Title: You Against Me
Author: Jenny Downham
Release Date: July 7th 2011
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Series: Stand-alone
Pages: 413
Format: Paperback
Rating: ★★★★★
"If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another." Source Goodreads.
You Against Me was a really good book, amazing in fact. Though it's hard to express your love for a book that tackles such stressful topics. I feel that this is a book that should be read by everyone, as it really has a way of opening your eyes to a world that you never want to admit exists. In saying that, hope and love is found hiding beneath the pages. This book has a way of drawing you in and never letting you go, and though the focus of the plot is difficult, you still want to read every single page. Jenny Downham's writing style is wonderful. She has an amazing talent of capturing the voice of her characters and giving them so much substance that you believe they are real, and could be living on the next street over.
You against Me is written from the perspectives of the two main characters Ellie and Mikey, who are from different walks of life's but are drawn together by a traumatic event. Downham was able to flip between these characters so effortlessly that I knew without a doubt who was talking at which point. A unique talent. She was able to show the story from the both, and very different perspectives, which left me, as a reader torn between who was right and who was wrong, just like the characters.
Overall I loved this book. The subject matter is one that I wouldn't have dared to tackle on my own, but thanks to great reviews I did pick this one up. A third of the way through this book I received my amazon order of some new books and though I was desperate to read them, this book just wouldn't let me go. You Against Me is well deserving of 5 starts and I cannot wait to read more from Jenny Downham.
Happy Reading,
Katie
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