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wandering_reads 's review for:
Toffee
by Sarah Crossan
Toffee is an underrated book. I happened to find it at Waterstone's in Kensington, a signed copy, the last time I was in London, just before the worldwide shutdown. I finally had the chance to read it - and it was amazing.
Allison wants to forget where she's run from. With a horrid burn on her face, her mobile and backpack getting stolen, she finds solace in what she thinks is an abandoned house. However, living in the dilapidated house is an elderly woman who mistakes Allison as her old friend "Toffee". Allison plays along, slowly getting to know the Cornish town, the woman, and the ebb and flow of her dementia. she makes her own mistakes - but one thing is certain - Allison won't go back to her father.
This is the story, written in verse, of a young adult who's had enough. She is done with her father's abuse, being abandoned by a series of his girlfriends who get to leave when she has to stay. She finds her way to where his last long-time girlfriend has fled, only to find out that she has already moved on. This is when Alli ends up in the garden, and before long, a tenuous friendship is forged.
It really is a sad and hopeful book, all at once. Allison is a strong young woman, despite everything that's happened to her. She is determined and resilient. She finds her place - and though I wish I had more sense of a conclusion at the end, at least there is more peace.
Allison wants to forget where she's run from. With a horrid burn on her face, her mobile and backpack getting stolen, she finds solace in what she thinks is an abandoned house. However, living in the dilapidated house is an elderly woman who mistakes Allison as her old friend "Toffee". Allison plays along, slowly getting to know the Cornish town, the woman, and the ebb and flow of her dementia. she makes her own mistakes - but one thing is certain - Allison won't go back to her father.
This is the story, written in verse, of a young adult who's had enough. She is done with her father's abuse, being abandoned by a series of his girlfriends who get to leave when she has to stay. She finds her way to where his last long-time girlfriend has fled, only to find out that she has already moved on. This is when Alli ends up in the garden, and before long, a tenuous friendship is forged.
It really is a sad and hopeful book, all at once. Allison is a strong young woman, despite everything that's happened to her. She is determined and resilient. She finds her place - and though I wish I had more sense of a conclusion at the end, at least there is more peace.