I’ve read a few Sarah Crossan novels, but this is my favourite!
First off it gave me e m o t i o n s. And books that make you feel are so incredibly powerful and noteworthy. And also…it actually has the same premise of my own book (The Boy Who Steals Houses) which was weird at first to read, but then Sarah Crossan is famous, so to think we had similar premises can be flattering!
It’s basically about a girl who runs away from an abusive home and accidentally ends up living in a stranger’s house…and becoming someone else in order to stay. It’s about hurt people curling in on themselves for protection. It has found-family (my FAVE trope) and it has no romance (which is unusual for YA so I love it when I find this!!) and it’s about unlikely friendships. 💛
*:·ﾟ✧ THE STORY IT TOLD *:·ﾟ✧
Allison runs away from home after her father does something wretchedly unforgivable to her. She’s spent her whole life blaming herself for his abuse (if only she cooked dinner better…if only she wasn’t a burden…if only she’d known how to be better, etc.) but then she ends up sneaking into this house with an old lady who thinks she’s someone else. Marla has dementia and thinks Allison is “Toffee”. Allison just goes with it to get a roof over her head and some food.
But then they become friends. And need each other. And it’s like really special to read an older-person-to-teen-friendship story. Also Marla is really suffering too, not just from her disease, but her home-care helper doesn’t always show up and her son is casually abusive. And everyone gets away with it, because Marla is like 80 and who’s going to believe this old grandma with dementia that she’s being neglected!??
It’s SAD. The whole book is full of casual abuse and I think that happens a lot in society. So highlighting it is important.
*:·ﾟ✧ WRITTEN IN VERSE *:·ﾟ✧
Being in verse, it made the story quite a quick read. (My Goodreads challenge, which I am chronically behind on, thanks you lmao.) I liked how this captured whole scenes and feelings and important arcs in just a few sentences, sometimes just a few words.
The characters are all dimensional and complex. Some you hate them. Some break your heart. And they’re all flawed. Marla is sometimes angry and mean. Allison makes selfish decisions that hurt others. They are perfect in their imperfections and it makes the book so real.
*:·ﾟ✧ THE ENDING *:·ﾟ✧
I confess it left me a little bit confused because I felt there were some BIG things to still address but it just…ended. But hey, open endings are ok. Usually I love them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
*:·ﾟ✧ OVERALL WHAT DID I THINK? *:·ﾟ✧
It’s a raw and heartfelt story, of invisible people’s suffering and how hungry you can be for love. The writing felt sensory and relatable and it totally tugged at my heart. The world made Allison and Marla small an insignificant, but they reminded each other that this wasn’t true. Everyone deserves love that makes them visible.
thank you to Bloomsbury for the review copy. Toffee by Sarah Crossan is out now!
GOODREADS | BOOK DEPOSITORY | AMAZON | BOOKTOPIA | bloomsbury
I am not who I say I am,
and Marla isn’t who she thinks she is.
I am a girl trying to forget.
She is a woman trying to remember.
Allison has run away from home and with nowhere to live finds herself hiding out in the shed of what she thinks is an abandoned house. But the house isn’t empty. An elderly woman named Marla, with dementia, lives there – and she mistakes Allison for an old friend from her past called Toffee.
Allison is used to hiding who she really is, and trying to be what other people want her to be. And so, Toffee is who she becomes. After all, it means she has a place to stay. There are worse places she could be.
But as their bond grows, and Allison discovers how much Marla needs a real friend, she begins to ask herself – where is home? What is a family? And most importantly, who am I, really?
| WHAT DO YOU THINK |
do you often find YA books with no romance?? have you read any other Crossan books? tell me if this is on your TBR!!
That’s really good to hear! I’ve just been sent a review copy of this one as well but I have to admit I was super hesitant to pick it up, it being written in verse. I usually avoid those books like the plague – it’s so not my thing. But it sounds amaaaazing, so maybe i better take a wander out of my comfort zone.
I totally hope this one ends up working for you! I always HATED poetry in highschool so I just thought I hated it in general…but actually I don’t?! And verse books are amazing?! I think it all depends on the quality and style!
Enjoyed you review. I’ve not read anything by Sarah Crossan, but this novel sounds promising.
She’s such a great UKYA author!!🤗
This sounds so good! This is the first blog post of yours I have found and I love it! I’m definitely going to pick this book up.
Aw thank you so much for finding my blog and commenting!! It’s so nice to meet you!! 🤗
This sounds brilliant! I want it. Sarah Crossan’s other books are on my TBR list, so I’m going to add this one too.
Might as well read them all 😌 they are good eeep
I can’t say I have read any Crossan books, but this one is on my TBR now! As for books with no romance, hahaha! What are those? Okay, I know there are some (Summer Bird Blue, The Outsiders, etc.), but they’re few and far between. I wish there were more. Sometimes reading romance is exhausting!
They are definitely not the usual in YA eep. But they do exist! I really love all the Alice Oseman books for focusing on friendship over romance too 🤗
I NEED TO READ THIS. Also, I am half awake and I thought the title was Coffee and the novel was written by Sarah Croissant and now I want both coffee and a croissant. Anyways, I love books written in verse and this is a new-to-me author so OBVIOUSLY I need to look into it.
Ok NOW I’M LAUGHING. 😂😂 Coffee by Sarah Croissant. 😂😂 This is so perfect (also now I want a croissant?!)
Ohhhhh this book sounds so so very good. I’m not used to reading novels in verse, so I have to say I’m a little nervous about that, but this book sounds really really like a book that’d play with my emotions and that I would enjoy a lot. Thank you for sharing! <3
Aw I’m glad you liked the sound of it from my review! 🤗
I think the last book I read without romance might have been I Was Born for This!
Sarah Crossan’s books always gut me! I think One was my favorite so far still, even though it was the first book of hers I ever read. I think one of the reasons I first read her books was because they were in verse and I wanted to get ahead on my reading goal as well! If you’re looking for more books in verse I’d highly recommend Bull by David Elliott, which is the story of Theseus and the Minotaur which is not just in verse, but also really short!
Aw I loved I Was Born For This too!! I find Alice Oseman books are the best for being so softly and lovingly queer and with a focus on friendship first 😍 living for it
I shall definitely look up your rec too, thanks!
This book looks pretty good! I like how it is written in verses too. Quicker/easier to read and comprehend which my tired summer brain needs. Also the cover is pretty spicy I like it! Might have to add this to the toppling TBR pile!
And omg I was so desperately behind on my Good Reads challenge but now am thankfully starting to catch up (thank god I found the amazing Caraval series bc I binge read that and that really helped boost my challenge! Legendary is my new fav!!)
Thanks for the bookish thoughts Cait great review 🙂
yesss I feel that way too haha. It’s just nice to have a book you can whip through, but also has such depth and nuance and feeling! And omg Caraval is the BEST right?! I’m obsessed with it.
I really enjoy verse novels, though must admit I haven’t read a whole huge amount of them!
This sounds really nice! Thank you for the review, I will have to check it out 🙂
I haven’t read too many either but I DO love Sarah Crossan ones! Plus they’re helping my way-behind-Goodreads-Goal to catch up. 😂
Oh wow this sounds really moving! I have read a few of her books too, and I think she’s one of the few authors whose verse writing I like. It’s hard to make me feel stuff in verse, but she manages quite well, so I am definitely going to need this one in my life!
This book looks so good! I will have to read it. after TBWSH. Shh. I’m trying my best here.
But I always really like a book with no romance and one written in verse is really just a bonus. I’ll have to pester my library endlessly until they get a copy in. But anyhow, I’d not heard of this book? Maybe bc it’s not a US marketed book? I don’t know, but I’m glad you shared it!