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اپل و رین
«اپل» از آن شب کریسمس که مادرش او را ترک کرد با مادربزرگ سختگیرش «نانا» زندگی میکند تا اینکه بالاخره بعد از یازده سال مادرش برمیگردد و «اپل» خیال میکند تمام مشکلاتش تمام شده. اما همه چیز آنطور که او فکر می کند پیش نمیرود. بازگشت مادرش درست مثل همان کریسمسِ طوفانی که او را گذاشت و رفت، پر از درد است. حالا اپل نمیداند باید با چه کسی زندگی کند. آن وقت با «رین» آشنا میشود، کسی که از خودش هم تنهاتر است. در این آشنایی اپل یاد می گیرد دنیا را با همهی تلخیها و شیرینیهایش همانطور که هست بپذیرد.
360 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2014
138 people are currently reading
5365 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Crossan
22 books2,026 followersSarah Crossan is Irish. She graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Literature before training as an English and Drama teacher at Cambridge University and worked to promote creative writing in schools before leaving teaching to write full time.
She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.
She currently lives in NYC.
She completed her Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Warwick in 2003 and in 2010 received an Edward Albee Fellowship for writing.
She currently lives in NYC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 946 reviews
September 19, 2014
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
I’ve read all of Sarah Crossan’s novels now, and in my opinion, Apple and Rain is her best work so far. This book is filled with emotions, and is bound to make anyone feel. A tale of coming of age, learning what real love is and different forms of love, Apple and Rain transcended my high expectations.
On Christmas Eve eleven years ago, Apple’s mother left Apple. Apple has always hoped that one day, she would come back to save her from her overbearing Nan that still picks her up from school, despite the fact that she’s 13. And so one day during school, Apple’s wish is granted. Her actress mother has come back from America for her and now, wants her to live with her. Apple ignores her Nan’s protests and happily obliges, but what Apple doesn’t know is that she isn’t her mother’s only child. When they get to her mother’s flat, she meets Rain, her half-sister; a ten year old girl who deems that her doll, Jenny, is a real baby that never leaves her side. Rain is lost, but Apple’s mother just thinks it’s a phase Rain is going through. Soon, Apple begins to realise that what she thought was the best thing ever, might not truly be what it seems.
I want to give Apple a long long hug. Personally, I found it very easy to click with this girl, perhaps it’s because we are about the same age. She’s very perceptive and witty, but also someone who is longing for her mother and trying to fit in with her peers at school. She has one friend, Pilar, but the distance between them begins to widen, and Apple is no longer sure about their friendship. At her Nan’s house, Apple felt like she was being babied, but when she enter’s her mother’s life, Apple finds herself looking after Rain and her mother. She buys the food, keeps and eye out on Rain because her mother is rarely home and has to manage the meals. She’s missing out on school now, too. She then finds out that her crush that kissed her, doesn’t even like her. Apple has a tough life, and when she met her mum, it only became tougher. I love Apple because of her bravery and how she dealt with her situation. She was falling apart, but she wasn’t being melodramatic about it. Apple is also pretty sassy. At her step-mother and father’s wedding, she pulled funny faces in every one of the wedding photos, taken by an expensively paid photographer. Way to ruin a wedding!
This story is a very bleak one. It does have it’s happy moments, especially those with Del, Apple’s next door neighbour. But, don’t let the bleakness make you run away. What I mean by this book being bleak, is how truthfully Crossan tells Apple’s story. It does no sugar-coating and is very up front–it just made me just want to cry for Apple and her sister, Rain. Apple’s mother isn’t as wonderful and invincible as Apple had forethought, her mother has parties weekly and gets drunk, smokes and runs after dreams that are clearly never going to become reality. Most days, Apple has to fend for herself. And she starts to wonder whether her mother truly loves her, or if it’s all just an illusion.
If you loved The Weight of Water for it’s beautiful verse, then you must pick this one up. The only thing Apple can find comfort in throughout this book, is her English class; they’re writing poetry. Poetry about love, about fear, about solitude. Poetry is where Apple can feel like she isn’t falling into a dark hole, falling into a hole for the lost. This book isn’t told in verse, but there’s a lot of verse in this book. It’s absolutely beautiful, and while I didn’t cry reading it, I was so very close. The language is simple and direct, but Crossan chooses the perfect words to make the perfect sentences; therefore making this near to perfect novel.
I haven’t give a book 5 stars in a long time, and I rarely do. So to give this a full 5 stars, this is saying a lot. This book was written, brimming with palpable emotions and wonderful and relatable characters. Everyone needs to give this book a go. I mean it. Everyone.
~Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy!~
---
This deserves all the stars.
I’ve read all of Sarah Crossan’s novels now, and in my opinion, Apple and Rain is her best work so far. This book is filled with emotions, and is bound to make anyone feel. A tale of coming of age, learning what real love is and different forms of love, Apple and Rain transcended my high expectations.
On Christmas Eve eleven years ago, Apple’s mother left Apple. Apple has always hoped that one day, she would come back to save her from her overbearing Nan that still picks her up from school, despite the fact that she’s 13. And so one day during school, Apple’s wish is granted. Her actress mother has come back from America for her and now, wants her to live with her. Apple ignores her Nan’s protests and happily obliges, but what Apple doesn’t know is that she isn’t her mother’s only child. When they get to her mother’s flat, she meets Rain, her half-sister; a ten year old girl who deems that her doll, Jenny, is a real baby that never leaves her side. Rain is lost, but Apple’s mother just thinks it’s a phase Rain is going through. Soon, Apple begins to realise that what she thought was the best thing ever, might not truly be what it seems.
I want to give Apple a long long hug. Personally, I found it very easy to click with this girl, perhaps it’s because we are about the same age. She’s very perceptive and witty, but also someone who is longing for her mother and trying to fit in with her peers at school. She has one friend, Pilar, but the distance between them begins to widen, and Apple is no longer sure about their friendship. At her Nan’s house, Apple felt like she was being babied, but when she enter’s her mother’s life, Apple finds herself looking after Rain and her mother. She buys the food, keeps and eye out on Rain because her mother is rarely home and has to manage the meals. She’s missing out on school now, too. She then finds out that her crush that kissed her, doesn’t even like her. Apple has a tough life, and when she met her mum, it only became tougher. I love Apple because of her bravery and how she dealt with her situation. She was falling apart, but she wasn’t being melodramatic about it. Apple is also pretty sassy. At her step-mother and father’s wedding, she pulled funny faces in every one of the wedding photos, taken by an expensively paid photographer. Way to ruin a wedding!
This story is a very bleak one. It does have it’s happy moments, especially those with Del, Apple’s next door neighbour. But, don’t let the bleakness make you run away. What I mean by this book being bleak, is how truthfully Crossan tells Apple’s story. It does no sugar-coating and is very up front–it just made me just want to cry for Apple and her sister, Rain. Apple’s mother isn’t as wonderful and invincible as Apple had forethought, her mother has parties weekly and gets drunk, smokes and runs after dreams that are clearly never going to become reality. Most days, Apple has to fend for herself. And she starts to wonder whether her mother truly loves her, or if it’s all just an illusion.
If you loved The Weight of Water for it’s beautiful verse, then you must pick this one up. The only thing Apple can find comfort in throughout this book, is her English class; they’re writing poetry. Poetry about love, about fear, about solitude. Poetry is where Apple can feel like she isn’t falling into a dark hole, falling into a hole for the lost. This book isn’t told in verse, but there’s a lot of verse in this book. It’s absolutely beautiful, and while I didn’t cry reading it, I was so very close. The language is simple and direct, but Crossan chooses the perfect words to make the perfect sentences; therefore making this near to perfect novel.
I haven’t give a book 5 stars in a long time, and I rarely do. So to give this a full 5 stars, this is saying a lot. This book was written, brimming with palpable emotions and wonderful and relatable characters. Everyone needs to give this book a go. I mean it. Everyone.
~Thank you Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this copy!~
---
This deserves all the stars.
December 15, 2020
Rodzinne relacje, młodzieńcze zauroczenie, sens poezji i marzeń - wszystko to znalazłam i podobało mi się! Autorka znów mnie zachwyciła. Nie tak mocno, jak przy Tippi, ale jednak zachwyciła.
March 16, 2015
I read Sarah Crossan's Breathe two years ago, and remember feeling a bit mediocre about it. I went into Apple and Rain hoping to feel a bit less ambivalent about it than I did Breathe, but unfortunately I find myself finishing the book with similar feelings.
The story itself is simple, yet haunting. Eleven years ago, Apple's mother left her. Ever since then, Apple has dreamed about her mother returning her and rescuing her from the strict care of her grandmother. And one day she does - although her mother turns out to be nothing like Apple expected...
Sometimes simplicity is what makes a story really shine, and I think Apple and Rain is one of those cases. The plot is straightforward, as are the writing and characters. And this simplicity really helps pack a powerful punch of emotions into you, emotions that will linger with you for days.
However (I know this sounds a bit contradictory), despite being filled to the brim with emotions, for some reason I didn't feel as emotionally connected to the story as I wish I could have been.
Apple is a character who is really easy to sympathize for. The things that she has experienced in her thirteen years are things no person should have to witness, and yet even through the darkest days she manages to always find something to keep her grounded and optimistic. Her fears, her hopes, her desperation all become yours; something that really demonstrates Crossan's prowess as a writer.
Apple and Rain is the type of story that reminds you what you should be thankful for, and how much you have. It showcases the power of family and love, and how fortunate we are to have two such powerful bonds.
August 8, 2016
Infinitos corazones para este libro
October 20, 2014
This review appears on Happy Indulgence - check it out for more reviews!
This is the first YA book that has literally taken me back to school – and not in a good way.
Reading Apple & Rain feels like you’re back in English class again. From the class discussions, to the method of teaching, to their homework and what Apple writes as drafts, it’s all there. Yes I enjoyed the English subject back in the day – but I don’t want to relive it, much less read about it and in this much detail. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for current high school students.
Aside from the long verses of poems and drafts of English homework, I actually felt like the writing was quite simplistic and young. The subject matter is also quite disturbing, about a terrible parent who abandons her child for an acting career, and then returns and takes advantage of her need for approval. I appreciated the focus on a parent’s behaviour in a genre filled with absent parents, but Apple’s mother was a sorry excuse for one. Abandonment, irresponsible behaviour, expecting your child to skip school and be a babysitter/maid and letting them drink, it’s all here.
The other sad and disturbing part of Apple & Rain was about Rain’s psychological issues and how she treats a baby doll like a real person. She carries Jenny around and feeds her, talks to her like a real child, and you could pretty much see affects of abandonment on Rain at 10 years old. Other from that, there’s also bullying and how Apple deals with it at school. Is there anything to be happy about in this book?
Well, there is Del, but the only thing memorable about him is how he spies on his neighbours with his binoculars, and how he helps Apple out especially with Rain. It was cute, but it wasn’t enough to detract from the rest of the horrible things in the story. Apple’s Nanna is probably the nicest character in the book who really cares for her enough – and I hated seeing her being cast aside.
Yes this was a sad and emotionally draining book, but I wish there was a satisfactory conclusion to it or a lesson behind it all. It seemed like everything was sad, serious and dreary, and there wasn’t enough light at the end of the tunnel for me. I don’t always need a happy ending, but I need a story to be told for a reason. And the reason here, seemed to be to showcase Mr Gaydon’s wonderful English lessons.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first YA book that has literally taken me back to school – and not in a good way.
Reading Apple & Rain feels like you’re back in English class again. From the class discussions, to the method of teaching, to their homework and what Apple writes as drafts, it’s all there. Yes I enjoyed the English subject back in the day – but I don’t want to relive it, much less read about it and in this much detail. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for current high school students.
Aside from the long verses of poems and drafts of English homework, I actually felt like the writing was quite simplistic and young. The subject matter is also quite disturbing, about a terrible parent who abandons her child for an acting career, and then returns and takes advantage of her need for approval. I appreciated the focus on a parent’s behaviour in a genre filled with absent parents, but Apple’s mother was a sorry excuse for one. Abandonment, irresponsible behaviour, expecting your child to skip school and be a babysitter/maid and letting them drink, it’s all here.
The other sad and disturbing part of Apple & Rain was about Rain’s psychological issues and how she treats a baby doll like a real person. She carries Jenny around and feeds her, talks to her like a real child, and you could pretty much see affects of abandonment on Rain at 10 years old. Other from that, there’s also bullying and how Apple deals with it at school. Is there anything to be happy about in this book?
Well, there is Del, but the only thing memorable about him is how he spies on his neighbours with his binoculars, and how he helps Apple out especially with Rain. It was cute, but it wasn’t enough to detract from the rest of the horrible things in the story. Apple’s Nanna is probably the nicest character in the book who really cares for her enough – and I hated seeing her being cast aside.
Yes this was a sad and emotionally draining book, but I wish there was a satisfactory conclusion to it or a lesson behind it all. It seemed like everything was sad, serious and dreary, and there wasn’t enough light at the end of the tunnel for me. I don’t always need a happy ending, but I need a story to be told for a reason. And the reason here, seemed to be to showcase Mr Gaydon’s wonderful English lessons.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 6, 2020
Eğlencelik, romantik kitap modunda olduğum için bu kitabı kenara bırakmıştım. İstediğim gibi kitap bulamayınca 'dur şunun bir kaç sayfasına bakayım' dedim ve son sayfasını çevirene kadar elimden bırakamadım 🤗
August 10, 2015
Even though this book was the complete opposite of what I thought it would be when I picked it up—I found myself completely unsurprised. I thought Apple and Rain was a YA Romance about a girl with abandonment issues, thanks to her mother. Apparently, the physical ARCs came with tissues. And tissues from the publisher can totally mean sad, broken girl with mommy issues, who meets an even sadder boy/girl with double the mommy issues, right?
The story is quite simple. Appolinia Apostopoulou (Apple), has lived for eleven years with her strict Nana, (whom I loved, by the way) who often treats her like a child, much to Apple’s chagrin. When one day, Apple’s estranged mother who had left in hopes of becoming an actress turns up, Apple, wants to move in with the flighty woman.
So when Apple, desperate for her mother’s approval actually does move in with her mother, and meets Rain, her sister, I was confused. And then I had my oh, okay moment when I realised that I wasn’t completely wrong in my initial assumption. Sad Apple does indeed meet sadder Rain with double mommy issues. I knew then that I’d found myself a MG coming-of-age read.
Now remember, that my cold chest does indeed possess a cold heart. So while I wasn’t completely unaffected by this book, I also wouldn’t say that this book wrecked me. Which, after the uproar over this book, is what I had expected. The book is written from the POV of a fourteen year old who is struggling and confused. It was simple in its writing and precisely knew what chords to strike in its reader’s heart. That’s what made the book what it was. And while I am an occasional MG reader, the more I read of the genre, the more it seems to elude me. More of a it’s not you, it’s me kind of thing, getit?
I love books entered around family and family issues. But this one, obviously, was the complete extreme. It had a flighty mother who cared about no one or nothing, two young girls who struggled to make their mother happy, and a grandmother who could do nothing but helplessly watch all the drama unfold. Name every bad thing for your fourteen/ten year old child and it’s in there—drinking, smoking, leering men, cutting school for weeks on end, even paranoia. And not to mention, Rain, who carries around her doll Jenny, thinking that she is a real baby. Like I said, this book has quite a lot of the sad. And while our world is absolutely filled with worse lives for children, I cannot say reading this book was easy. Lots of cringing and wincing and anger on my end.
The entire story is set in Britain, and I loved that aspect. We hardly ever see books that are 100% British, and that was amazing to see! Chips instead of fries, sauce instead of ketchup—delightful! Plenty of food references for the food lovers and I think, overall, the British aspect was one of my favourite parts about the book! And poetry! If there’s one thing—only one—that made me teary-eyed it was the poetry. Brilliant and just amazing <3
I think I’d recommend this book to people who have the patience and the empathy to be able to stick with a character who slowly, but surely grows and learns and comes of age. Because truly, any learning and growing that Apple did was at the very end. It’s sad, it has a few clichés (see: understanding, fun English teacher), a quirky “love interest” and it’s hopeful. But more importantly, it’s beautifully written so if nothing else appeals to you, believe me, the writing surely will.
*I was provided a free ecopy of this book in exchange of an honest review. This did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review.*
The story is quite simple. Appolinia Apostopoulou (Apple), has lived for eleven years with her strict Nana, (whom I loved, by the way) who often treats her like a child, much to Apple’s chagrin. When one day, Apple’s estranged mother who had left in hopes of becoming an actress turns up, Apple, wants to move in with the flighty woman.
So when Apple, desperate for her mother’s approval actually does move in with her mother, and meets Rain, her sister, I was confused. And then I had my oh, okay moment when I realised that I wasn’t completely wrong in my initial assumption. Sad Apple does indeed meet sadder Rain with double mommy issues. I knew then that I’d found myself a MG coming-of-age read.
Now remember, that my cold chest does indeed possess a cold heart. So while I wasn’t completely unaffected by this book, I also wouldn’t say that this book wrecked me. Which, after the uproar over this book, is what I had expected. The book is written from the POV of a fourteen year old who is struggling and confused. It was simple in its writing and precisely knew what chords to strike in its reader’s heart. That’s what made the book what it was. And while I am an occasional MG reader, the more I read of the genre, the more it seems to elude me. More of a it’s not you, it’s me kind of thing, getit?
I love books entered around family and family issues. But this one, obviously, was the complete extreme. It had a flighty mother who cared about no one or nothing, two young girls who struggled to make their mother happy, and a grandmother who could do nothing but helplessly watch all the drama unfold. Name every bad thing for your fourteen/ten year old child and it’s in there—drinking, smoking, leering men, cutting school for weeks on end, even paranoia. And not to mention, Rain, who carries around her doll Jenny, thinking that she is a real baby. Like I said, this book has quite a lot of the sad. And while our world is absolutely filled with worse lives for children, I cannot say reading this book was easy. Lots of cringing and wincing and anger on my end.
The entire story is set in Britain, and I loved that aspect. We hardly ever see books that are 100% British, and that was amazing to see! Chips instead of fries, sauce instead of ketchup—delightful! Plenty of food references for the food lovers and I think, overall, the British aspect was one of my favourite parts about the book! And poetry! If there’s one thing—only one—that made me teary-eyed it was the poetry. Brilliant and just amazing <3
I think I’d recommend this book to people who have the patience and the empathy to be able to stick with a character who slowly, but surely grows and learns and comes of age. Because truly, any learning and growing that Apple did was at the very end. It’s sad, it has a few clichés (see: understanding, fun English teacher), a quirky “love interest” and it’s hopeful. But more importantly, it’s beautifully written so if nothing else appeals to you, believe me, the writing surely will.
*I was provided a free ecopy of this book in exchange of an honest review. This did not in any way, however, influence the content of this review.*
March 9, 2016
Full review can be found here
Actual Rating: 2.4 stars.
I'm not usually one to go in for decimalised rating, but I don't think it was as bad as two stars or as good as 3.
Towards the middle of the book, I came up with this:
A
Poor
Piece of
Lousy
English literature
And
Really
Astonishingly,
Incontestably
Not as good as it could be.
I'll stick to the second half of this because as I was reading it it seemed that Crossan had spent so much time trying to narrate like a 13 year old would, that she forgot to tell a story. The best part of the narration is the poetry and imagery.
The characters were nothing more than Okay. I didn't care when Rain was introduced, whereas if it had been written differently I probably would have. Nana, Donna and Mr Gaydon too, weremoderately very stereotypical.
The plot was good although at times unbelievable. No school is that careless to let a student go without being told by the legal guardian. But Del being introduced, Rain's disappearance and the whole Donna/Pilar malarkey intrigued me.
If you enjoy or as a child enjoyed Jacqueline Wilson stories, then this might be the story for you (although, even though I loved Jacqueline Wilson, I didn't particularly enjoy this) as it deals with very similar themes.
Actual Rating: 2.4 stars.
I'm not usually one to go in for decimalised rating, but I don't think it was as bad as two stars or as good as 3.
Towards the middle of the book, I came up with this:
A
Poor
Piece of
Lousy
English literature
And
Really
Astonishingly,
Incontestably
Not as good as it could be.
I'll stick to the second half of this because as I was reading it it seemed that Crossan had spent so much time trying to narrate like a 13 year old would, that she forgot to tell a story. The best part of the narration is the poetry and imagery.
The characters were nothing more than Okay. I didn't care when Rain was introduced, whereas if it had been written differently I probably would have. Nana, Donna and Mr Gaydon too, were
The plot was good although at times unbelievable. No school is that careless to let a student go without being told by the legal guardian. But Del being introduced, Rain's disappearance and the whole Donna/Pilar malarkey intrigued me.
If you enjoy or as a child enjoyed Jacqueline Wilson stories, then this might be the story for you (although, even though I loved Jacqueline Wilson, I didn't particularly enjoy this) as it deals with very similar themes.
May 27, 2019
This is probably my favourite Sarah Crossan novel that I've read so far.
June 27, 2019
It was boring AF 🙃🙃😕😕
Mostly because the main character is a 13 years old teenage brat and i hate being inside her head
The Idea about "Parent" who abandoned their kids and being irresponsible story is unique but the story mostly just follow Apple and her daily life esp her school life (homeworks, class, assignments, friends ect ect) yes it was very realistic but its also boring
Thankgoodness this book is short and the last 50 pages were pretty good 😑 so it felt bearable to finish it
This is my 1st Sarah Crossan's book... probably will be the last too
Mostly because the main character is a 13 years old teenage brat and i hate being inside her head
The Idea about "Parent" who abandoned their kids and being irresponsible story is unique but the story mostly just follow Apple and her daily life esp her school life (homeworks, class, assignments, friends ect ect) yes it was very realistic but its also boring
Thankgoodness this book is short and the last 50 pages were pretty good 😑 so it felt bearable to finish it
This is my 1st Sarah Crossan's book... probably will be the last too
December 31, 2015
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is no way impacted in my view.
Apple and Rain tells the story of Apple, a 13 year old who wishes her mother would return home after more than ten years. When she finally does, it is not without its own problems, and Apple finally understands that you have to be careful what you wish for.
Apple and Rain was such an unexpected read. Before diving into the book, I was a bit apprehensive, as I wasn't sure what I would think. I am so glad I've had the opportunity to read this outstanding novel! Apollinia Apostolopoulou feels lost in her life. She's living with her very religious, quiet protective and strict, Irish nana, who won't let her have some freedom, and coming to terms with her father's distance, a new stepmother and all the problems that brings with it. Finally, she has her wish of her mother returning home after eleven years, and she thinks everything will be perfect. She couldn't be more wrong. Though Annie seems to be trying really hard, she doesn't do it in a very mother-like way. And, to top it all off, Apple now has to compete with 10 year old Rain, who has her own issues to contend with.
I loved the interactions between Apple and Rain. At first I was slightly perturbed by Rain's 'weirdness', but once more came to light, you could see she was just as lost as Apple, if not more so, and was trying to cope in her own individual way. Apple's attempts to care for Rain were beautiful, and I really forgot that she was only 13 herself - she seemed so much more mature, especially if you compare her with the mother, Annie. To talk about Annie, I honestly could not stand her, I understood that she'd made mistakes, was couldn't cope with a 3 year old when she was only 20, but ever since she'd returned she just played on Apple's insecurities and kindness for her own gain. She was so not fit to be a mother, and, honestly, needed to give her head a good shake.
Though poetry has never be a favourite of mine, I really enjoyed Apple's poems throughout the novel, and how her teacher seemed to really care about her, and saw her potential. Apple was actually such an outstanding protagonist, and her relationships with every single character were truly wonderful.
Towards the end, you could kind of see what would happen next, but, even so, when it actually came, it was still heart racing and exciting, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next, and hoping beyond everything, that it would all be ok in the end.
I was so blown away by this book, that I'm extremely grateful I've also got the opportunity to read Crossan's One too. She has sharply become one of my favourite UKYA contemporary authors, and I'm expecting great things from her future books! Seriously, I could not recommend this enough - you need to read it ASAP!
Apple and Rain tells the story of Apple, a 13 year old who wishes her mother would return home after more than ten years. When she finally does, it is not without its own problems, and Apple finally understands that you have to be careful what you wish for.
Apple and Rain was such an unexpected read. Before diving into the book, I was a bit apprehensive, as I wasn't sure what I would think. I am so glad I've had the opportunity to read this outstanding novel! Apollinia Apostolopoulou feels lost in her life. She's living with her very religious, quiet protective and strict, Irish nana, who won't let her have some freedom, and coming to terms with her father's distance, a new stepmother and all the problems that brings with it. Finally, she has her wish of her mother returning home after eleven years, and she thinks everything will be perfect. She couldn't be more wrong. Though Annie seems to be trying really hard, she doesn't do it in a very mother-like way. And, to top it all off, Apple now has to compete with 10 year old Rain, who has her own issues to contend with.
I loved the interactions between Apple and Rain. At first I was slightly perturbed by Rain's 'weirdness', but once more came to light, you could see she was just as lost as Apple, if not more so, and was trying to cope in her own individual way. Apple's attempts to care for Rain were beautiful, and I really forgot that she was only 13 herself - she seemed so much more mature, especially if you compare her with the mother, Annie. To talk about Annie, I honestly could not stand her, I understood that she'd made mistakes, was couldn't cope with a 3 year old when she was only 20, but ever since she'd returned she just played on Apple's insecurities and kindness for her own gain. She was so not fit to be a mother, and, honestly, needed to give her head a good shake.
Though poetry has never be a favourite of mine, I really enjoyed Apple's poems throughout the novel, and how her teacher seemed to really care about her, and saw her potential. Apple was actually such an outstanding protagonist, and her relationships with every single character were truly wonderful.
Towards the end, you could kind of see what would happen next, but, even so, when it actually came, it was still heart racing and exciting, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next, and hoping beyond everything, that it would all be ok in the end.
I was so blown away by this book, that I'm extremely grateful I've also got the opportunity to read Crossan's One too. She has sharply become one of my favourite UKYA contemporary authors, and I'm expecting great things from her future books! Seriously, I could not recommend this enough - you need to read it ASAP!
May 10, 2021
Leer Apple & Rain se siente como si estuvieras de nuevo en la clase de español. Desde las discusiones en clase hasta el método de enseñanza, sus tareas y lo que Apple escribe como borradores, todo está ahí. Sí, disfruté de la asignatura de español en su día, pero no quiero revivirla, mucho menos leer sobre ella y con tanto detalle. No podía imaginar cómo sería para los estudiantes de secundaria actuales.
Aparte de los largos versos de poemas y borradores de tareas en inglés, en realidad sentí que la escritura era bastante simple y joven. El tema también es bastante perturbador, sobre una madre terrible que abandona a su hija para una carrera como actriz, y luego regresa y se aprovecha de su necesidad de aprobación. Aprecié el enfoque en el comportamiento de un padre en un género lleno de padres ausentes, pero la madre de Apple fue una excusa lamentable para uno. Abandono, comportamiento irresponsable, esperar que su hija falte a la escuela y sea niñera / sirvienta y dejarla beber, todo está aquí.
Principalmente porque el personaje principal es una mocosa adolescente de 13 años y odio estar dentro de su cabeza.
La otra parte triste e inquietante de Apple & Rain fue sobre los problemas psicológicos de Rain y cómo trata a una muñeca como una persona real. Lleva a Jenny y la alimenta, le habla como a una niña de verdad y prácticamente se podían ver los efectos del abandono en Rain a los 10 años. Aparte de eso, también está el acoso y cómo Apple lo maneja en la escuela. ¿Hay algo de qué alegrarse en este libro?
Bueno, está Del, pero lo único memorable de él es cómo espía a sus vecinos con sus binoculares y cómo ayuda a Apple, especialmente con Rain. Fue lindo, pero no fue suficiente para restar valor al resto de las cosas horribles de la historia. Nana de Apple es probablemente el personaje más agradable del libro que realmente se preocupa por ella lo suficiente, y odié verla dejar de lado.
Sí, este fue un libro triste y emocionalmente agotador, pero desearía que hubiera una conclusión satisfactoria o una lección detrás de todo. Parecía que todo era triste, serio y lúgubre, y no había suficiente luz al final del túnel para mí. No siempre necesito un final feliz, pero necesito una historia que contar por una razón.
Aparte de los largos versos de poemas y borradores de tareas en inglés, en realidad sentí que la escritura era bastante simple y joven. El tema también es bastante perturbador, sobre una madre terrible que abandona a su hija para una carrera como actriz, y luego regresa y se aprovecha de su necesidad de aprobación. Aprecié el enfoque en el comportamiento de un padre en un género lleno de padres ausentes, pero la madre de Apple fue una excusa lamentable para uno. Abandono, comportamiento irresponsable, esperar que su hija falte a la escuela y sea niñera / sirvienta y dejarla beber, todo está aquí.
Principalmente porque el personaje principal es una mocosa adolescente de 13 años y odio estar dentro de su cabeza.
La otra parte triste e inquietante de Apple & Rain fue sobre los problemas psicológicos de Rain y cómo trata a una muñeca como una persona real. Lleva a Jenny y la alimenta, le habla como a una niña de verdad y prácticamente se podían ver los efectos del abandono en Rain a los 10 años. Aparte de eso, también está el acoso y cómo Apple lo maneja en la escuela. ¿Hay algo de qué alegrarse en este libro?
Bueno, está Del, pero lo único memorable de él es cómo espía a sus vecinos con sus binoculares y cómo ayuda a Apple, especialmente con Rain. Fue lindo, pero no fue suficiente para restar valor al resto de las cosas horribles de la historia. Nana de Apple es probablemente el personaje más agradable del libro que realmente se preocupa por ella lo suficiente, y odié verla dejar de lado.
Sí, este fue un libro triste y emocionalmente agotador, pero desearía que hubiera una conclusión satisfactoria o una lección detrás de todo. Parecía que todo era triste, serio y lúgubre, y no había suficiente luz al final del túnel para mí. No siempre necesito un final feliz, pero necesito una historia que contar por una razón.
September 7, 2014
A poignant and touching story, Apple and Rain is a story about family, poetry, wishes and growing up.
Apple is thirteen and has lived with her grandmother since her mother left one Christmas Eve when she was two. Her Nan is loving but strict and Apple can't help but imagine that her mother will one day return and that her life with her will be all she has ever wished for. When Annie does suddenly reappear on a grey afternoon, she offers Apple her hearts desire, a home of their own, and with barely a backward glance Apple packs her bags, excited that her imagined perfect life is about to begin. Apple finally has the mother she loves, and the freedom she craves, but neither are quite what she imagined, and then there is Rain.
Apple(her full name is Apollinia Apostolopoulou - named for her Greek father) is a sincere character with believable thoughts, motivations and actions appropriate for her age. I found her to be very sympathetic as she struggled to cope with a teens familiar disappointments - being excluded by a best friend, targeted by a mean girl and having an unrequited crush, as well as dealing with her mother's homecoming, and the surprise of a little sister. As her new life begins to unravel, Apple takes comfort in poetry, inspired by a substitute teacher, and a new neighbour, Del, but must also confront some uncomfortable truths about her mother, her sister's obsession and her own needs.
Apple's first person narrative is genuine and appealing. Crossan's plain writing style and natural dialogue is appropriate for her audience. The pacing of the novel is good and the story is well structured.
Apple and Rain is a bittersweet tale, exploring contemporary themes in a realistic and thoughtful manner. I'd recommend it for readers aged 12 and up.
August 10, 2021
3,5/5
"My dwie, my trzy, my cztery" opowiada o Apple mieszkającej z babcią, ale bardzo tęskniącej za matczynym ciepłem. Kiedy po 11 latach nieobecności matka wraca, dziewczynka jest wniebowzięta, jednak zachowanie mamy nie jest zbyt dojrzałe...
Perspektywa dziewczynki dopiero wkraczającej w nastoletni świat, błądzącej jak we mgle, przepełnionej niepewnością, wątpliwościami, tęsknotą oraz smutkiem, to coś, co pozwoli na utożsamienie się wielu nastolatkom, a dorosłych na chwilę przeniesie wspomnieniami do własnych przeżyć sprzed lat.
To angażująca i wzruszająca opowieść, a jej autentyczność i prostota powalają na łopatki. Z największą przyjemnością położę te książkę na półce, czekając, aż moje dzieci będą w odpowiednim wieku na jej lekturę. A przy tym sama będę sobie nieustannie powtarzać, że problemy każdego wieku są WAŻNE - nawet jeśli nam, dorosłym, wydają się błahostkami, to ABSOLUTNIE tak nie jest.
"My dwie, my trzy, my cztery" opowiada o Apple mieszkającej z babcią, ale bardzo tęskniącej za matczynym ciepłem. Kiedy po 11 latach nieobecności matka wraca, dziewczynka jest wniebowzięta, jednak zachowanie mamy nie jest zbyt dojrzałe...
Perspektywa dziewczynki dopiero wkraczającej w nastoletni świat, błądzącej jak we mgle, przepełnionej niepewnością, wątpliwościami, tęsknotą oraz smutkiem, to coś, co pozwoli na utożsamienie się wielu nastolatkom, a dorosłych na chwilę przeniesie wspomnieniami do własnych przeżyć sprzed lat.
To angażująca i wzruszająca opowieść, a jej autentyczność i prostota powalają na łopatki. Z największą przyjemnością położę te książkę na półce, czekając, aż moje dzieci będą w odpowiednim wieku na jej lekturę. A przy tym sama będę sobie nieustannie powtarzać, że problemy każdego wieku są WAŻNE - nawet jeśli nam, dorosłym, wydają się błahostkami, to ABSOLUTNIE tak nie jest.
February 4, 2021
دو سه سالی میشد که میخواستم این کتاب رو بخونم، اما هر بار به یه دلیلی فرصتش پیش نمیاومد.
دیگه تو این نمایشگاه مجازی دل رو زدم به دریا و خریدمش و خیلی خوشحالم که این کار رو کردم.
این اواخر کتاب به این قشنگی و با این حس نخونده بودم. مزه داد.
دیگه تو این نمایشگاه مجازی دل رو زدم به دریا و خریدمش و خیلی خوشحالم که این کار رو کردم.
این اواخر کتاب به این قشنگی و با این حس نخونده بودم. مزه داد.
September 9, 2021
قشنگ بود...
و سارا کروسان باز هم قدرت اشعارش رو به رخ کشیده بود.
کمی من رو یاد "اتفاقات کم اهمیت زندگی یک کاکتوس" و کمی یاد بقیهی کتابهایی انداخت که موضوعشون کودکان بدسرپرسته...
زیبا بود.
زیبا.
و سارا کروسان باز هم قدرت اشعارش رو به رخ کشیده بود.
کمی من رو یاد "اتفاقات کم اهمیت زندگی یک کاکتوس" و کمی یاد بقیهی کتابهایی انداخت که موضوعشون کودکان بدسرپرسته...
زیبا بود.
زیبا.
June 9, 2016
4 stars
I’m not sure why this book was on my to-read list. On getting it out of the library, I had no memory of the premise. I think perhaps I just liked the cover (I know, I’m terrible, but it’s so pretty).
Apple and Rain is shelved as YA but, not long into it, I discovered that the main character is 13. This worried me cause I’m 20 and I don’t really want to read books aimed at 13 year olds.
I’m definitely glad I stuck with it.
Although perhaps the intended target audience is younger than me, it’s definitely not a children’s book.
The book follows Apple Apostolopoulou (real name Apollinia, which is apparently greek, so not so stupid after all). She’s 13 and lives with her Nan since her mum disappeared when she was 2 and her dad seems generally unwilling to be her parent.
The issue with Apple’s Nan is that she is overprotective, basically treats Apple like she’s about 8 which is, understandably, frustrating. Apple, however, very much to her credit, doesn’t make too much of a fuss about it, although she does express annoyance over it.
Another indicator of Apple’s maturity is how much she doesn’t hate her dad, even though she probably should. He’s rubbish and clearly doesn’t want anything to do with her, even though he is her father but Apple doesn’t really seem to blame him – she even says that he was just unfortunate enough to be dating her mother when she got pregnant. This annoyed me quite a bit actually, because her father is as responsible as her mother for her existence and he should step up and be her father. When you have a child, you have to make sacrifices, even if you never wanted that child. If you brought them into the world, they’re your responsibility.
I do feel that Apple is upset about her father’s lack of caring or involvement in her life, she expresses upset that she only sees him about twice in the year and at one point says ‘even though Dad doesn’t want me to live with Mum, he never says I should live with him…he could at least offer.’
She’s clearly aware of how rubbish he is at parenting but it’s all she’s ever known from him and she’s pretty much given up on him. Basically he’s dreadful and I hate him and I think Apple is admirable in not bashing his head in with a brick.
This is what I like about her though. So many 13-year-olds in books are immature and whingey and she isn’t. Sure, she leaves her Nan to go and live with her admittedly crap Mum but she’s generally pretty mature and never whines about how crap her life is, she just gets on with it and makes do and hopes things will get better. She’s not perfect but she’s not a stereotypical whiney teenager and that is very nice.
Apple’s mother, when she turns up, is basically a rubbish parent – she’s already been disappeared for 11 years, and then she lets Apple miss school, encourages her to drink, encourages her to have a relationship with a 17-year-old and is generally an incapable parent but somehow, the thing that annoyed me most about her was how she only seemed to come back so she could use Apple as a babysitter for her other daughter – Rain.
She’s rubbish and she can’t cope but there’s nothing amazingly well-done about the character. She mostly drinks and runs off on ‘auditions’. There’s no impression that she’s really trying to be a better parent, she’s just reluctant to be a parent.
That brings us, of course, to Rain. She’s 10 years old, making her only 3 years younger than Apple but she is far, far less mature and seems to be having some mental health issues. She carries around a doll names Jenny and treats it as much as she can like a real baby – feeding it milk, changing its nappies, starting to decide Jenny’s ill and insisting she must be taken to the doctor. This, of course, is all signs of Rain’s inability to cope, desperate need for some guidance by a less useless adult than her mother. Additionally, as it’s pointed out by another character, Rain’s insistence that Jenny be taken to the doctor as Rain’s way of admitting that she knows she needs to see a doctor.
I think Sarah Crossan’s way of writing Rain and of dealing with her mental illness is really very admirable. She’s done this well.
Overall, I do like the characters, I think they were well done and well written but somehow I wasn’t as emotionally attached as I could have been. I don’t know why but the book didn’t really make me feel anything too strongly, although that may be in part due to my being a little too old for it.
Despite that, this book is good - like, really pretty good but it didn’t move me that much and it didn’t change my life. I also don’t feel like the plot itself was that original but the way it was handled and the way it was written did make it feel knew and special. The foundations, perhaps, were not that special but it was done well.
I’m not sure why this book was on my to-read list. On getting it out of the library, I had no memory of the premise. I think perhaps I just liked the cover (I know, I’m terrible, but it’s so pretty).
Apple and Rain is shelved as YA but, not long into it, I discovered that the main character is 13. This worried me cause I’m 20 and I don’t really want to read books aimed at 13 year olds.
I’m definitely glad I stuck with it.
Although perhaps the intended target audience is younger than me, it’s definitely not a children’s book.
The book follows Apple Apostolopoulou (real name Apollinia, which is apparently greek, so not so stupid after all). She’s 13 and lives with her Nan since her mum disappeared when she was 2 and her dad seems generally unwilling to be her parent.
The issue with Apple’s Nan is that she is overprotective, basically treats Apple like she’s about 8 which is, understandably, frustrating. Apple, however, very much to her credit, doesn’t make too much of a fuss about it, although she does express annoyance over it.
Another indicator of Apple’s maturity is how much she doesn’t hate her dad, even though she probably should. He’s rubbish and clearly doesn’t want anything to do with her, even though he is her father but Apple doesn’t really seem to blame him – she even says that he was just unfortunate enough to be dating her mother when she got pregnant. This annoyed me quite a bit actually, because her father is as responsible as her mother for her existence and he should step up and be her father. When you have a child, you have to make sacrifices, even if you never wanted that child. If you brought them into the world, they’re your responsibility.
I do feel that Apple is upset about her father’s lack of caring or involvement in her life, she expresses upset that she only sees him about twice in the year and at one point says ‘even though Dad doesn’t want me to live with Mum, he never says I should live with him…he could at least offer.’
She’s clearly aware of how rubbish he is at parenting but it’s all she’s ever known from him and she’s pretty much given up on him. Basically he’s dreadful and I hate him and I think Apple is admirable in not bashing his head in with a brick.
This is what I like about her though. So many 13-year-olds in books are immature and whingey and she isn’t. Sure, she leaves her Nan to go and live with her admittedly crap Mum but she’s generally pretty mature and never whines about how crap her life is, she just gets on with it and makes do and hopes things will get better. She’s not perfect but she’s not a stereotypical whiney teenager and that is very nice.
Apple’s mother, when she turns up, is basically a rubbish parent – she’s already been disappeared for 11 years, and then she lets Apple miss school, encourages her to drink, encourages her to have a relationship with a 17-year-old and is generally an incapable parent but somehow, the thing that annoyed me most about her was how she only seemed to come back so she could use Apple as a babysitter for her other daughter – Rain.
She’s rubbish and she can’t cope but there’s nothing amazingly well-done about the character. She mostly drinks and runs off on ‘auditions’. There’s no impression that she’s really trying to be a better parent, she’s just reluctant to be a parent.
That brings us, of course, to Rain. She’s 10 years old, making her only 3 years younger than Apple but she is far, far less mature and seems to be having some mental health issues. She carries around a doll names Jenny and treats it as much as she can like a real baby – feeding it milk, changing its nappies, starting to decide Jenny’s ill and insisting she must be taken to the doctor. This, of course, is all signs of Rain’s inability to cope, desperate need for some guidance by a less useless adult than her mother. Additionally, as it’s pointed out by another character, Rain’s insistence that Jenny be taken to the doctor as Rain’s way of admitting that she knows she needs to see a doctor.
I think Sarah Crossan’s way of writing Rain and of dealing with her mental illness is really very admirable. She’s done this well.
Overall, I do like the characters, I think they were well done and well written but somehow I wasn’t as emotionally attached as I could have been. I don’t know why but the book didn’t really make me feel anything too strongly, although that may be in part due to my being a little too old for it.
Despite that, this book is good - like, really pretty good but it didn’t move me that much and it didn’t change my life. I also don’t feel like the plot itself was that original but the way it was handled and the way it was written did make it feel knew and special. The foundations, perhaps, were not that special but it was done well.
June 10, 2016
Apple and Rain is not the type of book I would normally pick up, simply because it's contemporary YA and I find a lot of those tend to be all about teen angst and high school, but one of my daughters read this and loved it and she asked me to read it, so I did.
This is about a girl named Apple whose mother left when she was very young and doesn't come back for 11 years. Pretty much from the beginning of this book I was angry at Apple's mother and also her father (who has been in her life, but never really took on the responsibility of being her father the way he should have). Neither of them have ever really been there for her. One of the best things about this book is that it shows Apple come to love and appreciate her Nana more and understand why the rules she sets for her are a good thing overall, even if some of them are maybe too strict for someone Apple's age, but they come to terms with that in the end.
I love the way this book is written. It's a really easy read, but also has a lot of depth to it. I loved that the English teacher in the book gives them poems in class to discuss, think about, and base writings of their own on. Apple is able to use this as an outlet for her personal troubles and feelings. Because of this the book was a real emotional read at times and I'm so glad I read it and was able to discuss it with my daughter.
This is about a girl named Apple whose mother left when she was very young and doesn't come back for 11 years. Pretty much from the beginning of this book I was angry at Apple's mother and also her father (who has been in her life, but never really took on the responsibility of being her father the way he should have). Neither of them have ever really been there for her. One of the best things about this book is that it shows Apple come to love and appreciate her Nana more and understand why the rules she sets for her are a good thing overall, even if some of them are maybe too strict for someone Apple's age, but they come to terms with that in the end.
I love the way this book is written. It's a really easy read, but also has a lot of depth to it. I loved that the English teacher in the book gives them poems in class to discuss, think about, and base writings of their own on. Apple is able to use this as an outlet for her personal troubles and feelings. Because of this the book was a real emotional read at times and I'm so glad I read it and was able to discuss it with my daughter.
July 8, 2018
I would give this book a 3.5 if I could. I enjoyed it. In a way it is a very sad story, but at the same time it is also a happy happy and heartwarming story. So our main character is a 13 year old girl named Apple. When Apple was 3 years old, her mother left her with her grandmother so that she could go to America to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Even though she was only 3 when it happened, Apple never forgot that day and year after year she yearned to have her mother back. Then after being absent for nearly 11 years, her mother returns and Apple is over the moon thrilled. She wants nothing more than for her mom to be happy with her and proud of her and to never want to leave her again. Apple agrees to move in with her mother and discovers that she has a 10 year old sister named Rain. Apple's world is flipped upside down and things she thought she wanted, she might not really want after all.
April 19, 2023
nie wiem co powiedzieć, nie wiem czy cokolwiek powinnam mówić. tyle uśmiechu, łez, bezradności. ta książka mnie odmieniła. niesamowicie subtelna, poruszająca najskrytsze części duszy człowieka.
tak bolesna, a zarazem tak piękna.
kocham poezje, kocham to jak odmienia.
„Dlaczego muszę być czyjaś? Nie mogę należeć po prostu do siebie?”
p.s. chciałabym, żeby ktoś dał mi kiedyś trójkątny batonik Toblerone
tak bolesna, a zarazem tak piękna.
kocham poezje, kocham to jak odmienia.
„Dlaczego muszę być czyjaś? Nie mogę należeć po prostu do siebie?”
p.s. chciałabym, żeby ktoś dał mi kiedyś trójkątny batonik Toblerone
January 18, 2019
«احساس خوشحالیم جایش را به حس دیگری داد. چیری شبیه به اینکه قلبم به صخرهای سنگی تبدیل شده باشد. قبل از آن روز اصلا نمیدانستم احتیاج دارم کسی یا چیزی حالم را جا بیاورد. فکر میکردم خوبم. فکر میکردم کاملا خوبم و کسی که مشکل دارد رین است.»
June 24, 2021
Muszę się przespać z tą historią.
May 19, 2020
A simplistic, yet memorable tale of a young girl trying to piece her family back together with extra pieces.
The author did an excellent job at highlighting the difficulties that can occur in different family relationships and scenarios. In my opinion, this is an important book that shouldn’t be passed up.
The author did an excellent job at highlighting the difficulties that can occur in different family relationships and scenarios. In my opinion, this is an important book that shouldn’t be passed up.
April 2, 2016
Finished reading: March 29th 2016
“Poetry can teach us about ourselves. It can comfort us when we are in despair. It can bring joy. But not only that...it can open us up. It can make our worlds bigger and brighter and clearer. It can *transform* us.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
March 21, 2016
A copy of this novel was provided by Bloomsbury Australia for review.
I read Apple and Rain in one sitting. It was incredibly addictive, and it drew me in from the first sentence.
I must admit that I was expecting this book to be about a teenage girl going through a tough time who finds a boy who is also going through a tough time and then they bond and fall in love.
If you think this is what the story of Apple and Rain is, you are mistaken. I most definitely was.
Apple and Rain is the story of a thirteen year old girl who finds out she has a sister.
Even though this story was pretty much the opposite of what I expected when I opened up Apple and Rain, I was still interested in it. Even though it is not really a book I would have picked up, because I tend to find it hard to relate to younger protagonists, this novel was written more like a YA novel than a MG, and I was intrigued by the story.
Our main character, Apple, was mature in some ways, but she was incredibly naïve and irresponsible in others. She hurts people with her careless attitude and does some pretty stupid things to impress her long-lost mother. But I guess this had me hoping that she would learn from the mistakes she made, and grow because of them.
There weren't a lot of charcaters in Apple and Rain, which I am always a fan of. This way, I really got to know the characters that were integral to the storyline, like Apple and Rain and their mother and their grandmother. Apple's best friend, and Del. The interactions between them all are so important in a story like this one, and with not a lot of peripheral characters, those interactions are clearer and relationships are more easily identified.
My favourite character in this book was Del. He was adorable and a little weird (but I always like them a little weird), and he didn’t let Apple’s flippant and standoffish façade drive him away. I have a heap of respect for him for that, because most people run away when someone requires you to persevere with no guaranteed outcome of friendship (or something more).
I liked how Apple and Rain was divided into parts according to what Apple was studying in her English class. I think they all had significant meaning to the story, and also gave me a bit of a hint as to what would happen in that part of the story, as well.
Whilst Apple and Rain was not a favourite of mine, I’m quite glad I read it because it’s a little different to the books I usually read, and it made me step outside of my reading comfort zone.
© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
I read Apple and Rain in one sitting. It was incredibly addictive, and it drew me in from the first sentence.
I must admit that I was expecting this book to be about a teenage girl going through a tough time who finds a boy who is also going through a tough time and then they bond and fall in love.
If you think this is what the story of Apple and Rain is, you are mistaken. I most definitely was.
Apple and Rain is the story of a thirteen year old girl who finds out she has a sister.
Even though this story was pretty much the opposite of what I expected when I opened up Apple and Rain, I was still interested in it. Even though it is not really a book I would have picked up, because I tend to find it hard to relate to younger protagonists, this novel was written more like a YA novel than a MG, and I was intrigued by the story.
Our main character, Apple, was mature in some ways, but she was incredibly naïve and irresponsible in others. She hurts people with her careless attitude and does some pretty stupid things to impress her long-lost mother. But I guess this had me hoping that she would learn from the mistakes she made, and grow because of them.
There weren't a lot of charcaters in Apple and Rain, which I am always a fan of. This way, I really got to know the characters that were integral to the storyline, like Apple and Rain and their mother and their grandmother. Apple's best friend, and Del. The interactions between them all are so important in a story like this one, and with not a lot of peripheral characters, those interactions are clearer and relationships are more easily identified.
My favourite character in this book was Del. He was adorable and a little weird (but I always like them a little weird), and he didn’t let Apple’s flippant and standoffish façade drive him away. I have a heap of respect for him for that, because most people run away when someone requires you to persevere with no guaranteed outcome of friendship (or something more).
I liked how Apple and Rain was divided into parts according to what Apple was studying in her English class. I think they all had significant meaning to the story, and also gave me a bit of a hint as to what would happen in that part of the story, as well.
Whilst Apple and Rain was not a favourite of mine, I’m quite glad I read it because it’s a little different to the books I usually read, and it made me step outside of my reading comfort zone.
© 2014, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.
October 6, 2016
Nachdem ich zuletzt innerhalb von zwei Tagen zwei Bücher von Sarah Crossan verschlungen habe, stand für mich schnell fest, dass ich auch unbedingt ihr neuestes Werk "Apple und Rain" lesen möchte. Meine Erwartungen an die Geschichten waren riesig und ich wurde zum Glück nicht enttäuscht.
Sarah Crossan beweist hierbei wieder einmal, wie einfühlsam ihre Sprache doch ist. Oberflächlichkeiten sind hier Mangelware und die Geschichte liest sich trotz der doch ernsten Thematik leicht und flüssig, sodass ich leider viel zu schnell durch die Seiten geflogen bin. Dazu sind die Figuren liebevoll gezeichnet und ich konnte mich besonders in Apollinia, genannt Apple, hineinversetzen.
Hier geht es um Apple, die trotz ihres Alters von gerade einmal vierzehn Jahren sehr reif wirkt, da sie bereits einiges mitmachen musste. Ihre Eltern hatten immer wieder andere Hoffnungen, Wünsche und Ziele, bei denen Apple immer wieder nur im Weg stand, sodass sie seit ihrem dritten Lebensjahr bei ihrer Großmutter aufgewachsen ist. Als ihre Mutter sich nach elf Jahren allerdings meldet und ihre Tochter wieder zu sich holen möchte, glaubt Apple zunächst, dass all ihre Wünsche damit in Erfüllung gegangen sind und sie endlich wieder bei ihrer Mutter leben darf, allerdings stellt sich schnell heraus, dass ihre Mutter ihre ganz eigenen Ziele mit ihr verfolgt und Apple somit noch mehr ein Stück von ihrer Kindheit verliert.
Neben Apple, ihrer Mutter und ihrer Großmutter spielen auch Rain und Del eine wichtige Rolle. Sämtliche Figuren sind dabei gut ausgearbeitet und besitzen eine gewisse Tiefe. Ich muss zwar sagen, dass besonders Apples Mutter nicht wirklich sympathisch war, ich sie aber dennoch in gewisser Art und Weise verstehen konnte. Am meisten habe ich jedoch Apple ins Herz geschlossen, denn diese war mir nicht nur sehr sympathisch, sondern ich konnte auch mit ihr mitfühlen und mich somit in sie hineinversetzen.
Das Cover verbreitet eine gewisse Melancholie, ist aber dennoch schön anzusehen und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Dazu finde ich es sehr gut, dass der Verlag das Original-Cover weitgehend unverändert gelassen hat. Die Kurzbeschreibung liest sich ebenfalls sehr gut und hat mich direkt neugierig gemacht.
Kurz gesagt: "Apple und Rain" ist eine schöne und melancholische Geschichte, die mich mit einem wunderbaren Schreibstil und interessanten Figuren direkt in den Bann ziehen konnte. Hier kann ich der Werbung des Verlags nur zustimmen: "Eine Geschichte, die gebrochene Herzen heilt." Für mich gibt es somit eine klare Leseempfehlung.
Sarah Crossan beweist hierbei wieder einmal, wie einfühlsam ihre Sprache doch ist. Oberflächlichkeiten sind hier Mangelware und die Geschichte liest sich trotz der doch ernsten Thematik leicht und flüssig, sodass ich leider viel zu schnell durch die Seiten geflogen bin. Dazu sind die Figuren liebevoll gezeichnet und ich konnte mich besonders in Apollinia, genannt Apple, hineinversetzen.
Hier geht es um Apple, die trotz ihres Alters von gerade einmal vierzehn Jahren sehr reif wirkt, da sie bereits einiges mitmachen musste. Ihre Eltern hatten immer wieder andere Hoffnungen, Wünsche und Ziele, bei denen Apple immer wieder nur im Weg stand, sodass sie seit ihrem dritten Lebensjahr bei ihrer Großmutter aufgewachsen ist. Als ihre Mutter sich nach elf Jahren allerdings meldet und ihre Tochter wieder zu sich holen möchte, glaubt Apple zunächst, dass all ihre Wünsche damit in Erfüllung gegangen sind und sie endlich wieder bei ihrer Mutter leben darf, allerdings stellt sich schnell heraus, dass ihre Mutter ihre ganz eigenen Ziele mit ihr verfolgt und Apple somit noch mehr ein Stück von ihrer Kindheit verliert.
Neben Apple, ihrer Mutter und ihrer Großmutter spielen auch Rain und Del eine wichtige Rolle. Sämtliche Figuren sind dabei gut ausgearbeitet und besitzen eine gewisse Tiefe. Ich muss zwar sagen, dass besonders Apples Mutter nicht wirklich sympathisch war, ich sie aber dennoch in gewisser Art und Weise verstehen konnte. Am meisten habe ich jedoch Apple ins Herz geschlossen, denn diese war mir nicht nur sehr sympathisch, sondern ich konnte auch mit ihr mitfühlen und mich somit in sie hineinversetzen.
Das Cover verbreitet eine gewisse Melancholie, ist aber dennoch schön anzusehen und passt hervorragend zur Geschichte. Dazu finde ich es sehr gut, dass der Verlag das Original-Cover weitgehend unverändert gelassen hat. Die Kurzbeschreibung liest sich ebenfalls sehr gut und hat mich direkt neugierig gemacht.
Kurz gesagt: "Apple und Rain" ist eine schöne und melancholische Geschichte, die mich mit einem wunderbaren Schreibstil und interessanten Figuren direkt in den Bann ziehen konnte. Hier kann ich der Werbung des Verlags nur zustimmen: "Eine Geschichte, die gebrochene Herzen heilt." Für mich gibt es somit eine klare Leseempfehlung.
August 21, 2015
This review was originally published on Book Blog Bird
Apple And Rain is the story of Appolonia ‘Apple’ Apostolopolou, a thirteen year old girl who has lived with her nan ever since her mum walked out on them when Apple was three. Apple’s nan is fairly strict, she’s got a hopeless crush on an older boy at school and her best friend is starting to hang out with other people, and Apple is convinced that if her mum was still around, everything would be much better.
The story itself is bittersweet and deals mainly with very ordinary adolescent problems: best friends, boys, wanting more independence. The fact that Apple was only thirteen meant I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to, but it did make the situations she got into and her helplessness very believable. I kind of wanted to give the poor girl a hug at times!
What really comes through in this book is the author’s love of poetry. Apple’s favourite class is English and her teacher encourages her reading and writing of poetry, which helps her deal with the things she is going through. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Sarah Crossan’s One a little while ago, which is written in free verse, so poetry is obviously a passion of hers. To be honest, poetry isn’t really a passion of mine, but the author doesn’t use loads of up-its-own-bum references; she keeps everything relevant and accessible, so it wasn’t offputting, even for a poetry-avoider like me.
Apple is a very sweet, slightly naive girl. Like I said, her age meant I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to, but I still liked her well enough and wanted her to see what she needed to do to get out of the horrible situation she was in! Del was a lovely character - I loved how devoted he was to Apple and I’d have liked to have known more about his background. Apple’s mum is absolutely appalling in her fecklessness, and although her behaviour was dreaful, the author managed to keep it just this side of believeable.
All in all, I did enjoy this book. I don’t think it was as good as One, but it was still a very touching tale of growing up, friendships, love and being careful what you wish for.
Apple And Rain is the story of Appolonia ‘Apple’ Apostolopolou, a thirteen year old girl who has lived with her nan ever since her mum walked out on them when Apple was three. Apple’s nan is fairly strict, she’s got a hopeless crush on an older boy at school and her best friend is starting to hang out with other people, and Apple is convinced that if her mum was still around, everything would be much better.
The story itself is bittersweet and deals mainly with very ordinary adolescent problems: best friends, boys, wanting more independence. The fact that Apple was only thirteen meant I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to, but it did make the situations she got into and her helplessness very believable. I kind of wanted to give the poor girl a hug at times!
What really comes through in this book is the author’s love of poetry. Apple’s favourite class is English and her teacher encourages her reading and writing of poetry, which helps her deal with the things she is going through. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Sarah Crossan’s One a little while ago, which is written in free verse, so poetry is obviously a passion of hers. To be honest, poetry isn’t really a passion of mine, but the author doesn’t use loads of up-its-own-bum references; she keeps everything relevant and accessible, so it wasn’t offputting, even for a poetry-avoider like me.
Apple is a very sweet, slightly naive girl. Like I said, her age meant I didn’t connect with her as much as I wanted to, but I still liked her well enough and wanted her to see what she needed to do to get out of the horrible situation she was in! Del was a lovely character - I loved how devoted he was to Apple and I’d have liked to have known more about his background. Apple’s mum is absolutely appalling in her fecklessness, and although her behaviour was dreaful, the author managed to keep it just this side of believeable.
All in all, I did enjoy this book. I don’t think it was as good as One, but it was still a very touching tale of growing up, friendships, love and being careful what you wish for.
August 22, 2022
4,5
"My dwie, my trzy, my cztery" to książka, która mogła mi złamać serce, ale na szczęście tego nie zrobiła.
Sarah Crossan opowiada o macierzyństwie, dorastaniu pod okiem babki, marzeniach i pierwszym zauroczeniu. Wszystko to w sposób dosadny, ale jednocześnie bardzo czuły i delikatny. Autorka pokazuje, że życie bywa trudne i skomplikowane a nie każde rozwiązanie jest tak proste jak nam się wydaje.
Apple to urocza bohaterka. Ma swoje za uszami, ale potrafiłam się z nią utożsamić. Sama nie jestem w stanie powiedzieć, jak postąpiłabym na jej miejscu. Matka tej postaci działała mi na nerwy. Rozumiem, że czasem warto dawać drugą szansę, ale w tym przypadku powinno to nastąpić w jakiś inny sposób, może bardziej stopniowy.
To na pewno wartościowa książka dla dzieci i młodzieży borykającej się z problemem niepełnej rodziny. Uważam także, że mogłaby to być ciekawa propozycja na lekturę szkolną, bo tematów do dyskusji w niej nie brakuje. W ogóle postać nauczyciela języka angielskiego jest przecudowna. Sama chciałabym takiego mieć!
"My dwie, my trzy, my cztery" to książka, która mogła mi złamać serce, ale na szczęście tego nie zrobiła.
Sarah Crossan opowiada o macierzyństwie, dorastaniu pod okiem babki, marzeniach i pierwszym zauroczeniu. Wszystko to w sposób dosadny, ale jednocześnie bardzo czuły i delikatny. Autorka pokazuje, że życie bywa trudne i skomplikowane a nie każde rozwiązanie jest tak proste jak nam się wydaje.
Apple to urocza bohaterka. Ma swoje za uszami, ale potrafiłam się z nią utożsamić. Sama nie jestem w stanie powiedzieć, jak postąpiłabym na jej miejscu. Matka tej postaci działała mi na nerwy. Rozumiem, że czasem warto dawać drugą szansę, ale w tym przypadku powinno to nastąpić w jakiś inny sposób, może bardziej stopniowy.
To na pewno wartościowa książka dla dzieci i młodzieży borykającej się z problemem niepełnej rodziny. Uważam także, że mogłaby to być ciekawa propozycja na lekturę szkolną, bo tematów do dyskusji w niej nie brakuje. W ogóle postać nauczyciela języka angielskiego jest przecudowna. Sama chciałabym takiego mieć!
June 28, 2018
Reseña completa: http://milyunaemocionesmarujas.blogsp...
Lo termine antes de ayer pero no lo había puesto. No tienen idea lo mucho que me gustó, superó mis expectativas por lejos. Una historia súper tierna sobre lo que es ser adolescente, la familia y la poesía.
Me dejó con muy buen sabor de boca así que quizás le de otra oportunidad a la autora. Una auténtica sorpresa.
Lo termine antes de ayer pero no lo había puesto. No tienen idea lo mucho que me gustó, superó mis expectativas por lejos. Una historia súper tierna sobre lo que es ser adolescente, la familia y la poesía.
Me dejó con muy buen sabor de boca así que quizás le de otra oportunidad a la autora. Una auténtica sorpresa.
February 14, 2021
Historia trzynastoletniej Apple mimo, że może być kierowana do młodszego czytelnika, dorosłym uzmysławia bardzo wiele. Niesamowicie podobała mi się relacja głównej bohaterki i jej siostry, Rain.
Sarah Crossan tworzy bardzo proste historie, które wbrew pozorom niosą ogromny przekaz. Cieszę się, że kolejna książka tej autorki, którą miałam okazję przeczytać, okazała się tak dobra.
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