both wonder if this will be a short-lived or long-lasting entanglement.
Ethan Lorens (Kila’s cautious but optimistic older brother) mostly focuses on his new drums and his indie band’s potential. An after-school visit to Casper’s Music Underground presents some unexpected industry intel. Following years of hiatus, Emerald Rock plans to host another EmOpen. Casper encourages the boys to prepare for the contest, but Ethan, Brixton, and Angus wrestle with the group’s shortcomings. Could the young French chef they meet at The Hidden Meridian be the band’s missing link?
Sometimes dreams come out to play. Mixing Kila and Ethan’s friends together on a parentless weekend induces irreversible crushes, late-night courtship, and stinging heartache. With an elaborate, 67-song playlist to embed you in every magnetic moment and missed connection, you’ll experience the rush of “Everything All At Once”, the first book in the Chorduroys and Too Many Boys series by Ivy Cayden.
Original, entertaining and memorable, “Everything All At Once” is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to middle school, highschool, and community library Contemporary YA Fiction collections for young readers ages 14-189. It should be noted for personal reading lists that “Everything All At Once” is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).”
–Midwest Book Review
★★★★★ “This is teen fiction at its finest. You laugh, you cringe, you sigh as you just know it’s all headed in the wrong direction as you hope, as Kila does, that love will prevail.” –WHISPERING STORIES
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“Kila dreams of being kissed under a canopy of stars and she knows that “The Way I Do” by Bishops Briggs will be playing when the moment finally happens. But finally seems a bit like never since her crush, Angus sees her more as Ethan’s little sister than the girl of his dreams. Plus, he may, or may not, have a girlfriend. And then there’s Brixton – her friend who’s a boy and absolutely not her boyfriend – who has mysteriously been absent from her life for the past six months; Timothy who is far more flirtatious online than his classroom persona suggests; and this is all before Jacques, the hot French chef, comes along.
Sounds complicated? Chorduroys and Too Many Boys is a perfect teen romance that portrays the longing and angst of first love in a real page-turner that has you rooting for Kila to find her perfect match. She may be Ethan’s little sister but she’s ready to prove she’s not a little girl anymore, especially where his band-mate Angus is concerned. But, is it just Angus that Kila could find true love with?
There’s intensity and drama and as it unfolds, to tie into the band theme, the story is accompanied by a carefully curated Spotify playlist where you listen to the chosen tracks alongside reading. So just as Kila paces her floor to “Dreams” by the Cranberries fantasising about Angus, you are also carried away by the sweet scent of the lyrics. For me, any playlist that includes the haunting power of Delores O’Riordan is an absolute winner but the soundtrack really does add something extra to highlight the roller coaster of emotions Kila experiences. Plus, I’ve been introduced to some artists I’ve never heard before taking me on a musical as well as literary journey.
This is teen fiction at its finest. You laugh, you cringe, you sigh as you just know it’s all headed in the wrong direction as you hope, as Kila does, that love will prevail. The writing is at times poetically beautiful, almost lyrical, and beautifully complemented by the chosen tunes. But there’s also powerful sassy dialogue and drawn-out introspection that really does create the gut-wrench of teenage crushes in a way that keeps you hooked to the very end. Be warned – this is just Book 1 – so although there’s a conclusion there is clearly plenty more to come and I can’t wait.”
–Five stars, Whispering Stories
★★★★★ “The drama and awkwardness between the characters had me laughing out loud, and the banter between them was extremely entertaining to read.” –Kaitlyn Lane, Heart of Lane
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“I loved this book and the hidden lessons seen throughout. The characters were so easy to love and relate to. Ivy Cayden does a wonderful job bringing detail into every scene, so it makes you feel like you’re part of the story.
This book’s unique aspect is the focus on music, and the playlist created specifically for this book is amazing. The songs chosen fit their specific sections wonderfully. I love the use of music in the book and how it portrays emotion when words cannot.
Everything All At Once took me on a wonderful journey and drew me in from the first chapter. The ending left me wanting more, and I cannot wait to read book two. I cannot recommend this book enough and believe it is perfect for anyone who loves romances and coming of age stories.”
–Five stars, Kaitlyn Lane, Heart of Lane
★★★★★ “Cayden writes smoothly, showing a particular gift for dialog, which is essential in any book about teenagers who customarily speak in secret languages and culture-swathed nuance.” –Barbara Bamberger Scott, A Woman’s Write
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“The cast of characters is nearing the end of their junior year of high school, poised for partings and ready to party. Ethan, Brixton and Angus are the boys in a band who have ambitions to participate in a competition that could win them a contract. Ethan’s sister Kila wants what her ex-friend Reese has: Angus. Anna is longing for Brixton, Maya wants Ethan, and Reese is the girl who can have what she wants, just making her classmates jealous and wary. When the group decides to spend a weekend together – no adults present – nature will begin to take its course. Maybe. There will be food, music, and a scary psycho killer movie. And someone has written a song about – someone.
Cayden, a nature lover and supporter of small business efforts, writes smoothly, showing a particular gift for dialog, which is essential in any book about teenagers who customarily speak in secret languages and culture-swathed nuance. They often express intellect and sensitivity, more than one might expect; yet if you think about it, adolescents are constantly on the brink of discovery, and able use their minds to positive effect when they choose to. But there is also confusion – who really likes who? It takes a lot of intuition and a lot of false starts to eventually sort that out, with Kila as a central player, always, it seems, fascinated by the wrong partner.
Everything All At Once has several dominant themes, with music having a special role, since the book includes a playlist that can be accessed on Spotify to “sing along” with the action. Song titles appear in bold in the text to cue the reader, though the book flows easily without the aural accompaniment. The aspirations of the band members are a constant underpinning to the well-constructed, multi-layered plot. Teen hormones are another factor, and Cayden has orchestrated passionate temperaments mixing and matching without a loss of decorum. A couple pulsing the rhythm of a song with held hands, and Kila delicately wiping from a boy’s lips her extra thick lip-gloss provide credibly steamy, but not salacious, touches. Too, the ability to move so many through so much in such a short period of time, making a long engaging read, is further proof of the author’s crafting skills.
Teens will especially enjoy Cayden’s vibrant book, and it might be sneaked away by some parents, too, who will see in it a glimpse of their own youthful hopes, fantasies, and romances.”
–Five stars, Barbara Bamberger Scott, A Woman’s Write
“The first book in the Chorduroys and Too Many Boys Series, Everything All At Once lives up to its title. Ivy Cayden spins a web of secret crushes, stolen kisses, and love triangles galore in this young adult novel, all wrapped up by a specialized playlist curated by the author and incorporated into the book.” –Independent Book Review
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“A moody, drama-filled coming-of-age story exploring the lives of nine music-loving teens forging new relationships.
The first book in the Chorduroys and Too Many Boys Series, Everything All At Once lives up to its title. Ivy Cayden spins a web of secret crushes, stolen kisses, and love triangles galore in this young adult novel, all wrapped up by a specialized playlist curated by the author and incorporated into the book.
Everything All At Once primarily follows Kila and Ethan Lorens, two teens who face big questions about friendships, first loves as they navigate high school and what lies ahead. Ethan is part of a boyband with best friends Angus and Brixton. Kila daydreams about unavailable Angus, while trying to piece together why her friendship with Brixton ended suddenly and working to convince her best friends Anna and Maya to tell their respective crushes–Brixton and Ethan–how they feel.
As the group struggles to make sense of the tangle of emotions, complications arise in the form of new love interests, old exes, a secret that Maya’s been keeping, and a big party at the Lorens’ house sans parents to round out the drama.
Despite weighing in at 497 pages, Cayden tells Kila and Ethan’s stories at break-neck speed, moving between settings and characters to portray a group of bright and lovable teens.
The addition of a playlist sets the mood for much of the story. Through music, Cayden characterizes Kila and her friends, as they stress about life while kicking back to the alt indie tunes that fill the Everything All At Once playlist. That said, given the fast-paced nature of the novel, the music can be a bit of sensory overload. The track length doesn’t always match up with the writing, and since people read at different speeds, it could make for a lot of pauses to coordinate the reading and the music.
Aside from the logistical challenges that come with a multimedia novel, Everything All At Once shows a group of forward-thinking, fairly responsible young adults. Most of the characters are vegan. All of them are honest and respectful of each others’ boundaries and feelings. And despite the parent-less co-ed weekend, the most rowdy it gets is some kisses in the moonlight. Be warned, though: since this is only the first book in the series, there’s still more to Kila, Ethan, their friends, and their love stories than takes up the length of this novel.Kila and crew’s wild, event-packed weekend holds all the surprising twists, heartfelt declarations, and uncertainties one would hope for in a fast-paced teen romance. Music-loving teenagers looking for their next read may just find that Everything All At Once has all the tunes and the tales they can ask for.”
–Independent Book Review
“BEING SOMEONE WHO SEARCHES THE SONGS MENTIONED IN STORIES, I LOVED THE CONCEPT OF EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE BY IVY CAYDEN, COMBINING A PLAYLIST WITH A STORYLINE SO THAT YOU CAN LISTEN ALONG WITH THE CHARACTERS.” –LoveReading.co.uk
“RELATABLE CHARACTERS RIDDLED WITH TEENAGE UNCERTAINTIES MAKE THIS A FUN, PAGE-TURNING READ.” –BLUEINK REVIEW
“WE ARE HAPPY TO AWARD DESERVING BOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE (BOOK 1 IN THE CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS SERIES). OUR PANEL OF JUDGES REALLY FELT THIS BOOK MERITED A PLACE ON OUR LIST OF THE BEST IN FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS THAT PARENTS AND EDUCATORS CAN FEEL CONFIDENT IN USING.” –DAWN MATHESON, CEO, MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS
AWARDS + ACCOLADES
★ Gold Award Recipient, Mom’s Choice Awards®
★ Readers’ Favorite® 5-star seal
★ Winner, 2021 Independent Press Award, Teen
★ Gold Medal Winner, 2021 Readers’ Favorite®, Young Adult – Coming of Age
★ Winner, 2021 NYC Big Book Award, Music
★ Winner, 2021 NYC Big Book Award, Teen
★ Gold Award Winner, Literary Titan Book Awards, November 2021
★ First Place, 2021 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, Arts/Music
★ First Place, 2021 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction
★ 1st Place Blue Ribbon, DANTE ROSSETTI Awards for YA Fiction, 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards
★ Gold Medal Winner, 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards, Books for Teenagers
★ First Place, 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction
★ First Place, 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, Performing Arts
★ First Place, 2020 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, New Author: Fiction
★ First Place, The 2020 Incipere Awards, YA Romance – CLEAN
★ Second Place, The 2020 Incipere Awards, YA Literary Fiction – CLEAN
★ 2020 Story Monsters Approved! Winner, Young Adult Novels (13+)
★ 2020 Story Monsters Approved! Winner, School Life
★ 2020 Story Monsters Approved! Winner, First-Time Author
★ 2020 International Book Awards Finalist, Best New Fiction
★ 2020 American Fiction Awards Finalist, Coming of Age
★ 2020 New York Book Festival Honorable Mention, Young Adult
★ 2020 Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention, Young Adult
★ 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist, Fiction: Young Adult
CAMBRIA AUTHOR IVY CAYDEN’S DEBUT NOVEL RECEIVES NATIONAL ACCLAIM WITH TWO NYC BIG BOOK AWARD® WINS.
Cambria author Ivy Cayden receives national recognition through the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD® and international recognition with a gold medal from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards in the UK
Readers’ Favorite® is proud to announce that Everything All At Once by Ivy Cayden won the Gold Medal in the Young Adult – Coming of Age category
Readers’ Favorite® announces the review of the Young Adult – Coming of Age book Everything All At Once (Book 1 in the Chorduroys And Too Many Boys™ series) by Ivy Cayden
AUTHOR BIO
Ivy Cayden lives on the rugged, pinetree-lined Central Coast of California. Years ago, on her first visit to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, she fell in love with the tall trees in Felton and returns whenever she gets the chance. A vegan for over a decade, Ivy is passionate about supporting small businesses and all things indie—especially music. In addition to writing the CHORDUROYS AND TOO MANY BOYS™ series, she founded and manages the indie music blog My Multi-Track Mind, where she interviews rising musicians, covers new releases, and posts moody playlists. Most recently, she and her husband Chase launched another small business, Moosey’s Garden, which grows specialty organic microgreen varieties for local natural food stores and cafés. Say “hi” to Ivy, find repeat-worthy songs, and learn all about the next book release and more by connecting: