Guest Post: The Story Behind Crush by Eve Ainsworth

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while will know that domestic abuse is something that is very close to my heart and I think it's so important to have more stories on this topic out there to make abuse more easily recognizable. To celebrate the publication day for Crush by Eve Ainsworth I've invited Eve on to the blog to share the story behind Crush with you today.

The Story Behind Crush by Eve Ainsworth 

Writing about an abusive teen relationship was not an easy thing to do, in fact it was one of the hardest things I’ve written so far. Almost immediately I grew to love Anna. She was a character that developed quickly within me. She is an honest, hardworking, faithful girl. She strives for more and she cares fearlessly for those around her. I’ve known girls like Anna, and I’ve known girls like Anna who have ended up in awful toxic relationships. 

At school, I remember the raw frustration of being single – I was that girl, the one that wanted a boyfriend and never had one. Yet most of my friends seemed to fall into relationships easily. Most of them were the usual up and down, first love headaches - but two of my friends had something different, they had something far more dangerous. Not that they realised that at the time. 

One girl’s boyfriend would follow her around everywhere, a permanent shadow behind her. He vetted her friends, he questioned her movements. He was never violent, but the snarl on his face and his biting comments were enough to turn my bubbly mate into a quiet, compliant wreck. My other friend had it worse. Much worse. She ended up completely isolated and afraid, hiding bruises from her family, excusing his behaviour to friends and eventually leaving school to be with him. It took several violent and degrading incidents before she finally found the strength to leave. 

I never forgot these stories, and even though these friends are safe and happy now, their faces still change when they talk of that time. They physically recoil and become quite angry. It was a bad time and they are both lucky to have got out when they did. 

Maybe I would’ve forgotten about this if it wasn’t for the job that I ended up doing. Working with teens just highlighted that none of these issues have gone away. I remember one girl – once bubbly and outgoing, who was now trapped in a toxic web. Her boyfriend had complete control of her. He checked her phone, he kept her away from her family, and if she complained – he pinched her arms and pulled her hair. 

“But he loves me,” she said, “you don’t understand.” 

But I did. I’d seen it before. And not just with my female friends. Toxic love could twist any relationship, taint any love – and I understood only too well. I understood that it needed to end. 

So, I had to write Crush. I had to tell Anna’s story and Will’s too. I needed to show how quickly abusive love can develop and the reasons why someone can chose to control another. Most importantly I wanted to show how crucial it is to break away before matters escalate. 

Because love should never, ever be about control - and if I can help one teen reader realise that, I will be very happy. 

 Crush is available to buy from all good bookshops as of today 

For more from Eve follow her on Twitter @EveAinsworth 

and check out her website http://eveainsworth.com/

February Round Up and Book of the Month

February's Book of the Month is Beautiful Broken Things 

by Sara Barnard

If you follow me on Twitter then my favourite book of February won't come as a surprise to you because I've been raving about it every chance I get! So you know that post I did at the start of the month What's a Heroine without a Hero? Well this was a book without a romance which I loved, but more than that it delivered everything I've been wanting from a book about friendship and mental health. This book made me feel all of the feels and captures deep, true, unbreakable friendship so well. I'll be sharing my review for this very soon so stay tuned for more of my thoughts!

Read in February 
19.) Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik (4*)
20.) The Case of the Blue Violet by Robin Stevens (4*)
21.) You Sent Me a Letter by Lucy Dawson (3*)
22.) Our Song by Dani Atkins (5*)
23.) Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare (4*)
24.) You by Caroline Kepnes (4.5*)
25.) Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard (5*)
26.) The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin (4.5*)
27.) The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan (4*)
28.) Amulet: Firelight by Kazu Kibuishi (4.5*)

Monthly Book Awards
Best Plot: The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
Best Writing: You by Caroline Kepnes
Best Cover: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
Best Characters: You by Caroline Kepnes
Best Ending: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
Best Romance: Our Song by Dani Atkins
Best Friendship: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
Most un-put-down-able: Our Song by Dani Atkins
Most Memorable: Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard
Best Moral: The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Beautiful Broken Things, Our Song, You

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in March 
Jolly Foul Play by Robin Stevens
Between You and Me by Lisa Hall
The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
Flawed by Cecelia Ahern
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

 What was your favourite book of February? 

 And what are you looking forward to reading in March?

Review for Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged 
by Ayisha Malik
Publisher: Twenty7
Release: 14th January 2016
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

" "Brilliant idea! Excellent! Muslim dating? Well, I had no idea you were allowed to date.' Then he leaned towards me and looked at me sympathetically. 'Are your parents quite disappointed?' 

Unlucky in love once again after her possible-marriage-partner-to-be proves a little too close to his parents, Sofia Khan is ready to renounce men for good. Or at least she was, until her boss persuades her to write a tell-all expose about the Muslim dating scene.

As her woes become her work, Sofia must lean on the support of her brilliant friends, baffled colleagues and baffling parents as she goes in search of stories for her book. In amongst the marriage-crazy relatives, racist tube passengers and decidedly odd online daters, could there be a a lingering possibility that she might just be falling in love...?"

Review
Sofia Khan is Not Obliged is a book that I fell in love with from the first few pages. Sofia’s voice is so warm and likeable that you quickly get sucked into her crazy life and root for her like you would a friend.

The book is told in a diary format and follows Sofia’s adventures as a modern muslim woman. After breaking off her engagement with a man a little too close to his family, Sofia swears off men for good to the horror of her relatives. When her boss at the publishing house where she works offers Sofia a book deal she agrees- she might not have a husband but she will have a bloody book! The only problem is the book in question is a tell-all on muslim dating and to write it she’s going to have to throw herself back into the London dating scene for research. With marriage crazy relatives, her friends’ disastrous love lives and a writing deadline Sofia’s about to dive hijab first into the world of romance whether she likes it or not.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged is a fresh take on Women’s Fiction, I loved getting to take a look at a different way of life that I haven’t seen represented before in this genre. The book tackles some serious themes at times. I got particularly angry at a scene where Sofia is called a terrorist on the tube! But for the most part, the book is warm and funny whilst still shedding light on Sofia’s lifestyle.

As well as the wonderful Sofia Khan, there are so many other brilliant secondary characters to get to know and love. There’s a large cast but every single character is fleshed out and vibrant. Sofia’s relationships with her family and friends were one of my favourite things about this book. I especially loved the relationship that Sofia has with her dad.

Sofia Kahn is Not Obliged is one of those rare books that made me both laugh and cry. Sofia Khan is one of my new favourite heroines - she makes every page sparkle with her funny and intelligent outlook on life. If you’re a fan of Helen Fielding or Mhairi McFarlane, Ayisha Malik may just be your new favourite author. I can’t wait for the sequel!

What’s a Heroine without a Hero?

The other day one of my blog readers got in touch with me. She explained that she was going through a break-up and wanted some YA book recommendations that didn’t feature a romance. Well, I was stumped. I gave her a list of the few books I could think of and since then I’ve been thinking a lot about romance in YA.

Compared to other genres, YA is very romance heavy to the point where I’m actually surprised if a book doesn’t feature some kind of romantic relationship.

I want to start by saying that I think that romance in YA books is important to represent. First love can be passionate and messy and it’s so important that teenagers can explore that in books and read about first time dates, kisses, love and sex. When romance is done right, I love to read about it.

But does every YA book need a hero?

I’ve read so many books where the main character hasn’t got a parent, or a best friend, but it’s unlikely that I ever stumble across a book where the heroine doesn’t have some form of love interest. It seems funny to me because growing up not all of my friends had boyfriends. Sure, boys featured in our lives from time to time, but it was our friendships that were the most important thing to us. As a teenager (and even as an adult) your best friends can be the real loves of your life and I’d love to see that represented more in YA.

I think that it’s important to show young girls that they can be a heroine without a hero.

There are so many massive life events that happen as a teenager that don’t involve a boy being at your side. Sometimes I feel like romance is added in for the sake of it and as a selling point. After all, the big YA books all feature an epic love story.

There are so many wonderful and inspiring books that I’ve read that cover new topics and bring fresh ideas to the table that still feature a romance that’s usually so small that I can’t help but wonder what it’s doing there in the first place. Is it really needed? Does it add anything to the story?

Just as we need books that represent diverse characters, I feel that we also need books that represent young single women. I think that it’s important to show that a happy ending doesn’t always involve that long awaited kiss with your crush. Your life and achievements can be enough; your story is just as valid and important despite not having a boyfriend. There’s so much more to a young woman’s story than her love life.

I think it’s about time that we showed girls that their voices matter, with or without a hero.

Early Bird Review: Underwater by Marisa Reichardt

Underwater by Marisa Reichardt
Publisher: Macmillan
Release: 7th April 2016
Genre: Contemporary, Mental Health
Source: Copy received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review



Synopsis:

"In order to move on after a traumatic experience, Morgan must learn to forgive - first someone who did something that might be unforgivable, and then herself.

But Morgan can't move on. She can't even move beyond the front door of the apartment she shares with her mother and little brother. Morgan feels like she's underwater, unable to surface. Unable to see her friends. Unable to go to school.

When it seems Morgan can't hold her breath any longer, a new boy moves in next door. Evan reminds her of the salty ocean air and the rush she used to get from swimming. He might be just what she needs to help her reconnect with the world outside.

Underwater is a powerful, hopeful debut novel about redemption, recovery and finding the strength it takes to face your past and move on."

Review 
There are so many books out there about the horrors of high school shootings, but what made Underwater stand out for me is that this book takes place months after the shooting showing the long term effect trauma has on people’s lives. One moment can change you forever.

Underwater follows Morgan who, in the months after the shooting at her high school, has become a recluse. For months Morgan hasn’t stepped foot outside of her home, her world has shrunk to a routine of online schooling, grilled cheese lunches, daytime TV and afternoon visits with her therapist. When it takes all of your energy to control your panic attacks and triggers daily life can be overwhelming. Underwater is Morgan’s journey in learning to live again after the very worst has happened.

Underwater was a very personal read for me. Although my situation isn’t the same as Morgan’s, I too have panic attacks and PTSD that make it difficult for me to leave my house. I found that so many passages of this book were relatable to me – a sure sign that Marisa Reichardt has done her research and that the story rings true to the struggle of mental health recovery.

When I first discovered that there’s a romance in this book I was worried that it’d be a case of ‘girl meets boy and magically recovers from her mental health problems’ but I’m happy to report that that wasn’t the case at all. This is very much Morgan’s journey in working through her fears, finding inner strength and learning how to live again. The romance is a very minor aspect of the story as Evan joins Morgan’s mom, brother and therapist cheering her on from the side-lines.

As well as Morgan’s relationship with Evan she has so many other wonderful connections in this book. It’s something that Marisa Reichardt really excels at in her writing. Morgan’s mom and brother were so supportive and I loved reading about Morgan’s sessions with her therapist. I think that the most interesting relationship to read about was the relationship Morgan had with her dad and how after his time in Afghanistan their stories parallel.

Underwater was such an emotional read about learning to swim and push through the rough waters that try to hold you down. This book is about courage, second chances and forgiveness. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a realistic and sensitive portrayal on mental health recovery.