Series: Butterfly, Book One
Publisher: Hachette
Format: Paperback
Published: 17th February 2011
Number of Pages: 336
Book: For Review*
Genre: Contemporary, Real-To-Life, Romance, Coming-Of-Ag, YA
Recommended
Age: 12+
Contains: Swearing,
Drinking, Smoking and Sex References
No Drug References
Author's
Blog: Denise Deegan
At Standbrook College, Dublin, we are Kids
Of. Kids of media stars, musicians,
artists, actors… I’m the kid of a rock
star. Means nothing to me.
When my mum died six months ago, I didn’t just lose
her, I lost my dad, ‘The Rockstar’. To
work.
Now I don’t trust anyone or rely on anyone. That way, I won’t get hurt.
My best friend Rachel won’t let me pull back
though. And that’s a problem.
Another one is David McFadden, a guy in my class
(who calls me Ice Queen). He says he
wants to help. Six months ago, he could
have – but he didn’t. Now, it’s too late. The very last person in the world I’m going
to listen to is David McFadden. I’ll
show him who’s Ice Queen. }|{
Review
“I used
to do close. Then Mum died. And I died too. I can't go
through that pain again. I just can't…”
Since her mum died, Alex has felt empty,
hollow. Though she's surrounded by people all the time, she always feels
completely and utterly alone. But
she doesn't want to let people in.
Not again. The last time she did, her heart was broken and she just
can't live through that again.
Her dad's no longer there, no longer 'dad' - he's just "The Rockstar", the man who's never
there and pays other people to look after her.
Alex's friend Rachel wants to help, but
Alex won't let her. So what if this means she's called "the Ice Queen" by David
McFadden, the one who could have helped her six months ago and didn't.
So why
is he bothering now? It’s too
late to help, too late to do any good.
And why can't Alex stop thinking about him?
My friend Sammee reviewed And By The Way a while back and my
intrigue was awakened. So when Hachette offered me the chance to read the
series, I jumped! And, my God, how I wish I'd picked it up much, much sooner! It was such a
powerful, emotional, beautiful book,
one I loved to pieces and gobbled up as fast as I possibly could. I just can't wait to read more by Deegan - it
was just so freaking amazing!
The characters were all so amazing and real.
None of them were as they first seemed, all of them grew and changed
throughout the book. And Alex: she was so, so broken. I could feel her pain in every single word
and it just broke my heart. I loved
watching her as she changed and grew and came back to life. And I adored
her dry sense of humour. She wasn't perfect and she made mistakes, but I
just loved her and my heart ached for her all
the way through. As for David, well
he is my new McDreamy: he is “seriously
caliente” and cute and perfect and sweet.
I’m kinda totally in love with him.
He was just the sweetest thing – Alex may have some
competition! Rachel was brilliant: so sweet and thoughtful, she wanted so badly to help and was the best friend
ever, putting up with everything. Sarah
was chirpy and cheeky and was totally mad – she was also a bit of a total
idiot: sure, she had issues but man
was she stupid at times!
But what really shone about this book was
the relationships. I loved the relationship between Alex and her Gran -
her Gran was just a legend! Alex and David - I loved the way their
relationship developed. It was so real and so touching and so unlike your
usual YA romances. It was perfect.
And the relationship between Alex, Rachel and Sarah was so strong nd
powerful - I mean, they stuck with the Ice
Queen. That's friendship, people! I also loved seeing the
changing relationship between Alex and her dad, as well.
Man, Deegan's voice was amazing. It was a teen going
through the loss of a parent: the anger, the pain, the feeling of being totally
lost - it was heart-breaking.
But funny too, thanks to Deegan's amazing writing talent. My heart
was aching and my eyes tearing up one minute, my heart then filling with love
as I giggled the next. I just loved Deegan's wry, dry, witty sense of
humour - it killed me. But all the emotions in this book, well, they just
broke my heart! I could feel all of Alex's pain, all her despair. I
felt almost constantly on the verge of tears. And I also loved seeing all
the different kinds of grief in the book, seeing how all the different
characters dealt with loss. It was
amazing. And grief wasn't the only pain tackled. Every single
character had some kinda problem - they were all so real and padded out and
complex. I loved that.
A story about love, loss, grief and
surviving, And By The Way was a book
that left me totally overwhelmed, full of love and sadness and beauty.
The phrase don't judge a book
by its cover definitely applies here. This book is not fluffy or
pink. It's complex and emotional and heart-breaking - both in its beauty
and sadness. And By The Way is
the sort of book that will totally
break your heart - and you will love every
second of it. You will feel every single thing Alex does and you will
love her so much to hurts, faults and all. You will fall totally in love
with David and you will feel so emotionally overwhelmed you will be too wrapped
up in everything to cry, even when you are on the verge of a breakdown.
And you will hope and laugh and love. I honestly cannot recommend
it enough - to everyone! And I certainly can't wait to read And For Your Information. Nor will
I ever underestimate or dismiss my time with my family – who knows what could
happen next?
And
By The Way, you really will love
every single second and will not be able to stop reading. So enjoy - this
book will not let you down.
Star Rating:
4½ Out of 5
4½ Out of 5
Read this
book if you liked:
If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
Challenges
It's Taking Part In:
Happy Reading
Megan
* This
book was received from Hachette Ireland in exchange for an honest review
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