Review: One - Sarah Crossan

One by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury on 26th August 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins.  And their lives are about to change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

Review:
I have read several of Sarah Crossan’s books now and it is clear to me that she has a very powerful way with words. Every sentence that she writes and every word that she uses is carefully crafted and thought out. This lends a lyrical quality to her stories which are often written in free verse. Her new book, ‘One’ is no exception, with a poetic form which captivates the reader.

The story itself centres around sixteen year old conjoined twins, Grace and Tippi, who are about to go to a real school for the first time. Now I will admit that I was slightly apprehensive when I first heard about the subject matter of Sarah’s new book. It’s not normally the sort of thing that I would pick up and read but I had confidence in her writing and I had heard nothing but good things about it from fellow readers. I’m glad that I didn’t let it put me off because I would have missed out on a great read.

Grace narrates the story and provides insight into the challenges that conjoined twins face. I like the way that the two come across as separate people with different personalities, but always with a special bond between them. They have each other to lean on through thick and thin. As money is tight at home, they decide to allow a film-maker to shoot them for a documentary which provides outsiders with the opportunity to learn more about them. I’m glad that we also got to see the impact that living with conjoined twins has on the rest of their family and how their mother, father and younger sister cope with this.   

The ending was not necessarily unexpected because I predicted quite early on what was going to happen but that didn’t mean that it was any less moving or emotional. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to find out more about this subject, as it presents several difficult ethical questions to the reader.

Another winner from the pen of Sarah Crossan.  

Review: Apple and Rain - Sarah Crossan

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury in 2015

Goodreads synopsis:
When Apple's mother returns after eleven years away, Apple feels whole again. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bittersweet. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is that she begins to see things as they really are.

Review:
This is the fourth Sarah Crossan book I've read and it reminded me most of 'The Weight of Water' in the way that the main character Apple, expresses her inner feelings and emotions through the poetry that she writes.

The story is about thirteen year old Apple who lives with her Nana but longs for her mother, who left her when she was young, to return.  When her hopes are answered, she believes that she and her mother can rebuild their relationship but things don't turn out to be quite so simple.  The idealistic picture of her mother that she has built up in her head is far from reality and as much as she tries to pretend otherwise, her life starts to spiral out of control. 

There are many of Apple's poems throughout the book and they are really beautiful.  They reflect the tumultuous nature of her relationship with her family.  She has a real gift for words and I enjoyed reading these immensely.  Through her poems she can begin to explore her feelings of anger, disappointment and sadness which she has bottled up for such a long time. 

I thought that the story was very moving and touching and perfectly explores the bonds that are formed between family and friends.  Things don't always work out the way we want them to but that's okay because life always has ups and downs.  The bumps in the road will always be there but with the help of those who love us, it's possible to overcome them and come out the other side in one piece. 

'Apple and Rain' is a brilliant contemporary read by a British author who has a talent for wringing every drop of emotion out of you.  Have your tissues ready!   

Review: Resist - Sarah Crossan

Resist by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury on 10th October 2013

Goodreads synopsis:
Resistance to the Pod Leadership has come apart. The Grove has been destroyed but so has the Pod Minister. Quinn, Bea and Alina separately must embark on a perilous journey across the planet's dead landscape in search of the rumoured resistance base Sequoia. Meanwhile the Pod Minister has been succeeded by his capricious daughter. Her brother, Ronan, is supposed to advise her, but his doubts about the regime lead to him being sent out of the Pod in search of Quinn. In a world in which the human race is adapting to survive with little air, the stakes are high.

Review:
'Resist' is the sequel to 'Breathe' which I read last year and really loved.  I was very excited to see how Sarah Crossan's story was going to be concluded so picked this one up as soon as it arrived. 

When I'm reading the second, third or fourth book in a series I do find it useful if the author provides a recap of characters and key plot points at the start.  Mainly because I read a lot of books and sometimes there's a large gap between books in a series being published.  This didn't happen in 'Resist' and I was plunged straight back into the story, so I did find it took me a little while to find my feet and remember exactly what had happened previously. 

The story is narrated yet again by Bea, Alina and Quinn, but also by Ronan, the mayor's son.  I enjoyed the fact that there were multiple narrators, as it meant getting to understand different character's viewpoints and motivations but it did mean that the story jumped around quite a lot and just as I was getting engrossed in what was happening to one person, the perspective switched to someone else.  Yet again Bea was my favourite character and I enjoyed her sections of the book the most.  Brave, tough and determined, she never gives in and she, more than anyone else, seems to be at the heart of the story. 

The message in the book comes across loud and clear and is about not giving up, about fighting for a better future and about having hope, even when you're continually knocked down.  The characters have to face great adversity but they never stop trying and never give up the will to live. 

The ending was touching and heart-breaking and beautifully concluded the story.  Make sure you have some tissues handy because you'll need them.       

Sarah Crossan is definitely an author to watch and I'm already eagerly awaiting her next book. 

Review: Breathe - Sarah Crossan

Breathe by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury on 11th October 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
When oxygen levels plunge in a treeless world, a state lottery decides which lucky few will live inside the Pod. Everyone else will slowly suffocate. Years after the Switch, life inside the Pod has moved on. A poor Auxiliary class cannot afford the oxygen tax which supplies extra air for running, dancing and sports. The rich Premiums, by contrast, are healthy and strong. Anyone who opposes the regime is labelled a terrorist and ejected from the Pod to die. Sixteen-year-old Alina is part of the secret resistance, but when a mission goes wrong she is forced to escape from the Pod. With only two days of oxygen in her tank, she too faces the terrifying prospect of death by suffocation. Her only hope is to find the mythical Grove, a small enclave of trees protected by a hardcore band of rebels. Does it even exist, and if so, what or who are they protecting the trees from?

Review:
In 'Breathe' Sarah Crossan has taken the seed of a truly original idea and allowed it to flourish and grow into this spectacular novel.  I always wonder where authors get the ideas for their books and this one in particular is truly unique.  Imagine a world where oxygen is a valued and precious commodity, now in short supply.  Where you can't run around, kiss the boy you love or simply lead a normal life because you may not have enough oxygen to breathe to do so.  This is the terrifying concept which Sarah Crossan weaves into her new book.

I first came across Sarah's writing last year when I read her first book, the brilliant 'The Weight of Water' which was entirely in prose.  It was an impressive debut and I've been looking forward to having the opportunity to read more of her work ever since.  'Breathe' is quite a change of direction for her and her first young-adult novel but it absolutely lived up to all my expectations.

Three distinct characters share the narrative: Bea, Quinn and Alina.  Thrown together on a journey outside of the 'protective pod' in which they live, they set out to discover the real truth about the world they've all come to fear.  Each character had a very unique voice which helped with the alternating chapters.  My personal favourite was Bea who is an Auxiliary.  In love with her best friend Quinn, she longs for a better life for herself and her family.  She's kind hearted and intelligent and was an appealing figure in the book with a genuine heart of gold.  There's a kind of love triangle between the three teenagers, which initially I was a little wary of but I liked the outcome of this which didn't necessarily follow the traditional pattern.

This is a truly captivating and engrossing book which is the first in a new trilogy.  If you enjoyed the Matched series by Ally Condie then you'll love 'Breathe'.  I was swept away by the story and the fast paced plot and can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.  

Review: The Weight of Water - Sarah Crossan

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan, published by Bloomsbury on 5th January 2012

Goodreads synopsis:
Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother leave Poland and head for the UK to find her father. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother's heart is breaking and at school Kasienka finds it impossible to make new friends. While the search continues, Kasienka is kept afloat by William, a boy she meets at the local pool who understands what it means to lose someone and who swims with Kasienka towards her new life.

Review:
This is the first book I've read which is written entirely in verse.  I thought at first that I was going to find that difficult because I imagined it would feel disjointed to read but in actuality the verse flowed beautifully, the story unfolded smoothly and each separate verse was interconnected to the next so in some ways it was just like reading normal prose but with even more lyrical prowess.

The story is about a young girl called Kasienka who comes to England with her mother, to seek her father who left and abandoned them.  Her mother is desperate to find them and believes they can do so by trawling the streets with a map and knocking on people's doors - just one of the many touching and heartbreaking moments in the book.  Kasienka is bullied at school by another girl called Clair for being too white, having too short hair, having the wrong bag but essentially for being different.  She eventually finds peace with a new friend and a boy called William who she meets at her local swimming pool.

Swimming is Kasienka's solace and it's when she's in the water that she feels sleek and self-assured and she can momentarily forget the many troubles which weigh heavy on her young shoulders.  I loved the way in which her character develops throughout the book and although she has many issues to face she does so with her head held high.

The book is about immigration and alienation and trying to fit in with people who judge you on appearance without getting to know the real you and the person inside.  Kasienka has to deal with peoples' prejudices, even those of the adults around her and an example of this is the way that she's initially put in a lower grade at school because her English isn't fluent but in reality she's actually extremely bright and intelligent and capable of studying at the same level as other people her age.  The story teaches us to be accepting of people from different cultures and to not make snap judgements about others.

I thought 'The Weight of Water' was extremely moving and a powerful read which really touched me.  I was drawn into the story and felt a great sense of empathy for Kasienka.  Although this isn't normally the sort of book I'd pick up as the subject matter isn't one which would usually appeal to me I found it a lovely debut by an exciting new talent.