What do you think?
Rate this book
Crumble: A Novel
Eighteen-year-old Sarah McKnight has a secret. She's in love with David Brooks. Sarah is white. David is black. But Sarah's not the only one keeping secrets in the close-knit community of Kalispell, Montana. Her father George, who owns a local gun shop and proudly drives a truck with a Confederate flag bumper sticker, hides his own complicated past. When he discovers Sarah's relationship, George decides to share his feelings with Alex Mackey-a lonely classmate of Sarah's whom George has taken under his wing. As Alex embraces the power of George's dark hatred, the hopes and dreams of young lives hang in the balance. In just a few short months, Sarah and David will graduate from high school and leave Kalispell for a new life together in Los Angeles. Maybe in California, they can stop hiding their love-and the other secret they share...something George McKnight-and Alex Mackey-will never accept.
159 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2013
About the author
Fleur Philips
5 books33 followersFleur Philips is an award-winning author who holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Montana. Her first novel, I Am Lucky Bird, was selected as a General Fiction Finalist for the 2011 Book of the Year Award from ForeWord Reviews. Her second novel, Crumble, was named Young Adult Winner from the 2013 San Francisco Book Festival and was selected as a Young Adult Fiction Finalist by the 2013 International Book Awards. Additionally, Crumble is a Silver Medalist in the 2013 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in the category of Young Adult, Mature Issues. Most recently, it was named a YA Fiction Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards from USA Book News. Her most recent novel, Beautiful Girl, was a YA Fiction Finalist in the 2015 USA Best Book Awards from USA Book News. Fleur lives in The Woodlands, Texas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 16, 2016
REVIEW:
When I started reading this book, I thought it would be about interracial relationships, love and acceptance.and hope. I was a little disappointed. The book was a short read and I think there were too many issues put in a small space. The characters did';t interest me, especially Alex. He was just a might crazy. The book had a lot of the things most of us wish could be settled at some degree. TIME hasn't eased things like racism, abuse, bullying, teen pregnancies., guns, just about all the things that were prevalent years ago. Have we not made any headway? The book made me quite sad to think people can't get along just because there are differences such as color or what part of town you grew up in..You get the message that these things haven't changed that much. They sometimes are washed over or ignored. .If this was the intent of the author, it was a decent read.. I don't think I would recommend this book to just anyone. The person who reads this book should understand these horrible things do happen. The reader needs to want change. Too much negativity and not enough positive thoughts. Perhaps a little more on the positive things to counteract the negativity.
I would give this book 4 STARS
I was given this complimentary copy of CRUMBLE by the author Flleur Philips. for this unbiased review.
When I started reading this book, I thought it would be about interracial relationships, love and acceptance.and hope. I was a little disappointed. The book was a short read and I think there were too many issues put in a small space. The characters did';t interest me, especially Alex. He was just a might crazy. The book had a lot of the things most of us wish could be settled at some degree. TIME hasn't eased things like racism, abuse, bullying, teen pregnancies., guns, just about all the things that were prevalent years ago. Have we not made any headway? The book made me quite sad to think people can't get along just because there are differences such as color or what part of town you grew up in..You get the message that these things haven't changed that much. They sometimes are washed over or ignored. .If this was the intent of the author, it was a decent read.. I don't think I would recommend this book to just anyone. The person who reads this book should understand these horrible things do happen. The reader needs to want change. Too much negativity and not enough positive thoughts. Perhaps a little more on the positive things to counteract the negativity.
I would give this book 4 STARS
I was given this complimentary copy of CRUMBLE by the author Flleur Philips. for this unbiased review.
November 29, 2025
Crumble
Sarah loves David, but racism will apparently get in the way. It opens with her suspiciously sick in the morning. Her dad is apparently a racist and the book is set in the 2000’s. Then the book shifts to Alex, a quasi stalker to Sarah because her dad asked him to watch her in regard to her black friends. He has a poor home life as his father is an alcoholic. He is hinted to not be a bad kid but I don’t care about his story when this is supposed to be about Sarah and David. He has a fantasy about potentially killing David. I am not sympathetic to Alex.
There was one funny mistake in the book where they go to a character's house named Julie Allen, but after that point they kept saying Alien, “the Alien’s property”.
Anyway, Sarah confirmed she is pregnant and oh boy how is she gonna tell her KKK member dad. The drama seems manufactured with the gun shop and confederate flag tidbits. She attempts to hide her pregnancy but is very awkward about it. Her mom left when she was very young and they talk about the problems of raising kids.
As cliche as it is to have morning sickness, it's also indicative of poor genetics/ poor partner selection, counter productive to display given the subject matter of the book. Her also having painful first time sex was dumb and the condom ripping was a statistical improbability. Meh. Plan B wasn’t mentioned and an abortion would fix her problem but she is hesitant. This book got into abortion rights when I wanted a forbidden romance, it's awkwardly paced and I wish it hadn't catfished me.
We are back to Alex learning how to fire a gun. Great, I'm sure that won't go anywhere bad. Alex is starting to believe that Sarah and David are dating, and is keeping it from her dad. Well he was until he finds out she is pregnant and tells dear old dad. He gets mad and tells the tale that he is racist because some black punks did a bad thing once. Alex contemplates killing David.
Sarah gets upset that her dad is casually mad at her. She gets mad and decides she will end it with David because her racist dad knows best. Meanwhile, Alex points his gun at his abusive father and leaves with his mom from the trailer park. Sarah and David don’t get the abortion because the pro-life picketers use the power of racism to cause her to change her mind, are you kidding me. These idiot kids sit down and talk that abortion is still for the best and Sarah realizes she still loves David but also her dad. Then we go back to Alex- masturbating and ugh.
Alex takes the gun to school and accidentally shoots Sarah when trying to intimidate a bully. He then shoots himself. Sarah’s father ran away from the pregnancy news but after his daughter’s death reached him he came forward for being a gun runner for the KKK. This book made me sad, holy hell, but it's gripping and dramatic. I'm glad David lived though.
I’m glad a book could make me feel such emotions, but wish it had orchestrated them better.
Sarah loves David, but racism will apparently get in the way. It opens with her suspiciously sick in the morning. Her dad is apparently a racist and the book is set in the 2000’s. Then the book shifts to Alex, a quasi stalker to Sarah because her dad asked him to watch her in regard to her black friends. He has a poor home life as his father is an alcoholic. He is hinted to not be a bad kid but I don’t care about his story when this is supposed to be about Sarah and David. He has a fantasy about potentially killing David. I am not sympathetic to Alex.
There was one funny mistake in the book where they go to a character's house named Julie Allen, but after that point they kept saying Alien, “the Alien’s property”.
Anyway, Sarah confirmed she is pregnant and oh boy how is she gonna tell her KKK member dad. The drama seems manufactured with the gun shop and confederate flag tidbits. She attempts to hide her pregnancy but is very awkward about it. Her mom left when she was very young and they talk about the problems of raising kids.
As cliche as it is to have morning sickness, it's also indicative of poor genetics/ poor partner selection, counter productive to display given the subject matter of the book. Her also having painful first time sex was dumb and the condom ripping was a statistical improbability. Meh. Plan B wasn’t mentioned and an abortion would fix her problem but she is hesitant. This book got into abortion rights when I wanted a forbidden romance, it's awkwardly paced and I wish it hadn't catfished me.
We are back to Alex learning how to fire a gun. Great, I'm sure that won't go anywhere bad. Alex is starting to believe that Sarah and David are dating, and is keeping it from her dad. Well he was until he finds out she is pregnant and tells dear old dad. He gets mad and tells the tale that he is racist because some black punks did a bad thing once. Alex contemplates killing David.
Sarah gets upset that her dad is casually mad at her. She gets mad and decides she will end it with David because her racist dad knows best. Meanwhile, Alex points his gun at his abusive father and leaves with his mom from the trailer park. Sarah and David don’t get the abortion because the pro-life picketers use the power of racism to cause her to change her mind, are you kidding me. These idiot kids sit down and talk that abortion is still for the best and Sarah realizes she still loves David but also her dad. Then we go back to Alex- masturbating and ugh.
Alex takes the gun to school and accidentally shoots Sarah when trying to intimidate a bully. He then shoots himself. Sarah’s father ran away from the pregnancy news but after his daughter’s death reached him he came forward for being a gun runner for the KKK. This book made me sad, holy hell, but it's gripping and dramatic. I'm glad David lived though.
I’m glad a book could make me feel such emotions, but wish it had orchestrated them better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2013
Sarah McKnight and David Brooks are high school sweetheart senior anxious to graduate and head off to California to go to college. At UCLA they will not have to hide their relationship. Sarah is a white girl. David is a black boy. Their relationship is not accepted in their little town of Kalispell, Montana.
George, Sarah’s father and only parent, owns a local gun shop and does not hide his dislike of black people. Alex Mackey is a classmate of Sarah’s and comes from an abusive family. He has been taken under George’s wing. When George learns of Sarah’s relationship with David he shares his feelings with Alex. Alex, who has loved Sarah for years, takes on George’s hate and decides he has to make sure things end up “correct.”
I am not sure I can write a review that will truly tell how amazing Crumble is.
Sarah is an amazing character. It was hard to like that she had to hide a relationship with a boy that treated her like a princess and loved her. I did like that she didn’t let society run her feelings. Sarah is an incredibly strong character. Her relationship with her father was the same type I have with mine. So it hit close to home that she had to hide something from him when she was able to share everything else with him and he supported her fully. Then when the truth came out George could not love her enough to support her and be there for her.
Alex scared me from the beginning. With his family background and self esteem issues I could feel that he would be trouble. Unfortunately, due to the society we live in, I knew exactly where his life was headed. Knowing that too nothing away from the story. I was stuck to every page. Unable to skip a single word.
Crumble is amazing. Anyone who went to high school or kept a secret from their parent will need to read this novel. Fleur Philips out did herself again. She is certainly one of my read authors.
George, Sarah’s father and only parent, owns a local gun shop and does not hide his dislike of black people. Alex Mackey is a classmate of Sarah’s and comes from an abusive family. He has been taken under George’s wing. When George learns of Sarah’s relationship with David he shares his feelings with Alex. Alex, who has loved Sarah for years, takes on George’s hate and decides he has to make sure things end up “correct.”
I am not sure I can write a review that will truly tell how amazing Crumble is.
Sarah is an amazing character. It was hard to like that she had to hide a relationship with a boy that treated her like a princess and loved her. I did like that she didn’t let society run her feelings. Sarah is an incredibly strong character. Her relationship with her father was the same type I have with mine. So it hit close to home that she had to hide something from him when she was able to share everything else with him and he supported her fully. Then when the truth came out George could not love her enough to support her and be there for her.
Alex scared me from the beginning. With his family background and self esteem issues I could feel that he would be trouble. Unfortunately, due to the society we live in, I knew exactly where his life was headed. Knowing that too nothing away from the story. I was stuck to every page. Unable to skip a single word.
Crumble is amazing. Anyone who went to high school or kept a secret from their parent will need to read this novel. Fleur Philips out did herself again. She is certainly one of my read authors.
May 13, 2013
Once again Fleur Philips has blown my mind with her literary talent. Crumble is a novel that should not be overlooked as it has so much to say, and it is said with a skilled flair.
Philips tackles some very heavy topics in this novel, and to some it might seem like a tad too many, if all they see is a list, but trust me Philips skillfully blends all of these topics into a very cohesive tale. Covering hot button topics ranging from teen pregnancy, physical abuse, biracial relationships, bigotry, bullying, and gun violence... Crumble is the epitome of a cautionary story.
The question is will the message reach out? Thus my teen daughter also read the book, and let me say that it did resonate with a sixteen year old. Her only issue was that she did not understand that there were still people that could be so racist. We taught our children to believe that all were created equal, and that we need to accept that there are differences, but that does not mean we do not accept that. Once we chatted with people in smaller communities in our own state she realized that racism is still alive and sadly well in the states.
Once again Philips has created a cast of characters that draws out an extensive level of emotion in the reader. She pairs this with a solid plot, and a very fluid story line. Crumble evoked a lot of emotional response within me, especially as the story built to the intense, climactic end.
Do me a favor and grab this book for a great summer read, then share it with your friends, local library, the nearest clinics, therapists, abuse centers, and anyone else.
Philips tackles some very heavy topics in this novel, and to some it might seem like a tad too many, if all they see is a list, but trust me Philips skillfully blends all of these topics into a very cohesive tale. Covering hot button topics ranging from teen pregnancy, physical abuse, biracial relationships, bigotry, bullying, and gun violence... Crumble is the epitome of a cautionary story.
The question is will the message reach out? Thus my teen daughter also read the book, and let me say that it did resonate with a sixteen year old. Her only issue was that she did not understand that there were still people that could be so racist. We taught our children to believe that all were created equal, and that we need to accept that there are differences, but that does not mean we do not accept that. Once we chatted with people in smaller communities in our own state she realized that racism is still alive and sadly well in the states.
Once again Philips has created a cast of characters that draws out an extensive level of emotion in the reader. She pairs this with a solid plot, and a very fluid story line. Crumble evoked a lot of emotional response within me, especially as the story built to the intense, climactic end.
Do me a favor and grab this book for a great summer read, then share it with your friends, local library, the nearest clinics, therapists, abuse centers, and anyone else.
July 20, 2013
Sarah knew from the start that her relationship with David wasn't written in the stars. Sarah, a blonde haired green eyed white girl, couldn't help but fall for athletic, intelligent David -- who happened to be black. Sarah's father has ties to the KKK and will do anything to ensure that his beautiful daughter does not end up with a black man -- no matter what the cost may be to his family.
Sarah knows that she must hide her relationship from her father, as well as her classmates and friends, but when she learns that she is pregnant with David's baby she has no idea what will come next for her and her ill-fated lover. Sarah knows that her father would never accept a child from a black man, but she also knows that her love for David is stronger than anything she ever expected to feel.
How can Sarah maintain the greatest love of her life without losing the love and approval of her father? And could she ever raise a bi-racial baby in a land where racism still runs rampant?
CRUMBLE was a beautiful, heart-breaking novel that completely took me by surprise. I loved the story, the writing, and the characters -- from the start right through the epilogue. I can't imagine that many people could complete this novel without some type of emotional reaction.
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review CRUMBLE. I will definitely read more from this author in the future if this novel was any indication of her talent.
Sarah knows that she must hide her relationship from her father, as well as her classmates and friends, but when she learns that she is pregnant with David's baby she has no idea what will come next for her and her ill-fated lover. Sarah knows that her father would never accept a child from a black man, but she also knows that her love for David is stronger than anything she ever expected to feel.
How can Sarah maintain the greatest love of her life without losing the love and approval of her father? And could she ever raise a bi-racial baby in a land where racism still runs rampant?
CRUMBLE was a beautiful, heart-breaking novel that completely took me by surprise. I loved the story, the writing, and the characters -- from the start right through the epilogue. I can't imagine that many people could complete this novel without some type of emotional reaction.
Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review CRUMBLE. I will definitely read more from this author in the future if this novel was any indication of her talent.
June 21, 2013
This small novel packs a very big emotional punch. Not only does it tackle "hot button" issues such as interracial dating, teen pregnancy, and abortion; as chronicled in the story of David and Sarah. It goes on to address the evils of spousal and child abuse, bigotry, manipulation, and murder with the tale spun by George and Alex's interactions.
The story told here is one that the public at large sees played out in the news on an almost regular basis. As much as our society would like to think that we have outgrown the shadows cast by hatred and intolerance;the undeniable ring of truth heard in the echo of these voices is blaringly clear.
This is a book built on drama, and Fleur Philips proves herself quite an able mistress when it comes to both creating and maintaining the nail-biting highs and lows needs to captivate her readers.
Her plots seem simple on the surface. Straight forward and easy to follow to an expected end, until...
the switch.
This switch and the reason behind it is one that readers will have to read to believe!
This is a book made to leave readers asking...
How many chips would it
take to make my
life's mirror
CRUMBLE?
To see this review as it appears on my blog: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2013/...
The story told here is one that the public at large sees played out in the news on an almost regular basis. As much as our society would like to think that we have outgrown the shadows cast by hatred and intolerance;the undeniable ring of truth heard in the echo of these voices is blaringly clear.
This is a book built on drama, and Fleur Philips proves herself quite an able mistress when it comes to both creating and maintaining the nail-biting highs and lows needs to captivate her readers.
Her plots seem simple on the surface. Straight forward and easy to follow to an expected end, until...
the switch.
This switch and the reason behind it is one that readers will have to read to believe!
This is a book made to leave readers asking...
How many chips would it
take to make my
life's mirror
CRUMBLE?
To see this review as it appears on my blog: http://www.wtfareyoureading.com/2013/...
May 22, 2013
Typically, I blog here mainly on YA Dystopians (or so it seems) but this book caught my attention in a very different way. Crumble ( YA Fiction Finalist in the 2013 International Book Awards), by Fleur Philips is one of those raw, exposing, real reads that really makes you open your eyes and think, "wow, there are people out there that really think like this in today's age." This is a story about racial boundaries, intolerance, hatred and most of all love. Philips builds a world that could be any place really...could be your own backyard. In this small town in Montana Sarah McKnight is secretly seeing David Brooks because the town and most importantly, Sarah's father, looks down upon interracial relationships, but what happens when Sarah realizes that her problem is much bigger than just a white and black issue?
This book tackled a slew of issues all at one time and did an okay job touching them all but the overall theme of love was well told. This is a great book to open up for discussion with your teen or with your friends or classmates. It's still really hard for me to believe that these racial boundaries still exist, but I know they do. A very brave and thought provoking read with an unpredictable ending.
This book tackled a slew of issues all at one time and did an okay job touching them all but the overall theme of love was well told. This is a great book to open up for discussion with your teen or with your friends or classmates. It's still really hard for me to believe that these racial boundaries still exist, but I know they do. A very brave and thought provoking read with an unpredictable ending.
May 17, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.*
This book had so much potential! I really thought it would be a beautiful book about interracial love and all that, but it disappointed me. The book wasn't that long, but I needed more time for this book then a book with a page number that's three times as big. More then a day. Every time I put it down, I didn't want to pick it up anymore. And that's not good.
I didn't like the characters, especially Alex. He's really crazy. I didn't like the story. To many issues in one short book. Racism, bullies, gun control, child abuse, alcoholism, killing, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion,... That's just to much for a book with only 135 pages on my e-reader.
The idea was good, but it could have been so much better. The writing wasn't all that bad. I've seen worse.
I really hate writing negative reviews, but sometimes you just have to. I'm really sorry, but I didn't like this book.
This book had so much potential! I really thought it would be a beautiful book about interracial love and all that, but it disappointed me. The book wasn't that long, but I needed more time for this book then a book with a page number that's three times as big. More then a day. Every time I put it down, I didn't want to pick it up anymore. And that's not good.
I didn't like the characters, especially Alex. He's really crazy. I didn't like the story. To many issues in one short book. Racism, bullies, gun control, child abuse, alcoholism, killing, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion,... That's just to much for a book with only 135 pages on my e-reader.
The idea was good, but it could have been so much better. The writing wasn't all that bad. I've seen worse.
I really hate writing negative reviews, but sometimes you just have to. I'm really sorry, but I didn't like this book.
June 18, 2013
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. Sarah McKnight is your typical teenager. She’s smart and beautiful. She keeps her boyfriend, David Brooks a secret from her father. David is one of only three black teenagers in her high school. Sarah had not known about racial hatred until then. Her Dad runs a gun shop and has befriended a troubled teen, Alex Mackey that has always loved Sarah. His desire to please Mr. McKnight leads him to do the unthinkable, changing everyone’s life forever.
My first reaction after reading this novel was how much it reminded me of Wuthering Heights, a wonderful classic of forbidden love. This book was magnificently written with believable and likeable characters. This is easily in my top ten favorites for 2013. The ending will certainly shock you, I didn’t even see it coming. A truly amazing read, I am now a huge fan of Fleur Philips and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.
My first reaction after reading this novel was how much it reminded me of Wuthering Heights, a wonderful classic of forbidden love. This book was magnificently written with believable and likeable characters. This is easily in my top ten favorites for 2013. The ending will certainly shock you, I didn’t even see it coming. A truly amazing read, I am now a huge fan of Fleur Philips and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.
June 10, 2013
I received a copy of Crumble by Fleur Philips in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit, this was an awesome book! It was short, but the characters were so well developed that it was so hard to not be emotionally invested in this book. The subject matter was tough though, which of us wants to believe that people still live their lives in such an ignorant manner, it’s something we all try to overlook to some degree, but there are entire nations who decide to live their lives in this way. The end was totally unexpected and so devastating to see the havoc hate can create for us all.
A totally eye-opening book and I would totally recommend this to be on anyone’s to-read list – hate is dangerous to us all and this author was able to bring that point across.
I have to admit, this was an awesome book! It was short, but the characters were so well developed that it was so hard to not be emotionally invested in this book. The subject matter was tough though, which of us wants to believe that people still live their lives in such an ignorant manner, it’s something we all try to overlook to some degree, but there are entire nations who decide to live their lives in this way. The end was totally unexpected and so devastating to see the havoc hate can create for us all.
A totally eye-opening book and I would totally recommend this to be on anyone’s to-read list – hate is dangerous to us all and this author was able to bring that point across.
June 18, 2013
After reading this incredibly well-written, highly poignant novel of two teens caught up in the angry world we live in today, I'm left with two thoughts - 1) this was a difficult novel to get through due to the subject matters - racism, abortion, prejudice, gun violence and family violence; and 2) this is a novel that makes me exceedingly glad that I'm not a teenager in today's world.
Fleur Philips touches on subject that range from family violence to abortion in this emotional story. Her characters are interesting and well-developed and the plot line moves along fast!
I would recommend this book for 18 years and up.
Fleur Philips touches on subject that range from family violence to abortion in this emotional story. Her characters are interesting and well-developed and the plot line moves along fast!
I would recommend this book for 18 years and up.
June 12, 2013
Knowing this book was on the shorter side, I thought it would be hard to get attached to the characters - I was wrong! There were a lot of issues being tackled in this book. I thought in the beginning of book that the whole issue was interracial relationships, but Fleur added pregnancy, abuse and beliefs about fire arms. It was a lot to take in, but somehow she weaved it all in - it worked. The ending was a unexpected.
April 19, 2018
If you ever seen or read the play by Shakespeare 'Othello', this book is like it, but the remix, and a little like Romeo and Juliet. It deals with a lot of issues that goes on today, for example,
• biracial relationships
•bigotry
•abortions
•domestic abuse
• school shootings
• underground trafficking
It's a short story, but it keeps you on the edge.
I hope this review helps.
• biracial relationships
•bigotry
•abortions
•domestic abuse
• school shootings
• underground trafficking
It's a short story, but it keeps you on the edge.
I hope this review helps.
December 4, 2021
Why these interracial romance novels always end with death 💀 like dang I like the drama but why it that serious?
February 26, 2017
I'm big advocate if interracial relationships so this story from the summary spoke to me. Crumble was a short read and it was good and I tend to read these types of books really fast. This book was released not far during Congress' gun control issue. And when you mix that with interracial couples that can lead to tragic situations sometimes, which is what happens at the end of this book, but I won't spoil that. The book is narrated alternate perspectives one from our main character Sarah and from our antagonist Alex. Alex's side was told from point of view of an outside narrator giving it's a bit of a disjointed feel.
Now with this being such a short read the story does suffer a little in terms of character development and stating of the issues. The issues are all kind of crammed at times giving this a rushed feel at times. Still this was a heartbreaker of a book. Why do they always seem to be the good ones?
Now with this being such a short read the story does suffer a little in terms of character development and stating of the issues. The issues are all kind of crammed at times giving this a rushed feel at times. Still this was a heartbreaker of a book. Why do they always seem to be the good ones?
May 17, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Lightning Source, SparkPoint Studio, home of BookSparks PR, and Netgalley.)
18-year-old Sarah is in love with David, but because he is black and she is white they have to keep their relationship secret. Bi-racial couples are thought of as wrong in the town where they live, and they can’t wait to go to university in California where they will finally be able to be together.
When Sarah finds that she is pregnant though, they fear what people would say if they found out, and consider their options about what to do about the unplanned pregnancy.
Will Sarah get an abortion? Will they tell their parents? And what would everyone say if they found out?
This was good teen story about racism and love, and the problems of teenage pregnancy.
Sarah and David were obviously in love, but had to hide their feelings for one another from everyone other than David’s parents, because of racism. This was quite shocking to me, I didn’t realise that places and people like that still existed, and people’s treatment of the black kids was absolutely terrible!
Sarah and David found themselves in a very sticky situation when she found out that she was pregnant, which was bad enough without adding in the added complication of people’s views on bi-racial couples. I was once again shocked by the actions of people at the abortion clinic though, that they can be pro-life but also racist is bizarre!
I did find the storyline in this book quite predictable at the start, but the ending wasn’t really what I expected. I did enjoy this book overall, but I was really shocked at peoples’ attitudes towards both black people and bi-racial relationships.
Overall; a YA romance covering some difficult topics.
6.75 out of 10.
18-year-old Sarah is in love with David, but because he is black and she is white they have to keep their relationship secret. Bi-racial couples are thought of as wrong in the town where they live, and they can’t wait to go to university in California where they will finally be able to be together.
When Sarah finds that she is pregnant though, they fear what people would say if they found out, and consider their options about what to do about the unplanned pregnancy.
Will Sarah get an abortion? Will they tell their parents? And what would everyone say if they found out?
This was good teen story about racism and love, and the problems of teenage pregnancy.
Sarah and David were obviously in love, but had to hide their feelings for one another from everyone other than David’s parents, because of racism. This was quite shocking to me, I didn’t realise that places and people like that still existed, and people’s treatment of the black kids was absolutely terrible!
Sarah and David found themselves in a very sticky situation when she found out that she was pregnant, which was bad enough without adding in the added complication of people’s views on bi-racial couples. I was once again shocked by the actions of people at the abortion clinic though, that they can be pro-life but also racist is bizarre!
I did find the storyline in this book quite predictable at the start, but the ending wasn’t really what I expected. I did enjoy this book overall, but I was really shocked at peoples’ attitudes towards both black people and bi-racial relationships.
Overall; a YA romance covering some difficult topics.
6.75 out of 10.
May 27, 2013
Sarah and David are teenagers in an interracial relationship. Alex is their classmate with an abusive father. This story is told in Sarah's POV and Alex's POV - chapters alternate between the two of them.
This book is way too short for the story it's trying to tell. Sarah and her best friend Megan are friends with three black guys in their school (one of them is David). We never get to know the two other guys because they're barely in the book. I think the story would have more impact if there were more details about their friendship.
I couldn't understand Sarah's relationship with her dad. He's "her favorite person in the world". But he's also a racist asshole. She knows that, which is why she has to hide her relationship from him. But she still doesn't seem to realize that he's really NOT a good person. I know he has a couple of good qualities, but that doesn't change the fact that he hates David simply because of his skin color.
The book also deals with teenage pregnancy. It was obvious from the beginning of the book that Sarah's pregnant. I love how supportive David was; they really do seem like a good couple. I didn't like the scene in front of the abortion clinic. Sarah's reaction to the protesters wasn't very realistic.
At first I felt sorry for Alex. He's being abused by his father, his mother refuses to admit that, he's bullied and lonely. George is the person that helps him out the most. But he's also the person that screws him up even more. Some of his decisions made sense, but others were just crazy. I didn't enjoy his chapters as much as I enjoyed Sarah's.
The quality of writing improved the more I read the book. The last chapter from Sarah's POV is one of my favorites. There are lots of things I don't like about the book, but I'd still say it's worth reading.
This book is way too short for the story it's trying to tell. Sarah and her best friend Megan are friends with three black guys in their school (one of them is David). We never get to know the two other guys because they're barely in the book. I think the story would have more impact if there were more details about their friendship.
I couldn't understand Sarah's relationship with her dad. He's "her favorite person in the world". But he's also a racist asshole. She knows that, which is why she has to hide her relationship from him. But she still doesn't seem to realize that he's really NOT a good person. I know he has a couple of good qualities, but that doesn't change the fact that he hates David simply because of his skin color.
The book also deals with teenage pregnancy. It was obvious from the beginning of the book that Sarah's pregnant. I love how supportive David was; they really do seem like a good couple. I didn't like the scene in front of the abortion clinic. Sarah's reaction to the protesters wasn't very realistic.
At first I felt sorry for Alex. He's being abused by his father, his mother refuses to admit that, he's bullied and lonely. George is the person that helps him out the most. But he's also the person that screws him up even more. Some of his decisions made sense, but others were just crazy. I didn't enjoy his chapters as much as I enjoyed Sarah's.
The quality of writing improved the more I read the book. The last chapter from Sarah's POV is one of my favorites. There are lots of things I don't like about the book, but I'd still say it's worth reading.
June 17, 2013
Predictable with an overwhelming amount of issues for such a short read.
I have very mixed feelings about this story. I liked how it started out but toward the end of the book it was quit predictable. In Crumble Sarah and her father George seem like they have a very loving and well bonded relationship. Having raised Sarah as a single parent soon after her birth, George seems like the perfect father. Sarah seems like a well-adjusted teen, she has a close-knit group of friends in school and even a boyfriend named David. However because Sarah is white and David black, Sarah keeps her relationship from her father and the small community.
I had a few problems following along with this story. To begin with I didn't understand why Sarah seemed so obsessed about keeping the secret of dating David from her father, when the author does not disclose any conversations or even hint George having ever spoken to Sarah about being a racist.. There was so much going on in this story in such a short amount of time that you really didn't get a complete feel for the characters. I also did not care for the ending, George seemed to disappear into never land and the Alex just didn't feel like a real character to me. Alex's feelings felt fractured and confusing and it didn't make sense to me why his anger was directed at David when instead it should have been directed at the bully who was beating him up at school and his abusive father. Also the school administration seemed non-existent during these times when Alex was dealing with the abuse, coming to school bruised and swollen. Maybe its must me but I feel this story is just not one I would recommend worth reading.
I have very mixed feelings about this story. I liked how it started out but toward the end of the book it was quit predictable. In Crumble Sarah and her father George seem like they have a very loving and well bonded relationship. Having raised Sarah as a single parent soon after her birth, George seems like the perfect father. Sarah seems like a well-adjusted teen, she has a close-knit group of friends in school and even a boyfriend named David. However because Sarah is white and David black, Sarah keeps her relationship from her father and the small community.
I had a few problems following along with this story. To begin with I didn't understand why Sarah seemed so obsessed about keeping the secret of dating David from her father, when the author does not disclose any conversations or even hint George having ever spoken to Sarah about being a racist.. There was so much going on in this story in such a short amount of time that you really didn't get a complete feel for the characters. I also did not care for the ending, George seemed to disappear into never land and the Alex just didn't feel like a real character to me. Alex's feelings felt fractured and confusing and it didn't make sense to me why his anger was directed at David when instead it should have been directed at the bully who was beating him up at school and his abusive father. Also the school administration seemed non-existent during these times when Alex was dealing with the abuse, coming to school bruised and swollen. Maybe its must me but I feel this story is just not one I would recommend worth reading.
May 24, 2013
When I started this book I had no idea what was in store for me. I knew it had something to do with an interracial teenage couple dealing with racism, which is what drew me into the book. (When I was in high school I was in an interracial couple and dealt with intolerance among members of our families). To say the book shocked me would be an understatement.
I liked the characters, how they developed and how the story switched between Alex and Sarah and managed to flow easily. There were some times when I wished there were more details into certain parts of the book. It wasn't rushed, but I feel like it could have let the reader experience their world a bit more by going into more depth with the characters.
The ending... It was something. I'm not going into details and spoiling anything for anyone. But it was not something I expected. This isn't going to be a book I easily forget.
I liked the characters, how they developed and how the story switched between Alex and Sarah and managed to flow easily. There were some times when I wished there were more details into certain parts of the book. It wasn't rushed, but I feel like it could have let the reader experience their world a bit more by going into more depth with the characters.
The ending... It was something. I'm not going into details and spoiling anything for anyone. But it was not something I expected. This isn't going to be a book I easily forget.
January 18, 2016
Pitched as a modern take on the classic Romeo and Juliet forbidden love theme, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was surprisingly pleased with this short novel. The Montana setting, though even modern day, seems a bit foreign to me living in a very diverse area of the country where interracial relationships are nothing out of the ordinary. But for 18 year old Sarah, a white high school senior, her relationship with her black classmate David is something to hide out of fear of the repercussions, especially from her father. Though he displays a Confederate flag sticker on his truck, Sarah knows very little about his past or the origin of his racist attitudes. But, he has been her only parent since she was an infant and her mother walked away from the family, and she loves him dearly. Sadly, just as Romeo and Juliet was ultimately a tragedy, so is Crumble, with a shocking ending that left me shaking my head in wonder at how some people can still hold onto such outdated beliefs.
May 13, 2013
I disliked this book for several reasons.
First, there are way too many "issue" topics thrown into one book. I went into this thinking I'd get a story filled with hope for an interracial relationship. Negative. What I ended up with was a book full of racism, bullies, gun control, child abuse, alcoholism, killing, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion, psychotic people and general idiotic.
The writing was full of mundane details. Numerous flash backs that did not support the topic at hand and further made the entire story read with more negative than positive.
The entire character of Alex was just craziness. I never, ever want to be inside the head of someone like that. Ever.
This book is the most negative thing I have ever read. Hated it. Immensely.
First, there are way too many "issue" topics thrown into one book. I went into this thinking I'd get a story filled with hope for an interracial relationship. Negative. What I ended up with was a book full of racism, bullies, gun control, child abuse, alcoholism, killing, suicide, teen pregnancy, abortion, psychotic people and general idiotic.
The writing was full of mundane details. Numerous flash backs that did not support the topic at hand and further made the entire story read with more negative than positive.
The entire character of Alex was just craziness. I never, ever want to be inside the head of someone like that. Ever.
This book is the most negative thing I have ever read. Hated it. Immensely.
August 4, 2013
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A quick read that is packed with quite a few punches as three teenagers take the forefront of the story in a volatile town, but in the current moment. In the first few pages, there were quite a few social issues presented - racism, teen pregnancy, and domestic abuse, it seemed like quite a lot to tackle in such a little book. I appreciated that this book took a turn at the end that I couldn't even predict - it made the book more than just a bunch of issues.
A quick read that is packed with quite a few punches as three teenagers take the forefront of the story in a volatile town, but in the current moment. In the first few pages, there were quite a few social issues presented - racism, teen pregnancy, and domestic abuse, it seemed like quite a lot to tackle in such a little book. I appreciated that this book took a turn at the end that I couldn't even predict - it made the book more than just a bunch of issues.
September 14, 2013
High school senior Sarah is blonde, blue-eyed and pregnant, and her boyfriend is one of few African-American boys at her Montana school. Her single father is a racist from Alabama who owns a gun store. You can see where this is headed, but to her credit, there is plenty of grey in this book about black and white relations. Philips manages to create sympathy for even the most despicable of her characters.
It's true that a lot of issues are covered in CRUMBLE, but I found it to be believable, well-written, and well-constructed - and absolutely worth reading.
It's true that a lot of issues are covered in CRUMBLE, but I found it to be believable, well-written, and well-constructed - and absolutely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews