quippe | Entries tagged with jenny downham

The Blurb On The Back:

If someone hurts your sister and you’re any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?

When Mikey’s sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart.

If your brother’s accused of a terrible crime but says he didn’t do it, you defend him, don’t you?

When Ellie’s brother is charged with the offence, her world begins to unravel.

When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

This is a brave and unflinching novel from the bestselling author of BEFORE I DIE. It’s a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it’s a book about love.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Although I don’t think that this is as great a book as BEFORE I DIE, Downham’s skill in creating a credible voice for her teenage characters is second to none and it is the voice that carries you through this story. The topic of date rape has been done elsewhere but it’s interesting to see a novel that shows the effects on both the alleged perpetrator and the alleged victim together with the strains it places on the respective families. Downham never patronises on the subject matter and while there is little mystery as to who is telling the truth, the journey itself is an absorbing one and one where you root for both Ellie and Mickey. As such, it is well worth a few hours of any reader’s time and I would definitely check out Downham’s next book as she is undoubtedly a powerhouse in teenage fiction.

YOU AGAINST ME was released in the UK in December. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC.

The Blurb On The Back:

It’s really going to happen. They said it would, but this is quicker than anyone thought.

Sixteen-year-old Tessa is going to die. And she’s made a list of ten things she wants to do in the time she has left.

But getting what you want isn’t easy. And getting what you want doesn’t always give you what you need. And sometimes the most unexpected things become important.

Uplifting, life-affirming, joyous – this extraordinary novel celebrates what it is to be alive by confronting what it’s really like to die.

Winner of the Branford Boase Award and shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

This is a beautiful YA novel that takes an unflinching look at terminal cancer and in doing so, provides an ultimately life-affirming read. I’d recommend it as a must-read to anyone interested in YA fiction or just looking for a well-written, wonderfully characterised novel with a moving plot.

I’m currently doing a give-away on my RL blog of an ARC of Jenny Downham’s forthcoming second novel, YOU AGAINST ME, which is not released in the UK until December and also an ARC of ANGEL by L. A. Weatherly, which was released in the UK in October. Full details can be found here.