The Places I've Cried in Public (A BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick): 1

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She has a clever author voice and is able to speak to teenagers in their language, creating credible characters with whom young people can genuinely identify. Holly Bourne has once again produced a story regarding young adult issues that is at times hard to read, but is emotive and totally honest... The story follows 16 year old Amelie (who is also the narrator of this emotive read) who has recently moved away from all that she knows due to her parents having to relocate. She is not a confident girl, but truly shines when she plays her music, which is how she gets noticed by Reese. Due perhaps to feeling 'the odd girl out', Amelie falls fast and hard for Reese, ignoring some of her gut instincts and friendly advice. He loves her, doesn't he? He told her. If things go wrong it's her fault, because he said so, he only tells her because he loves her so much! He's so romantic and loving, but is he? This book follows Amelie, a sixteen year old who moves Down South from Sheffield, leaving behind friends, a boyfriend, and sixth form for an unknown town somewhere insignificantly near London. She's musical. She's self-deprecating. She wears granny cardigans and vintage dresses. She likes her parents. What happens (or more specifically who happens) after she joins a new college makes up the rest of the book. The only reason this isn’t a whooping 5-stars is because this was still quite a difficult read at times, because of the themes of the story. Still 200% recommending this, if you can handle the trigger warnings.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions and it was extremely difficult in some places to read what Amelie had to go through. This book really does make you think about certain things when it comes to love. Amelie and Reese are in a relationship and it appears to be the "All Consuming" type of love. There's some very and not so subtle nods to what is happening and the more I read the more I just knew what was going to happen (well part of it) and my heart well and truly broke.If the focus really is on Amelie and Reese’s relationship in this book, I liked the place the secondary characters took in the story. From the caring music teacher to the friendship Amelie develops, destroys and mends with Hannah, I appreciated seeing this very much, as well. Afterwards, puzzled Amelie decides to revisit all the places she cried when with Reese and in the process of doing so, and replaying events with the benefit of hindsight, begins to realise that consistency is a highly underrated love trait, especially when compared to lying, cheating and the trauma of abuse. A very well done and important book, please be warned that this book does contain Trigger Warning, and if you would like me to tell them to you my inbox is always open. A school project gives Amelie the idea. She’ll create a memory map of all the places he made her cry. This moving book, published by Usborne, frankly explores what love is and, crucially, what it isn’t. It’s written by Holly Bourne, a bestselling author, relationship advisor and passionate mental health advocate.

Overall, it wasn’t the most expertly written book I’ve ever read, but I think it explores some very important topics and is a book I wish I had read when I was a teenager. I’m interested to read more of Holly Bourne’s work so if anyone has any recommendations for me, please let me know in the comments! Alfie was consistent, and, because of that, I wasn't crazy. I was calm, I was chill - I was all the things you wanted me to be, Reese. But I was incapable of being those things with you. The more you wanted me to be that "chill" girl - the more you made it clear that your love for me depended on it - the less chill and more crazy I got. Because you weren't consistent.I’ve cried in plenty of public places, like on the train or in a long queue. It’s completely normal! We can’t always regulate our emotions, and I’m a firm believer that crying is really helpful. We should embrace the tears when they come, not try and hide them! Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. On that note, I did have a rather love-hate relationship with the author’s writing style. I loved the touches of British slang and humour that I miss in a lot of the American YA that I read, but one of my pet peeves is when dialogue or angry thoughts are written in all capitals. It’s such a minor thing, but wow it grinds my gears and loses so much of the impact for me. I also find lyrics for fictional songs in books so jarring. I don’t know why but it makes me uncomfortable. Lyric writing and novel writing are two very different things so I find it awkward when a character gets told that she’s an amazing lyricist, but then we read the lyrics and they’re actually not that great. It’s just awkward to me. But these are such minor things in context of the novel. The Places I've Cried nos muestra el desarrollo y las consecuencias de una relación abusiva, con cruda honestidad. Amelie, la protagonista, está decida a entender que fue lo que salió mal, a entender su dolor para poder superarlo. Para ello decide armar un mapa de recuerdos y recorrer cada punto donde Reese la haya hecho llorar. Es una historia difícil, donde la intensidad va en crescendo, con alta carga emocional y, me atrevo a decir, no para todo público. All in all, it is a book I recommend. It's important and it has value and it's something everyone needs to be aware off.