You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Hey folks...... I'm back with a new review.

I've read a book that I didn't know I would like... this book changed my outlook on somethings and what I think "being strong". This book will go down in my records as LIFE CHANGING!

This book is weird.To me, the title doesn't match the book. This book is about a guy, with a sister, who fell for a girl, with a brother. This guy is named Mikey and this girl is named Ellie. Mikey has a sister named Karyn who was raped by Ellie's brother, Tom. At least that's how the story is told. On second thought, the title does make sense. This story has you hooked from the first Mikey/Ellie encounter until the last. This story seems to have 2 stories entwined and only one gets truly solved by the end.

Character Corner

MIKEY

Mikey is a family man. On the outside he doesn't seem like it but inside he cares about his family and friends more than life.

ELLIE

Ellie cares for her family and doesn't want her brother to go to jail. But spending time with Mikey makes her realize she is missing something from that night. (And yes she was there)

As Mikey and Ellie's life clash together the saying "The heart wants what it wants." starts to make a whole lot of more sense. Mikey and Ellie's relationship is fun sometimes but most of the time they each have to battle their family demons and sacarfice what they want above all - which is each other.

QUOTES:

MIKEY'S MOM AND MIKEY

She shook her head at him, "You know what's wrong with you, Mikey?"
"No, Mum, but I bet you're about to tell me."
She took up her fag, knocked off the ash and took a last deep drag, blowing the smoke right at him. "You're not as tough as you think you are."

ELLIE

She felt alive. Not a mermaid. Not someone who combed their hair all day and sat on a frigging rock. She mentally torched that image, watched all the scales catch fire and shimmer silver before sinking beneath the water.
She'd emerged as Phoenix from the X-men movie - the one with the red eyes, so angry that she's off the scale, able to destroy the universe with the power of her mind.
And if she was Phoenix, then anything could happen next.

MIKEY & ELLIE

"I'll tell you my little sister's favorite joke," he said
"Go on then."
"Ok, what do you call a sheep with no legs?"
[...]
"I give up."
"A cloud"

MIKEY'S MOM AND MIKEY

She smiled wearily at him "I think someone finally stole your heart, didn't they, Mikey?"
He rolled his eyes "Go to bed, Mum."
"I always said you weren't as tough as you made out."
"Serious, go to bed."

MIKEY TO ELLIE

"Listen," he said, "Karyn's out of the flat loads, she has tons of support, and yes, I know your brother's pleading not guilty and yes, the court case will be a nightmare, and yes, your dad's a tosser and yes, my mom still drinks sherry for breakfast and hides it in the airing cupboard and hopes non of us notice. Miracles don't happen overnight, Ellie, and we don't have to fling it in Karyn's face, but maybe we can grab something good out of this while we can?"

MIKEY

He felt perfectly happy as he walked side by side with Ellie, their fingers occasionally brushing, electricity building between them. It was the first time for days; maybe the first time in all his life, that he didn't want to change anything

I love these two

And you will 2

READ and DON'T REGRET

You Against Me by Jenny Downham