Making Turquoise

by Claire McFall

**All proceeds from the sale of this book up to 31/07/2020 will be donated to food banks dealing with the devastating effects of the coronavirus. **

Liam

Hayley, she just doesn’t get it. Doesn’t get that doors which are open for her, are closed for me. Doesn’t get that I’m following in my dad’s footsteps, Aiden’s footsteps, even if the shoes don’t fit. She tells me we can be together, that we can make it work. And I wish, I really wish, that we could. But wishing doesn’t change anything.

Hayley

When I was eleven, green was my favourite colour. That was before I realised my nose was blue. It was also the year I met Liam. Right from the off, we were best friends. Then more. Then... nothing. Because Tim and Hun, they’re oil and water: they don’t mix. Ask my dad. Ask Aiden. But blue, green, they’re just colours. And I like green.


Content warning: contains strong language and elements of drug taking, teenage pregnancy, abortion and abuse.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2020

About the author

Claire McFall's work is, in essence, all about first love and difficult decisions. Her novels take straightforward romantic narratives and hurl them into unusual and extreme settings, blurring accepted genre boundaries and creating new sub-genres of her own. She then charts her characters' reactions to these unfamiliar situations and the new and confusing feelings that beset them in a hyper-real, engaging, deeply poignant and literary manner. Claire is a former teacher from Scotland who now lives in sunny Colorado with her husband, two children, and pooch, Jazz.

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 Colorful Stars!

Making Turquoise ....what a wonderfully written story. Green + Blue = Turquoise and it's such a beautiful color. Sadly, in this book, people didn't want "Green" and "Blue" to mix. They were very polarized. If you were Green, you didn't hang out with Blue and you certainly didn't start a romance with one. Apparently Green and Blue correlate to which football team you support and the rivalry is extreme..

Hayley and Liam meet when they are eleven and become friends. They drift apart but eventually find their way back to each other when they are older. Literally not one person supports Hayley and Liam's affection for one another. They find that they can't be fully open with their families or friends. Still, they can't give each other up. Then something dramatic occurs and Hayley is forced to walk away from Liam. After being apart for several years, an opportunity presents itself for Liam to see Hayley again. But is it worth the risk?

I was simply heartbroken with the way events played out. You could see the mistakes coming a mile away, but there was no way to stop things from occurring. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Many have compared this story to a modern day Romeo and Juliet. I can definitely see the similarities. It also gives me a Normal People vibe and I'm not exactly sure why, but it does.

I highly recommend this book. It's a sensitive coming of age story with a message. Also, even though there are some tragic events, there is a beautiful love story wrapped up in the middle of it all. The story pulls you in and holds onto you until the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley for this reader's copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book and the opinions contained within are my own.

[Savannah Worman (Sav’s Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making Turquoise is a modern day Romeo and Juliet. This book is gritty, painful, and also hopeful. It leaves the reader feeling a bit of sorrow but also faith that life will get better.

This book is mainly about Hayley and Liam. They grow up as friends and fall in love, but their relationship faces many hardships, such as classism, rivalry, and loss. But, when it seems like they couldn’t get further from each other, Hayley’s brother, Callum, is murdered. The two prime suspects are Aiden, Liam’s brother, and Liam himself. At every turn they are being pulled away from each other but they always end up gravitating back together. This is the ultimate story of will they or won’t they?

What I like about this novel is that we get a full back story to Hayley and Liam, we watch them grow up together and make the life choices we all go through. They make mistakes and choices that help define who they are. The timeline is clear and we get to see where each character is at point A and then at point B, we get a full snapshot of their evolution. These characters could easily be you or your neighbor.

This novel is based in Scotland, which is a new setting for me. Making Turquoise taught me a few key cultural differences between Scotland and the United States. Football is like a religion over there. In fact, it causes a huge divide between Hayley and Liam’s families. Liam’s family are Celtic fans and Hayley‘s family are Rangers fans. I understand sports rivalry but it is not even close to the same where I am from. The football fever in Scotland is so ingrained in Scottish culture that it causes fights in the streets. This was a very intense concept for me and I am glad that I was able to learn about it.

I was also blown away by the fact that you can get arrested in Scotland for just carrying a knife. It is like an actual offense to carry a knife over there. I walk around with pocket knives any time I have to walk somewhere in the dark, just as a precaution. I know in my mind that obviously different countries have different rules, but it’s just crazy to think of how something nonchalant over here is a criminal activity over there.

Needless to say I am a huge fan of reading different cultural perspectives.

This book also jumps right to the action. You are there with Hayley and Liam from the very beginning and it doesn’t get dull in the middle. McFall knows exactly what to include in a love story, and she also knows how to create tension. From page one this book is interesting.

Also Making Turquoise asks a lot of questions about what it’s like to be a teenager in love. We get a bit of the sweetheart angle, we cover acceptance, and the process of changing. Liam and Hayley have a lot to overcome together and separately. It feels like an authentic teenage experience to me, I am still with my high school sweetheart and I can tell you that it has come with its challenges. Luckily, not as severe as Hayley and Liam’s relationship, but it does capture that essence that I went through as a teen.

I really enjoy how this novel tackles big topics such as classism, sibling relationships, and drug use. (I will add in a warning right here that this novel gets heavy. It delves deep into various types of abuse and even death. This is not a light read, it will make you hurt) Liam and Hayley are in two different class brackets and their families make that very clear. I would say Hayley is more middle class and Liam is lower class, and it becomes a point of contention between the lovers. They realize that their families will never accept their relationship because of they key differences in family dynamic. Also, the theme of brotherhood is so powerful in this book. Hayley’s twin brother Callum is immensely protective of her from day one. And, Liam’s brother, Aiden, is much the same as but also different from Callum. Aiden is fierce and mean-spirited, living under a façade of being protective of Liam. I enjoyed watching McFall draw this brotherly contrast. There is a perfect comparison of true brotherly love and false brotherly love.

I will admit some of it was too real. It was hard to read in places because the situations are believable. There’s this piece where Liam walks in on Aiden shooting up drugs and the quote goes like this:

“I went. I was too frightened to stay in the room, but I sat in the hallway, just outside his door, spilt cola soaking up in to my jeans, and I listened. As long as I could hear him breathing, I knew he wasn’t dead.

I was more scared of my brother than I’d ever been in my life. Because the man in his room was a stranger and I wished I’d never met him. I wished I was on the walk with Hayley, pretending I was Orange, pretending I was blue.”
For me, this part really hurt. I have seen people change from drug abuse and it just felt so real.

I did get irritated in a few parts because Hayley is supposed to be smart but she just does dumb stuff. She would do something I thought was stupid like walking through the wrong part of town and I’d have to stop reading to take a breather. I just don’t understand how a smart character would suddenly make really dumb mistakes. While I was irritated with this, it did do a good job of illustrating that Hayley is more book smart and her brother is more street smart. So I was able to forgive the little irritation.

I give Making Turquoise a 4/5 stars and I will definitely be recommending it to my friends. I want to send a huge thank you to Claire McFall for reaching out to me on Twitter, this book was a joy to read.

I would also like to point out that all of the proceeds from Making Turquoise will be donated to food banks during the coronavirus crisis, so your purchase will be going to a great cause.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

From onceuponapageturn.blogspot.com :
Claire McFall’s "Making Turquoise" is a beautifully written and heart-breaking story, a mix of Y.A. contemporary fiction, romance, social injustice and domestic abuse. It follows Hayley Thomson, a sheltered yet rebellious girl from a Protestant (or “Blue”) family and her best friend, Liam McGaffney, a kind-hearted and similarly rebellious boy from a Catholic (“Green”) background. From the very beginning, their friendship is met with judgement and prejudice and they find themselves ripped apart on more than one occasion. They struggle to find their way back to each other but sometimes prejudice and family hostility are too much to overcome. McFall’s novel is one of love, family and obligation. It’s a journey filled with struggle and hardship but it also does a fantastic job of tackling social issues in a way that has rarely been done before in this genre.

One of the main strengths of this novel is the characterisation, but particularly the character development. Many of the major characters start off in a weak, if not feeble condition. They are oppressed by the ones they love; they are victims of abuse, prejudice or poor socio-economic conditions. But despite these circumstances, they overcome their struggle. They take their hardships in their stride and they grow. Let’s look at Hayley Thomson, our sheltered yet rebellious heroine. When the story begins, Hayley is living under the guidance of her strict and controlling parents and seems to be the root of her brother Callum’s annoyances. Her age and naivety prompt others to look upon her with judgement and harsh criticism and quite frequently, she finds herself losing control and being moulded into the perfect “Hun” (Protestant). However, as the story progresses, Hayley learns to grow and fights back against the violent and abusive forces that try to control her. Her bravery only strengthens as the novel goes on and she eventually grows into a confident, strong and inspiring young woman.

Her twin brother, Callum, undergoes a similar journey. He evolves from a petulant, dismissive teenage boy to a loving and concerned brother. While he was initially dismissive and resentful of Hayley, he learns to understand his sister’s feelings and emotions. Though he disagrees with her personal choices, he defends them publicly and puts his sister above all else in his life, including his relationships, friends and future. Callum is a great character and his character development aids the development of many relationships in the novel as well as the overall plot.

While these characters are admirable and inspiring, it is the character of Liam McGaffney that is sure to steal reader’s hearts. When Liam first meets Hayley, he establishes his character as the hero-type and a confidante for Hayley, something that only grows as the plot develops. However, Liam is limited by his family. While Hayley is a source of comfort in his lonely life, Liam lives under the thumb of his violent and erratic older brother, Aiden. He is held back by his family and socio-economic background but particularly his religious associations. As a Catholic, or a “Green” or “Tim”, Liam is viewed, in his town, with intense scrutiny and hostility. He is a regular victim of verbal and, quite often, physical abuse and is met with prejudice not only in the town but also by Hayley’s family. However, despite these struggles, Liam presses forward. He fights to stay afloat, to stay out of trouble and more importantly, to keep Hayley safe and in his life. As the book goes on, he learns to defy the odds and stand up against the social injustices he faces, establishing for himself a strong and proud character.

One of the most important parts of this novel is its ability to tackle important social issues. From the outset, McFall highlights the dangers of sectarian violence and the impact it can particularly have on young minds and in a social setting. She shows that religious persecution is barbaric and prejudice can only lead to division and hardship. She also very delicately handles the issues of teenage pregnancy and abortion, but I won’t say much more on that. However, McFall highlights the importance of choice and emphasises that a woman’s body is her own and she has every right to control it. Drug usage, violence, emotional, physical and sexual abuse are also handled rather well in the novel, while also maintaining the innocence and hopefulness of typical Y.A. novels.

Usually, I would make a recommendation or suggest something the author could have done differently but quite frankly, I’m stumped. This is a great novel and is sure to appeal to fans of Y.A., romance and contemporary fiction. With similarities to "Where Rainbows End" by Cecilia Ahern or "The Secret of Callie and Kayden" by Jessica Sorensen, "Making Turquoise" is beautiful and addictive and it will remind readers of the importance of tolerance, especially in trying times like these.

All in all, 10/10.

[Jamie Rose]

The book paints a pretty grim picture of life in the Glasgow neighbourhood where it's set, with tensions between Protestants and Catholics, poverty, violence, drugs and crime all having a strong influence on the characters' growth and choices. As a setting for a forbidden love story, it's got all the ingredients, and I really felt for the characters as they navigated one pain and unfairness after another. I found the pacing a little off, with perhaps too much time & attention spent on the younger parts of the story and not enough on the events leading up to the main crisis. I also wonder if it might have flowed better without Callum and Aiden's additional points of view, since they weren't the focus of the story.

Overall, a tough and emotional read that's worth picking up.

[Les chroniques de Causette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I wish to make you discover a rather special new e-book as
All proceeds from this book up to 31/07/2020 will be donated to food banks to help in the face of the devastating effect of the coronavirus.
I decided to help get this novel known as widely as possible
My summary of the book :
Liam and Hayley meet each other when they are 11. They live in a small town near Glasgow. They immediately become friends. BUT they belong to two differnt worlds, two ennemy clans.
Hayley is from a protestant “blue-nose” family, supproting the Glasgow Rangers football team whereas Liam is a “green” catholic Celtic fan.
Their freindship is frowned upon by both families. Hayley’s dad is autoritarian and violent, her mum submissive and her twin brother Callum doesn’t really know how to deal with Liam. Liam grows up with his mother and older brother Aiden, a tortured and violent soul who gets into trouble, whilst their father is in prison for rape and murder.
But the children carry on seeing each other and friendship gives slowly way to love. How will these modern-day Romeo and Juliet avoid a tragedy ?

My opinion :
After a 1st chapter where Liam and Hayley are both 21, the novel is a flashback composed of chapters following them from 11 years old to adulthood. The scenes are told alternatively by the main protagonists : Liam, Hayley, Aiden and Callum. It enables the reader to follow the thoughts behind the characters behaviour.
The writing style is pleasant, even if references to the football (soccer) teams can be a bit difficult to get for people not aware of that background.
The plot is well built, with a logical evolution, and unforeseen events that hook the reader. The characters are also well described, they are not just superficial but show their wounds and their humanity.
As a conclusion, this is a real page-turner you won’t be able to put down until you’ve finished it !

My mark : 9/10

Make a good deed : buy it ; have a good time : read it !

[Alessia · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received this arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley**

I don't know how describe this book. I've finished it in one day and it made me cry.

Making Turquoise tells about Hayley Thomson and Liam McGaffney, their friendship, their love, their problems... like a modern Romeo & Juliet.

From the beginning I was intrigued by the events. You start from the final and you go back in time, to when the protagonists are 11 years old to adulthood. (21y/o).
Hayley is from a protestant “blue-nose” family, supproting the Glasgow Rangers football team whereas Liam is a “green” catholic Celtic fan.
Hayley has a twin brother, Callum. I'm in love with their "relationship", how they protect eachother and even with the passing of the years and the various quarrels or misunderstandings, they are always ready to defend themselves from who or what wants to hurt him.

Hayley and Liam meet each other at the park. when they were 11. They soon become friends and had a great time. But, Aiden (Liam's brother) and Hayley's dad don't want the two of them to have relationships. Even so, they continue to be friends and growing their feelings will change.

This book is not only about love. There are some trigger warning like Parental abuse, assault, abortion, death of a loved one. I think that Claire McFall has developed these themes very well.
I'm impressed! The charachters are well written, the introspection It made me feel on my skin the feelings of the guys and the joy or fear they felt during their growth. I cried, I admit. Even knowing how it would end, I felt "bad". I’d really like a sequel, even a novel about Hayley’s life.

[Jeff Bowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed by this book. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I think it's wonderful the author chose to donate her proceeds to COVID-19 relief up through the end of July 2020. That's an incredibly good cause for an incredibly good book.

What I really liked most about "Making Turquoise" was just how unflinching it was in its portrayal of the lives of young people and what it can be like to sort of have to fend for yourself or feel like you're dealing with incredibly serious issues and situations at a sensitive age. The semi-vignette style established right at the beginning keyed me into the fact that I was going to get to know these characters in snippets and pieces, but it totally works as a narrative, because it allows the story to exist as a dialed-in, focused character study that culminated, for me at least, with a much deeper understanding of these characters and the events surrounding their lives than I otherwise might have experienced.

Plus, I'm an American, and I always enjoy seeing what life is like in other parts of the world. Especially young life, because my childhood and early adulthood were ultimately very different from the lives of Liam, Hayley, Callum, and Aiden. Anyway, if you're looking for some young adult fiction that's grounded in real drama, and you like the idea of a non-traditional narrative that allows you to zoom in on the individual personalities of some pretty cool young characters, I highly recommend "Making Turquoise." Plus, such a good cause. Buy this enjoyable book and help out with COVID-19 relief. Sort of a win-win!

[Jessica Reads It · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Haley and Liam are childhood friends from opposite sides of the track. There is a lot of emphasis on the cultural rifts between the Proddies (posh) and the Tims (poor) reflected in the types of schools, housing, clothing, etc.

Liam has really drawn the short end of the stick with a dad in jail, drug addict brother (Aiden) and an alcoholic mother trying to make ends meet. His relationship with Hayley seems to be the one bright shining light in his life and even that is under attack from both of their families. Aiden or the other half of the McGaffney family is just pure evil, he is a manipulative bastard who only cares about himself and his next drug hit.

Haley has always been the good girl side of her twin Callum. She likes Liam because he was her knight in shining armor from her youth and they grew to be friends and then one time lovers. Her life takes a dark downward spiral and she latches on to the one thing that can ground her- Callum.

Callum deserved better, he really did! I am truly upset with his outcome after he has basically been the best thing about this entire book!

The ending was super splotchy to me and I didn’t realize it was a series. I truly believe a better compromise could have been made for some characters and others like Hayley need more growth and development.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the relations between Celtic fans and Rangers fans - or the lack thereof. And unless you know the phrases 'Tim' and 'Hun' (from the blurb) refer to those two things, you are going to be lost for a fair bit of time before this book starts making sense. Luckily though, I've told you, so you will understand slightly better. But rather than me spend my review talking about the intricacies of football club rivalries which you can, and should, do a little reading up on; I'll actually review this book.

The book starts at the end and then jumps back in time 10 years to see how we built up to the situation, it's a really interesting way of doing things that I think works very well. As time passes and we see these characters grow their paths become more rigid and we see them either lean into them, or fight against what has been dictated.

Claire McFall writes brilliant characters that are nuanced and flawed and even characters you can't possibly like, you can still somewhat understand. The conclusion was devastating all the more for the build up, yet inevitable both because of how the book started, and the paths the characters had to tread.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Not only is this such a great cause, but it is an amazing book too. I read the Ferryman series by Claire McFall, and loved it, so I had high expectations going into this one and I wasn't disappointed. It deals with more mature themes than the Ferryman series, such as teen pregnancy and drug usage, so I would say to take that into account before going into the book, but I highly recommend that you read it. It starts off with what is, in effect, the main event of the book, but then it goes back to when the characters where eleven years old, and we follow their lives as the age from eleven to twenty one. This was hugely effective because we see all the changes that the characters go through as they get older. The characters are written so well that you love and hate all the right people. There are moments full of tension, and you build up a lot of hope for everything to turn out right in the end. I read it all, really, in two sittings. Overall, Making Turquoise is a fantastic book, and I urge absolutely everyone to read it.

[Lindsay Montague · Rating 4 out of 5]

***TRIGGER WARNING***
Parental abuse, assault, teen pregnancy, abortion, death of a loved one

I think it was really smart to set up the novel by looking at our four characters from the ages of 11 to 21 to see how they grew as people and as they grew in relation to one another. I thought the connection between Liam and Hayley was indescribable, from meeting as pre-teens to their relationship as young adults.

I also really enjoyed the sibling relationship between twins Hayley and Callum. They went through the ebbs and flows of being siblings, but there is always a level of protectiveness between the two that was really touching. on the flip side, Aiden and Liam were volatile—Aiden in general is a menace to society. Liam says that Aiden is more like a father to him than his own dad, but we never see that as we follow them over the years. He was horrible to Liam, at all times. There is never a moment of redemption with him.

[Abbey Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for another fantastic read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Making Turquoise by Claire McFall is this generations modern twist on a Romeo & Juliet style of love story. Told from the viewpoints of twins Hayley and Callum, as well as Aiden and his younger brother Liam, we follow the four from childhood to adolescence and then the cusp of adulthood. Hayley and Liam meet as children but find themselves on opposing sides. Tim vs Hun, blue vs green. But the McGaffney brothers are trouble and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The book takes you on a journey as Hayley and Liam whirl together and cause both sides to collide. Claire McFall paints a fantastic story full of love, innocence, abuse, prejudice heartbreak and the realisation of growing up. Each character uniquely and wonderfully written. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself finishing it within a day. A great coming of age YA that will leave you hopeful, saddened and shocked.

[Victoria Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an insightful and gripping book about teenagers growing up on opposite sides of the invisible but very real divide that lies at the heart of life in Glasgow. Pulling no punches, the realism keeps the reader hooked as the plot unfolds over a decade of the main characters' lives, showing how their choices and opportunities are often shaped and limited by forces outwith their control that dictate whether they are 'blue' or 'green', and therefore who they can befriend, and worse, who they are allowed to fall in love with. Throughout the story, the alternating narrative focus allows reader to see right into the motivations of each character, making the difficulties and tragedies they face all the more heart-breaking. Gritty, realistic and unputdownable, Making Turquoise deserves to be hailed as a YA classic. A must read.

[Christine Boal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liam & Hayley have always had a friendship that was dogged by the religious divide in Larkhall, Glasgow. They only see each other as friends but those around them cannot see past Liam being a ‘Tic & Hayley a Hun. As their relationship grows closer things only get worse & there is a downward spiral of threats, intimidation & violence. This culminates in the death of Hayley’s twin brother, Callum, - no spoiler alert since you find this out right at the beginning of the book - but did Liam stab Callum or will green & blue be able to blend & ‘ Make Turquoise’?
This was a view into the difficult world of religious division in Scotland and how it can still scar the lives of the young people involved. The journey through the teenage years of Hayley, Liam & Callum (told in their own voices) gives an insight into the fears & pressure they experience. A good read!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of two people from different communities falling in love isn't a new one, but Claire gives is a new and exciting twist in Making Turquoise. She portrays the sectarian tension in this book with skill and empathy - these characters aren't bad people, but people who have grown up in communities where sticking with your side is part of the culture, and they don't know any different. When Liam and Hayley fall in love, everyone is against them, and their struggle to make it work keeps you on the edge of your seat. I really liked how the book shifted perspectives as well, so you got the story from different characters' points of view. The main characters in the book may be teenagers, but I'm in my 30s and I couldn't put it down - definitely worth a read.

[Chris Bowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is for such a good cause, but it's also a great read! It's gritty & hard hitting, I'd say 13+.

Hayley and Liam are from opposite sides of the Sectarian divide. The book begins at Hayley's 21st party, where a tragic event occurs, and then we go back and follow Hayley, Liam, Hayley's twin Callum and Liam's no-good big brother Aiden through their childhood, tracking the insipid influence of bigotry and hate as they strive to grow up in post-industrial Scotland.

The book moves along at a fast pace, and you become really involved in the characters' lives, rooting for them to succeed despite their difficult circumstances.

Great book. Definitely worth a small charitable donation.

[Sarah Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. The book starts with a tragedy and then fills in the backstory but it is not predictable. The characters grow on you and you want to see how it ends, even though you know one aspect of the end. The book explores adolescence in all its aspects of "dating" but, more importantly addresses the issue of religious affiliation and the tribal nature of that and the expression in sport. The casual issue of domestic abuse and familial violence is also a thread throughout the story. Despite all this, it is a story of love, despair, faith and faithfulness, youth and the journey of adolescence.

[Sophie Plowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Making Turquoise is a coming-of-age story. The beginning hits you like a right hook, then shifts to the circumstances - the events, the characters, and the place - that shaped it. Though a sense of foreboding propels the narrative, it's the lives of the four main characters, growing up in the outskirts of sectarian Glasgow, that draw you in. This is a book for young adults and adults alike, that falls somewhere between Irvine Welsh and Romeo and Juliet. It's is a tender, troubling, and uplifting read.

[Keerthana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making Turquoise is romantic novel with a whodunit murder twist.
This book discusses and has a trigger warning for drug abuse, physical abuse, murder, abortion, and teen pregnancy.
The writing style is very clever,describing every character's development from their teens to adult age.
The book also depicts the sibling relationship and how it evolved.The ending was super splotchy to me .But overall it is a good read.

Thank you Netgalley,the author and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read and review #MakingTurquoise.

[haven ⋄ f (hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. This is an okay book. The prose is okay, but I had troubles staying interested. The plot was interesting, I think, but it was a slow book. It has alternating POVs, through 4 people, which was pretty confusing, but once I got the hang of it, it was decent, I think.

A few things that concerns me is there is no low reviews (exception of mine) and as soon as I requested the book, the publisher sent it. The second isn't as concerning as the first but it did make me surprised. I do wish that the cover looked better and more professional.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for the arc!

[Susan Fiddes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gritty tale based in the west of Scotland; fans of Claire McFall will love the questions and issues thrown up by this new novel - themes of love, loyalty, prejudice and religion intertwine with murder in this coming-of-age thriller.

Great cause too - all proceeds go to a food bank charity. Highly recommended reading.

[Jacqueline Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisty yarn that is set against a dark landscape of bigotry and violence. The lives of Hayley and Liam collide with dire consequences for both of their families. Glasgow’s tribal allegiances pulsate in the back drop of this love story. A gripping narrative that invites the reader to sympathise with the range of characters. We see the many challenges faced by star crossed lovers!

[Claire Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster. Loved it.

Review to come.

[Cate D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

This book is pretty hard hitting, but I couldn't stop reading. And I can't decide who I love more: Liam, or Callum.

Both. I love them both.

[Finlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing portrayal of the real issues caused by sectarianism in Glasgow.

[Chris B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooooo good. Heartbreaking and brilliant. It's like Romeo and Juliet but set now and in Scotland.

There are some more mature themes, so I think it's for 13+... but if you are over 13, read it!

[Amy Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written in a very interesting way and it was very interesting to see how the characters changed as they aged over time. I lost interest a couple of times but overall it was an enjoyable read

[Samantha Scheer · Rating 2 out of 5]

his book opens up with a classic murder scene and the question of whodunit. Callum Thomson is found murdered at his 21st birthday party, that he shares with his twin sister Hayley. The two suspects are none other than the McGaffney brothers, Liam and Aiden.

Aiden has a history of being a big, fat bully and drug addict who loves to fight. Liam is Hayley's old lover, and old friend. So why would they murder Callum?

This book transports us through the different ages of our four main characters, starting at 11 years old and ending at 21. Each chapter is a different age and we learn how the four of them are connected, and what happens that year that affects all four of them.

This book is dark. There is no happy ending to this story. There are serious topics discussed and a trigger warning for drug abuse, physical abuse, murder, abortion, and teen pregnancy.

Oh, and it takes place in Scotland, which runs very differently than the US. In Scotland, you can get arrested for having a knife on you, any type of knife, including a pocket knife. Also there is a huge rivalry between Tims and Proddys, which I had no idea what that even meant until I saw a fellow reviewer report that football is basically a religion over there and Tims like the Celtics and Proddys like the Rangers. (Yeah, I have no idea.. it seemed much more political to me than that).

The plot was clever in the fact that I enjoyed seeing how each chapter was a different age for our main characters and seeing how they connected with one another through the events of what happened at that time. I had an issue with the Tics vs. Proddys though. There was no explanation, for a reader like myself who does not know Scottish culture, what this meant. I went in thinking that it had to do with political parties (like Democrats vs. Republicans) and I had to do some research, which did not come up with anything, and had to find out what this meant through other book reviews. That really made me rate this book a little lower because there was no explanation in the plot about this, but yet was a HUGE part of the plot, especially when it came to Liam and Hayley's relationship.

I really enjoyed watching Hayley and Callum's relationship grow through everything that happened to them through each of the years of this book. I also saw a lot of growth in Liam, and his dedication to Hayley was astounding. I was really rooting for them throughout the entire novel.

I am rating this a solid 3. It does not mean that the book is bad, it just means that it was okay for me. Not having an explanation for some things made it hard for me to follow parts of the story, that appeared crucial in many chapters. This book was dark, and it dealt with some pretty heavy topics and I thought that the author did a good job portraying those topics as realistically and delicately at possible.

I liked that the story started and ending with Callum's murder, and the middle was all about how we got to that point and how the four of our main characters were connected. I absolutely hated Aiden, and Claire did a good job at writing him as a villain.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up in Edinburgh, so when I saw the allusions to Glasgow, blue and green, I kinda got where the book was going, and I was right.
It's another book that talks about the issues faced by certain areas of the UK - blue and green - Rangers/Celtic - Catholic and Protestant too. And, once I realised that was where the book was going, I was a little disappointed - there were a very few nice details, but I also felt some of it was a little bit cliche - it honestly felt like someone was trying to set up a 'Romeo and Juliet' style story, but it felt a bit hamfisted in places - and unless you come from hardcore football families, as a Scottish national, I found myself more annoyed than sympathetic.
But it is fiction, the story elicited a reaction and it's worth reading if you like murder/romance/whodunnit's.
I was given a copy of this book to review on Netgalley by the author or publisher, in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you for the opportunity.

[Kara Mugleston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book. Wow! It's like Romeo and Juliet meets Outsider. You're drawn in from the very beginning, and there's no way to put it down! So incredible! You feel Hayley's every hope, dream, and heartbreak as if it were your own. So, so fantastic.