Book Review: Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Weren't You and I by Albert Espinosa

Title: Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Weren't You and I

Author: Albert Espinosa

Release date: July 2nd 2015
Pages: 203
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy/ Sci-fi
Publisher: Penguin Random House
My rating: 5/ 5
Source: Netgalley

Synopsis:

Can you imagine a future where everyone has given up sleeping?

From the creator of the television series Red Band Society and author of the international bestseller The Yellow World comes this uniquely special novel.

What if I could reveal your secrets with just a glance? And what if I could feel with your heart just by looking at you? And what if --in a single moment-- I could know that we were made for each other? Marcos has just lost his mother, a famous dancer who taught him everything, and he decides that his world can never be the same without her. Just as he is about to make a radical change, a phone call turns his world upside down.

(taken from goodreads)

Review:

Had I not stumbled upon this book on Netgalley, it would've probably taken me a very long time to actually hear about. Maybe I would've missed out on it altogether! Either way, I'm really glad that I decided to read it. The reason why I requested this one was solely based on the fact that it was written by Albert Espinosa. In case you didn't know, (don't worry, I didn't either) Albert Espinosa is the man who wrote and directed Red Band Society, a show which I really enjoyed, but sadly got cancelled. When I became aware of this, I immediately clicked on that request button! Then I panicked because sometimes one can get carried away on Netgalley and that's just no fun. I was afraid of not really liking the story and then having to write a negative review. Luckily, this one blew me away.

Right off the bat, I knew that the writing in this book was going to be amazing. The kind that really pulls the reader in. That alone made me really enjoy this. What made me love it was how unique and original the story was. This story takes place in the future, where among all the new inventions and advances, is the drug that obliterates anyone's need for sleep. That's right, people now have the choice to never sleep again. Whether you take it, to maximize your work efficiency or escape those never ending nightmares, there is no going back. I don't know about you, but to me that sounds crazy!

What's even better, and personally my favorite thing about this book was how the author managed to include so much into this rather short book. At 203 pages, there is only so much that you can do without making a story that's lacking something or one that's feels rushed. Honestly, this book packed a punch. And I don't want to give too much away about the plot just because I think it's best if you go into it without knowing too much, but I will tell you this: There are aliens and crazy theories mixed with inspirational and moving anecdotes as well as a shocking plot twist.

Like I said the writing in itself was so good that it easily contributes to at least half of my enjoyment of the book. It was truly mesmerizing how the author described things. And the characters he created were so intricate. I'm still not a 100% sure whether this one is YA or just plain old fiction, but I don't care because it was simply fantastic. 

I actually started reading this book pretty late at night and ended up finishing it in one sitting. I sacrificed sleep for this book (which I now realize is pretty funny considering what the book is about). It's been a while since I've read a book that actually keeps me up at night, and that's saying something. What's even better is how, for such a peculiar one, this book was actually very moving and thought-provoking. I couldn't stop thinking about it. And I actually found myself going back to certain pages because it was just that amazing. 

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