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You Against Me

3.74 of 5 stars 3.74 · rating details · 7,675 ratings · 924 reviews

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?

If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him, don't you?

When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart.

When Ellie's brother is charged with the offence, her world begins to unravel.

When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds c...more

Hardcover, 413 pages

Published December 2nd 2010 by David Fickling

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Community Reviews

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Oct 28, 2011 Jo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy-crush, good-grief, hometown-glories-uk, ya, you-got-a-friend-in-me, gorgeous-prose, hometown-ya

“It was strange how words meant something when they came out of your mouth. Inside your head they were safe and silent, but once they were outside, people grabbed hold of them.”

Initial Final Page Thoughts.
Wow, what beautiful ending. And book, actually. Extremely unique, fascinating and honest.

High Points.
Ellie. Mike. Trust. Doubt. Truth. Lies. Perception. Bracing rivers. Baked potatoes. Old cottages. Bunking classes. Cookery. The future. Team Karyn.

Low Points.
Even though I liked the romance be...more

47 likes · like · see review

Nov 26, 2011 karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: why-yes-i-ya, distant-lands

i feel such pressure to write a really great review for this book, because it is so impressive on so many levels, but the post-turkey-day fatigue is strong in me. i will do what i can.

you probably already know what this book is about, because it is really quite popular. so just quickly. to get us all on the same page, i will just reiterate that it is a story bout a rape, from the perspective of the brother of the victim and the sister of the accused, who form a relationship in the busted pieces...more

52 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2011 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2011, ala-ya-2012

3.5 stars.

You Against Me was one of my most anticipated books of 2011. So much so that I was 100% sure I would give it 5 stars. Jenny Downham's debut Before I Die left me a sobbing mess (I am in a minority here thought, most of my co-readers did not join the cryfest). I expected the same from her second novel. You Against Me was good, just not as good as it could have been.

Let me just say, the plot itself is fantastic. The two main characters in this love story - Mikey and Ellie - have a very co...more

56 likes · like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, male-protagonist, realistic-fiction, whoa-that-s-heavy, sibilings

Rating: 3.5
I should have written a review for this one awhile back but to be honest I didn't know what to say exactly. It is no doubt a powerful novel and I wanted to make sure I would say the right things... well time has gone by and I still don't know what to say so here goes nothing.

Now for those of you who don't know the premise it's a twisted one. Mikey has a sister named Karyn and Ellie has a brother named Tom. Karyn has accused Tom of raping her. Well Mikey can't stand for that, so to get...more Rating: 3.5
I should have written a review for this one awhile back but to be honest I didn't know what to say exactly. It is no doubt a powerful novel and I wanted to make sure I would say the right things... well time has gone by and I still don't know what to say so here goes nothing.

Now for those of you who don't know the premise it's a twisted one. Mikey has a sister named Karyn and Ellie has a brother named Tom. Karyn has accused Tom of raping her. Well Mikey can't stand for that, so to get to Tom Mikey tries to befriend Ellie. Can we see where this is going? Yes, Mikey falls for Ellie and vice versa. Ouch, see isn't that just a sticky situation? Sorry, I probably confused you, but I promise in the book it's not that hard to follow.

The backdrop of this story is in England and I have to say I was having trouble keeping up with some of the dialogue. It's easy enough it's just I am so picky about knowing the exact meaning of everything so this Yank was just a tad bit frustrated with herself. It does add to the certain atmosphere though, and was cool to see. Now on to the characters, and oh boy the characters. They are the main reason why I kept flip flopping on my star rating. I would have to say I hated each and every one of them at some point in the book, which I would have to assume to be accurate for a situation like this. They are all, to put it bluntly, screwed up. Ellie struggles to be loyal to her brother. She keeps remembering the good in him, but there is also the bad side too. The author did a superb job of showing how Ellie waged this internal war and I am willing to admit I wouldn't want to be in her place. Mikey on the other hand deals with the situation badly. He wants to help Karyn but in all the wrong ways. Out of the two characters he was my favorite. He tries so hard to do right, but can't seem to get it and I can applaud someone like that.

Mikey and Ellie take turns showing their perspectives, but it's done in third person so the format was definitely unique. Both the main characters may live in the same country but it might as well feel like different worlds. Mikey lives in a rundown apartment with a mom who is a drunk, and he feels the responsibility of caring for his two younger sisters. He isn't perfect in the least though, he notices how much Karyn actually helped him shoulder the burden. Then there is Ellie who comes from a privileged family. For goodness sakes her parents gave her brother a welcoming party for being released from jail! So you see, two worlds apart but the two worlds collide when Mikey and Ellie are together.

I know this is going to sound heartless of me, but the biggest downfall of the novel I would say is the romance. Now please before you say your boos hear me out. I'm trying to be realistic here, and I believe for a healthy relationship to evolve you need more time and trust. And I can't see this being an ideal situation for that. It could happen but I doubt in the pace that it did. Others will love the romance but it didn't do it for me.

The subject of rape is never an easy topic to dig into, but I feel the author did it justice. She made the story expand by making the main characters people who are close to the victim but not the victim themselves. It shows how far reaching the effects are. The author isn't skimpy on details and I must admit it was excruciating to read. There is so much meat in this story and I could go on even more, but suffice to say that the story is layered and feels complex, and most importantly is able to expose some important truths.(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Nov 06, 2011 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: conflicted-thoughts, received-for-review, uk-bookish-love

Most seem to love this book. Isn't it annoying when you're the odd one out? :/

Let's get on to my thoughts, shall we! ;)

When Ellie's brother, Tom, is accused of assaulting a girl, his family is pretty supportive and stand by him. The thing is, they're so busy supporting him that they don't even freaking ask him if he actually did it, I mean, talk about baffling! Meanwhile, Mikey' sister, Karyn, has locked herself in her room ever since they found out what happened to her. Both family's lives are...more Most seem to love this book. Isn't it annoying when you're the odd one out? :/

Let's get on to my thoughts, shall we! ;)

When Ellie's brother, Tom, is accused of assaulting a girl, his family is pretty supportive and stand by him. The thing is, they're so busy supporting him that they don't even freaking ask him if he actually did it, I mean, talk about baffling! Meanwhile, Mikey' sister, Karyn, has locked herself in her room ever since they found out what happened to her. Both family's lives are turned completely upside down.

So when Ellie and Mikey happen to meet by chance, although originally, both have ulterior motives, both eventually find themselves falling for each other.

Ellie' family is well off in contrast to Mikey' who lives on the rough end of town. Whilst Ellie comes from a tight knit family, Mikey and his sister only have their mum. But even then, it's Mikey who's always been in charge. With his mum venturing out in the late hours of the night and staggering back drunk, the pressure quickly falls on his shoulders. And although I commend him for being responsible and taking care of his sister and mother, there's no doubt that he's just a complete jerk. First off, he simply see's women as meat and has no respect towards any female whatsoever. It Makes him hard to like or care for really. Not to mention he does some really stupid things, and although he improves a lot towards the end, it was a little too late by then.

Ellie, on the other hand, is being treated as a suspect. Apparently she was there when it happened, but she claims to have been asleep. Throughout the book you will find yourself grow weary towards her. You really don't know how much you can trust this girl. One piece of advice. Don't fall for her naive little charade. She's more sharp than she lets on. I didn't like her either. Conniving people piss me off.

The problem for me was that I couldn't bring myself to care or like even one character. And how could I? Every one of them were either conniving or unlikeable. To top it all off, the slang/accent the characters have going on really grated on me. I've heard it in the past, sure, but when you have to hear it for 300+ pages, it gets a bit too much.

Also, I didn't believe that Ellie and Mikey were in love at all. Sure they like each other, but love? Now that's pulling it a stretch.

I did like that the book constantly kept you on your toes. You're always questioning whose lying and telling the truth, and I'm glad that you don't find out until the very end. It helped really build up some great tension.

It ends as well as it could have. With lingering hope and an air of possibilities.

It was an ok read, but I'm not sure I can say that I liked it. ( I had high hopes from loving BEFORE I DIE). I'm sure many will enjoy it more than I did, but I don't think this one is for me.(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2011 ivana18 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, favorites

Thank you very much Law school because if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have had trouble sleeping and I wouldn't have read this book as fast as I did, it definitely deserves to be read in one breath.
This book was an all-nighter, and after I finished it (2:30 AM) I couldn't sleep for at least another hour thinking about it.

One of my first thoughts last night when I finished this book was: Romeo and Juliet meets Crime and Punishment.
This is a YA drama, and it's the best YA books I've read so far....more

20 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2012 Eunice rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, multiple-pov, realistic-fiction, ya-romance, young-adult

3.5 stars

WARNING: MESSY REVIEW AND A BIT SPOILERY!

Actually, I really don't know what to say. *sigh* This was a compelling and powerful read but after I finished the book, for some unknown reason I don't know what to feel. Actually, I still haven't figured out my overall and final say about this book but I'll give you my initial thoughts while I was reading it.

You Against Me was a novel that discussed a delicate and tricky issue. I may have steered clear of this book after seeing the blurb since...more 3.5 stars

WARNING: MESSY REVIEW AND A BIT SPOILERY!

Actually, I really don't know what to say. *sigh* This was a compelling and powerful read but after I finished the book, for some unknown reason I don't know what to feel. Actually, I still haven't figured out my overall and final say about this book but I'll give you my initial thoughts while I was reading it.

You Against Me was a novel that discussed a delicate and tricky issue. I may have steered clear of this book after seeing the blurb since it sounds a little dramatic and complicated. But as I read it, it wasn't really at all like that and I did like the plot and characters. The book tells the story of Mikey, brother of the accuser of being raped and Ellie sister of the accused. And as you may have guessed, yes, they fell in love with each other.

The story was told in multiple POVs, both of Ellie and Mikey but in a third person. I liked both characters but between the two I find it easier to read and connect with Mickey. I understand that he was always really trying to help his sister and her family but made it in a lot of wrong ways. And I was glad that by the end of the book he completely realized it. I loved it that between him and Ellie he was the one thinking more positive that their relationship has a chance and that he was the one fighting more. Ellie, on the other hand seems to be a little unpredictable. Though it was pretty understandable since she's torn between the choices of protecting her brother or telling the truth. In the end though, she was able to pick the right choice and stick to it. The romance between the two was moving and I adored it though I wished it have been discussed more deeper.

I really admire Jenny Downham for being able to discuss the issues of rape well, especially how she confer the effects of it for the families of both sides. As I was reading this I find myself a little torn between the two families. I saw the struggles of each family to protect their loved ones. I actually felt pity over Ellie's family since I saw how desperate they were trying to keep their family together and for some reasons I admired Ellie's relationship with his brother. I know Tom's guilty but I saw that he was having regrets over it and despite Ellie's choice of telling the truth he cared for her more. I was actually really touched by it.

I had a lot of understanding about the issue after reading this. However there were really a lot of loose ends, I even thought maybe there is a sequel. Maybe that's why I still can't think of my final thought of this book.

Alright, this is really a messy review! Maybe I'll update this soon once I finally gathered my final thoughts.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose (less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, young-adult, 2011-reads, favorites, to-reread, uk

I had high expectations before I started this book. I can safely say my expectations were pretty much met. The book didn't blow my mind or leave me emotional. (Not to say the book didn't make me feel anything. There were times I was happy and angry and worried.) But for the most part, I had a calm feeling. The setting even felt calming. I liked that.

I thought the author did great with the characters and relationships. They felt realistic and believable. There were times when some of the characte...more

19 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2011 Jasprit rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, ya, romance, realistic-fiction, contemporary

I was immediately drawn to this book once I'd read the blurb, and I'm glad I picked it up, as it was an amazing read. As the book deals with such a tricky theme you would expect the book to be quite depressing and morbid, but its not, it was so full of ambiguity, suspicion and it is very moving, that I just literally couldn't put the book down I was that absorbed. It was a well written book as I enjoyed how it showed contradiciting stories from both families. This book has definately made it to...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Dija rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, cover-heaven, great-disappointment, meh, read-in-2012, waste-of-anticipation-energy, ya, my-reviews, wtf-abkjkad, everyone-loved-but-dija

Reading You Against Me was like listening to a recording on high speed. All the characters' reactions seemed extreme and drastic and I couldn't understand where they were coming from at all. Downham seemed to be trying way too hard to make her characters seem relatable but they ended up seeming stiff and orchestrated instead.

Maybe my life's too sheltered, but I simply couldn't see this story happening in RL. It wasn't brutal enough to be believable and it wasn't normal enough to be realistic ei...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

This story is about two families affected by the accusation of rape. It doesn't focus on the accused and accuser, but rather on the sister and brother of the two parties.

This story is told from two perspectives: Mikey McKenzie, the older brother of the accuser, Karyn, and Ellie Parker the younger sister of the accused, Tom. The story opens up with Mikey trying to figure out how to make Tom pay for what he's done to his sister. Mikey feels he needs to do something because since the rape, Karyn r...more This story is about two families affected by the accusation of rape. It doesn't focus on the accused and accuser, but rather on the sister and brother of the two parties.

This story is told from two perspectives: Mikey McKenzie, the older brother of the accuser, Karyn, and Ellie Parker the younger sister of the accused, Tom. The story opens up with Mikey trying to figure out how to make Tom pay for what he's done to his sister. Mikey feels he needs to do something because since the rape, Karyn refuses to set foot out of their flat or go to school. She barely changes clothes or eats. Tom has just been released on bail, and Mikey figures this would be an ideal opportunity to make a move. Tom has no idea what Mikey looks like so he heads over to the Parker's home to scout it out. When he knocks on the door, Ellie answers, she's the same age as Karyn and doesn't recognize Mikey, mistakes him for one of Tom's college friends and invites him to Tom's release party. Mikey does go to the party but he never gets a chance alone with Tom. He instead ends up talking to Ellie most of the night and from that he hatches a plan to cozy up to her and pump her for information. She was, after all in the house when the attack occurred, and he doesn't believe for one minute, the statement she gave the police: that she saw nothing. This plan sort of backfires when Tom starts to fall for Ellie and Ellie starts to fall for him. Will their relationship survive when the truth comes out?

I loved Mikey and Ellie' story. There were some swoon-worthy scenes. It's ironic that out of all the people in the world they end up falling for each other. I think because of the shared experience, even though on opposite sides, they have a bond. They both can understand what the other is going through. All the way around, this would be a difficult situation. You don't even know who's telling the truth until about two thirds through the book, but even then there is damage to both families no matter what. Rape, as a crime is such a difficult one to prosecute and without definitive proof there would always be a shadow of doubt cast on both sides. Even with this tough subject, I highly recommend this story. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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11 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Steffy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Honestly I’m not sure how I feel about that book. I can’t say I despised it it would be pushing it and I can’t say I liked it…it would be too nice. When I finished my initial reaction was “Ehhhhh” which for the people who know me means ‘not terrible but could have been so much better’ in Steph’s language.
No Seriously, I don’t know if I went there with too high of an expectation, I read the summary a few months ago and was just dying to read it since then. I expected something like Leaving Parad...more

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 01, 2011 Sonia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

La storia di una violenza. La storia di un amore. La storia di due famiglie.
Questo è in breve You Against Me, altro non voglio aggiungervi per non rovinarvi la lettura.
Posso dirvi però che non mi sono mai arrabbiata tanto leggendo un libro, avrei voluto prendere a pugni il 90% dei personaggi sin dalla prima pagina.
In particolare ho odiato i genitori dei ragazzi. Sono uno peggio dell'altro, c'è chi lo nasconde meglio ma alla fine sotto sotto sono tutti uguali; negano di avere problemi e a risenti...more

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 26, 2012 Ruth**Off With Its Head!** rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dual-pov, angst

This was a very gritty story. The teens drink, smoke, do drugs and have sex. It's definitely not pretty but it certainly is real.

I was so torn for both the siblings in this story, the brother obviously wants vengeance for what happened to his sister, and the sister on the opposite side can't believe the brother who has always been there growing up and looking out for her could do something so terrible.

I always love when a story is told form both POV's and especially in this where we see how two...more

4 likes · like · see review

Jan 07, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, issue-driven, resounding-no, i-call-bs

Warning: Possible spoilers, but not really. Also, kind of a long rant and full of complaints – continue if you'r contemplating on reading this. Otherwise, you might want to skip this review.

***

Initially, I was intrigued and instantly drawn to the premise, because rape was being explored through the eyes of the victim's brother and the perpetrator's sister. Further, issues of loyalty, revenge, forbidden- Romeo & Juliet type love, etc. were brought up. However, these themes were never fully fl...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2011 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, read-on-kindle, january-2011

If I'm honest, this book is probably more of a 3.5/5 for me, but it definitely doesn't deserve to be dropped to a 3.

Downham's writing is superb. I hated Before I Die, but You Against Me is a lot more basic, stripped down, interesting and realistic. There's no florid language to draw an artificial reaction out of you; this is two characters and a situation. This is gritty, heartfelt and honest. The characters are lovingly drawn and flawed, but relatable. The ending is a great balance between hope...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 Miss rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Miss by: ivana18

Shelves: contemporary, realistic, real-problem, young-adult, bad-boy, disturbing, heavy-stuff, made-me-cry, taboo, rape

Two families. One well off. The other is disfunctional. A son accused of rape. Daughter accused to be a slut. Both families want to protect their children. Life for everyone is messy. Very messy. Everyone is angry. Everyone must choose between self-preservation and sacrifice...

I really liked this book. It definitely makes you think about people in those situations. Also, it makes you wonder about what you might want to do if it were you.

4 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2013 Susana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ya

3,5 stars

Sometimes, if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen. If you miss someone so desperately that it wrecks your insides, you say their name over and over until you conjure them. It's called sympathetic magic and you just have to believe in it to make it work.

What can i say about this story that hasn't already been said?

Well, it develops itself around what i imagine to be, a difficult theme to write about: Rape.

The main characters got to know one another because one is the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 05, 2012 Reynje rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Reynje by: Jo

Shelves: read-2012, young-adult, dual-or-multiple-pov, it-s-complicated, contemp-or-realistic

3.5 stars

When I was at the beach as a kid, I used to regularly do this thing where I would swim out as far as I could, just to see how much distance I could cover. I’d swim until my arms got tired, then stop to catch my breath before turning around. I never stopped doing it, but I’d be lying if I said that every single time, I didn’t experience a second of sheer panic when realized I was just suspended there, well and truly out of my depth.

I feel a little like that trying to write this review. (...more

23 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Danielle Stoll rated it 3 of 5 stars

Fifteen-year old Karyn McKenzie has accused Tom Parker of rape, and her older brother Mickey is determined to get revenge on her behalf. Ellie Parker, Tom's younger sister, wants to believe in her loving brother's innocence and bravely defends her family. What these two protective siblings do not expect is to fall in love with the enemy.

This story, told from alternating perspectives of Mickey and Ellie, has a minor echo of Romeo & Juliet, as Ellie is slightly younger than Mickey and from a...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 27, 2012 Beatriz Lins rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: badly-developed, different-points-of-view, disappointing, romance, unexpected-endings, ya

Jenny Downham is brave, I have to admit that. The plot of You Against Me is so full of tension and hurt that's impossible not to be drawn by it when you start reading it. To talk about rape in your book requires sensibility and a big amount of realism, otherwise the whole thing will just sound fake. In that point, the author made an excellent work. It's obvious since the begginning how both families are suffering from what happened.

But the mystery of it all is, what happened? Mikey's sister see...more Jenny Downham is brave, I have to admit that. The plot of You Against Me is so full of tension and hurt that's impossible not to be drawn by it when you start reading it. To talk about rape in your book requires sensibility and a big amount of realism, otherwise the whole thing will just sound fake. In that point, the author made an excellent work. It's obvious since the begginning how both families are suffering from what happened.

But the mystery of it all is, what happened? Mikey's sister seemed broken, fragile, and Ellie's brother was resentful and appeared to be innocent. So who's telling the truth, and who's lying? That's the core of this book. In this family drama, Ellie and Mikey met, and a relationship started to develop, despise the circumstances. I find a complicated love story very interesting, both characters struggling to be together against all the difficulties.

My problem with You Against Me, however, is not the romance. Both Ellie and Will were fantastic characters,and their relationship was adorable since the first time they met. The world "love" is not thrown around them like most YA love stories, and to say that pleased me is an understatement. They liked each other a lot, and that's it. Some might think that's not enough, but it was, and it fit the situation perfectly.

What really bothered me, though, is how everything is so rushly tied up at the end. A lot of answers are provided all of a sudden, and that just seemed convenient. To top it all off, we get to know what happened and who's guilty, and that's it, the book ends. Seriously, I wanted more. The author built all this tension up as the story went on, and at the end, she just cut it short, wrote a cliffhanger (kind of) and finished her book. I was left in the dark even with all those answers.

You Against Me would've been perfect, but the ending just blew it for me. If there was a sequel, I'd definitely read it, because there are so many loose ends that another book would be great. However, in general, this was a good story. If you want some tension and family issues with a bit of romance in it all, this is the right choice.

Note: This review can also be found on my blog.
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2 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Emily by: Expressive Arts Teacher

I'm not going to lie, I had high expectations for this book after reading Before I Die. I couldn't help but think it was going to be a bit of let down. However, Downham suceeded in proving me very very wrong.

This will only be a short review. I can't quite put into words all of my feelings about this book. I managed to read it in less than 2 days because I was forever wondering what was going to happen next. The storyline was compelling and I felt a whole range of emotions when reading this book...more I'm not going to lie, I had high expectations for this book after reading Before I Die. I couldn't help but think it was going to be a bit of let down. However, Downham suceeded in proving me very very wrong.

This will only be a short review. I can't quite put into words all of my feelings about this book. I managed to read it in less than 2 days because I was forever wondering what was going to happen next. The storyline was compelling and I felt a whole range of emotions when reading this book (although I was quite pleased with myself that I didn't need to grab for any tissues).

The use of third person was brilliant, as it did not restrict to one person's point of view. You could understand both sides of the story, I found myself sympathising, then becoming frustrated and angry, but then feeling sorry again for them all. Mikey was my personal favourite character. I created my own personal image of him straight away, just by the introduction of him within the first few chapters. Ellie slightly frustrated me at the beginning, but by the end, my feelings had completely changed towards her. The book really did make me consider and think about what would I do/feel like if I was in their position. How would I react to what has happened?

When the true outcome of what had happened was finally brought to light, I was suprised, as for some reason or other, I had managed (or Downham had managed) to convince myself that it was the other way around. However, personally, I felt the ending, not the storyline, but the actual ending of the story was slightly disappointing. I don't know if it was because I was reading it on a Kindle and I was quite unaware how close to the end I was, but I feel it ended too abruptly. This was probably Downham's intentions but I still feel I have so many unanswered questions about what was going to happen that I need them answering!

However, despite that fact, I really enjoyed this book, so much so I spent alot of last night and this morning thinking about it, that I knew I had to write this review!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 24, 2011 Book Angel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is just simply amazing! I read it in a couple of hours, nonstop and this book keeps you hooked, with your eyes glued to the pages! This is the first book I have read by Ms. Downham, but I have heard about her other book; Before I Die and I will definitely be checking out that soon!

Honestly, I LOVED Mikey and how sweet and protective of his sister he was...and then he meets Ellie. And everything changes. I thought Mikey had so many responisibilties and it made me feel so sorry for him....more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 16, 2012 Lauren (Lauren Reads YA) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma and other dark YA contemporary

Shelves: i-own, ya-saves

Check out my book blog for more reviews!

You Against Me is a intriguing, brilliantly written novel by the author of Before I Die. The cover makes it look like a love story, which it is not. Well, not just a love story. (The love story is good though. I need to stop saying ‘love story’ now. Okay.) It’s a story about relationships, not just between lovers, but between family members and friends too. It’s about loyalty, the truth, bravery, and how far we would go to protect the people we love.

I bou...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2011 Ariana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, emotional, ya-contemporary

I wanted to read this book from the moment I heard about it.. But, while waiting for it to be published, I read Before I Die first (and I didn't really liked it) so I didn't know if to read "You Against Me" after all, no matter how many good reviews I've seen.

But.. yesterday I gave it a try and now I can't stop wondering why in the world didn't I read it earlier?
It was that good.

The title is perfect - and it doesn't define only the relation between Ellie and Mickey, but also the relation betwee...more

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May 06, 2013 Ela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: carnegie-2012, ya-realistic-fiction

Parts of this book I absolutely loved, I could completely see scenes, settings and characters in my head and, most of the time, I loved what I saw. I thought that is took a little too long to get started, but it worth it in the end.
I love the fact that Jenny Downham makes all of her characters really human. No one is completely evil, fearless or perfect, it makes them realatable, real and convincing.
For me this book was a borderline 5 stars, but the beginning was just not up to the stardard of t...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mikey's fifteen year old sister, Karyn, claims she was sexually assaulted. Mikey is afraid he will get away with it and wants to take the law into his own hands. Mikey has his hands full though. His mom spends her time in bed or drinking instead of taking care of the kids and house. Mikey works full-time, takes his baby sister, Holly, to school, gets the groceries and checks in on Karyn. Karyn refuses to leave the flat since the incident. She is afraid she will run into him, even though he isn't...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Katie(babs) added it

Shelves: dnf-award

You Against Me is about two people falling in love who shouldn’t. The reason is that the hero’s sister has accused the heroine’s brother of raping her. Our hero, Mikey lives on the wrong side of the tracks with an absentee mother and younger siblings who look to him to keep it all together. Mikey likes to cook and one day dreams of being a chef. When his younger sister Karyn cries rape, he decided to go after her assailant, Tom. With some of his buddies, he’ll crash the party Tom’s parents are h...more You Against Me is about two people falling in love who shouldn’t. The reason is that the hero’s sister has accused the heroine’s brother of raping her. Our hero, Mikey lives on the wrong side of the tracks with an absentee mother and younger siblings who look to him to keep it all together. Mikey likes to cook and one day dreams of being a chef. When his younger sister Karyn cries rape, he decided to go after her assailant, Tom. With some of his buddies, he’ll crash the party Tom’s parents are having in his honor to show they support him and he’s innocent of this crime. Mikey first meets Ellie, Tom’s sister, and after talking to her, holds back on his revenge. Keeping his identity a secret, he gets to know Ellie and realizes he likes her. And then she finds out who he is and what his plan was for Tom. Now these two who are falling in love with one another haven’t a clue on how to make their budding romance work because of what may or may have not happened that night between Karyn and Tom.

Ellie may know more than she’s telling, but loves her brother and wants to protect him. But then there’s Mikey who she cares for and shows her that things are not always black and white. Ellie has to decide where her loyalties lie and if she should do the right thing. And if she does, will Tom hate her and will Mikey support her or walk out on her when everything comes out in the open?
You Against Me will be considered a very thought provoking novel, dealing with the accusation of rape and the he said, she said from the alleged victim and the one she accuses. The twist deals with the two main characters who fall in love with another against all odds. I was hoping to be hooked on the journey Mikey and Ellie take and finding out the truth regarding their two siblings.
Unfortunately for me, I grew bored fairly quickly. There was just too talking back and forth and too much concentration on building up the attraction between Mikey and Ellie. This is needed, but done in such a way I found dull and flat. I did try to stick it out, but not even a quarter of the way through I gave up.

You Against Me is a DNF and I’ll probably be in the minority here. Jenny Downham’s writing has a nice flavorful aspect to it and the subject matter is daring and eye opening. I just couldn’t connect with the character and the story, which is a perfect example why books and a reader’s thoughts about them can be so subjective.
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Jun 15, 2013 Divya rated it 1 of 5 stars

I don't even know where to start!
Ellie: Oh man, Ellie was amazing. Her depth and most of all her relationship with Tom? Spectacular. Even moment detailed with Tom had me turning the page, eating up every moment of praise Tom gave her, flinching when he hurt her. I felt like I was Ellie. However, her character when she was with Mikey confused me and felt off and very un-Ellie. The strong, passionate girl we see in the end of the book doesn't match up to the whirlwind romance we see taking place w...more I don't even know where to start!
Ellie: Oh man, Ellie was amazing. Her depth and most of all her relationship with Tom? Spectacular. Even moment detailed with Tom had me turning the page, eating up every moment of praise Tom gave her, flinching when he hurt her. I felt like I was Ellie. However, her character when she was with Mikey confused me and felt off and very un-Ellie. The strong, passionate girl we see in the end of the book doesn't match up to the whirlwind romance we see taking place with Mike. Not only that, but I'd grown so fiercely protective of Ellie that my intense hatred of Mikey made me resent her relationship with him. If anything, Tom's relationship with Ellie was more believable romantically than Mikey's was with Ellie and Tom was her brother.
Mikey: Can I write a whole essay on this jackass? His entire role in this book annoyed me. He constantly seeks out Tom, NOT to help Karyn (who just needs his support and she even tells him she didn't want him to do that). He objectifies a lot of the women in this book and at one point I remember him and his friend (Jacko, was it?) annoying a group of women who made is VERY clear they were being harassed. And my favorite part was when Mikey thinks to himself- hey! maybe I'm doing something wrong! Hey man, let's not bother these women anymore! look at me! i'm a fuckin' hero! Oh Mikey I couldn't have despised you more. Throughout the book he CONSTANTLY seeks to assert his manhood without caring about Karyn. His relationship with him Mom was confusing and while I tried to feel bad for him for having to hold up the house with no mother/father figure, I couldn't. Simply because Mikey refuses to act responsibly at all. As a brother of a rape victim, his job isn't to make out with Ellie. I don't care if you two have a love that burns with a passion of a thousand suns, the amount of trauma that Karyn must be experiencing? Unimaginable. And Mikey barely takes a moment to reflect on her pain, he (like I've said a billion times) keeps trying to assert his supposed "manhood". Not only that, but his reasons for loving Ellie and his whole relationship in fact, felt fabricated and unbelievable. It takes time and trust to build the kind of relationship that Mike and Ellie supposedly have. And even if they didn't need all that time and trust to build it, his reasons for loving her? Terrible. She's mysterious and interesting? I don't get it. I was definitely more in love with Ellie than Mikey was because in my eyes, Ellie was this whirlwind, this girl with a fickle heart who lies unbound. She wasn't mysterious. She was heart-crushingly open and real and crumpled. She was smart and hungry for the truth and in my eyes I could see Ellie as a journalist and maybe twenty years in the future she visits Tom in jail, and maybe she cries and kisses his forehead, and she goes home to her girlfriend and sniffles and lays her heart open so someone can mend it.
Karyn: MY BABBYYYY. I got so attached to her towards the end of the book, and I wish that instead, we had a romance with Karyn and Ellie, who seemed WAY more compatible. Karyn was strong-hearted and brave; she didn't see the world through rose-colored glasses and she so blatantly declared herself that when she curled herself up and cried for half the book, it's not a result of poor writing. She's genuinely so broken, so filled with glass shards, that I, as the reader want Tom to be brought to justice. Unfortunately, her pain is only really evident towards the end, when we get a taste of the REAL Karyn, the Karyn Before the Rape. And that's what really limits the impact of the book. Before the romance wasn't heartwrenching. Not at all. The reason why it was so forbidden wasn't even properly developed for half the book. Jenny Downham gives us so much material to sympathize with the rapist but not the rape victim herself. And that's what really did this book in for me, because we as the reader are thrown to Ellie and Mikey's side since we aren't allowed to witness Karyn's obvious PTSD and horrors she's gone through. (less)

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May 04, 2013 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't know, man. Here's the deal.
You can say I'm a bit of a masochist and enjoy the feeling of my heart sinking to the torturous pits of my stomach. I like that feeling I get when these normal people have the unfortunate and questionable privilege of going through things that will ultimately scar them and make them stronger, or so everyone says that's what happens to people with screwed up lives. And in theory, this book should have been more or less ideal- and it was! Don't get me wrong. I l...more

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Too...dragging?	10	36	Jun 09, 2013 12:37pm
It's like a roller coaster!	1	26	Dec 19, 2012 07:48pm
Realistic Fiction	1	22	Oct 28, 2012 02:54pm
What's The Name o...: Contemporary YA : Heroine's Brother Raped Hero's Sister [s]	3	63	Oct 23, 2012 05:30am

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About Jenny Downham

Jenny Downham (born 1964) is a British novelist and an ex-actor. In her first book, Before I Die, the fictional account of the last few months of a sixteen-year-old girl who has been dying of leukemia for 4 years. The book is told in the first person. The book was acclaimed and was short-listed for the 2007 Guardian Award and the 2008 Lancashire Children's Book of the Year, nominated for the 2008...more

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“It was strange how words meant something when they came out of your mouth. Inside your head they were safe and silent, but once they were outside, people grabbed hold of them.” — 159 people liked it

“Sometimes if you want something badly enough, you can make it happen. If you miss someone so desperately that it wrecks your insides, you say their name over and over until you conjure then. It's called sympathetic magic and you just have to believe in it to make it work.” — 126 people liked it

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