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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
This was the first audiobook I ever listened to and I stayed up until 3:30am, utterly spellbound by it. Juno Dawson has a fresh, upbeat, and relatable voice, easily navigating the differences between our titular heroines. I can't wait to listen to more of her books.
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TW: Cancer, parental death, mentions of the AIDs epidemic, vague mentions of paedophilia, attempted assault
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TW: Cancer, parental death, mentions of the AIDs epidemic, vague mentions of paedophilia, attempted assault
4.5 stars rounded up to 5!
This book unexpectedly blew me away. I went into this completely unaware of what it would be about. A group of us decided to read it together via Twitter and so my journey with Fliss and Margot began. Little did I know just how emotionally attached I would become to this wonderful story.
Margot & Me tells the story of Fliss, a teenage girl who is relocating to a farm in Wales with her sick mother to live with her grandmother, Margot. Margot is not your average grandmother: she is not the cuddling type, but is a cold and stern older woman. As Fliss struggles to adapt to a very different lifestyle in Wales she comes across Margot’s diary from her time in the war. This sparks the beginning of an extraordinary journey for Fliss as she discovers a very different side to her grandmother: a side of Margot that Fliss never expected to find.
When I initially started reading this I was not immediately swept off my feet. I didn’t particularly like Fliss at the beginning and wasn’t sure what I would make of this book. A few chapters in those feelings started to change and as I learned more about Fliss, Margot and the other characters I all of a sudden became lost in their world. For me, this story really picked up once Fliss found Margot’s diary.
My absolute favourite parts of this book were Margot’s diary entries. Set during World War II, I found them so interesting and loved reading about her early life as an evacuee in Wales. There was something very special about those glimpses into Margot’s early life and it is so easy to understand by the end of the book why Margot is the way she is. So much happened to her and at times I was completely and utterly devastated by what I was reading, but it really cemented my love for her as a character.
I also loved seeing Fliss’ journey in her new high school. We start off with her initial anxiety about being the new girl and worrying what the others will make of her. This book touches upon the stereotypical high school bully, those teenage crushes on teachers and more importantly the value of a good friendship. I knew immediately that I would love Danny and could vividly imagine him in my head.
I think it is 100% safe to say that the last 4-5 chapters of this book just repeatedly hurt my heart. Every time I thought to myself, ‘Ok the pain must stop soon’ I found myself taking another hit. I definitely recommend tissues to people reading this book because there were so many different points throughout it where I really felt overwhelmed with raw and pure emotion which is a true testament to Juno Dawson’s incredible writing.
Although initially I wasn’t hugely fond of Fliss, I did grow to really like her as a character. To begin with she seemed a little too stuck up for me and I wasn’t sure I would be able to connect with her. However as she learnt more about her grandmother she changed as a person, or at least came more into contact with her emotions, and I ended up really liking her. She was much more selfless than I initially thought and actually really inspiring.
I thought Margot was a fantastic character and she was by far my favourite. Learning everything we did about her through her diary entries I can do nothing but empathise with Margot and completely understand why she is the way she is. But what lies underneath that cold hard surface is a strong-willed, fiercely passionate and inspiring lady. I would love nothing more than a book all about Margot!
Before I leave this review, I have to mention two things. The first is that as a Welsh person I LOVED that this book was mainly set in Wales. I also quite enjoyed the way in which Juno Dawson crammed in just about every Welsh stereotype you could think of. From a whole plethora of Welsh names (Megan, Bronwyn, Dewi, Rhiannon), the use of Welsh language (‘Bore da’, cwtch, tampin’) and the typical Welsh stereotypes of sheep and male voice choirs, the whole thing just kept me thoroughly entertained and I couldn’t help but read along with a smile on my face and the occasional laugh out loud moment.
My final point is that this book is INCREDIBLE at how much it deals with. Under no circumstance do I want to spoil anything in this book because I knew very little going in and I think that is one of the reasons I loved it, but I want to say a huge thank you to Juno for doing what she has done here. Highlighting sexuality, racism, grief, love, heartbreak, pregnancy and so many more issues in such a sensitive and suitable manner that were all relevant to the story being told but also gave reason to pause and think. Exceptional writing.
Margot & Me is not a book I was expecting to fall head over heels in love with. I thought I would enjoy it but I had no idea of the profound effect it would have on me. All I can say is that this book certainly makes me realise just how much we have to learn from our elders and I know I certainly would love to know more about my own grandmother during her time in the war. Fabulous.
This book unexpectedly blew me away. I went into this completely unaware of what it would be about. A group of us decided to read it together via Twitter and so my journey with Fliss and Margot began. Little did I know just how emotionally attached I would become to this wonderful story.
Margot & Me tells the story of Fliss, a teenage girl who is relocating to a farm in Wales with her sick mother to live with her grandmother, Margot. Margot is not your average grandmother: she is not the cuddling type, but is a cold and stern older woman. As Fliss struggles to adapt to a very different lifestyle in Wales she comes across Margot’s diary from her time in the war. This sparks the beginning of an extraordinary journey for Fliss as she discovers a very different side to her grandmother: a side of Margot that Fliss never expected to find.
When I initially started reading this I was not immediately swept off my feet. I didn’t particularly like Fliss at the beginning and wasn’t sure what I would make of this book. A few chapters in those feelings started to change and as I learned more about Fliss, Margot and the other characters I all of a sudden became lost in their world. For me, this story really picked up once Fliss found Margot’s diary.
My absolute favourite parts of this book were Margot’s diary entries. Set during World War II, I found them so interesting and loved reading about her early life as an evacuee in Wales. There was something very special about those glimpses into Margot’s early life and it is so easy to understand by the end of the book why Margot is the way she is. So much happened to her and at times I was completely and utterly devastated by what I was reading, but it really cemented my love for her as a character.
I also loved seeing Fliss’ journey in her new high school. We start off with her initial anxiety about being the new girl and worrying what the others will make of her. This book touches upon the stereotypical high school bully, those teenage crushes on teachers and more importantly the value of a good friendship. I knew immediately that I would love Danny and could vividly imagine him in my head.
I think it is 100% safe to say that the last 4-5 chapters of this book just repeatedly hurt my heart. Every time I thought to myself, ‘Ok the pain must stop soon’ I found myself taking another hit. I definitely recommend tissues to people reading this book because there were so many different points throughout it where I really felt overwhelmed with raw and pure emotion which is a true testament to Juno Dawson’s incredible writing.
Although initially I wasn’t hugely fond of Fliss, I did grow to really like her as a character. To begin with she seemed a little too stuck up for me and I wasn’t sure I would be able to connect with her. However as she learnt more about her grandmother she changed as a person, or at least came more into contact with her emotions, and I ended up really liking her. She was much more selfless than I initially thought and actually really inspiring.
I thought Margot was a fantastic character and she was by far my favourite. Learning everything we did about her through her diary entries I can do nothing but empathise with Margot and completely understand why she is the way she is. But what lies underneath that cold hard surface is a strong-willed, fiercely passionate and inspiring lady. I would love nothing more than a book all about Margot!
Before I leave this review, I have to mention two things. The first is that as a Welsh person I LOVED that this book was mainly set in Wales. I also quite enjoyed the way in which Juno Dawson crammed in just about every Welsh stereotype you could think of. From a whole plethora of Welsh names (Megan, Bronwyn, Dewi, Rhiannon), the use of Welsh language (‘Bore da’, cwtch, tampin’) and the typical Welsh stereotypes of sheep and male voice choirs, the whole thing just kept me thoroughly entertained and I couldn’t help but read along with a smile on my face and the occasional laugh out loud moment.
My final point is that this book is INCREDIBLE at how much it deals with. Under no circumstance do I want to spoil anything in this book because I knew very little going in and I think that is one of the reasons I loved it, but I want to say a huge thank you to Juno for doing what she has done here. Highlighting sexuality, racism, grief, love, heartbreak, pregnancy and so many more issues in such a sensitive and suitable manner that were all relevant to the story being told but also gave reason to pause and think. Exceptional writing.
Margot & Me is not a book I was expecting to fall head over heels in love with. I thought I would enjoy it but I had no idea of the profound effect it would have on me. All I can say is that this book certainly makes me realise just how much we have to learn from our elders and I know I certainly would love to know more about my own grandmother during her time in the war. Fabulous.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This mix of contemporary and historical YA is perfectly blended to build a beautifully realised novel and believeable family.
I didn’t expect this book to be as emotional as it was. It had me laughing and sobbing throughout.
emotional
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't like some of the relationships between characters but I did enjoy the book!
I really was not expecting to love this book as much as I did.
I admit that I wasn't expecting to adore this book, but I loved it a lot! It was super readable!
Read for Booktube-a-thon 2017: Read a Seventh Book
This is set in Wales in 1998 - Felicity and her mother Julia are temporarily living with Margot, Felicity's Grandmother, so that Julia can recuperate after a battle with ovarian cancer. Felicity finds an old diary belonging to Margot, and begins to read. The strong, passionate young woman in the diary is at odds with the harsh, cold woman Felicity knows now - so what happened to change Margot? Or has she really changed all that much?
I really, really enjoyed Margot's diary chapters. They're set in the early 1940s, and the story was so good. Who doesn't enjoy a good love affair set against a backdrop of impending doom?
Felicity's chapters, on the other hand, were what brought the rating down for me. I didn't really care about her - yes, she has had a terrible time, but bar an inappropriate crush, she doesn't really have a storyline.
I also hated that the book had typos - I'd expect (and ignore) that from an ARC, but this was a paperback purchased from Amazon. This clanger appeared 32 pages in: "She's tells me about the great rivalry...". There were others further in, and it put me off slightly.
What also put me off were the constant reminders that this was supposed to be set in 1998. Every clothing brand you could think of was named, every band, every film popular at the time - it's irrelevant to the storyline, it doesn't matter when Fliss' story takes place, so why keep driving it home? Also, were "messy buns" and eyeshadow primer really a thing for 15 year olds in 1998? Granted, London was more than likely more sophisticated than the backarse of nowhere in rural Ireland in the late 1990s, but I don't remember a lot of the stuff mentioned being popular in 1998. One of the characters says she knew Fliss did ballet because "I looked you up online" - where online? There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no MySpace, no Bebo, where did she look her up? Did she Ask Jeeves? I know that this stuff doesn't matter to most people - it's fiction - but when it's trying to be historically accurate by mentioning another "thing" every chapter, it sould be historically accurate.
Margot's story was a really enjoyable read, and I was sad when her diary came to an end. I'd recommend the book just for a read of that.
This is set in Wales in 1998 - Felicity and her mother Julia are temporarily living with Margot, Felicity's Grandmother, so that Julia can recuperate after a battle with ovarian cancer. Felicity finds an old diary belonging to Margot, and begins to read. The strong, passionate young woman in the diary is at odds with the harsh, cold woman Felicity knows now - so what happened to change Margot? Or has she really changed all that much?
I really, really enjoyed Margot's diary chapters. They're set in the early 1940s, and the story was so good. Who doesn't enjoy a good love affair set against a backdrop of impending doom?
Felicity's chapters, on the other hand, were what brought the rating down for me. I didn't really care about her - yes, she has had a terrible time, but bar an inappropriate crush, she doesn't really have a storyline.
I also hated that the book had typos - I'd expect (and ignore) that from an ARC, but this was a paperback purchased from Amazon. This clanger appeared 32 pages in: "She's tells me about the great rivalry...". There were others further in, and it put me off slightly.
What also put me off were the constant reminders that this was supposed to be set in 1998. Every clothing brand you could think of was named, every band, every film popular at the time - it's irrelevant to the storyline, it doesn't matter when Fliss' story takes place, so why keep driving it home? Also, were "messy buns" and eyeshadow primer really a thing for 15 year olds in 1998? Granted, London was more than likely more sophisticated than the backarse of nowhere in rural Ireland in the late 1990s, but I don't remember a lot of the stuff mentioned being popular in 1998. One of the characters says she knew Fliss did ballet because "I looked you up online" - where online? There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no MySpace, no Bebo, where did she look her up? Did she Ask Jeeves? I know that this stuff doesn't matter to most people - it's fiction - but when it's trying to be historically accurate by mentioning another "thing" every chapter, it sould be historically accurate.
Margot's story was a really enjoyable read, and I was sad when her diary came to an end. I'd recommend the book just for a read of that.
An interesting story, with some characters I really like, but there was some problematic content that actually really surprised me.
Review to come soon.
Review to come soon.