Because of You

If you've read any of my other recent book reviews, you'll already know that they all start off with me saying that the book starts off with the full 5 stars and that I'm always hopeful that they will all still be firmly in place when I close the back cover. You will also know that I give my reasons for knocking off each star and that I don't just knock stars off without reason. Most 5 star books become 4 star books because of use of trademarked brand names or copyrighted material which is a real sore point for me so the star comes off for that reason. I've rapidly returned the star for one book at the end of last year when the author (or was it the publisher/agent?) put in a single sentence on the last page saying that they had used the brand name fictitiously and with permission... it's only happened once, but that single sentence was all that was necessary for me to return the book to the full whack of stars.Let's get on with the reading and reviewing shall we?Ooh! Tension in the first chapter! This has the potential, if it carries on like this, to be a really good, 5 star, book!I'm up to chapter 5 now and this book has had me hooked from the first page. There has been an internet brand name used once so the first star is wobbly, but hanging in there right now. This is definitely an easy must-read so far!Oh dear, a swear word has just escaped the editing process so the first star is rapidly coming off so what should be a 5 star book is now, unfortunately, 4 stars.This is still a good book, but the author seems to have lost her intensity now... the first few chapters were great but after a while they have become much less intense and interesting... not quite boring, but nowhere near as interesting either.I've felt like Poppy many times in my life, but fortunately there weren't any mobile phones with the ability to video my utter humiliation back then.Yup, chapter 10 was me throughout childhood, but it looks like maybe things are gonna turn a corner now... I hope!Wow. I've just finished reading and I'm fighting back prickly tears. What an unexpectedly perfect ending.

Eve Ainsworth is a staple author for fans of UKYA contemporary books, and so I was very excited to see that she's releasing a novella with Barrington Stoke this year! The thing that I love about Eve's books is how she doesn't shy away from difficult topics but also creates stories and characters to love. Because of You is no exception.I think that Eve has really hit the nail on the head with all the emotions that go with being a teen in a non-nuclear family, as well as dealing with some difficult topics such as parents separating, rejection and bullying. Change is something that can be so difficult to deal with, no matter what age you are, and so to see it handled so positively and constructively is brilliant. I also like how this is suitable for the younger teen market which is an area where there are few books.This is a standout title from Barrington Stoke for me; it's full of what makes UKYA so brilliant, but in a way that's accessible to a wider range of readers, and so I'd highly recommend it!

Meet Poppy. She’s having a rough time of it at the moment – her mum threw her dad out and then Richie moved in with his daughter, Kayla. If that weren’t enough to cope with, Poppy is facing awful cyberbullying as well as verbal and physical bullying at school. And it’s OK if her dad likes to wind down with a beer, even if he sometimes drinks too much – right?Ainsworth does an amazing job of showing us how Poppy feels. Her anger, her disbelief, and lack of understanding of what’s happening around her. She doesn’t see that her mother was unhappy or why. But what we also see her is her capacity to understand, if only given the chance to do so. Many teenagers face the breakdown of their parents’ relationships and Because of You lays those challenges bare.This book is aimed at teenagers and hits the mark perfectly for today’s teens. I, mercifully, was a teenager before the days of social media. We had MSN but only about four of us were on there and that was it; the capacity for cyberbullying was low. Today’s teens are living very different lives.There are clear messages in this book: there are always people who will help and support you, and you do not have to deal with things alone. There is also a message for adults; if you think something is wrong, don’t brush over it. And talk to the teenagers in your life – they can’t understand the complexities of your life without you being transparent.My only very slight grievance with this book is how often the female characters call each other ‘bitch’. This is a term very much up for debate but the upshot is that it makes me uncomfortable and my personal preference would be for the characters not to use this term in this context.That being said, I think this is a solid book from Ainsworth and would highly recommend it to younger teenagers. As it’s from Barrington Stoke, the format of the book is dyslexia-friendly to appeal to a broader range of readers.

I found this one in my local library and I had to read it as it just jumped out to me.Poppy’s mum and dad have split up and her mum’s new partner and his daughter are moving in and she’s not happy.Poppy’s mums boyfriend tries to get along with Poppy but she doesn’t want to get to know him and keeps pushing him away and asks her dad if she can go and stay with him, unfortunately her dad doesn’t show up when he was meant to and Poppy’s family get worried when they find a note saying she wasn’t coming home.I found that I related to Poppy’s story somewhat as my parents broke up at the same age as Poppy and my mum moved her partner in, the only difference is I saw my dad all the time and we were super close and I still don’t get along with my mums partner and it’s been 19ish years.

Well structured. Engaging story. Lovely journey. Age appropriate.