We Come Apart

by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

Shortlisted for the Independent Bookshop Week Book Award, Children’s category

YA stars Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan join forces to break readers' hearts in this contemporary story of star-cross'd lovers.

Jess would never have looked twice at Nicu if her friends hadn't left her in the lurch. Nicu is all big eyes and ill-fitting clothes, eager as a puppy, even when they're picking up litter in the park for community service. He's so not her type. Appearances matter to Jess. She's got a lot to hide.

Nicu thinks Jess is beautiful. His dad brought Nicu and his mum here for a better life, but now all they talk about is going back home to find Nicu a wife. The last thing Nicu wants is to get married. He wants to get educated, do better, stay here in England. But his dad's fists are the most powerful force in Nicu's life, and in the end, he'll have to do what his dad wants.

As Nicu and Jess get closer, their secrets come to the surface like bruises. The only safe place they have is with each other. But they can't be together, forever, and stay safe – can they?

An extraordinary, high-impact, high-emotion collaboration between two stars of YA. Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Malorie Blackman, Rainbow Rowell and John Green.

• ISBN10: 1408878887
• ISBN13: 9781408878880
• Publish Date: 11 January 2018 (first published 9 February 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
• Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[shannonmiz]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

This book hurt my soul. It is a quick read, but hot damn, it packs a punch. It only took me about 45 minutes to read the book (as it is written in verse), but I still managed to care quite deeply about the characters by the end.

Nicu and Jess are pretty much opposites in nearly every sense of the word. Nicu has come to England from Romania, and is the most precious pumpkin I have ever read about basically. He is just genuine and a good person. He also is wildly unpopular because sometimes people are real assholes. They tease him based on his culture, and it was both appalling and heartbreakingly realistic. Jess is... well, you won't start calling her "precious" anytime soon. She has a truly awful family life, with an abusive stepfather and a mother who lets him behave that way. So while I didn't always like Jess, I absolutely felt for her, and it was kind of easy to understand why she acted as she did.

There was definite character growth, even through such a short time. Jess and Nicu become friends, and as unlikely a pair as I thought they were in the beginning, they were really good for each other. Throughout the book, they have to make some really tough decisions and deal with a lot of hardships.

The end was not a particularly happy one, and fairly ambiguous. While I am usually not a fan of more open endings, I felt like in this case, it really fit. Would a happy ending for both young people have made sense in context? Not likely. So it worked, even if I didn't love what happened.

Bottom Line: Unquestionably beautiful writing and heart-wrenching circumstances make this quick but lovely book one not to miss.

*Copy provided by publisher for review

[Kelly]

3.5 Stars.
Jessica is a character who has endured torment and abuse, her stepfather a domineering and violent man. Although I've also experienced domestic violence as a child, I couldn't relate to Jessica and her often merciless attitude. Having committed her third offense and Nicu caught thieving, the two teens are both sentenced to the Reparation Program, an initiative to rehabilitate adolescents rather than facing prison.

Nicu's narrative was captivating. Having migrated with his parents to the United Kingdom, Nicu and his father are self employed in order to earn an adequate dowry to obtain a wife home in Romania. Although his parents are insistent, Nicu refuses to marry and wants to begin his life in the United Kingdom rather than return home. Nicu is absolutely endearing. His character explored the social injustice of racism and race profiling. It was interesting to see the comparison between both parents, Jessica had been arrested due to her third offense and they were treated with respect. Although it was insinuated that her behavior was a result of defective parenting.

I appreciate narratives told in verse, with so few words authors are able to captivate readers and Sarah Crossan is a wonderful storyteller who breathes life into her characters. We Come Apart touches on social issues such as domestic violence, racial profiling and racism. Nicu wants to be accepted and I felt Jessica had taken advantage of his affection, often choosing the cruelty of her unreliable friends and choosing not to asset herself and defend Nicu against their racist remarks.

I'm fascinated by stories of immigration and seeking asylum, which is the foundation for many Australians in particular. We Come Apart touches on those same foundations and as Nicu explores thoughts of his new surroundings and learning a new language, I'm dubious as to the validity of the representation.

We Come Apart is a touching exploration of friendship and transcending barriers of language and stereotypes. Although I became increasingly frustrated with Jessica's character, the narrative was captivating, immersive and representative of our broken societies.