You Against Me by Jenny Downham
Age Group: Young Adult
Read: September 26, 2011
4 out of 5 Stars: I liked it
Reason for Reading: I loved Downham's previous book, Before I Die, so I was really excited to see she had another book out.
On GoodReads: "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."
My Thoughts: Because I loved Before I Die so much, I was really anticipating this book. It was very different from her other book, but I did really like reading it. I was pulled in by the conflict between love for your family and love for another (an outsider). Reading about Mikey and Ellie as they try to navigate these ideas and boundaries was really interesting. I have to say, I really liked Ellie. I thought she was written so convincingly, and I could feel the struggle she felt about her brother and what he may or may not have done. Mikey was such a sweet brother, I don't know how realistic he was, but it was sweet to read about how he took care of his sisters. From about halfway through the book I knew the ending wasn't going to wrap everything up all nice and tight, but I was disappointed to be correct. I wish there had been a resolution with the trial. From my personal journal: "It felt like one of those books I'd love, but that also annoyed the crap out of me."
Books Read This Year: 78
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