Beautifully written ( )

This fast reading novel in verse (I read it in 24 hours) is sad and uplifting at the same time. Allison has an abuse father. After her father's latest girlfriend, Kerry Anne, leaves, after asking Allison to come with her, Allison finally has enough and later on she leaves. She takes a bus to find Kerry Anne who has moved with no forwarding address. Homeless, Allison sleeps in someone's outdoor shed, that of 80 something year old Marla who has dementia.

When they meet, Marla calls her Toffee and soon they bond in some fashion, helping each other survive the tough times. Being Toffee is a book of hope and it pulls at the heart strings. Since some it takes place around the Christmas holidays, it's a good book to maybe put some of the holiday spirit of giving and caring back into our lives. ( )

Crossan, an award-winning Irish author who was appointed Irish Children's laureate in 2018, tells this moving story entirely in free verse. The book is marketed for young adults, but I don’t feel it should be separated from the adult book section.

Allison runs away from an abusive father, initially seeking out refuge with her father’s ex-fiancee Kelly-Anne, who had always been good to Allison, and who said she was leaving the London area for Cornwall. When Allison gets to Cornwall, however, it turns out Kelly-Anne has left, and Allison is stranded with no money and no place to go. She finds shelter in the house of an old woman, Marla, who has dementia and thinks Allison is her childhood friend Toffee.

Allison ends up helping care for Marla, who has periods of mental clarity, and many more of confusion. But they grow close, with Allison keeping her presence a secret from others who visit Marla, until an accident forces Allison to go for help.

There are so many issues besides abuse that Crossan subtly explores through her spare verse, including the tendency of some people to fall through the cracks in society, mistreatment and neglect of the elderly, the disease of loneliness, and the restorative power of love and care.

Evaluation: It is evident why this author has won so many awards for her writing. Most impressively, she has made a potentially very depressing story into one of hope and healing. ( )

This was a beautifully written verse novel about a physically abused girl and a lonely old lady with dementia. The relationship between Toffee and Marla was touching and heartbreaking. Despite being damaged by what life has thrown at them, together they form an unexpected, but wonderful friendship. I loved the dance sessions and the way Allison (Toffee) grew to really care for Marla. As for the ending, it broke my heart! A raw, emotional read. ( )

Another stunning read. It didn't make me cry as One did, but it still took me on an awesome emotional roller coaster of a ride. ( )