I think books about the issue of rape and consent are very important. But there are better books out there.

This book was way too long. I hated the main characters. The romance was pretty meh. There was very little to like.

Try The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis or Almost by Anne Eliot instead. ( )

This well-crafted book shed a new perspective on sexual assault and the burdens that follow.

Mikey's sister, Karyn, is claiming she was raped by Ellie's brother, Tom. However, she was completely wasted that night and everyone knows she had been harboring a crush on him, making this an extremely sticky situation where Ellie is the only witness.

Ellie and Mikey are from different sides of town. Ellie's family is successful and wealthy, while Mikey is struggling to prove to child protective services that he and his alcoholic mother can take adequate care of his two sisters.

It took me a few days to get through this book as I kept putting it down for others, but despite this I did enjoy this book.


I absolutely adore and admire them both. They're loyal and passionate and both very smart, and put together, they have a really fun and flirty dynamic that follows. They both care so much about their incredibly different families, which really shines through.

Dealing with sexual assault in literature is something that can go terribly wrong, but Downham succeeded immensely. While she by no means skirted the topic, it was more an undercurrent, the foundation on which the book was built, than the star. Ellie and Mikey's interactions took that role. Maybe because of that this book isn't as deep as it potentially could be, but I admired how well Downham showed the effects and consequences of perceived sexual assault without making it at all patronizing.

This book ended on a beautiful note and though I wish I knew what happened after, there couldn't have been a better moment.

About trust, loyalty, and love, this book was very powerful. ( )

CW: Rape of teenage girl ( )

¿Por qué Jenny Downham no sacó más libros?
Inicio un poco lento, pero la historia en general es impresionante. ( )

Mikey's sister was raped and the person is going to get off he just knows it. All he wants to do is bash his skull in. Because that's what brothers do when horrible things happen to their sisters. They protect. They make them stop hurting.

Karyn has never been the same since. She cries constantly and won't leave their home. He has to take care of her and their eight year old sister Holly. His mother is no help. She's either sleeping or she's drunk. Now when he decides to find information about the rapist or get him alone he stumbles upon his sister. The same age as his sister. He knows what he needs to do now. She was there and he knows that the best way to get information is through her.

Ellie's brother is accused of rape. She tells the cops that she saw nothing. I mean her brother who has always protected her and always been there for her doesn't deserve this. He didn't do this. Her family walks in a blur like everything is normal when it's not. They want her to be strong but it's all too hard for her. And then comes in this cute boy who crashed his brother's party. She doesn't even know his name but she is at the very least intrigued by him and then she is like a whole different person with him. But what happens when she finds out the truth of who he really is?

Can you say AMAZING!? That word sums up everything. I had no idea which side was telling the truth or not until much later which kept me guessing throughout which I can't tell you how much I appreciate when an author is able to do that. Ellie's brother Tom was picture perfect I didn't know what to believe. In the beginning it all unfolded from their side that they were trying to cover everything up. Give him a surprise like it's no big deal of what he was accused of. Then the other side was poorer and the way Mikey described how the cops saw them and their house... like they turned up their nose at them... that made me feel for him instantly. But then Ellie is this incredible nice girl who is so unlike her parents. Ellie is not what I expected. She is sweeter than I expected but also wilder than I expected. She has different personalities. She can be quiet and serious one minute and spontaneous and determined the next. She was perfect for the role as protective younger sister.

I feel like Mikey is not appreciated as much as he should be. Especially towards the end on how they treat his friend versus him when he's always been on their side and always helping. He's been the man and mother of the house. So it was ridiculous how they treated him in the end even before they found out about Ellie. Mikey is a little bit of a player. The author describes it and his buddies agree but I didn't see much of it because he was trying to keep his family whole the whole time and Ellie comes along... I so agree with Mikey. I would have bashed his head in. I don't trust the justice system that much especially of it was concerning something like this. He would have already been dead. I'm glad he didn't do it though because he would have never met Ellie.

I really don't know what else to say but how I loved this book and so happy I was able to read it. The author wrote Before I Die which I've heard is good. I'll have to check it out especially because of the review from the New York Times..."The reader can finish its last pages feeling thrillingly alive.... I don't care how old you are. This book will not leave you." Just what I need in a book. I've seen You Against Me on Goodreads ads and I always wonder if those books on the ads are worth the hype. Well I can tell you confidently this one is.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/ ( )