Author: Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan
Publication: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (June 13, 2017)
Description: Authors Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan have joined forces to tell the story of Nicu and Jess, two troubled teens whose paths cross in the unlikeliest of places.
Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship slowly blossoms into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and their hope and dreams of a better future. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?
This illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they've finished.
My Thoughts: This novel in verse is told from two viewpoints. Jess is a girl in a bad home situation. Her mother's live-in boyfriend beats her and forces Jess to take videos on his phone. She knows that her mother will take punishment if she does anything to set the boyfriend off. Nicu is a recent immigrant from Romania. He has come with his parents who want to earn enough money to buy him a wife back home. But Nicu doesn't want a wife or to go back home.
The two meet as they are doing community service. Both were caught shop-lifting. At first, Jess doesn't want anything to do with him. She likes to be unnoticed and Nicu becomes a person people pick on for his poor English and foreign appearance.
Gradually the two become friends who try to lean on each other for support. They have big dreams about getting away together to start a new life. But getting away won't be easy. I enjoyed the working class North London setting. I liked that Nicu had dreams of a happier future but could also understand why Jess couldn't see past her current situation.
The combination of gritty realism and verse really made this an interesting story.
Favorite Quote:
"You can talking with me," Nicu says.I got this one for review from Bloomsbury. You can buy your copy here.
And for some reason
I know he'll be good at keeping secrets
so I start to speak.
But I can't tell him everything.
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