We come apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

David Fickling Books, 2018. ISBN 9781408878866
(Age: 14+) Themes: Families. Adolescents. Love. Survival. Prejudice. Racism. Domestic violence. Jess and Nico meet during community service. Jess has to deal with her dysfunctional and fractured family and Nico feels trapped in a life he hasn't chosen and doesn't want. Nico spots Jess and is instantly attracted but Jess has her own problems and doesn't need any more complications in her life right now.
I chose this book as a challenge to read a novel written in verse, thinking it would be difficult. I am happily surprised how easy to read and enjoyable it was. The story written in this way seems to add more power to the words and gives you space to feel the full impact.
Jess speaks honestly and with a bluntness common to her estate English slang.
Nico speaks in broken English as a Romanian struggling with not only the complexities of the language but also the added burden of the local jargon.
This is not a happy story of love in an ideal world but of two adolescents struggling with their lot in life, thinking they are alone only to find strength in each other.
Joyce Crawford