Parents' Guide to

All I Need

By Sally Engelfried, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Sentimental romance follows teen couple over two years.

Book Susane Colasanti Romance 2013
All I Need Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 14+

Based on 1 parent review

kaitlin.miller@yorktown.org
[email protected] Adult
April 16, 2015
age 14+

All I Need By Susane Colasanti

I would definitely recommend All I Need By Susane Colasanti. I loved reading this book. The characters in the book are so relatable. The way Colasanti writes the book, she makes the reader become connected to the characters. My favorite part was definitely the fact that the book is written from in their minds. By doing this the reader is able to know exactly what each character is thinking. I also liked that the booked switched point of views. Through out the whole book, it switched back and forth between Seth and Skye. They are the main characters. I liked that I was able to know what both of them were thinking. I do not think that I would like this book nearly as much as I do, if it did not switch back and forth. I highly recommend reading this book. it is a quick read that does not require a lot of over thinking, which I enjoied. I think that All I Need By Susane Colasanti is one of those books that everyone should read, if you love a good love story.
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What's the Story?

When Skye meets Seth on the beach the summer before her junior year, she knows he's the boy for her. Seth feels the same way about her, but he leaves unexpectedly early the next day. In alternating narratives, each of the teenagers laments the fact that they didn't get each other's number ... until the following summer, when they meet again. Over a period of two years, they fall in love and deal with love's problems, including Skye's parents thinking she is getting too serious about a boy at such a young age and Seth being away at college during Skye's last year of high school. Each of them has other close friends and outside interests -- Seth is an artist, and Skye is involved in environmental clubs at school -- but their romance is the focus. All I Need attempts to answer the burning question of whether teen love can last beyond high school.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Readers who are "in love with love," as Skye describes herself, will enjoy this book; others may find it sentimental and unrealistic. Skye's and Seth's emotions are complex enough to ring true, but Skye seems too perfect: She's pretty (her honey-blond hair is mentioned several times), gets good grades, and has an interest in environmental activism. Seth is almost as flawless, except that he gets insecure around people with money. Though they hit some bumps in their relationship and both Seth and Skye agonize over their arguments, they ultimately solve their problems fairly easily.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes good romantic fiction. Why do so many romances start with a summer beach encounter? Is that true to life?

  • Skye gives up her involvement with the environmental group at school so she can spend more time with Seth, even though she really likes the group. Have you ever given up doing something you cared about for someone else?

  • Seth's roommate almost flunks out of college because he can't stop playing his favorite video game -- have you ever been so involved in gaming that it prevented you from doing things you knew you should be doing?

Book Details

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