Review: Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay
352 Pages
Release Date: March 17th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4-4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
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. 

Two beautiful yet different stories about one girl whose life could have gone one way or the other, Everything That Makes You questions all the what ifs and the different paths a life can go. I loved seeing the contrasting stories of Fiona and Fi but I also loved seeing the similarities and how different characters intertwine in her life in different ways. The story spans from Fiona/Fi's 11th grade year to college years and is told from alternating point of views: Fiona's then Fi's. I liked the way this was done because it kept the flow in check and helped to see their contrasting lives. 

Let's start with Fiona's story. I loved Fiona's chapters/story much more than Fi's. I liked seeing her thoughts about how she personally felt about the scar on her face and how people viewed her. There's definitely a character arc where she accepts who she is and comes to terms with it. It was that journey of seeing her be that shy girl who felt embarrassed to a girl who deals with what she wants with her life and with her looks. I lovedlovedloved seeing her relationship with her brother, Ryan, and how the accident in a sense kind of defined what is was going to be like. And I absolutely love how her ending turned out and who she ended up with. (There are many adorable and cute moments :3) 

Fi, on the other hand, annoyed me. She easily got on my nerves and I just wasn't the biggest fan of hers. I did like seeing the hardships that Fiona went through balance out with her own problems. And while I didn't care much about her personally, I really liked the way her story went. I was so glad to see her character development and how meeting someone can just change your life. (From both Fiona's and Fi's stories here's my list of favorite guys in order: Jackson, Trent, Ryan) 

One of the main reasons I love stories like these where we see the "what ifs" is that we see the same characters. They may play different roles but they're there and they affect the main character in their own way. I loved seeing how one character may have been important in Fi's story but not really in Fiona's. All the possibilities yet they're most likely intertwined with each other. Everything That Makes You is perfect for contemporary fans and those who love reading "what if" books (i.e Ask Again Later). Happy Readings!!