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alexbrown's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Rape
pantoleia's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
llamaburger32's review
5.0
This book is amazing. It would be such a good book to give to a young teenager to teach them about the dangers of abuse and what can happen in abusive relationships. It’s got such beautiful messages about the different meanings of love (and how it’s better to just feel safe in a relationship) and I love how the author reinforces the necessity of friendship on top of healthy relationships.
anusiee's review
2.0
I don’t remember much about this book I read it when I was like 11-12 so I didn’t enjoy it magr I think if I reread I might magr yeah
katykelly's review
5.0
Difficult topic, difficult to read. But forcefully impressive and hugely upsetting.
Within a few pages I could see the stunning realism of this story. I thought briefly that this would be a simple tale of a teenage girl getting over a first love. But I was so, so wrong.
Romance, flattery, exhilaration. Manipulation, abuse, obsession. Amelie bares her heart to us, looking back over the first months she spent in London after moving away from her Sheffield home, friends and sweetheart. A talented singer/singwriter, she is almost instantly swept off her feet by the cool Reese, whose constant attentions and protestations of adoration can't fail to make their mark on her. Soon in love, she tells us about what went wrong later.
And it's devastating. Reminding me of Thirteen Reasons Why in some ways, the darkness involved, Bourne takes us about as deep as a YA novel is going to delve, into something honest but brutal. Relationship hell.
I wept reading the second half of this, more than once. It was painful, made me angry, and almost hurt physically to read certain chapters. I would have liked a little resolution as to how certain characters moved on after the end of events, there were questions in my mind. But Bourne did give her story appropriate closure.
WARNING: VERY graphic sexual content, often suggested but some made fairly explicit. Themes incredibly mature and likely to upset.
I would place this on my library shelf in the 'age 14 and above' section. And recommend both young adults and those adults interested in YA fiction to pick this up. It won't be one you forget.
Within a few pages I could see the stunning realism of this story. I thought briefly that this would be a simple tale of a teenage girl getting over a first love. But I was so, so wrong.
Romance, flattery, exhilaration. Manipulation, abuse, obsession. Amelie bares her heart to us, looking back over the first months she spent in London after moving away from her Sheffield home, friends and sweetheart. A talented singer/singwriter, she is almost instantly swept off her feet by the cool Reese, whose constant attentions and protestations of adoration can't fail to make their mark on her. Soon in love, she tells us about what went wrong later.
And it's devastating. Reminding me of Thirteen Reasons Why in some ways, the darkness involved, Bourne takes us about as deep as a YA novel is going to delve, into something honest but brutal. Relationship hell.
I wept reading the second half of this, more than once. It was painful, made me angry, and almost hurt physically to read certain chapters. I would have liked a little resolution as to how certain characters moved on after the end of events, there were questions in my mind. But Bourne did give her story appropriate closure.
WARNING: VERY graphic sexual content, often suggested but some made fairly explicit. Themes incredibly mature and likely to upset.
I would place this on my library shelf in the 'age 14 and above' section. And recommend both young adults and those adults interested in YA fiction to pick this up. It won't be one you forget.
nabigoneaway's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0