Review- You Against Me by Jenny Downham

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

 BOOK SUMMARY:

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

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

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

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.

Release date: December 2nd 2010

Published by: David Fickling

Page numbers: 413

REVIEW: 

I remember it was 2012 when I first came across You Against Me. When I saw the cover, I knew I had to read the book. I put off reading the ebook for a very, very long time. Recently, however, I came across a paperback copy of the book at a local book sale and bought it. I took it as a sign and finally picked it up from my shelf to read. And man, what a book! 

I'm actually glad I read the book in 2018, and not 2012 because I understood it better and I found so much depth in it in the really small stuff which I probably would've ignored back in the day. Author Jenny Downham has written a beautiful book and her writing is so very beautiful that even though the book is slow and very long, once it ended, I wanted more of her words because they were so beautiful. 

When Karyn files a rape case against Tom, both her and Tom's families are shattered. Family relations are my most favourite part about young adult books, and both families were amazingly portrayed. Tom comes from a very rich family who will do whatever it takes to defend him and his future. Karen's family is poor, troubled but a close knit family who tries their best to be there for her. 

Tom's sister Ellie and Karyn's brother Mikey meet once and sparks fly. Although both want to protect their siblings, they know what's right and what needs to be done to serve justice. I loved how their relationship blossomed throughout the book. These two had some of the hardest decisions to make and they did it with brains and poise. The character and relationship development was wonderful. 

I highly recommend You Against Me to fans of young adult and anyone really, because this is a deep, sad and beautiful book. And since it's set in England, you get to know so much about the country added knowlegde is always a plus. 

Buy the book: AMAZON