apple and rain book review

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APPLE AND RAIN

by Sarah Crossan ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 12, 2015

A realistic if gently didactic tale about growing up and parenting.

Apple’s got plenty to contend with: her best friend’s deserted her, the boy she’s attracted to barely knows she exists, and her overprotective Nana is a source of embarrassment at school—but what hurts most is her glamorous mother’s abandonment 11 years ago.

At first, her mother’s unexpected return feels like a dream come true, but Apple’s euphoria fades when she realizes Mum didn’t return to rescue her but to be rescued herself from having to raise her younger daughter, Rain, 10, whose existence is a surprise to Apple and Nana, Mum’s mother. Apple, 14, suppresses her doubts when she’s invited to move in with Mum and Rain—the prospect trumps life with Nana. At least Mum won’t insist on driving Apple to school. Instead, Mum urges alcohol on Apple and her classmates, flirts with Apple’s crush, and disappears for days at a time, leaving Apple to skip school and care for troubled Rain. Her English teacher’s poetry assignments encourage Apple, a budding writer, to examine and express her complicated feelings, giving rise to important insights. Her friendship with a new classmate, Del, is a further support. Appealing but naïve, Apple feels more preteen than teen. Most characters, including Nana and Rain, are compassionately drawn—the exception is Mum, whose monstrous narcissism goes far beyond anything Nana’s self-confessed strict parenting can explain.

Pub Date: May 12, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-61963-690-3

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FAMILY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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More by Sarah Crossan

BOOK REVIEW

by Sarah Crossan

THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS

From the girl of fire and thorns series , vol. 1.

by Rae Carson ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2011

Despite the stale fat-to-curvy pattern, compelling world building with a Southern European, pseudo-Christian feel,...

Adventure drags our heroine all over the map of fantasyland while giving her the opportunity to use her smarts.

Elisa—Princess Lucero-Elisa de Riqueza of Orovalle—has been chosen for Service since the day she was born, when a beam of holy light put a Godstone in her navel. She's a devout reader of holy books and is well-versed in the military strategy text Belleza Guerra , but she has been kept in ignorance of world affairs. With no warning, this fat, self-loathing princess is married off to a distant king and is embroiled in political and spiritual intrigue. War is coming, and perhaps only Elisa's Godstone—and knowledge from the Belleza Guerra —can save them. Elisa uses her untried strategic knowledge to always-good effect. With a character so smart that she doesn't have much to learn, body size is stereotypically substituted for character development. Elisa’s "mountainous" body shrivels away when she spends a month on forced march eating rat, and thus she is a better person. Still, it's wonderfully refreshing to see a heroine using her brain to win a war rather than strapping on a sword and charging into battle.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-202648-4

Page Count: 432

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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by Rae Carson

More by Rae Carson

BAMBOO PEOPLE

by Mitali Perkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2010

Well-educated American boys from privileged families have abundant options for college and career. For Chiko, their Burmese counterpart, there are no good choices. There is never enough to eat, and his family lives in constant fear of the military regime that has imprisoned Chiko’s physician father. Soon Chiko is commandeered by the army, trained to hunt down members of the Karenni ethnic minority. Tai, another “recruit,” uses his streetwise survival skills to help them both survive. Meanwhile, Tu Reh, a Karenni youth whose village was torched by the Burmese Army, has been chosen for his first military mission in his people’s resistance movement. How the boys meet and what comes of it is the crux of this multi-voiced novel. While Perkins doesn’t sugarcoat her subject—coming of age in a brutal, fascistic society—this is a gentle story with a lot of heart, suitable for younger readers than the subject matter might suggest. It answers the question, “What is it like to be a child soldier?” clearly, but with hope. (author’s note, historical note) (Fiction. 11-14)

Pub Date: July 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-1-58089-328-2

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Charlesbridge

Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

More by Mitali Perkins

by Mitali Perkins ; illustrated by Naveen Selvanathan

by Mitali Perkins ; illustrated by Khoa Le

by Mitali Perkins

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Waking Brain Cells

"i like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells." — dr. seuss, review: apple and rain by sarah crossan.

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan ( InfoSoup )

Apple has lived with her Nana for eleven years, ever since her mother abandoned her at age 3. Nana is strict and won’t let Apple even walk back home from school. When Apple’s mother returns, she is sophisticated and charming and not strict at all. She wants Apple to live with her and it seems like a great idea, after all she will let Apple wear makeup, walk home from school, and even shares some sips of wine. Apple agrees to move in, leaving Nana living alone, and then she discovers that she has a younger sister, Rain. Rain carries a doll around with her and pretends that it is a real baby. As the sisters grow closer together, Apple’s mother starts to spend more time away, leaving Apple caring for Rain and missing school. When tragedy almost strikes, it will take a serious choice by Apple to figure out what sort of family she really wants to be a part of.

Nominated for the British Carnegie Medal, this novel’s writing is clear and lovely. Throughout this novel, Crossan deals with serious situations and large emotions. She uses metaphors to show the depth of emotion and also ties Apple’s emotions into the poems she writes. The images she uses are strong and compelling, allowing the reader to truly understand what Apple is feeling even when her emotions are at their most turbulent.

Crossan also excels at creating relationships between characters and this book is all about relationships on a variety of levels. We have friendships both budding and decaying, maternal relationships that are troubled, and sibling relationships that are problematic yet positive. In each of these, the people are human and real. They are invested in the relationship in their own unique way, often either unable to speak to its importance in their life or unable to see beyond themselves to its importance. Apple is a strong protagonist, longing for a relationship with a mother who even after she returns cannot be the mother than Apple needs. Apple is capable, caring and wonderfully like her Nana in many ways, a touch that I particularly appreciated.

This novel about families, abandonment, and freedom will resonate with middle school readers who may be feeling their own need to be a little less monitored too. Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from ARC received from Bloomsbury.

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Book Review: Apple and Rain

4 March 2016

Apple and Rain, by Sarah Crossan, is a book of honesty. A story that explores the idea of placing faith in someone who might not deserve it, and loving them anyway, with romance and drama that makes a contemporary and beautiful read.

As far as Apple knows, she’s an only child whose mother disappeared to pursue a dream of stage acting, leaving Apple to be raised by her Nana. When her mother returns, Apple leaves behind the life she’s used to and falls into living with her new family, including her odd younger sister, Rain. But Apple’s memories of her mother don’t really match up to the person who returns at all.

Apple, as a character, is easy to like – desperate to keep her innermost feelings secret, she plays down her intelligence and her creativity, leaving her love and skill for poetry at her door when she goes to school. Her feelings of frustration are understandable and relatable; what kid hasn’t wished they had a longer leash? It’s not hard to understand her hate for her Nana’s style of helicopter parenting, and her struggle in finding someone she trusts enough to talk to.

The story shows the beauty of unconditional love and strength of will, Apple is a central character who will do anything to keep her family together while trying to stop her own identity from crumbling. Not knowing who you love until you’ve lost them is a theme that runs through the story, from Nana to Rain, with bullying and the difficulties that come with standing out also featuring in the novel.

Apple’s poems add a creative touch to the novel that makes it all the more heart-breaking – seeing her feelings expressed in poetry just makes them all the more real. Her up-and-down relationship with Rain mirrors that of most siblings, and her friendship with Pilar reveals the strain adolescence can put on friendship.

Egan Winters and Apple’s relationship highlights fake feelings of love. The writing of her slow decline from loving him shows how her ‘feelings’ clouded her judgement, and puts emphasis on the difference between real love and the people we love because they’re far away.

The description of Apple and Del’s friendship, starting with the hole in the fence, is a great example of ignoring what’s close to us – Apple’s pining after Egan always stopped her from realizing who she truly loved, and their relationship showed that love isn’t always words.

Finally, Apple’s strained relationship with her mother is a story of unconditional love, and the belief that things always get better. Believing in people beyond the point of argument can be both a good and a bad thing, and Apple’s experience shows both sides as equally important.

The creativity of the story, the loveable characters and the heart-wrenching truth behind everything from the chapter headings to the teacher descriptions all make this a book you can read and read over again.

By Kirsty W (A student at Thorp Academy, Gateshead)

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Ethical ELA

for teachers by teachers

Review: Apple and Rain

For middle and upper middle school students without hesitation. This is a story about family, parenting, sisters, friendship, loyalty, and crushes, but it is really a story about understanding the complexities of family. Apple’s mom left her with her Nana when Apple was just three years old. Apple’s mom returns when Apple is fourteen — a time of turmoil and hormones and friendships and, well, just figuring out stuff while all your friends are, too. It is a quick read without any deep complexities, but woven into the narrative are beautiful poems that help Apple (and readers) reflect on fears, disappointment, and our loves. I knew, right away, into which students’ hands and hearts I wanted to share this story.

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Book Review: ‘Apple and Rain’

A book that can make you laugh and cry and can help you feel connected from one chapter to another can be the perfect example of a piece of writing that you want to revisit from time to time. Those are the books that make a part of your permanent collection – something you can also share with your friends and loved ones. The statement mentioned above correctly defines Sarah Crossan’s ‘Apple and Rain.’ This review introduces the central plot of this book and explains why it makes a great read.

About the Book

Apple and Rain is a 2014 piece of fiction work written by Sarah Crossan and published by Bloomsbury USA Children’s. The book shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal in 2015 and the Children’s Book Award in 2016 in the “Books for Older Readers” category. It also nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Even though it is a youth fiction book, it has something for everyone to feel connected to it.

The Central Character

Apple, a young girl, is the central character of  Apple and Rain . The story takes through an apparently troubled childhood of the character who has been raised by her grandmother after her mother left her when she was a baby. The book’s story takes you through her childhood toward a turning point where she makes a return into her life after more than a decade. Apple thinks that things would change forever, but do they?

Apple’s Life with Nana

Nana is Apple’s grandmother, who raised the girl when both her parents left her. Even the girl’s father left her and got married to a woman who also doesn’t care about her. Life with Nana is hard because she is among the harshest women you may have come across in a book. As Apple enters adolescence, living under the strict guardianship of her grandmother reaches a traumatic level.

As she enters adolescence, Apple feels that she is at the lowest point in her life. Her best friend at school is no longer with her because he is being won over by other girls. Her father announces that he and his wife are having a baby. All this happens at a point when Nana is already making the girl’s life increasingly difficult.

Apple’s Mother

It is at this stage in her life that Apple feels relieved to find her mother return in her life. Her mother returns and wants Apple to go and live with her, under her care. The girl couldn’t think of anything better at this stage in her life when she finds herself surrounded by the negatives on all sides. She agrees to move ahead and live with her mother even when her father and Nana are against it.

Is it a wise decision that Apple makes when she moves in with her mother? She soon finds out that her mother is not up to the task when it comes to taking care of her daughter. Aspiring to become an actress, she is still struggling with her career. Apple faces another challenge in the form of her second sibling, Rain. Rain is much older than Apple and has trouble accepting our protagonist in the family as she is too obsessed with being the only child in her home.

Apple’s Respite

When her mother reenters her life, Apple’s break from her hard life is only short-lived. She soon finds out that her mother doesn’t have what it takes to take care of her. Her relationship with her sibling also makes things sour. It is when she finds real respite in one of the unlikeliest of places – in poetry. She finds a new friend who helps her discover her talent in poetry, and this changes her life for good.

Apple and Rain  is a lovely story where you get to feel the beauty of love and the pain of loneliness and disappointments. You get introduced to a story of unconditional love in the most unexpected situations. A girl who raise without her parents, hated and tormented by everyone, who moves from one hope to another only to be disappointed, eventually finds something soothing and life changing, this is one story that will bring tears to your eyes and yet make you feel enthralled and happier at different times.

A girl who is brought up in situations surrounded by so much oddity, it is easy to expect her to grow as a bitter girl. Every child deserves to be loved and cared for – something Apple never seems to get. She is not resentful to her parents or anyone else. As she grows into a lovely girl, hers is a beautiful story of hope, love and making a change in this world.

What does the Book Offer?

Apple and Rain takes you through the story of a little girl’s life as you discover some harsh realities faced by children who aren’t able to get the love they deserve. Almost everyone, of all age groups, will find it interesting. The story is perfectly woven, and Sarah has shown extraordinary prowess as an accomplished author. It is a piece of fiction, but it will certainly take you into the world that’s not far from reality.

The book is a beautiful piece of work. It touches on the different aspects of relationships. Most importantly it does inspire you to be hopeful and never fall in life to become bitter for what life throws at you. Apple, a child that has a right to her parent’s love – has a lot to teach us. She emerges out of her hardships and sets an example for everyone to follow. It may sound like a sad story initially, but it isn’t. It tells a disturbing story that offers lots of inspiration for everyone. The story becomes even more beautiful with the touch of poetry in just the right places. Everyone is a potential reader even though it is written keeping in mind the middle-grade readers. ______

This book review is provided by one of anonymous writers who works at CustomWritings.com – book review service ______

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Thursday, July 31, 2014

Review: apple and rain by sarah crossan.

6 comments:

I've seen this around but didn't know what it was about. It sounds adorable, really sweet while touching on tough issues. Great review, will definitely have to check it out :)

Thanks, Anya, it was a really great book and I hope you read it and love it too :)

Well this is the first time I hear of this book but it sounds so interesting great review, Your reader Soma http://insomnia-of-books.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Soma! x

Fab review! I really loved this one. Agree it was just utterly beautiful.

Yes! It does make me happy to see other people read and love this one :)

HI! Thank you for leaving a comment, you've just become my new best friend :)

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• Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

When Apple's mother returns after eleven years of absence, Apple feels whole again. She will have an answer to her burning question, why did you go? And she will have someone who understands what it means to be a teenager, unlike Nana. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bitter sweet, and Apple wonders who is really looking after whom. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is, that she begins to see things as they really are. Like a brilliant hybrid of Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson, Sarah Crossan entices you into her world, then tells a moving, perceptive and beautifully crafted story which has the power to make you laugh and cry.

People change. Everyone deserves a second chance.

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34 comments.

Woah. This book sounds very beautiful, but tragically so. I knew it was on my TBR for a reason. I'm so glad you loved this, Kelly - and thanks for a wonderful review! I'm so excited to get my hands on a copy soon.

It was one of those books where you find yourself absorbed and emotionally invested completely. Gosh, my heart broke for those poor girls. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

What a coincidence that I am eating apple crisp while reading this. BUT ANYWAYS, I really want to read this book because I need a sad read in my life (lol). And the cover is gorgeous! I had no idea that this book involved two sisters, that have never known each other before. And the mother sounds just horrible. I am already feeling sad and I haven't read this yet. Thanks for the review Kelly! :D

You know what that means right... Now you HAVE to read it. It's fate I tell you, FATE! It's just brilliant, you need this book in your life.

Great to see you liked this one too Kelly! Sarah Crossan's writing like you said definitely was beautiful, and the story itself was enough to bring a tear to my eye. Fantastic review! :)

Thanks Eugenia. It was tragically beautiful wasn't it. I love an emotional read that will break me, then put me back together again. It was absolutely incredible.

Wonderful review! I think I've lost count of how many great reviews of this I've read, which is a sure sign that I must read this one. It does sound sad though, so I'll be sure to keep some tissues on standby. :)

I think most young adult fans will fall in love with Apple and Rain, or close to it. The storyline broke my heart. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

I finished this yesterday and ohhhh my goodness, the feels. It was simply amazing. And I loved how complex it was, especially for middle grade. I really want to read The Weight of Water now :)

Me too. I'll have to grab a copy soon. It was pretty complex for middle grade wasn't it, and touched on issues such as alcohol abuse and neglect. I'd be careful if I were a parent with preteens reading this one though.

This sounds absolutely amazing Kelly! I've heard quite a lot about it from fellow bloggers, and each of them has given it glowing reviews, so I am so glad that you enjoyed it too! It sounds like such a sad story, but I suppose that sad stories are necessary because they really help remind us about everything we take for granted. Definitely going to pick up a copy of this because I LOVE beautiful writing and strong character development! Thanks for sharing Kelly, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <3 ~ Zoe @ The Infinite To-Read Shelf

Couldn't have said it better myself Zoe. It made me look back at my own childhood and appreciate how much my mother did for me at that age and the emotional support. Can't wait to see what you think of Apple and rain, it was just phenomenal.

I had heard of this book and even have it on my TBR list but I mustn't of read the blurb properly because I didn't realise this was a book about sisters. It's sounds really good. Great review, thanks for sharing.

Rochelle, you need to read this one. Gosh, I can't express how brilliant it truly was. It was such an emotional read, I just wanted to grab those poor girls and mother them.

I really enjoyed this too, a bittersweet sort of story.

So glad you enjoyed it too Shelleyrae, it was brilliant and so incredibly emotional. Thanks for popping by.

I'd never read Sarah Crossan before this, but woah, it was an amazing book. I didn't need the tissues though. AM I COLDHEARTED? (Don't answer that.) I was so angry at their mother! But just Apple's character development was amazing. The only part I nearly cried about was the grandmother. Omg, they just left her and she needed them.

I tried her dystopian series, but only made it a quarter the way through book one, it was a little too slow on the packing for me. Will give it another go eventually though. I cried more for the grandmother actually, she spent her life caring for Apple as her own and she just up and left. You? Cold hearted? Please, even when calling Mime an antelope you do it with love... And perhaps a snigger.

I'm so excited that you liked this!! When I saw Joy add it to her TBR list I had to check it out and loved what I read in the blurb! I love beautifully written novels with intriguing stories like this one.. and what a name! Apple! I will definitely have to bump this up my TBR list.. pronto! So excited to get stuck into this one! Lovely review! :D x

Her full name is actually Greek, but shortened to Apple. It was simply beautiful Alana, it'll warm your heart, break you and then put you back together again. It's incredibly simplistic, but packs an incredible punch. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

I didn't read her Breathe series so Apple & Rain is the first book of hers I've read. And I must say I'm very, very impressed! I didn't actually cry as much as I'd anticipated (with the tissues and all) but my heart broke for both girls. Especially for Apple and her need to impress her mother. I liked that the ending was about forgiveness and change. And that family is and always will be family. Beautiful review Kelly xx

The Breathe series (from the quarter of book one that I had read), has a completely different feel and the pacing was so much slower. I loved that too Joy, that her mother wasn't perfect, far from it, but she still had a role to play in Apple and Rain's lives. It was just lovely.

Oh, yes! I'm literally so happy right now with the fact that you gave the book five stars. Great to see you enjoyed it, since I am extremely excited to read this novel. I've heard a lot about this book and I've seen nothing but glowing reviews. Also seeing that it comes with tissues..Well, definitely moving this further up my TBR list. Brilliant review!

The tissues that Bloomsbury Australia sent along with the review copy, that was an indication of how emotional this one is. They were completely right. It wasn't ugly crying, but weeping for both girls who deserved so much more than their mother was willing or able to give them. Especially ten year old Rain. It's brilliant Naban, can't wait to see what you think of it.

How had I not heard about this one? This one totally escaped my radar and just reading the synopsis and now you review makes me want it SOO BAD! AHHHH I love everything i'm hearing about it! Great review :)

Thanks Lily. It's relatively new and the only blogger reviews I've seen so far have been from my fellow Aussies. It's absolutely brilliant. You need this book!

I've been hesitant to pick this one up it seems like such a sad story! I'm thinking I might need to risk it after reading this review! Another one to add to the TBR pile :)

It's sad, but also joyful and will give you that happy ending you'll need. It was brilliant Philippa, I'm hoping you'll be able to pick this one up soon. Thanks for visiting.

This book sounds beautiful! I sometimes like emotional, touching stories and this sounds like the perfect book when I'm in such a mood. Apple sounds like a character I will like.

I think even as adults, most of us will be able to relate to Apple. Especially with the need to make her mother proud or yearning for that happy home life. It's incredibly emotional and really surprising for a middle grade novel.

Oh god this sounds totally beautiful and totally heart breaking, I don't know how I'm going to pick up YET another sad emotional contemporary! Especially with Apple taking care of her own sibling and the lack of parenting skills of their mother :( Oh my heart. I can't take it. great review though, sounds like those tissues came in handy.

I felt exactly the same way Jeann, it was heartbreaking. But through the heartbreak, there's such a touching message of forgiveness and family. I really hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

Ohh, I'm so happy you loved this one as much as I did. I absolutely loved this book and it was so heartbreaking! Did you cry during this one? Love your review :) xx

I did, not sobbing crying but more so that silent, tear filled eyes and cannot read type. It was heartbreaking and so incredibly beautiful. Rain was my favourite, she was a little bundle of sass, but the emotion behind the life she'd been dealt was so emotional. I just wanted to rescue them both. I'm so glad you loved it as much as I did Gina.

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Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

Shortlisted for the 2015 CILIP Carnegie Medal

Shortlisted for the Children's Book Award 2016: Books for Older Readers

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

This is the blurb on the back jacket of Apple and Rain and it sums up the book just perfectly.

Apple lives with her Nana since her mother ran away to America eleven years before. Nana is lovely but strict. And it doesn't help to have a strict Nana when your best friend is being courted by the class bitch, as Apple's is. So, when Mum returns, Apple is overjoyed. At last she's wanted. At last someone understands what it's like to be a teenager. Apple can hardly wait to leave Nana behind.

But things don't work out as Apple expected. Mum doesn't want to look after Apple: she wants to be looked after. And there's someone even more lonely and lost than Apple herself. As Apple picks her way through all the upheavals, we follow her through the work on poetry set by her new and unsual English teacher...

Oh. Oh, oh, oh, ohhhh . I thought this was a truly lovely story. It's about unconditional love, really. Imagine how it must be to have been abandoned by your mother when you were just tiny. You think that you would be resentful and bitter, don't you? You think that you'd resent the parent that did this to you. But Apple doesn't feel that way. At all. Mostly, this is because she is a lovely girl with a huge heart. But there are other reasons, too.

Apple's father has also done his share of rejecting. He's left his daughter to live with her grandmother, found a new wife and is having a new baby. Apple isn't central in his life either. And Nana is doing her best but her strict, old-fashioned ways bring her into conflict with a young girl heading into adolescence. Apple's mother returns - offering a new, exciting, liberal alternative - just at the point that her relationship with her grandmother is getting problematic. And every child longs to be loved by its parents.

So Apple is ripe for the plucking, if you'll forgive the obvious imagery. She'll do anything to be with her mother and this includes turning her back on Nana. It includes telling lies at school. It includes doing all kinds of things that she knows in her heart are wrong. You feel so sorry for her as the reunion starts to disintegrate. It's hard because you know it's going to happen and you know that Apple also knows it's going to happen no matter how much she tries to avoid it and deny it.

But this isn't a sad story. It's heartwrenching, yes, but in all the right ways. I won't give too much away but I will say that this is a story of the redeeming power of love, of mending fences that were believed broken forever, and of new beginnings. It's beautifully written and it made me cry but it also made me laugh. And a love of poetry suffuses the entire book. Honestly: what more could you want?

Highly, highly recommended. Particularly for middle grade readers who are fans of writers like Jacqueline Wilson, Annabel Pitcher and Cathy Cassidy.

If Apple and Rain appeals, I think you'd also like The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson or Flightsend by Linda Newbery .

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Review: Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan + Giveaway

Who: Bloomsbury

When:  September 1st 2014

How: A copy of this novel was provided by Bloomsbury Australia for review.

When Apple’s mother returns after eleven years of absence, Apple feels whole again. She will have an answer to her burning question – why did you go? And she will have someone who understands what it means to be a teenager – unlike Nana. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother’s homecoming is bitter sweet, and Apple wonders who is really looking after whom. It’s only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is, that she begins to see things as they really are. Like a brilliant hybrid of Cathy Cassidy and Jacqueline Wilson, Sarah Crossan entices you into her world, then tells a moving, perceptive and beautifully crafted story which has the power to make you laugh and cry.

I read Apple and Rain in one sitting. It was incredibly addictive, and it drew me in from the first sentence.

I must admit that I was expecting this book to be about a teenage girl going through a tough time who finds a boy who is also going through a tough time and then they bond and fall in love.

If you think this is what the story of Apple and Rain is, you are mistaken. I most definitely was.

Apple and Rain is the story of a thirteen year old girl who finds out she has a sister.

Even though this story was pretty much the opposite of what I expected when I opened up Apple and Rain , I was still interested in it. Even though it is not really a book I would have picked up, because I tend to find it hard to relate to younger protagonists, this novel was written more like a YA novel than a MG, and I was intrigued by the story.

Our main character, Apple, was mature in some ways, but she was incredibly naïve and irresponsible in others. She hurts people with her careless attitude and does some pretty stupid things to impress her long-lost mother. But I guess this had me hoping that she would learn from the mistakes she made, and grow because of them.

There weren’t a lot of charcaters in Apple and Rain , which I am always a fan of. This way, I really got to know the characters that were integral to the storyline, like Apple and Rain and their mother and their grandmother. Apple’s best friend, and Del. The interactions between them all are so important in a story like this one, and with not a lot of peripheral characters, those interactions are clearer and relationships are more easily identified.

My favourite character in this book was Del. He was adorable and a little weird (but I always like them a little weird), and he didn’t let Apple’s flippant and standoffish façade drive him away. I have a heap of respect for him for that, because most people run away when someone requires you to persevere with no guaranteed outcome of friendship (or something more).

I liked how Apple and Rain was divided into parts according to what Apple was studying in her English class. I think they all had significant meaning to the story, and also gave me a bit of a hint as to what would happen in that part of the story, as well.

Whilst Apple and Rain was not a favourite of mine, I’m quite glad I read it because it’s a little different to the books I usually read, and it made me step outside of my reading comfort zone.

© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.

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20 responses to review: apple and rain by sarah crossan + giveaway.

Nice to see you liked this one too Chiara! I found Del to be an interesting character as well, and I loved her the poetry that Apple learned about in her English class came through as well. Great review :)

The poetry was so lovely, and I wish there had been more!

And Del was amazing, and I think he should have been featured more because I would love to know more about him :D

Thanks, lovely!

I absolutely loved this book. I can see how you would have been misled, though! :P Del was such a lovely character, and he added some much-needed humour to the story. I also really loved the complexity of Rain’s character.

I know, right, haha XD

He definitely did! He was a breath of fresh air!

Ohmygosh, yes. Rain was such a sweetheart and I just wanted to jump in and hug her.

I keep seeing reviews for this book pop up! It looks good, I’d love to give it a read :) I’ve entered the giveaway, and am (obviously) hoping I win! Haha! xx

Good luck with the giveaway, Millicent! :D

Wonderful review, Chiara! I haven’t had a chance to read this one yet, but it is on my priority TBR – although I’ve read several reviews for this book, I never had a clear understanding of what it was really about until now – even though you were misled and found some faults in this, I’m glad you enjoyed it overall. Also, what a gorgeous cover it has!

Thank you, Ebony!

I’m glad I was able to help you understand what it’s about, haha. I kind of wish I had known before going into it!

I’m glad I enjoyed it, too. it’s so different to my usual reads, so that was great :D

And ohmygosh yes I am in love with the water colour cover!

Del was so so cute! I loved his and Apple’s friendship. But gee, I got such a shock when Rain was her sister…heh. I did like the book, but it wasn’t sob-worthy or anything, imo. And I was very furious at the mother. And I was sad for the grandmother…being abandoned. Poor grandma. :(

Del was adorable, right! I loved their relationship, too.

No, it wasn’t sob worthy. I teared up once or twice, but that was it.

UGH YES THE MOTHER. I just wanted to tell the children to go back to the grandmother!

I read the blurb for this one a while back and was intrigued immediately! The cover is also so adorable–I just want to squish it. Is that natural? haha I’m liking the sound of limited characters. It’s always nice to see a book take direct interest in developing the characters it has as opposed to squishing a soap opera cast in. Great review, as always, Chiara!

The cover is very beautiful, isn’t it? And squishing it isn’t weird. I squish books sometimes ;D

Yes! I absolutely love it when a book is character driven, and it was definitely one of the main reasons why I liked this book so much.

Thanks, Jess!

I’ve read so many good reviews for this and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I enjoy books about sisters. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for giving a copy away.

Hopefully you’ll win this copy, Rochelle! It’s definitely a lovely read. :)

This sounds absolutely amazing Chiara! I’ve heard quite a lot about it from fellow bloggers, and each of them has given it glowing reviews, so I am so glad that you enjoyed it too! It sounds like such a sad story, but I suppose that sad stories are necessary because they really help remind us about everything we take for granted. Definitely going to pick up a copy of this because I LOVE beautiful writing and strong character development! Thanks for sharing Chiara, and, as always, BRILLIANT review! <3

I hadn’t heard anything about this book before I read it, which is probably one of the reasons I got the storyline so wrong XD But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

It was a bit of a sad story, but but Apple learns and grows so much as a character, that I wouldn’t classify it as a really sad story (if that makes sense!).

I’m glad you’re interested in reading it, Zoe!

Thank you <3

This was a lovely review and the second one I’ve read today that has made me decide it needs to go onto my TBR list. I had previously decided against it as I wasn’t sure I was up for a tearjerker and while it still seems like it could be sad I am drawn to the idea of a story of sisterhood. Great review and thanks so much for hosting a giveaway!

Thank you, Philippa! I’m glad you liked it :)

There are some emotional bits, but it’s definitely not a depressing book! And the idea is truly lovely, especially if you want a sisterhood story.

No problem, and good luck!

I can only read so many sad books in a year. When this arrived with tissues, I thought “here we go”. It sounds so depressing and heart wrenching, especially with Apple taking care of her sister and everything, oh man. But yay for sisters not being neglected!

It’s not really sad. There’s a sad part where I got a bit teary, but it’s not tissue-worthy, in my opinion.

The relationship between Apple and Rain develops in such a lovely way, it’s definitely worth reading just for that!

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