Apple’s mother disappeared years ago, leaving Apple with her nana and a lot of unanswered questions. But when she unexpectedly explodes back into Apple’s life like a comet, homecoming is bittersweet. It’s only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is that she begins to see things as they really are.
This beautiful novel from multi-award-winning author Sarah Crossan explores family, friendship and reconciliation. It is a story about how messy, complicated and surprising love can be.
Sarah Crossan never fails in addressing the more gritty issues that reflect the realities of some teenagers’ lives. Crossan does for the young teen what Jacqueline Wilson did for the pre-teen reader.
The story of Apple and Rain touches on a wide range of themes: friendship, bullying, family, love, attachment and mental health, to name a few. The reader is pulled through the story, empathising with different characters through the book and in particular with Apple, the main character, whose mother re-enters her life after nearly 15 years. The English teacher at school and the poetry that he introduces Apple to provide a sanctuary and opportunity for her to express the complex feelings that accompany the return of her mother and the deep desire for it all to work out for them as a family. In addition, poetry provides Apple with a chance to express the loss of her best friend to another girl in the class and the beginnings of her feelings for the boy Del, a neighbour.
Crossan is fabulous at showing how the unusual or ‘outcast’ characters have the greatest depth, care and charm, and this is evident in the behaviours of Apple’s new stepsister and the home-schooled ‘boy next door’, Del. All the characters are carefully crafted by Crossan, including Nana, who has looked after Apple since birth.
This is a super read for any teen.
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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
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