Book Review: Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

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Everything That Makes You
Author: Moriah McStay
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: March 17th 2015
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books

One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore.

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck.

One thing this book made me realize was that I definitely love the “what if” stories, I love seeing both stories. Everything That Makes You is about Fiona Doyle and Fi Doyle. Fiona is girl that was involved in an accident scarring a side of her face, Fi is Fiona without the scars, this is a beautiful “what if” story.

Last year I had a read a book with the same kind of premise, Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas. I was instantly sucked into the two stories, and just like Ask Again Later I was completely compelled by the intertwining tales.

Fiona Doyle, after leaving half her face scarred by an accident, lives her life behind her bangs, completely shy, which is inconvenient for the singer/songwriter.

Fiona “Fi” Doyle, all-star lacrosse player, number one in the state, outgoing, and goals are set high.

I loved the back and forth between the stories, between the two different girls. How things are similar and how things are completely different. It’s never fun to dwell on what ifs, you can’t change the past, but it is definitely amazing to follow in a novel, seeing things unravel and become something you can’t expect.

This as an amazing debut by Moriah McStay, and I can’t wait to read more by her. This story is enticing and completely intriguing; this is definitely one you’ll want to check out.