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fr_eddie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Il fatto che Tanya abbia poi scritto libri wlw non è una sorpresa, ecco.
Libro davvero interessante, misterioso, con due linee temporali che si alternano, portando la rivelazione finale ad essere seguita dalla calma prima della tempesta. Fantastico.
Storia molto ambigua, con il main love interest identificato come "lui", che ok sì certe volte pensavo a "Him" delle superchicche ma questa è un'altra storia. Pur sapendo il twist finale, anche avendo letto questo libro più di un paio di anni fa, la storia è comunque scorrevole e interessante.
Tema del grooming che è inserito ma è quasi ignorato, con Dominic che ha la sua fama perché ha "messo incinta una professoressa". That's a crime. Qualcuno salvi Dominic, sia dalle signore pazze che da Scarlett, che, sapendo che lui è innamorato di lei, lo usa come più le piace. Povero Dominic.
Scarlett classica ragazza viziata, che ottiene tutto quello che vuole, ma alla fine non è detestabile. E solo una ragazzina, con la sua vanità, la sua imprevedibilità, il suo disordine, il suo egoismo. L'amicizia con Adamma parte un po' too strong (il primo incontro le da' il passepartout, che vabbè è inutile, but still), ma poi procede normalmente, con i dissapori tipici di sedicenni, compreso il lottare per lo stesso ragazzo, anche se si sono volute e si vogliono ancora bene. Cucciole.
Daddy issues di Adamma che vanno di potenza, con il suo rapporto stretto col padre, così tanto che lq madre sembra comparire a metà libro, ma il rapporto col genitore è sempre più stretto. E oh, guarda, c'è un professore uomo che è giovane e intelligente. E tutte le studentesse gli stanno sotto. Uh oh.
Ho trovato Adamma non troppo fastidiosa, ma pronta ad agire per quello che crede giusto: per questo va dalla polizia (anche se non ho capito perché Bone non stia quasi mai al commissariato. Fra esci dai pub ogni volta.), per questo non si fa trattare una merda da Scarlett, per questo sai che questo amore così passionale e intenso è un po' una red flag, anche perché nelle scene in cui sono mostrati i due si vede che lui non la vuole lasciar andare, che per srare con lui le fa perdere lezioni e allentamenti. Super mega Red flag.
Lo consiglierei? Sì, è scorrevole, è interessante, e ci sono molti elementi dell'origine nigeriana di Adamma, cosa che la rende un personaggio più reale, non solo una classica ragazzina. Daje Tanya.
Libro davvero interessante, misterioso, con due linee temporali che si alternano, portando la rivelazione finale ad essere seguita dalla calma prima della tempesta. Fantastico.
Storia molto ambigua, con il main love interest identificato come "lui", che ok sì certe volte pensavo a "Him" delle superchicche ma questa è un'altra storia. Pur sapendo il twist finale, anche avendo letto questo libro più di un paio di anni fa, la storia è comunque scorrevole e interessante.
Tema del grooming che è inserito ma è quasi ignorato, con Dominic che ha la sua fama perché ha "messo incinta una professoressa". That's a crime. Qualcuno salvi Dominic, sia dalle signore pazze che da Scarlett, che, sapendo che lui è innamorato di lei, lo usa come più le piace. Povero Dominic.
Scarlett classica ragazza viziata, che ottiene tutto quello che vuole, ma alla fine non è detestabile. E solo una ragazzina, con la sua vanità, la sua imprevedibilità, il suo disordine, il suo egoismo. L'amicizia con Adamma parte un po' too strong (il primo incontro le da' il passepartout, che vabbè è inutile, but still), ma poi procede normalmente, con i dissapori tipici di sedicenni, compreso il lottare per lo stesso ragazzo, anche se si sono volute e si vogliono ancora bene. Cucciole.
Daddy issues di Adamma che vanno di potenza, con il suo rapporto stretto col padre, così tanto che lq madre sembra comparire a metà libro, ma il rapporto col genitore è sempre più stretto. E oh, guarda, c'è un professore uomo che è giovane e intelligente. E tutte le studentesse gli stanno sotto. Uh oh.
Ho trovato Adamma non troppo fastidiosa, ma pronta ad agire per quello che crede giusto: per questo va dalla polizia (anche se non ho capito perché Bone non stia quasi mai al commissariato. Fra esci dai pub ogni volta.), per questo non si fa trattare una merda da Scarlett, per questo sai che questo amore così passionale e intenso è un po' una red flag, anche perché nelle scene in cui sono mostrati i due si vede che lui non la vuole lasciar andare, che per srare con lui le fa perdere lezioni e allentamenti. Super mega Red flag.
Lo consiglierei? Sì, è scorrevole, è interessante, e ci sono molti elementi dell'origine nigeriana di Adamma, cosa che la rende un personaggio più reale, non solo una classica ragazzina. Daje Tanya.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
5.0
When Adamma Okomma’s family move from New York to England, she finds herself enrolled at Crofton College, a boarding school on the outskirts of nowhere. Her social life is pretty much over until she befriends the irrepressible Scarlett Chiltern who rules the roost. She soon learns that there’s more to life at Crofton than meets the eye, including parties in the woods and a whole world of secrets. When Scarlett goes missing, everyone assumes she’s just run away again, but what has really been going on behind the teachers’ backs?
There’s something wonderfully indulgent about boarding school stories. Perhaps it’s the concentration of teens in one place and lack of parental supervision; the whispers behind dorm doors and the opportunities for meeting boys in the woods. Crofton College is co-ed and that means boys. Of course, Scarlett and Adamma fall for the same boy, but this is much more than just a love story. It’s a tale of secrets and half-lies, friendships and fallings out. Another fantastic book from Tanya Byrne.
Savernake Forest becomes quite a presence in the book. It’s where everyone goes to escape the confines of the college, to have fun and get drunk. But it also takes on a sinister edge when the rumours start up. The story also touches on rape culture; the reasons why some girls won’t report rapes, how others can make it into some kind of joke or blame themselves. It’s not a story overtly about rape but it deals with these issues in a way that may make the reader consider their attitude towards them.
At first, I thought the structure was a bit too similar to Heart-Shaped Bruise. The narration is split between the current day and the not too distant past, with alternating chapters finally coming together in time at the end. Yet the tone of the book made it more distinct; the characters are very different even as the story deals with teen secrets once more. It’s also rather grown up young adult, really touching on the moment where teens become adults as well as having a strong supporting adult cast. Mrs Delaney the matriarch, Mr Lucas the young teacher who can relate easier with the students, DS Bone a wonderfully approachable policeman and Adamma’s parents who may be physically absent but are definitely very present in her life.
This is the kind of book you’ll want to start re-reading as soon as you finish. The narrator leads you astray and the ending will have you flicking back through the story to pick up on key points at the very least. The characters are multi-faceted, all have both bad and good qualities which make them real and also allow you to doubt them. You will change your mind about the outcome so many times, I swear!
There’s something wonderfully indulgent about boarding school stories. Perhaps it’s the concentration of teens in one place and lack of parental supervision; the whispers behind dorm doors and the opportunities for meeting boys in the woods. Crofton College is co-ed and that means boys. Of course, Scarlett and Adamma fall for the same boy, but this is much more than just a love story. It’s a tale of secrets and half-lies, friendships and fallings out. Another fantastic book from Tanya Byrne.
Savernake Forest becomes quite a presence in the book. It’s where everyone goes to escape the confines of the college, to have fun and get drunk. But it also takes on a sinister edge when the rumours start up. The story also touches on rape culture; the reasons why some girls won’t report rapes, how others can make it into some kind of joke or blame themselves. It’s not a story overtly about rape but it deals with these issues in a way that may make the reader consider their attitude towards them.
At first, I thought the structure was a bit too similar to Heart-Shaped Bruise. The narration is split between the current day and the not too distant past, with alternating chapters finally coming together in time at the end. Yet the tone of the book made it more distinct; the characters are very different even as the story deals with teen secrets once more. It’s also rather grown up young adult, really touching on the moment where teens become adults as well as having a strong supporting adult cast. Mrs Delaney the matriarch, Mr Lucas the young teacher who can relate easier with the students, DS Bone a wonderfully approachable policeman and Adamma’s parents who may be physically absent but are definitely very present in her life.
This is the kind of book you’ll want to start re-reading as soon as you finish. The narrator leads you astray and the ending will have you flicking back through the story to pick up on key points at the very least. The characters are multi-faceted, all have both bad and good qualities which make them real and also allow you to doubt them. You will change your mind about the outcome so many times, I swear!
pewterwolf's review against another edition
5.0
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
When Adamma Okonma move from New York into England, she's a bit unhappy. She's moved away from her friends, her boyfriend, all because her father is Nigerian diplomat. So when her family put her in Crofton College, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, you can guess her reaction. So when she meets Scarlett, she begins to think things are looking up. But Scarlett is secretive, wants to be center of attention, runs away without warning. Their friendship becomes destructive. And then something comes between them, tearing them apart.
Told in two timelines - Before and After - we see Adamma become friends with Scarlett and their friendship grown then destroy itself and then we see Adamma after something unspeakable happens.
So, you're probably wondering: is this book as good as [b:Heart-Shaped Bruise|13145654|Heart-Shaped Bruise|Tanya Byrne|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330612912s/13145654.jpg|18323101]? Or is it, as Tanya feared when she was writing this, a one hit wonder?
Oh, Tanya. Why did you worry? This book is just as dark, twisty and as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. And, at the same time, it is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise. Adamma is so different to Emily Knoll, as is Scarlett. Follow Me Down is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise as Follow Me Down has two mysteries slowly intertwine together while Heart-Shaped Bruise is a dark revenge plot. The two mysteries - what happened to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with - will have you turning the pages and will have you guessing to the last page.
I loved this. I loved how this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, staying up late at night and guessing till I closed the book. I think you guys, who love dark contemporary thriller, need to get your mitts on this. And when you do, NO JUMPING AHEAD TO THE END!
When Adamma Okonma move from New York into England, she's a bit unhappy. She's moved away from her friends, her boyfriend, all because her father is Nigerian diplomat. So when her family put her in Crofton College, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, you can guess her reaction. So when she meets Scarlett, she begins to think things are looking up. But Scarlett is secretive, wants to be center of attention, runs away without warning. Their friendship becomes destructive. And then something comes between them, tearing them apart.
Told in two timelines - Before and After - we see Adamma become friends with Scarlett and their friendship grown then destroy itself and then we see Adamma after something unspeakable happens.
So, you're probably wondering: is this book as good as [b:Heart-Shaped Bruise|13145654|Heart-Shaped Bruise|Tanya Byrne|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1330612912s/13145654.jpg|18323101]? Or is it, as Tanya feared when she was writing this, a one hit wonder?
Oh, Tanya. Why did you worry? This book is just as dark, twisty and as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. And, at the same time, it is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise. Adamma is so different to Emily Knoll, as is Scarlett. Follow Me Down is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise as Follow Me Down has two mysteries slowly intertwine together while Heart-Shaped Bruise is a dark revenge plot. The two mysteries - what happened to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with - will have you turning the pages and will have you guessing to the last page.
I loved this. I loved how this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, staying up late at night and guessing till I closed the book. I think you guys, who love dark contemporary thriller, need to get your mitts on this. And when you do, NO JUMPING AHEAD TO THE END!
chrissireads's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed Heart-Shaped Bruise when I read it last year. In fact, I was completely blown away by it. I knew I just had to read the next book by Tanya Byrne. I went into reading Follow Me Down with some trepidation, but I’m happy to say, it’s a fantastic read. Tanya Byrne is certainly becoming one of my auto-buy writers. I can’t recommend her books enough!
Follow Me Down is a story about Adamma Okomma, who is sent to Crofton College when her parents move to England. Adamma soon makes friends with Scarlett Chilton, who is Queen Bee at the boarding school. Scarlett hold some dark secrets which Adamma soon becomes privy to. Adamma begins to hold secrets of her own.
Given the synopsis, I was fully expecting Follow Me Down to be about your typical love triangle in a school setting. I admit, I was disappointed that there was a love triangle. They’re becoming far too common in young adult reads. However, I also have to admit I was wrong. It’s a love triangle with a difference. I should’ve known that Tanya Byrne wouldn’t write a typical love triangle. There’s so much more to it than meets the eye.
I liked how the narration was set out. It’s told in Before and After timelines. It’s helpful to have these headings as it’s easy to keep track of what was happening. I became a bit frustrated… I kept thinking ‘After what?!’ I just had to keep reading to work out what on earth was going on.
I didn’t really predict what was going to happen in the book. I was suspicious of several characters, but didn’t quite twig who the culprit was. I’m glad to say he was one of the ones I thought it might have been.
I think the reason why I haven’t gave this book a five star, was that the use of ‘he’ confused me quite a bit. I understand that this was probably the point of the book though. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book, it just frustrated me at times.
Follow Me Down is a story about Adamma Okomma, who is sent to Crofton College when her parents move to England. Adamma soon makes friends with Scarlett Chilton, who is Queen Bee at the boarding school. Scarlett hold some dark secrets which Adamma soon becomes privy to. Adamma begins to hold secrets of her own.
Given the synopsis, I was fully expecting Follow Me Down to be about your typical love triangle in a school setting. I admit, I was disappointed that there was a love triangle. They’re becoming far too common in young adult reads. However, I also have to admit I was wrong. It’s a love triangle with a difference. I should’ve known that Tanya Byrne wouldn’t write a typical love triangle. There’s so much more to it than meets the eye.
I liked how the narration was set out. It’s told in Before and After timelines. It’s helpful to have these headings as it’s easy to keep track of what was happening. I became a bit frustrated… I kept thinking ‘After what?!’ I just had to keep reading to work out what on earth was going on.
I didn’t really predict what was going to happen in the book. I was suspicious of several characters, but didn’t quite twig who the culprit was. I’m glad to say he was one of the ones I thought it might have been.
I think the reason why I haven’t gave this book a five star, was that the use of ‘he’ confused me quite a bit. I understand that this was probably the point of the book though. It didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book, it just frustrated me at times.
scarly's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
fizzzz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
stuckintheb00ks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
isabellediggle's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Byrne is compelling as ever in this non-linear plot, jumping back and forth around the date of a catastrophic event murder! . The way grooming is portrayed makes clear the power imbalances at play although I feel Byrne could have more clearly condemned these relationships. Sexual assault and rape is dealt with poignantly, particularly in a post-#Me Too world and the tenderness (and dismissal) women can have for one another is accurately portrayed. However, some of the plot could have been furthered fleshed out, it felt like we lost a few days before the event, the last two thirds of the book feeling less filled out than the first. Byrne's flawed characters have once again attached themselves to my heart during this re-read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Grief, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
rowanrelph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ordinarilybi's review against another edition
3.0
Follow Me Down hat einen starken Start und ein Ende, das einem Fausthieb in die Magengegend gleichkommt. Der Mittelteil … konnte mich nicht ganz so überzeugen. Wie auch “Heart-Shaped Bruise” wird in “Follow Me Down” abwechselnd von der Gegenwart und der Vergangenheit erzählt und wir starten im Hier und Jetzt, ohne zu wissen, was passiert ist ist – nur dass etwas passiert ist und dass es schlimm ist. Im Zentrum steht dabei die Freundschaft von Adamma und Scarlett, von denen letztere scheinbar spurlos verschwunden ist. Damit verknüpft ist eine Romanze zwischen Adamma und einem Charakter, der auch für Scarlett sehr wichtig ist – und hier hätten wir auch die zwei Problemzonen für mich. Zum einen wurde ich mit Scarlett nie warm, die wir zugegebenermaßen immer nur durch Adammas Augen sehen. Und obwohl die Autorin viele Passagen dafür verwendet, uns zu beschreiben, wie toll Scarlett ist – es ist wirklich nur erzählen, Scarletts eigentliches Verhalten hat für mich eine andere Geschichte erzählt, weswegen mir nie ganz klar wurde, warum die zwei jetzt befreundet sind. Zum anderen ist die Romanze zu offensichtlich als Geheimnis konzipiert. Bis zum Schluss wird nie konkret gesagt, wer genau jetzt mit beiden Mädchen involviert ist, aber es gibt zwei Kandidaten, die in Frage kommen und nur bei einem macht der Konflikt, der mit der Romanze kommt, Sinn. Deswegen ist nicht gleich alles von Anfang an klar – es bleibt noch immer die Frage, was mit Scarlett geschehen ist und inwiefern es vielleicht mit noch so einigen Dingen mehr verknüpft ist, die nahe der Schule vor sich gingen. Abgesehen davon nutzt Tanya Byrne die Zeit, um Leser_innen daran zu erinnern, dass es vollkommen okay ist, als Mädchen sexuell aktiv zu sein, und spricht das Stigma von Vergewaltigungen an, das aber nicht der vergewaltigenden Person anhängt, sondern der, die vergewaltigt wurde. Sie bietet uns außerdem einen Blick auf falsche Romantik und Beziehungen, die mensch sich selbst schönreden kann – die aber niemals nie gut sind. Ein weiteres Plus ist Adamma, die nicht nur ein gut ausgearbeiteter Charakter mit eigenem Kopf ist, sondern als Tochter eines Botschafters aus Nigeria außerdem noch einen Blick auf eine andere Kultur bringt, inklusive kurzer Sätze in Igbo, wenn Adamma mit ihrer Mutter spricht und es emotionaler wird. (Letzteres macht mich als Linguistin ja immer ganz hibbelig!) Vielleicht hätte mich das Buch auch etwas mehr überzeugen können, hätte ich nicht mit “Heart-Shaped Bruise” losgelegt. “Follow Me Down” ist keineswegs schlecht – es ist einfach nur nicht so gut, wie es hätte sein können.