Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

Title: Apple and Rain

Author: Sarah Crossan 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

Online Ratings: 4 out of 5 stars

*I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM BLOOMSBURY AUSTRALIA IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW*

NO SPOILERS! 

Summary from Goodreads:

When Apple's mother returns after eleven years away, Apple feels whole again. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bittersweet. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is that she begins to see things as they really are.

A story about sad endings.

A story about happy beginnings.

A story to make you realise who is special.

My Opinion: 

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan was a story about family, love and self discovery- this novel can truly mend a broken heart. Sarah Crossan has written a phenomenal middle-grade novel which definitely evoked a lot of emotions. Her fluent and elegant writing skills made this book easy to understand. I felt all of the emotions of the characters in the novel which made them quite relatable. The female protagonist, Apple, had suffered through a lot in her life. A lost mother, a strict grandma, a father who doesn't notice her- are just a few of the adversities Apple had to deal with in her life. I found her character headstrong and independent, I truly admired Apple's character. Reading the novel from Apple's perspective really helped readers to connect with the female protagonist. I felt all the events on going in Apple's life could be seen in our modern day world. The plot was quite intriguing and mysterious. There were a lot of unimaginable secrets revealed that readers were left speechless. The first few pages of this novel really seemed to draw me into Apple's world. The romance between Apple and her quirky, confident neighbour, Del, was not forced at all. In fact their relationship helped bring out the good in Apple. Del helped Apple deal through tough times making him the ideal fictional male protagonist. The relationships in this novel definitely left an impact on readers. With such strong emotions being evoked from each relationship, readers felt great empathy for each character. Self discovery was a reinforced issue throughout this entire novel. Throughout this novel we saw a lot of character development- which was mostly evident through Apple's character. Family, which was another strong theme in this novel, helped readers to see that just because two individuals are related through blood does not mean that those individuals are close and supportive of each other. This idea was evident through Apple and her mum's relationship. Her mum was not a supporting, female role model to Apple but instead a 'runaway'. And when things became too tough, Apple's mum ran back home. This not only shows two individuals relationship but also conveys the idea of selfishness. Overall, Sarah Crossan has written a beautiful novel and I am quite grateful for having the opportunity to read and review this novel. I recommend teenagers and readers who love middle grade novels to read this novel. 

- Erisha <4