by Sarah Crossan
Pub Date: 14 Jul 2020
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com
I didn't know what to expect; I didn't expect a verse novel. So because of the online format in which I began to read it, I didn't catch on the the verse novel's format at first, which added to the disconnected, choppy storytelling I thought I was experiencing. Once I caught on, it became a really fast, emotional read. However, I still don't know who Marla's Toffee is.
Although this wasn't meant to be fantasy, I had to suspend disbelief that Allison could be a squatter in an occupied house without someone calling her out. Although Marla had dementia, others coming and going didn't. In spite of this, I liked Allison, and I liked who she was when she was with Marla. Allison's past didn't ruin her; it made her empathetic.
I agree with other reviewers that the verse novel format served the story well; it reflected both broken characters' trying to understand the world and each other.
.... Hang on... I'm going to read the story again; no, seriously. I can't decide where on the scale of "stars" I'd place this book. Hum the Jeopardy tune a few times... I'll BRB.
OK, I'm back. Thanks for waiting. You can stop humming now.
The writing is lyrical, and I still love Allison/Toffee and Marla. It's the other characters that get in the way. Not so much the other teens, but the adults. Though I guess they are meant to get in the way. Like some movies, I guess this is a story one could read over-and-over and still find something new to discover and discuss. I like that about it. But I know better who Toffee is now, and this just confuses me more. I might have to go for a third read... You don't have to wait around this time. Oh, yeh, I forgot to tell you... I gave it 4 ****
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