Book Review – It Happens All the Time by Amy Hatvany

 

It Happens All the Time by Amy Hatvany is about two best friends whose lives are forever changed after an incident at a party.

Amber Bryant and Tyler Hicks have been best friends since childhood. Their families live next door to each other and are close friends as well. Over the years, Amber and Tyler have supported each other through some of their darkest moments and have always been there when the other needed help.

Amber has always loved Tyler like an older brother. She considers him her best friend and has never viewed him romantically. Tyler, however, has been in love with Amber for years and believes she is the one for him. He continues to hope that one day Amber will realize she feels the same way.

After graduating from college, Amber returns home for the summer. She recently became engaged to her college boyfriend but has started having doubts about the relationship. While she tries to figure out what she wants, she begins spending more time with Tyler.

As they grow closer, Amber starts flirting with Tyler. Then, during a party where both of them have been drinking, and emotions are running high, a single moment changes everything between them.

The book is told through dual perspectives, alternating between Amber and Tyler's points of view. I thought it was interesting to see how each of them interpreted events and understood their relationship. At times, though, I had conflicting feelings about how certain characters and situations were portrayed. It often felt like the story was leading readers to believe one thing, only to slowly reveal additional information that changed the context. In some cases, those revelations felt out of character for the people involved.

I also felt that the situation was not always as clear-cut as it was initially presented, even though more details are revealed as the story progresses. It left me wondering whether things might have unfolded differently if Amber had made different choices or if Tyler had been more willing to openly acknowledge his feelings and actions earlier.

Overall, I thought the book was an okay read. It didn't contain any major twists or surprises, and I can't say that I was particularly attached to any of the characters. I had mixed feelings about both Amber and Tyler throughout the story. The novel tackles the difficult topics of rape and consent in a thoughtful and timely way, giving readers plenty to think about long after they finish the book.