Book Review: Apple and Rain

Apple and Rain

By: Sarah Crossan

Published By: Bloomsbury Publishing 

Publication Date: August 14, 2014

Page Count: 240

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or The Book Depository

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher (UK, Aus/NZ)

Audience: Middle Grades/YA Contemporary

11 years ago, on Christmas Eve, Apple’s mother left to pursue her dream of being an actress. Since then, Apple has been raised by her strict grandmother. Chafing under the restrictions placed on her, and longing for the freedom her friends enjoy, Apple is overjoyed when her mum returns and treats her like an adult, rather than a child. But her mother didn’t return alone, and life with her mum is far from what Apple imagined. Desperate to gain her mum’s love, Apple hides the truth of their living situation. The only time she expresses her true feelings is through the poetry she writes for her English homework but never dares submit. Apple will need to decide what, and who, is most important to her, and what she’s willing to put up with to have her mother in her life. 

Apple and Rain is beautifully written. It explores themes of family, belonging, loss and responsibility. Although she’s a very young 13 at the start, Apple grows a lot throughout the story as she deals with the situation with her mother, along with the normal teen dramas of being dumped by friends and dealing with her first crush. 

 I’m not generally a fan of poetry, it’s something I avoid in general, but it is used beautifully by Crossan to express the emotions Apple is struggling with. 

 It’s hard to say more without giving away major plot points, and I don’t want to do that, but I recommend this book for anyone who has wanted more. 

 Suitable for middle-grade up.

Summary:

When Apple's mother returns after eleven years away, Apple feels whole again. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bittersweet. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is that she begins to see things as they really are.

A story about sad endings.
A story about happy beginnings.
A story to make you realise who is special.