13 year old Apple lives with her Nana and their labrador Derry (her Nana is Irish). Apple's mum was just 18 when she was born, and her dad went away to university. Apple's mum felt unable to cope, so when Apple was just a toddler, her mum packed up and left - on Christmas Eve. Apple hasn't seen or heard from her since, all she knows is that she is an actress in America. Apple's dad has since married Trish, (there is no love lost between Apple and Trish), and they are expecting a baby. Her nan is quite strict but has brought her up well and loves her deeply, even though she doesn't like to show it. Then one day, Apple's mum just shows up, comes back into Apple's life, and turns it upside down. Everything changes - school, friendships, family - and Apple finds herself having to make grown-up decisions. She discovers that writing poetry helps her sort her emotions out and gets her through some difficult situations. It is only when a person close to her goes missing that she realises her mother may not be the person she thought she was.I got really sucked into this story, I just couldn't bear to tear myself away from it. Sarah is just one of those writers who make reading their book an addiction! You feel sorry for Apple not having a mother around, but then even more sorry for her when the mother that turns up is so unlike what Apple expected, or indeed what any responsible mother should be like. But the character you most feel sorry for is Rain, who is so evidently troubled, but even her own mother doesn't have the time or the patience to realise.
An emotional book of a young teen coping in an adult world. Suitable for 12+.
