Torn Away by Jennifer Brown

From Goodreads: Jersey Cameron has always loved a good storm. Watching the clouds roll in and the wind pick up. Smelling the electricity in the air. Dancing barefoot in the rain. She lives in the Midwest, after all, where the weather is sure to keep you guessing. Jersey knows what to do when the tornado sirens sound. But she never could have prepared for this.

When her town is devastated by a tornado, Jersey loses everything. As she struggles to overcome her grief, she's sent to live with relatives she hardly knows-family who might as well be strangers. In an unfamiliar place, can Jersey discover that even on the darkest of days, there are some things no tornado can destroy?

In this powerful and poignant novel, acclaimed author Jennifer Brown delivers a story of love, loss, hope, and survival.

I admit I was a bit conflicted about this one.  I was sucked in straight away and the beginning was amazing (and scary!) but it kind of lost its way a bit in the middle for me.  It really picked up again towards the end and I spent that section of the book wishing there had been more of it as I wanted to know what happened next.

I really like Jennifer Brown's writing style and characters.  I loved the way Jersey remembered her sister and mother - you really felt the grief in those moments.  Jersey really does have a rough time and I have to say really hated Ron!

Although not my favourite of her books - The Hate List still holds the top spot - this is still good and and worth checking out.

Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 9780316209724

Release Date: May 2013
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads: Ashleigh's boyfriend, Kaleb, is about to leave for college, and Ashleigh is worried that he'll forget about her while he's away. So at a legendary end-of-summer pool party, Ashleigh's friends suggest she text him a picture of herself -- sans swimsuit -- to take with him. Before she can talk herself out of it, Ashleigh strides off to the bathroom, snaps a photo in the full-length mirror, and hits "send."

But when Kaleb and Ashleigh go through a bad breakup, Kaleb takes revenge by forwarding the text to his baseball team. Soon the photo has gone viral, attracting the attention of the school board, the local police, and the media. As her friends and family try to distance themselves from the scandal, Ashleigh feels completely alone -- until she meets Mack while serving her court-ordered community service. Not only does Mack offer a fresh chance at friendship, but he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Brown brings readers a gripping novel about honesty and betrayal, redemption and friendship, attraction and integrity, as Ashleigh finds that while a picture may be worth a thousand words . . . it doesn't always tell the whole story.

The Hate List is still one of my all time favourite reads so I get a little over excited each time Jennifer Brown publishes a new book. Like her others – this tackles a serious issue head on – and I found it really enjoyable and thought provoking too.

I really liked the main character Ashleigh – she’s easy to like and relate too, but she’s also really tough/strong too. What happens to her could have really affected her negatively but she does well to cope with it all. And I’m glad she does acknowledge her part in what happen (which is definitely not to say it was her fault at all) – but by embracing her punishment I think it showed a great strength of character.

To be honest, I’d never given much thought to sexting – or the fact it could be deemed as distributing child pornography. I’m not sure what the laws are in the UK – and while the outcome depicted in this seems harsh it does help to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue. And is food for thought.

I also really liked the friendship that develops between Ashleigh and Mack – although I would have like to have more closure on his part of the story. Another great read by Jennifer brown!

Cover Wars: The Hate List

I really like both of these covers. I find something very haunting about the paperback - and the fact Val is out of focus - very interesting! But there is just something about the hardback that really catches my eye and I love the title as the tear drop. I think the hardback wins for me this time.

Paperback / Hardback

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

From Amazon: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend opened fire on their school cafeteria, killing five students and one teacher before turning the gun on himself. Valerie, who was shot trying to stop him, is initially implicated in the shootings because of the hate list she helped create. The hate list her boyfriend used to pick his targets. As Valerie integrates back into school, more of an outsider than she ever thought she was before, she is forced to confront her feelings of guilt and loneliness. Exploring the gray area between hero and villain, she navigates the rocky relationships with her family, her former friends, with the memory of the boyfriend she still loves, and with the girl whose life she saved five months ago. As she moves toward graduation and the year anniversary of the shooting, Valerie must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it all in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Which do you prefer?

The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

From Amazon: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend opened fire on their school cafeteria, killing five students and one teacher before turning the gun on himself. Valerie, who was shot trying to stop him, is initially implicated in the shootings because of the hate list she helped create. The hate list her boyfriend used to pick his targets. As Valerie integrates back into school, more of an outsider than she ever thought she was before, she is forced to confront her feelings of guilt and loneliness. Exploring the gray area between hero and villain, she navigates the rocky relationships with her family, her former friends, with the memory of the boyfriend she still loves, and with the girl whose life she saved five months ago. As she moves toward graduation and the year anniversary of the shooting, Valerie must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it all in order to make amends and move on with her life.

I found this a very powerful read. It was such a raw and honest account that it was heartbreaking to read at times. I connected to Val immediately and found it interesting to have the story told from her point of view – having her be the girlfriend of the shooter gave the story a unique feel. I found it very insightful watching her grapple with her feelings towards the Nick she remembered and the reality of what he had done.

Jennifer Brown has a lovely writing style – it’s very accessible and I found myself flying through the book. She uses flashbacks and newspaper articles to bring the past to light and this works superbly – by the time you get to the shooting you really feel for all the characters which makes it even more devastating. I liked that you got to see Nick from Val’s point of view to show that a real person was behind the shooting - even if that makes it even more horrifying and heartbreaking.

I found Val’s journey to be a rollercoaster ride of emotion – the book is very character driven and focuses on Val’s need to overcome/accept what has happened and forgive her role in it so she can move on with her life. She is a brilliantly crafted character – a kind of warts and all approach. I found this extended to the other characters as well – I found their reactions to be realistic – the hate, anger, fear, the need to blame or hold someone accountable and ultimately forgiveness. I think it was her father’s reaction that was the most devastating. It felt realistic though, even if I did spend most of the book wishing he’d be different.

This is definitely a book that will stay with me. Val felt very real to me and I’d love to see how she’s getting on in the future.