Apple And Rain by Sarah Crossan

Apple lives with her nan but knows her dad and stepmum whereas her mum let her go willingly so she could live her life how she wanted to. Apple isn't popular but does make friends with Del the home-schooled boy whom lives in the house at the back of her band and is friends with Pilar at school until she gets taken by popular Donna and her group.

Yet as Apple's mum returns suddenly unexpectedly, she makes another shock discovery but also discovers so much from being a good poet writing about her true feelings to release them privately she also has to cope with her mum's drinking, parties, smoking and her other daughter, Rain whom at ten still carries a doll believing it to be real and mothering it even at school.

But then a good and bad thing happen to her at once leaving her with mixed emotions not even starting to add Egan into the mix too...

The book deals with the typical broken family but adds so much more to it as her mum actually returns only to let her down once again in many ways, she also has to deal with more typical issues being a teen girl and some of the story is shocking adding a thrill to the book hooking me in to the point I had to just finish it, I loved it.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber

Reiko has suffered a huge loss years ago when her sister Mika died. Since then she has been haunted by what her sister missed out on and strives to achieve the best she can to do so in her honour as she never got to achieve such things as Homecoming queen etc.

So when she gets talking to Seth an outsider from the popular group she hang round in normally, she feels like she must keep him a secret but she treats him harshly to hide him away from her glossy popular life until he has enough and soon enough as they make it official, Seth changes...

Luckily, Reiko has her best friend Dre by her side constantly supporting her in the book and former friend Libby too before she changed and betrayed her in a way.

I didn't enjoy the way the book went, Seth took control after using Reiko for popularity while he came across as so caring for her but did highlight how people can use and dump you. I would've preferred to see Reiko end the book on a happier note where as I feel like the story was unfinished in many ways as there could be more to do with the friendship dynamic to play out as well too.

Lucy & Linh by Alice Pung

Laurinda is a posh school where every student is a high achiever and a hard worker. Only popularity isn't based on looks or grades in this school but who you're in with.

There on a scholarship is Lucy, whom witnesses a prank done by Amber, Brodie and Chelsea which sees her drawn into their group The Cabinet, purely by timing and chance. She starts to hang out with Amber especially a lot more and even goes to a party she's holding. The girls also meet up with the boys from their school too.

Lucy writes about her three terms to Linh and I found this confusing in the book as it's never made completely clear until right towards the end of the book who she is to her like a friend or relative etc. While there is some drama I found this book not exciting and a bit flat, the characters didn't seem to have distinct personalities and a lot of focus was on ethnicity which is great but only told us so much. The main focus is that Lucy changes from who she was before and becomes nothing like the person she once was or wants to be, I just feel it could've been more dramatic or easier to follow.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!