- On Sale January 29, 2019 -
Listen sis, it has been a looooong time since I've read a book that I enjoyed so much that I needed to finish it all in one day. I'm a big fan of contemporary YA and this is one of the better ones of the many that I've read in my life on this watery planet. I've always heard great things about this author, but haven't had a chance to get my grubby little hands on any of her books until now.
This book has a distinctly British feel to it, but in the most natural of ways. Like you could hear the accent coming off the page. I liked that about this a lot. Since I can't actually travel myself, I like books to take me where I'd like to be.
The main character wasn't actually the main focus of this book. Actually, the main drama that drove the plot forward was due to the best friend's actions. The author decided to take a very unique path and instead focused on how that best friend's actions affected the main character. That's not something I think I've seen before. Usually, it's the exact opposite. Side characters are usually only there to react to the main character. I liked how different this was in those terms. It was a refreshing change.
The book also made me think. It's dealing with a heavy topic (teacher/student underage romance), but it looks at it from two opposing perspectives. I liked being able to look closely at the situation from two point of views. Obviously, the issue at hand is bad and wrong. No adult should take advantage of a child in that way. But on the other hand, the child doesn't see it that way. They think they are in love and that the abuser is really their lover. It was interesting seeing how different minds work. Not really sure where I'm going with this here.
It was also cool seeing how your actions can affect the lives of so many people directly and indirectly.
I also liked the main character, despite how selfish she was throughout the majority of the book. She was flawed, but she was so real. Also, she learned an important lesson near the end that I think we all can take note of: Don't let your limited impressions of someone sum up the whole person. People can and will surprise you, in good and bad ways. You shouldn't just write someone off the first time they do you wrong, and you shouldn't expect those you love to never screw up. This hit home with me because I am a judger, not gonna lie.
Another thing that I liked about this book was how realistic the main character's background and family dynamic seemed. It didn't sugar coat anything. It didn't try to make her a martyr. It simply offered a window into a life that most people don't know much about, thanks to how jaded the media makes us when it comes orphans and foster kids.
It also delved into the pressures that kids face in school wanting perfect exam scores and the pressure that everyone faces to be perfect overall. This little book just had so much packed into it. I'm honestly impressed.
Having read this book, now all I really want to do is read all of Sara Barnard's other books. It was that good. I'm going to shut up and stop gushing now.