I am not going to lie, I was quite nervous of reading this book. While I hadn’t read any books by Sarah Crossan or Brian Conaghan, but I had heard only good things about Sarah Crossan’s previous novel ‘One’. I knew both that one and this book were written in free verse which was quite daunting to me. I’ve read unusual narrative’s before to critically acclaimed books, and I couldn’t get on with them at all, so I was nervous, but I really wanted to read something a little out of my comfort zone.
I am so glad I did and about 3 pages in, I put my Kindle down, ordered ‘One’ and then went back to reading this wonderful story. It is quite a quick read, but that doesn’t stop the story being simply beautiful.
Each author has taken charge of a different character. Jess is a troubled teenage girl who lives with her mum, who’s in an abusive relationship. Nice is Romanian, and is determined to make the most of his life in England.
I adored both characters. It was so sad seeing Jess’s situation at home. It just goes to show that because someone acts loud and rebellious, there is often a reason behind it. Any other circumstance, I would find it hard to connect with Jess, but I was so wishful that life was different for both Jess and her mum. Jess, when you got to know her was a really nice person, she was the only person to give Nicu the time of day and see him as a human being. It would of been easy to ignore him from peer pressure, but their friendship grows and it is lovely to read.
I really liked Nicu too, he genuinely seemed keen to learn and fit in, but was barely given a chance, by both his father (who was abusive and arranging a marriage for Nicu) and people at school who were beyond rude and it was some uncomfortable reading.
Then there was the last third which really got to me. |t was part anger-inducing and really sad at the same time. This book was a great read, and definitely has pushed me to try more books I’d normally be nervous to try.
Published by: Bloomsbury
Gratefully received from the Publisher for review
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