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mehsi's review
1.0
This book had the mix that I normally like. That mix was something like this: Gorgeous cover (yes, I am judging books on their covers) + Great Blurb + Contemporary/YA/Children genre.
Sadly it was not meant to be. While the beginning of the book was good, I got tired and sick of Apple (what a name). Constantly being rude, constantly whining and never happy about anything (which I can slightly understand, but it just gets annoying if you don't see anything getting better). Her grandma is just caring about her and while sure, she was a bit too strict at times, I can imagine why she was that way. She already lost her daughter, and didn't want to lose her granddaughter as well.
I didn't like that Apple was drinking (she was only 13, for Gosh sake). I didn't like how she acted around Rain (not that Rain was that good, but that is coming in a bit), how she just let herself be treated as a slave all for her precious (and worthless mom (more later)). I just wanted to smack her and shake her and just scream at her.
Then we have Rain, the second character and instant hate and that stayed throughout the whole book. 10 year old + dolls, sure, but not like this. Not so obsessively, and I didn't like how bitchy she was. How everyone just had to do everything for her and her baby. Baby needs milk? It is midnight, F that, just get it, she is DYING. Oh boohoo boohoo, it is only a doll.
And when that happened at the end, I was just rolling my eyes and thinking, oh goodie, more reasons to hate her.
Then we have the worst character of the whole book, the mom. Dear Lord, some people just shouldn't have kids. Sorry if that offends people, but sorry, leaving your kid for your dreams and hopes, dumping it at grandma, not caring one bit about it, and then suddenly you come back and expect her to skip school and just be there for you. Then we find out she has yet another kid, another neglected kid. She drinks, smokes and just disappears on her kids. She flirts with a boy who is just 17, she pushes her kid to drinking, she abuses them in the form of letting a 13-year old do everything, household, caring for her younger sister, and letting her skip school.
Even at the end, when all that happened, sorry, I don't see her change. I can see this going wrong again and again. Please, someone get that Rain kid (no matter how annoying she was) out and away from that mom.
The story itself was decent, though at times a bit overly dramatic and unrealistic.
The only thing I did like was Apple + Del. Or more specifically, Del. Del is a wonderful character and I really liked him. He was silly, lovely and he cared deeply for his friends. Too bad we didn't see more of him.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book.
Review first posted at: http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Sadly it was not meant to be. While the beginning of the book was good, I got tired and sick of Apple (what a name). Constantly being rude, constantly whining and never happy about anything (which I can slightly understand, but it just gets annoying if you don't see anything getting better). Her grandma is just caring about her and while sure, she was a bit too strict at times, I can imagine why she was that way. She already lost her daughter, and didn't want to lose her granddaughter as well.
I didn't like that Apple was drinking (she was only 13, for Gosh sake). I didn't like how she acted around Rain (not that Rain was that good, but that is coming in a bit), how she just let herself be treated as a slave all for her precious (and worthless mom (more later)). I just wanted to smack her and shake her and just scream at her.
Then we have Rain, the second character and instant hate and that stayed throughout the whole book. 10 year old + dolls, sure, but not like this. Not so obsessively, and I didn't like how bitchy she was. How everyone just had to do everything for her and her baby. Baby needs milk? It is midnight, F that, just get it, she is DYING. Oh boohoo boohoo, it is only a doll.
And when that happened at the end, I was just rolling my eyes and thinking, oh goodie, more reasons to hate her.
Then we have the worst character of the whole book, the mom. Dear Lord, some people just shouldn't have kids. Sorry if that offends people, but sorry, leaving your kid for your dreams and hopes, dumping it at grandma, not caring one bit about it, and then suddenly you come back and expect her to skip school and just be there for you. Then we find out she has yet another kid, another neglected kid. She drinks, smokes and just disappears on her kids. She flirts with a boy who is just 17, she pushes her kid to drinking, she abuses them in the form of letting a 13-year old do everything, household, caring for her younger sister, and letting her skip school.
Even at the end, when all that happened, sorry, I don't see her change. I can see this going wrong again and again. Please, someone get that Rain kid (no matter how annoying she was) out and away from that mom.
The story itself was decent, though at times a bit overly dramatic and unrealistic.
The only thing I did like was Apple + Del. Or more specifically, Del. Del is a wonderful character and I really liked him. He was silly, lovely and he cared deeply for his friends. Too bad we didn't see more of him.
All in all, I wouldn't recommend this book.
Review first posted at: http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
katykelly's review
4.0
4.5 stars
A very honest look into a teenager's life, abandoned by her mother as a toddler, with a best friend moving on to other friendships and with a crush on an older boy.
Apple is thirteen when one day someone unexpected returns to her life, with secrets in tow. Living with her grandmother, Apple must decide where to go and how she is going to live. All the while the book takes cues from her English teacher's poetry assignments, which Apple secretly excels at but chickens out of handing in, hiding her feelings and talent away, in this area as well as others.
I grew quite angry at Apple's selfish mother. She's a character I've seen several times in YA literature, but as a mother myself it really hurts me to see how she treats her offspring. I wanted more of the grandmother and especially Del, the nicely written eccentric and sharp neighbour who gradually worms his way into Apple's life. He's great. Apple herself is sympathetic I her desperation to be loved and wanted. A character I was supposed to meet (I wont spoil it) adds a new dimension to Apple's story.
Good writing and teenage voices, the poetry sometimes worked for me and sometimes didn't. Lovely to see libraries being featured as positive places for education for young people too.
Second book by Crossan I've read, and both excellent books for teenagers.
A very honest look into a teenager's life, abandoned by her mother as a toddler, with a best friend moving on to other friendships and with a crush on an older boy.
Apple is thirteen when one day someone unexpected returns to her life, with secrets in tow. Living with her grandmother, Apple must decide where to go and how she is going to live. All the while the book takes cues from her English teacher's poetry assignments, which Apple secretly excels at but chickens out of handing in, hiding her feelings and talent away, in this area as well as others.
I grew quite angry at Apple's selfish mother. She's a character I've seen several times in YA literature, but as a mother myself it really hurts me to see how she treats her offspring. I wanted more of the grandmother and especially Del, the nicely written eccentric and sharp neighbour who gradually worms his way into Apple's life. He's great. Apple herself is sympathetic I her desperation to be loved and wanted. A character I was supposed to meet (I wont spoil it) adds a new dimension to Apple's story.
Good writing and teenage voices, the poetry sometimes worked for me and sometimes didn't. Lovely to see libraries being featured as positive places for education for young people too.
Second book by Crossan I've read, and both excellent books for teenagers.
patchworkbunny's review
4.0
Apple and Rain is a story about fantasy not living up to expectations. Apple has never known her mother, being raised by her Nan. But one day her wishes are answered and her mother walks back into her life. This was the first Sarah Crossan I’ve read (I have since read the stunning One) and it deals with poor parenting, relying on siblings to look after each other, but at its heart is a tale of two sisters.
Rain feels resentment over a new person in family and her acting up is very well done even if it doesn’t endear us to her. Apple is far from perfect either and she can be selfish when it comes to her Nan. She’s desperate to fit in; a kind of middle of the road child at school, not necessarily bullied but not quite belonging. Does Apple blame her mum for her feeling that way? As the story progresses, I started to warm to these two flawed, but realistic girls.
Rain feels resentment over a new person in family and her acting up is very well done even if it doesn’t endear us to her. Apple is far from perfect either and she can be selfish when it comes to her Nan. She’s desperate to fit in; a kind of middle of the road child at school, not necessarily bullied but not quite belonging. Does Apple blame her mum for her feeling that way? As the story progresses, I started to warm to these two flawed, but realistic girls.
junoxx's review against another edition
3.75
jwinchell's review
4.0
Lovely, redemptive. I'm a big Sarah Crossan fan, and this novel manages to weave together many topics and themes and to explore them with depth and through beautiful characters. Apple has always pined for her mother, who left her with severe, exacting, high-standards Nana. Mum randomly shows up and her allure and fast pace pulls Apple in. A surprise by the name of Rain (and her doll named Jenny) is waiting for her in Mum's sloppy apartment, and things quickly go downhill from there. This book is about bullying, friendship, poetry, the family you find, and owning your quirkiness and sadness.
retiredlibrarylady's review
5.0
Disclosure: I especially enjoy books in which I like the characters and the ending is happy. That said, this books is wonderful. I couldn't stop reading it until I got to the end and then I missed being able to read more.
Apple's mother left when she was tiny and she's been living with her grandmother ever since. She is now 14, and her grandmother's overprotectiveness is interfering with her ability to maintain friendships with her 8th grade peers. Suddenly, her mother reappears and persuades Apple to come live with her. Apple in a fit of pique agrees. When she arrives at her mother's flat, she discovers a previously unknown sister, Rain. Misery at school is soon compounded by her mother's wild life-style and incompetent parenting. Apple and Rain begin to bond, but their mother's absence (for an "audition") of several days leads to Rain's running away. A wonderful wonderful story. Did I mention I like happy endings!
Apple's mother left when she was tiny and she's been living with her grandmother ever since. She is now 14, and her grandmother's overprotectiveness is interfering with her ability to maintain friendships with her 8th grade peers. Suddenly, her mother reappears and persuades Apple to come live with her. Apple in a fit of pique agrees. When she arrives at her mother's flat, she discovers a previously unknown sister, Rain. Misery at school is soon compounded by her mother's wild life-style and incompetent parenting. Apple and Rain begin to bond, but their mother's absence (for an "audition") of several days leads to Rain's running away. A wonderful wonderful story. Did I mention I like happy endings!
carolineroche's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book by [a:Sarah Crossan|4864330|Sarah Crossan|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1317824175p2/4864330.jpg] as much as I loved her previous book [b:The Weight of Water|17141081|The Weight of Water|Sarah Crossan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382923900s/17141081.jpg|16341936]. The book features Apple whom we find out has been abandoned by her mother at the age of three, and brought up by her grandmother. Apple's grandmother is strict, and her rules annoy Apple. But one day her mother arrives back unexpectedly from America with a surprise - a younger sister whom Apple doesn't even know she has. Apple goes to live with her mother, who offers her freedom from all of the strict rules her grandmother had. However, Rain is a bit different, and doesn't behave well. Soon Apple finds out the price of having a mother who doesn't know any boundaries and thinks school is not important. She has to then choose - where will her and Rain be safest? A great and multi layered read.