If you are a teenager or young adult looking for a compelling and intriguing book to read, then I would recommend Apple and Rain, written by award winning author Sarah Crossan. When I first picked up the book, I did not think that I would enjoy it as much as I did. There were plenty of realistic and relatable events throughout the novel.
Fourteen-year old Apple lives with her strict Nana after her mother abandoned her over ten years ago. Apple always dreamed that her mother would return, and when she does reappear, it caused an abundance of issues within the family. Although Apple’s mother did her best to make up for abandoning Apple for over a decade, she still had some bad habits, such as smoking, drinking, and going to weekly parties.
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This did not go along well with Nana. Apple’s ten-year old half-sister, Rain, became obsessed with her doll and treated it like a normal human. Apple’s best friend at school, Pilar, began to betray her and their close relationship almost disappears completely. Apple develops a relationship with her neighbour Del, who helped and supported her through the tough times in her journey. Apple soon learns that what you want in life may not always be what is best.
This is the theme of the book. Apple had been wishing for a long time for her mother to return from her decade-long absence, and when she does, Apple was ecstatic. “I jump out of the car and throw my arms around mum. I can hardly believe she’s real” (Crossan 55). Although it seemed like Apple’s life was heading in a positive direction, this was not the case, as Apple’s mother would make some questionable parenting decisions.
Personally, my favourite character was Apple, the protagonist and storyteller. I loved her personality and the way she handled different situations. She grew a lot as a person from the start of the story to the end. She became a much stronger, wiser, and a more confident character. The final line of the book is, “I have been transformed” (342).
The plot was immense, organized in a logical way, and kept you guessing. It was easy to understand what was going on since the events that occurred were so relatable. Crossan’s love for poetry was evident throughout the story. Every few chapters included a poem and I thought that this was a nice addition. There were a lot of depressing moments but overall the book was very well written, in my opinion. The characters were unique, although a few were stereotypical, such as Apple’s English teacher Mr.
Gaydon. The reason I did not rate this book 5 stars out of 5 is due to the fact that at times there were unrealistic events. For example, Apple did not go to school for weeks despite lack of permission from her parent or guardian, but the school did not seem to care. I also felt that there was a lack of a major event in the introduction. However, as I kept reading and got into the plot, I became more intrigued. I would certainly recommend this book to other teens. The events that occur are unpredictable. It was easy to connect to, I experienced plenty of different emotions, and it used a combination of poetry, love, and tragedy.
Evaluation: I thought the book was very exciting and suspenseful like her other books. The book had very good detail and an interesting plot. I liked the twist when Juan and the girl’s father came upon Glenn walking down the road. I also liked how the author described the action in great detail. It made me feel like I was right there seeing it all happen firsthand. I don’t think that the author could’ve made this book any better than she did already.
The story itself was quite interesting. The characters are believable and some had obvious arcs, the plot seems well paced, and most plot points are memorable. The dialogue didn’t seem forced, and flowed fairly realistically. The conflict, Devine Corporations vs the Beanfield (well, really, it’s owner but…), ended well, with Devine not being able to do anything about it, not for a lack of trying.
The book had a few characters that I liked, but a lot of characters that I disliked. For example Yasmine was a character that I disliked. I didn’t like her because she brought pain to Paige’s life. Yasmine and Paige were best friends for months in Sixth grade. They were constantly doing fun activities together, like having sleepovers or planning each other’s birthday parties, but all that was ruined by a mistake Yasmine made. Paige and Yasmine were at a school dance, when
Fans of the novel found that the way the novel is written, you never want to put it down and the action keeps things moving and is quite entertaining. The novel pulls you in and makes you love each of the main characters in it. This is a great series for anyone to read, and it is audience friendly for whoever reads them. There is quite a bit of suspense that will make the novel exceed readers 's expectations, and the twists and turns keeps you guessing and lets nothing be predictable. Some like the way this group of people bands together when they really need to and keep things together so they can all stop the
I found the book to be easy, exciting reading because the story line was very realistic and easily relatable. This book flowed for me to a point when, at times, it was difficult to put down. Several scenes pleasantly caught me off guard and some were extremely hilarious, namely, the visit to Martha Oldcrow. I found myself really fond of the char...
In my eyes I loved the book I rate it a 9/10, its had a good twist and turn to it. I loved this
story, the plot was good. The liked the purpose of the author and the way
My overall opinion of this book is good I really liked it and recommend it to anyone. It is a good book to read and it keep you interested throughout the whole book.
Her family life is depicted with contradictions of order and chaos, love and animosity, conventionality and avant-garde. Although the underlying story of her father’s dark secret was troubling, it lends itself to a better understanding of the family dynamics and what was normal for her family. The author doesn’t seem to suggest that her father’s behavior was acceptable or even tolerable. However, the ending of this excerpt leaves the reader with an undeniable sense that the author felt a connection to her father even if it wasn’t one that was desirable. This is best understood with her reaction to his suicide when she states, “But his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him. Maybe it was the converse of the way amputees feel pain in a missing limb.” (pg. 399)
“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday conveys the inhumane, gory lynchings of African-Americans in the American South, and how this highly unnatural act had entrenched itself into the society and culture of the South, almost as if it were an agricultural crop. Although the song did not originate from Holiday, her first performance of it in 1939 in New York City and successive recording of the song became highly popular for their emotional power (“Strange fruit,” 2017). The lyrics in the song highlight the contrast between the natural beauty and apparent sophistication of the agricultural South with the brutal violence of lynchings. Holiday communicates these rather disturbing lyrics through a peculiarly serene vocal delivery, accompanied by a hymn-like
The book and the movie were both very good. The book took time to explain things like setting, people’s emotions, people’s traits, and important background information. There was no time for these explanations the movie. The book, however, had parts in the beginning where some readers could become flustered.
who wanted to enter her life, she is left alone after her father’s death. Her attitude
I enjoyed the book because the scenarios are very well described so the reader can clearly imagine the events in their mind.
The history of apples stretches back to the days of Adam and Eve, when it is believed to have been the “forbidden fruit” described in the Bible. Despite this long standing history, apples did not always grow naturally in New England. While the first apples are thought to have grown on the lower slopes of Tian Shan, a mountain range separating Kazakhstan and Krygystan, they also grew wild in Central and Southwest Asia, China, Italy, Switzerland, Spain and Greece.
The character i admire is Lily because she's so strong, independant and very helpful her mom died and her dad didn't treat her very well and she still was strong. In the book it talks about how T-ray her dad would not let her wear certain things, and wouldn’t tell her much about her mom and would get mad at her easily. And she’s really independent because she ran away from home with Rosaleen to a pink house in Tiburon where her mom went many years earlier. In the book most the time she’s living with August and her family and Lily would help with the honey making and around the house. She’s also very loving because she cares about many people and she always kept her mom's gloves and other belongings in a box buried behind a tree and always made