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Adamma, figlia di un diplomatico nigeriano, ha 16 anni quando la sua famiglia lascia New York e si trasferisce in Inghilterra, nel Wiltshire.
La nuova scuola di Adamma è il prestigioso Crofton College, frequentato dai ragazzi delle famiglie facoltose della zona, tra cui la bellissima e spregiudicata Scarlett. Tra le due nasce un’amicizia profonda, ma l’amore per lo stesso, misterioso ragazzo le allontana bruscamente. Dopo mesi di contrasti, bugie e ambiguità, proprio quando le loro incomprensioni sembrano infine appianarsi, Scarlett scompare e nessuno ha idea di cosa possa esserle accaduto, mentre Adamma scopre che l’amica nascondeva un inquietante segreto, che sconvolgerà la sua vita per sempre.
La nuova scuola di Adamma è il prestigioso Crofton College, frequentato dai ragazzi delle famiglie facoltose della zona, tra cui la bellissima e spregiudicata Scarlett. Tra le due nasce un’amicizia profonda, ma l’amore per lo stesso, misterioso ragazzo le allontana bruscamente. Dopo mesi di contrasti, bugie e ambiguità, proprio quando le loro incomprensioni sembrano infine appianarsi, Scarlett scompare e nessuno ha idea di cosa possa esserle accaduto, mentre Adamma scopre che l’amica nascondeva un inquietante segreto, che sconvolgerà la sua vita per sempre.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2013
21 people are currently reading
1615 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Byrne
11 books584 followersTanya Byrne is an award-winning young adult author.
She was born in London where she spent forty years before moving to Brighton in 2017 with her dog, Frida. After eight years at BBC Radio, she left to write her debut novel, HEART-SHAPED BRUISE, which was published by Headline in May 2012 and earned her a nomination for New Writer of the Year at the National Book Awards.
Since then, she has written three young adult novels, including FLOORED, a unique collaborative novel with six other bestselling and award-winning authors: Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood.
She has also contributed to several short story anthologies including A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, which was named Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week and was honoured with a Special Achievement Award by the YA Book Prize.
As a brown, queer, working class author, she is determined not to pull the ladder up after her so she is passionate about encouraging authors from marginalised backgrounds to tell their own stories and making publishing more open to everyone.
Her next novel, AFTERLOVE, is published by Hachette Children's Group in August.
She was born in London where she spent forty years before moving to Brighton in 2017 with her dog, Frida. After eight years at BBC Radio, she left to write her debut novel, HEART-SHAPED BRUISE, which was published by Headline in May 2012 and earned her a nomination for New Writer of the Year at the National Book Awards.
Since then, she has written three young adult novels, including FLOORED, a unique collaborative novel with six other bestselling and award-winning authors: Sara Barnard, Holly Bourne, Non Pratt, Melinda Salisbury, Lisa Williamson and Eleanor Wood.
She has also contributed to several short story anthologies including A CHANGE IS GONNA COME, which was named Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week and was honoured with a Special Achievement Award by the YA Book Prize.
As a brown, queer, working class author, she is determined not to pull the ladder up after her so she is passionate about encouraging authors from marginalised backgrounds to tell their own stories and making publishing more open to everyone.
Her next novel, AFTERLOVE, is published by Hachette Children's Group in August.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
February 5, 2016
*This review is posted on Way Too hot Books.*
My first thought upon finishing this was: How am I going to review this? It’s so good, people. And whenever I love a book, I find it difficult to summon the right words to express my admiration.
When it comes to Follow me Down, I thought the writing was solid, characters felt real, the plot and the mystery kept me intrigued. Trust me, this novel has it all, it’s definitely one of my favorite YA thrillers!
The story takes us to Crofton College in Wiltshire, Adamma’s new boarding school. The author truly captured the atmosphere of a small English village. I felt like I really knew those characters, Adamma’s peers and teachers, you get a sense of the community. There are plenty of characters, but you can easily differentiate them all.
There Adamma meets Scarlet, her new BFF – for whom I didn’t care at all. Her character was a little bit of a pixie dream girl type, however by the end we see she too is just lost.
Adamma, on the other hand, was an awesome protagonist. Strong, intelligent, fierce, she doesn’t take no for an answer.
Moreover, I loved the fact that she’s Nigerian and there are lots of cultural elements in the novel, I felt I learned something new by reading this book, and that’s always a good thing.
The story is told through Before and After chapters, we see Scarlet and Adamma becoming friends, but then they fall apart, all because of a boy. Or so it seems.
There are two mysteries in the novel: first one concerns the attacker/rapist on campus, and second deals with the boy Adamma is seeing. I loved how his identity is withheld till the very end; first you think it’s obvious, but then you notice how his name is actually never mentioned. Ha! The book kept me on my toes the whole time, I was second-guessing things the whole time, what is Scarlet hiding, who is he, who is the bloody killer?! I had my suspicions but every now and then, the author would throw in something that’d make me doubt myself.
I’m a fan of Tanya Byrne, I’d previously read and loved Heart-Shaped Bruise. The two novels are completely different which just speaks about the author’s amazing artistic abilities. I’ll be reading more from Tanya Byrne that’s for sure!
To conclude, Follow Me Down is a gripping story with well-structured plot, believable characters, and the ending which is so fitting and will leave you like this:
My first thought upon finishing this was: How am I going to review this? It’s so good, people. And whenever I love a book, I find it difficult to summon the right words to express my admiration.
When it comes to Follow me Down, I thought the writing was solid, characters felt real, the plot and the mystery kept me intrigued. Trust me, this novel has it all, it’s definitely one of my favorite YA thrillers!
The story takes us to Crofton College in Wiltshire, Adamma’s new boarding school. The author truly captured the atmosphere of a small English village. I felt like I really knew those characters, Adamma’s peers and teachers, you get a sense of the community. There are plenty of characters, but you can easily differentiate them all.
There Adamma meets Scarlet, her new BFF – for whom I didn’t care at all. Her character was a little bit of a pixie dream girl type, however by the end we see she too is just lost.
Adamma, on the other hand, was an awesome protagonist. Strong, intelligent, fierce, she doesn’t take no for an answer.
Moreover, I loved the fact that she’s Nigerian and there are lots of cultural elements in the novel, I felt I learned something new by reading this book, and that’s always a good thing.
The story is told through Before and After chapters, we see Scarlet and Adamma becoming friends, but then they fall apart, all because of a boy. Or so it seems.
There are two mysteries in the novel: first one concerns the attacker/rapist on campus, and second deals with the boy Adamma is seeing. I loved how his identity is withheld till the very end; first you think it’s obvious, but then you notice how his name is actually never mentioned. Ha! The book kept me on my toes the whole time, I was second-guessing things the whole time, what is Scarlet hiding, who is he, who is the bloody killer?! I had my suspicions but every now and then, the author would throw in something that’d make me doubt myself.
I’m a fan of Tanya Byrne, I’d previously read and loved Heart-Shaped Bruise. The two novels are completely different which just speaks about the author’s amazing artistic abilities. I’ll be reading more from Tanya Byrne that’s for sure!
I can feel it sometimes, at night, when I can’t sleep and I try to remember what it was like to be the girl who thought she could do anything. But then the morning comes and I tell a lie, then another and another. One more and I’ll never feel that light again.
To conclude, Follow Me Down is a gripping story with well-structured plot, believable characters, and the ending which is so fitting and will leave you like this:
December 17, 2022
Released in 2012, Tanya Byrne’s debut novel, Heart-Shaped Bruise was received warmly by critics and readers alike. A shelf-buckling collection of awards and high-profile nominations later, comes Follow Me Down, the highly anticipated follow up.
The story is told from the viewpoint of sixteen-year-old Adamma Okonma, daughter of a Nigerian diplomat and fish out of water starting at the exclusive Crofton College in Wiltshire. The novel, a decidedly dark YA tale, begins on the day of Adamma’s best frenemy Scarlett’s mysterious disappearance. Scarlett is the most popular and beautiful girl at Crofton, and, throughout her life, she has disappeared many times for various privileged-type reasons. But something is very different about her latest exodus; this disappearance coincides with a plethora of strange events veiled by the undergrowth and the ancient oaks adjacent to Crofton’s picture-perfect grounds.
The story is told in a split narrative, with one thread taking place in the months leading up to Scarlett’s disappearance, and the other in the days following. Byrne weaves these threads together loosely; they do of course intertwine but, tantalisingly, not to the extent that everything is clear cut. The reader will have to combine the clues provided by each timeframe in order to solve the whodunit-style mystery for themselves.
Although the narrative works well, perhaps the book’s greatest strength is the portrayal of the life the girls lead at Crofton. With credit cards, fast cars and a healthy dose of backstabbing, this story could easily have turned into a yawn-inducing tale pandering to the established audiences of the numerous high school TV dramas out there. But Follow Me Down is more My Summer of Love than 90210, so this is exactly what doesn’t happen; the rich juxtaposition of Adamma’s Lagos memories against her new life at Crofton prevents that. However, Adamma doesn’t go too far the other way and spin the clichéd life is better out of England bit either, she acknowledges the things she does like about Blighty, for example how everyone comes and frolics outside as soon as the sun starts to shine.
The novel’s ending could perhaps be considered a slightly unorthodox one. If the reader hasn’t combined the clues from the aforementioned narrative threads, then some head-scratching and flicking back through the pages might be in order before any sense can be made. Is this a good thing? Probably, but possibly one for the book clubs to decide.
Overall, this is a dark, intelligent and wonderfully addictive YA thriller which, in my opinion, outshines its predecessor.
The story is told from the viewpoint of sixteen-year-old Adamma Okonma, daughter of a Nigerian diplomat and fish out of water starting at the exclusive Crofton College in Wiltshire. The novel, a decidedly dark YA tale, begins on the day of Adamma’s best frenemy Scarlett’s mysterious disappearance. Scarlett is the most popular and beautiful girl at Crofton, and, throughout her life, she has disappeared many times for various privileged-type reasons. But something is very different about her latest exodus; this disappearance coincides with a plethora of strange events veiled by the undergrowth and the ancient oaks adjacent to Crofton’s picture-perfect grounds.
The story is told in a split narrative, with one thread taking place in the months leading up to Scarlett’s disappearance, and the other in the days following. Byrne weaves these threads together loosely; they do of course intertwine but, tantalisingly, not to the extent that everything is clear cut. The reader will have to combine the clues provided by each timeframe in order to solve the whodunit-style mystery for themselves.
Although the narrative works well, perhaps the book’s greatest strength is the portrayal of the life the girls lead at Crofton. With credit cards, fast cars and a healthy dose of backstabbing, this story could easily have turned into a yawn-inducing tale pandering to the established audiences of the numerous high school TV dramas out there. But Follow Me Down is more My Summer of Love than 90210, so this is exactly what doesn’t happen; the rich juxtaposition of Adamma’s Lagos memories against her new life at Crofton prevents that. However, Adamma doesn’t go too far the other way and spin the clichéd life is better out of England bit either, she acknowledges the things she does like about Blighty, for example how everyone comes and frolics outside as soon as the sun starts to shine.
The novel’s ending could perhaps be considered a slightly unorthodox one. If the reader hasn’t combined the clues from the aforementioned narrative threads, then some head-scratching and flicking back through the pages might be in order before any sense can be made. Is this a good thing? Probably, but possibly one for the book clubs to decide.
Overall, this is a dark, intelligent and wonderfully addictive YA thriller which, in my opinion, outshines its predecessor.
July 31, 2015
This was an ok story. I enjoyed the mystery for the most part. I felt the characters were hard to connect to and thus, I was in tune with their struggle aside from Scarlett's character. She was a manipulative, secretly troubled character and I wished there was more of her individually besides the murder plot.
The plot dragged to a point I figured who could be the culprit and by the end I wasn't surprised by who it turned out to be. Or maybe I watch too many crime tv shows xD
The plot dragged to a point I figured who could be the culprit and by the end I wasn't surprised by who it turned out to be. Or maybe I watch too many crime tv shows xD
August 9, 2016
Why aren't there more YA mystery novels? What is not to love about them? Follow Me Down has everything: Posh boarding school setting! Whodunnit! Beautiful prose! Brilliant characters! Sixteen-year-old Adamma Okomma – a Nigerian diplomat's daughter – was the stand-out character for me (thankfully because she's our protagonist!).
Adamma was the reason I picked up the book and the reason why I kept on reading. She has tasted the high life back in New York City, and is unhappy about moving to Crofton College, Wiltshire, but she is anything but a snob. Scarlett Chiltern, her new best friend, however, is snobby, rich and downright bitchy. She's cool and fashionable and lives in the biggest house in the village, but she's not as compex and fiesty as Adamma felt to me. Follow Me Down, instead, is a 'Before' and 'After' odyssey in which we see Adamma passionately and loyally deal with some pretty horrific experiences – from the disappearance of Scarlett to the suspected rape of a school friend – yet because it's YA mystery, it's never too graphic.
You are probably wondering 'So what's the mystery'? Follow Me Down untangles just what has happened to Scarlett and who Adamma is romantically involved with throughout the book. You'll have to keep up when reading otherwise you may find yourself screaming 'WHAT?!' once you've reached the last page, and will have to re-read the last few pages again, as I had to.
Follow Me Down is an accomplished, sophisticated novel with its haunting tone and clever foreshadowing. One of the things I like most about reading is not knowing what is going to happen next – unlike in real life where I have to plan everything – and mystery is the epitome of this. Follow Me Down does credit to YA, a thrilling mix of contemporary and mystery. Now, let's hope it starts a trend! Of course, I'll be picking up Heart-Shaped Bruise as soon as possible...
Thank you Headline for providing this book to review!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
Adamma was the reason I picked up the book and the reason why I kept on reading. She has tasted the high life back in New York City, and is unhappy about moving to Crofton College, Wiltshire, but she is anything but a snob. Scarlett Chiltern, her new best friend, however, is snobby, rich and downright bitchy. She's cool and fashionable and lives in the biggest house in the village, but she's not as compex and fiesty as Adamma felt to me. Follow Me Down, instead, is a 'Before' and 'After' odyssey in which we see Adamma passionately and loyally deal with some pretty horrific experiences – from the disappearance of Scarlett to the suspected rape of a school friend – yet because it's YA mystery, it's never too graphic.
You are probably wondering 'So what's the mystery'? Follow Me Down untangles just what has happened to Scarlett and who Adamma is romantically involved with throughout the book. You'll have to keep up when reading otherwise you may find yourself screaming 'WHAT?!' once you've reached the last page, and will have to re-read the last few pages again, as I had to.
Follow Me Down is an accomplished, sophisticated novel with its haunting tone and clever foreshadowing. One of the things I like most about reading is not knowing what is going to happen next – unlike in real life where I have to plan everything – and mystery is the epitome of this. Follow Me Down does credit to YA, a thrilling mix of contemporary and mystery. Now, let's hope it starts a trend! Of course, I'll be picking up Heart-Shaped Bruise as soon as possible...
Thank you Headline for providing this book to review!
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
October 1, 2013
When I read Tanya Byrne's Heart Shaped Bruise earlier this year, I was quite taken with the story, but even more so by the writing. And as in Heart-Shaped Bruise, the writing in Follow Me Down is really the stand out - because although the pace is rather slow, at times almost frustratingly so, again the writing was what hooked me in.
On the surface the synopsis seems pretty straight-forward - set in an English boarding school, two girls who are so very different on the surface become fast friends until a boy comes between them and things turn catty pretty quickly. All of the characters are complicated and the setting brings a level of intensity that would have been hard to produce if it wasn't in the fish-bowl of a boarding school where the girls are continually together.
Told in Before and After sections, it did feel like there was some parts of the story missing as it moved along, and although I'd hoped they would be resolved at the end, a few things were left slightly open which was a little disappointing, but certainly added to the mysterious plot-line.
I liked Adamma, but there were times that I didn't understand her actions. That doesn't make her a bad character, but it made it difficult for me to connect with her at times. I loved that Ms. Byrne threw in some cultural references too - Adamma's family plays a large part in her life and her relationship with them, in particular her father, is very close and felt realistic. Parenting in YA is so often absent or cringe-worthy that it was a nice change to have the families so closely involved with the story.
And although it is a mystery, I did guess about halfway through where the plot was going and who the baddie was, it was still a well-constructed mystery without any frustrating holes or discrepancies. Normally I'm happy with open-ended books but Follow Me Down wasn't completely satisfying - the climax was over too fast and there was not really any indication of what happens to the characters afterwards.
Follow Me Down is a strong novel, with a mixture of unique and slightly cliched characters, but once again I really enjoyed Tanya Byrne's style and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
On the surface the synopsis seems pretty straight-forward - set in an English boarding school, two girls who are so very different on the surface become fast friends until a boy comes between them and things turn catty pretty quickly. All of the characters are complicated and the setting brings a level of intensity that would have been hard to produce if it wasn't in the fish-bowl of a boarding school where the girls are continually together.
Told in Before and After sections, it did feel like there was some parts of the story missing as it moved along, and although I'd hoped they would be resolved at the end, a few things were left slightly open which was a little disappointing, but certainly added to the mysterious plot-line.
I liked Adamma, but there were times that I didn't understand her actions. That doesn't make her a bad character, but it made it difficult for me to connect with her at times. I loved that Ms. Byrne threw in some cultural references too - Adamma's family plays a large part in her life and her relationship with them, in particular her father, is very close and felt realistic. Parenting in YA is so often absent or cringe-worthy that it was a nice change to have the families so closely involved with the story.
And although it is a mystery, I did guess about halfway through where the plot was going and who the baddie was, it was still a well-constructed mystery without any frustrating holes or discrepancies. Normally I'm happy with open-ended books but Follow Me Down wasn't completely satisfying - the climax was over too fast and there was not really any indication of what happens to the characters afterwards.
Follow Me Down is a strong novel, with a mixture of unique and slightly cliched characters, but once again I really enjoyed Tanya Byrne's style and I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.
Read more of my reviews at The Aussie Zombie
January 27, 2015
Follow me down is a cracking read which will hook you from the very first page and won't let me go until you're done. If you dare to have audacity to put it down it'll niggle at you continually and beg to be picked up until you give in and devour it in one greedy go.
This review is deliberately short for two reasons. Firstly because I'm still now 24 hours on after finishing mulling it over in my mind and coming to terms with what I read and I think this will continue to go on for a few days to come. Quiet honestly I don't think I have the words to do justice to all those feelings just yet. Secondly I fear that if I gush or say too much I won't be able to rein myself in and I'll end up spoiling things for others. So please be sure in the knowledge that I loved this book from the very start.
This book follows the story of Adamma as she arrives at her new boarding school. She is the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat and has been moved to England for his new job. The story is told in two timelines some chapters from before and others after an event. As you go through you find yourself piecing the story together to make one whole and connected narrative and blimey it is a thinker. The are so many twists and parts of the story that keep you guessing that I found I couldn't second guess where the story was going and was constantly surprised about where it went meaning I quite literally couldn't put the book down. I loved the characters and how well they were done and I loved the whole variety of relationships developed as the book went on and seeing the comparison between them. The ending was brilliant and as I said earlier will stick with me for a while to come. I'm actually on the verge of wanting to reread straight away so I see everything again with that more informed brain in gear.
All in all you've got to pity the books I read next as they are never going to live up to Follow me down.
This review is deliberately short for two reasons. Firstly because I'm still now 24 hours on after finishing mulling it over in my mind and coming to terms with what I read and I think this will continue to go on for a few days to come. Quiet honestly I don't think I have the words to do justice to all those feelings just yet. Secondly I fear that if I gush or say too much I won't be able to rein myself in and I'll end up spoiling things for others. So please be sure in the knowledge that I loved this book from the very start.
This book follows the story of Adamma as she arrives at her new boarding school. She is the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat and has been moved to England for his new job. The story is told in two timelines some chapters from before and others after an event. As you go through you find yourself piecing the story together to make one whole and connected narrative and blimey it is a thinker. The are so many twists and parts of the story that keep you guessing that I found I couldn't second guess where the story was going and was constantly surprised about where it went meaning I quite literally couldn't put the book down. I loved the characters and how well they were done and I loved the whole variety of relationships developed as the book went on and seeing the comparison between them. The ending was brilliant and as I said earlier will stick with me for a while to come. I'm actually on the verge of wanting to reread straight away so I see everything again with that more informed brain in gear.
All in all you've got to pity the books I read next as they are never going to live up to Follow me down.
Read
November 7, 2016A beautiful book told in alternating timelines of before and after as Adamma unravels a dark mystery that surrounds her new boarding school. It’s gorgeously written in such an interesting way - flipping between before and after and seeing how the characters are led up to the event, and then turning the page and seeing how they dealt with it afterwards was brilliant. I loved the secrets and the lies and the dark uncertainty that surrounded the school. I’d recommend this title to fans of HYSTERIA by Megan Miranda.
April 27, 2013
Originally published on www.serendipityreviews.co.uk
Oh my goodness! I always worry when debut authors bring out their second book. Will it be as stunning and as addictive as their first novel? Will I want to read it? Well I definitely shouldn’t have worried when it came to Tanya Byrne. Follow Me Down was just as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. In fact I felt like it was completely different to Heart-Shaped Bruise. Heart-Shaped Bruise rubbed my emotions raw, Follow Me Down had me straining to hold back from turning to the last page to find out who was responsible.
Adamma is a brilliant character. The change in her attitude from the beginning to the end of the book is quite dramatic. In the beginning, she appears very calm, studious and young for her age, by the end of the book she has transformed into a strong yet at times reckless young woman. She puts everything she has worked so hard for on the line for the sake of love. Her friendship with Scarlett was always going to be a dangerous one. Yet even when it appears unrepairable, Adamma adopts a Nancy Drew style attitude to discover the truth. She is well aware that justice needs to be served; even if Scarlett had become one of the most disliked characters in the book, Adamma could still remember the good times that she shared with her.
Scarlett is the type of enigmatic character that fills a room even when she isn’t in it. Everyone will always talk about her or envy her in some way. She reminded me of Daphne’ Du Maurier’s Rebecca. She was like a fragile doll that would break at any minute. The male characters within the book are quite grey in colour and detail but I felt that had been done on purpose to increase the attention and limelight on Adamma and Scarlett who really are the main stars of the show.
The book jumps backwards and forwards in time to before and after the event that propels the story on. It was easy to keep track of what was happening and I found myself struggling to put the book down.
There are two mysteries within the book – what happens to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with. Up until the last couple of chapters you have no idea of what the answer is to either question. I thought I would explode if I didn’t find out and I was so tempted to turn to the end to find out and I haven’t done that since I was a child!
The book is set in a boarding school and will appeal to fans of CJ Daugherty’s Night School series as well as Paige Harrison’s New Girl. Also if you loved Sister by Rosamund Lupton, then this will definitely appeal to you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to young adults looking for a brilliant contemporary thriller. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tanya Byrne gets shortlisted for even more awards this year.
Oh my goodness! I always worry when debut authors bring out their second book. Will it be as stunning and as addictive as their first novel? Will I want to read it? Well I definitely shouldn’t have worried when it came to Tanya Byrne. Follow Me Down was just as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. In fact I felt like it was completely different to Heart-Shaped Bruise. Heart-Shaped Bruise rubbed my emotions raw, Follow Me Down had me straining to hold back from turning to the last page to find out who was responsible.
Adamma is a brilliant character. The change in her attitude from the beginning to the end of the book is quite dramatic. In the beginning, she appears very calm, studious and young for her age, by the end of the book she has transformed into a strong yet at times reckless young woman. She puts everything she has worked so hard for on the line for the sake of love. Her friendship with Scarlett was always going to be a dangerous one. Yet even when it appears unrepairable, Adamma adopts a Nancy Drew style attitude to discover the truth. She is well aware that justice needs to be served; even if Scarlett had become one of the most disliked characters in the book, Adamma could still remember the good times that she shared with her.
Scarlett is the type of enigmatic character that fills a room even when she isn’t in it. Everyone will always talk about her or envy her in some way. She reminded me of Daphne’ Du Maurier’s Rebecca. She was like a fragile doll that would break at any minute. The male characters within the book are quite grey in colour and detail but I felt that had been done on purpose to increase the attention and limelight on Adamma and Scarlett who really are the main stars of the show.
The book jumps backwards and forwards in time to before and after the event that propels the story on. It was easy to keep track of what was happening and I found myself struggling to put the book down.
There are two mysteries within the book – what happens to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with. Up until the last couple of chapters you have no idea of what the answer is to either question. I thought I would explode if I didn’t find out and I was so tempted to turn to the end to find out and I haven’t done that since I was a child!
The book is set in a boarding school and will appeal to fans of CJ Daugherty’s Night School series as well as Paige Harrison’s New Girl. Also if you loved Sister by Rosamund Lupton, then this will definitely appeal to you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to young adults looking for a brilliant contemporary thriller. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tanya Byrne gets shortlisted for even more awards this year.
October 7, 2013
This may be one of the most annoying books I've ever read. It was particularly annoying because it's well-written in one sense - I kept being delighted by particular turns of phrase - but I felt it was a mess in other ways.
It's the story of a Nigerian girl (Adamma) who worships one of the other girls (Scarlett) at her new school - but then she falls for one of Scarlett's boyfriends. Tragedy ensues.
The book is told in two timelines - one in the present, where Scarlett has gone missing (which is not unusual - but is it different this time?), and the other telling the story from the start. The timelines take turns, chapter by chapter, and personally I couldn't see the point. I guess the idea is to increase suspense by showing us how anxious and guilty Adammo is in the present-day chapters, so we know something is seriously wrong - but I found them distracting and would've been happier following the story in chronological order.
However, what really got me was the boyfriend. His identity is studiously kept a mystery - every time he appears in a scene, or is referred to, the author ties herself in knots to avoid using his name. At the same time, she practically sticks a big red hand above Dominic's head, shouting "It's him! It's him!" - so of course, you know it can't be. The result was that I decided who he was very early, so the denouement wasn't a surprise.
What was even more curious - in spite of the often impressive descriptions, I didn't feel I'd got close enough to Adammo to care.
Note: This book was in the Adult section of the library, but perhaps should've been in the Young Adults section instead?
It's the story of a Nigerian girl (Adamma) who worships one of the other girls (Scarlett) at her new school - but then she falls for one of Scarlett's boyfriends. Tragedy ensues.
The book is told in two timelines - one in the present, where Scarlett has gone missing (which is not unusual - but is it different this time?), and the other telling the story from the start. The timelines take turns, chapter by chapter, and personally I couldn't see the point. I guess the idea is to increase suspense by showing us how anxious and guilty Adammo is in the present-day chapters, so we know something is seriously wrong - but I found them distracting and would've been happier following the story in chronological order.
However, what really got me was the boyfriend. His identity is studiously kept a mystery - every time he appears in a scene, or is referred to, the author ties herself in knots to avoid using his name. At the same time, she practically sticks a big red hand above Dominic's head, shouting "It's him! It's him!" - so of course, you know it can't be. The result was that I decided who he was very early, so the denouement wasn't a surprise.
What was even more curious - in spite of the often impressive descriptions, I didn't feel I'd got close enough to Adammo to care.
Note: This book was in the Adult section of the library, but perhaps should've been in the Young Adults section instead?
May 29, 2016
A good read!
A mysterious tale of love, friendship, secrets and the unpredictability of Scarlett Chiltern. From innocence to a love stricken girl of 16, Adamma Okomma has to get used to being in boarding school, but most of all keep up with her new found friend Scarlett, a girl full of mysteries.
This book has made me think, "This is one of those John Green books where a girl goes missing and the characters go out searching for her" (I love John Green's books btw, but I think this plot has become too generic). But the hell with it, I still read the book and what fascinated me about this is how the author tells the story from a "before" and "after" view and still managed to keep it connected and simple despite time differences. Moreover, it's how much the author has used "him", connoting to a beloved character turned murder, has strike me to want to know more about who this person is.
What bothered me most about this story is that there are characters who had little to no major roles in the book. And also unexplained and cliff hanger story lines that I wish the author would have given us a taste more (Scarlett- Dominic relationship). But I guess, there's too much content to fill it in one mystery book, especially that this focuses in the mystery of Scarlett.
Through the unexpected and unrelated plot twists that surrounded this book, I still enjoyed reading it. And I think that's the jewel of this book; That what you may think is not what it's supposed to be. Same goes for love, it's not going to be all sweet and warm. It can also be bloody red with madness too.
A mysterious tale of love, friendship, secrets and the unpredictability of Scarlett Chiltern. From innocence to a love stricken girl of 16, Adamma Okomma has to get used to being in boarding school, but most of all keep up with her new found friend Scarlett, a girl full of mysteries.
This book has made me think, "This is one of those John Green books where a girl goes missing and the characters go out searching for her" (I love John Green's books btw, but I think this plot has become too generic). But the hell with it, I still read the book and what fascinated me about this is how the author tells the story from a "before" and "after" view and still managed to keep it connected and simple despite time differences. Moreover, it's how much the author has used "him", connoting to a beloved character turned murder, has strike me to want to know more about who this person is.
What bothered me most about this story is that there are characters who had little to no major roles in the book. And also unexplained and cliff hanger story lines that I wish the author would have given us a taste more (Scarlett- Dominic relationship). But I guess, there's too much content to fill it in one mystery book, especially that this focuses in the mystery of Scarlett.
Through the unexpected and unrelated plot twists that surrounded this book, I still enjoyed reading it. And I think that's the jewel of this book; That what you may think is not what it's supposed to be. Same goes for love, it's not going to be all sweet and warm. It can also be bloody red with madness too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2014
I have to say that for at least the first half of this book I wasn't too excited and I even found it a little cringey. Once I hit about the middle however, it got far more gripping and I found myself reading well into the early hours so that I could finish.
I found the narrative a little annoying - there was far too much repetition of names during dialogue and I have to admit that I didn't understand the use of 'he' as a way to hide Adamma's boyfriend until the end. This did then make it more shocking, but something I think I really should have realised earlier. The shifting narrative though was very effective and helped to steer the plot, revealing details slowly.
The plot itself was great - I didn't see much of it coming and it was clever and well developed.
Overall, I really fell into the trap the author intended with this book - so much so that I had to read the last third again because I thought there had been a mix up with the names near the end. I think that there needed to be more focus on the mystery surrounding Scarlett and less regarding the romance (I forgot who Daniel was, and so when he re-appeared at the end I didn't know who was being written about).
I would definitely recommend this book, but I would say that you need to stick with it until it gets good, because when it does it's brilliant and thoroughly unputdownable!
I found the narrative a little annoying - there was far too much repetition of names during dialogue and I have to admit that I didn't understand the use of 'he' as a way to hide Adamma's boyfriend until the end. This did then make it more shocking, but something I think I really should have realised earlier. The shifting narrative though was very effective and helped to steer the plot, revealing details slowly.
The plot itself was great - I didn't see much of it coming and it was clever and well developed.
Overall, I really fell into the trap the author intended with this book - so much so that I had to read the last third again because I thought there had been a mix up with the names near the end. I think that there needed to be more focus on the mystery surrounding Scarlett and less regarding the romance (I forgot who Daniel was, and so when he re-appeared at the end I didn't know who was being written about).
I would definitely recommend this book, but I would say that you need to stick with it until it gets good, because when it does it's brilliant and thoroughly unputdownable!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2017
Amazing
One of the best novels ever. I picked this book without reading the back cover or the review The title grabbed my attention and I am very happy that I did. it was surprisingly beautiful.
The idea of writing chapters about Before and After was clever it triggered my interest and the further I went through it the more I needed to know the end. The story itself reminded me with Sister By Rosamund Lupton. I got the same feeling while reading and it made my day. I recommend it to who likes young-adult mysteries books.
Now after starting my year with this awesome book I am very encouraged o read more after stopping to do so for several weeks. I hope my next books will hold my undivided attention as did this one.
One of the best novels ever. I picked this book without reading the back cover or the review The title grabbed my attention and I am very happy that I did. it was surprisingly beautiful.
The idea of writing chapters about Before and After was clever it triggered my interest and the further I went through it the more I needed to know the end. The story itself reminded me with Sister By Rosamund Lupton. I got the same feeling while reading and it made my day. I recommend it to who likes young-adult mysteries books.
Now after starting my year with this awesome book I am very encouraged o read more after stopping to do so for several weeks. I hope my next books will hold my undivided attention as did this one.
March 22, 2024
3,5 Il fatto che Tanya abbia poi scritto libri wlw non è una sorpresa, ecco.
Libro davvero interessante, misterioso, con due linee temporali che si alternano, portando la rivelazione finale ad essere seguita dalla calma prima della tempesta. Fantastico.
Storia molto ambigua, con il main love interest identificato come "lui", che ok sì certe volte pensavo a "Him" delle superchicche ma questa è un'altra storia. Pur sapendo il twist finale, anche avendo letto questo libro più di un paio di anni fa, la storia è comunque scorrevole e interessante.
Tema del grooming che è inserito ma è quasi ignorato, con Dominic che ha la sua fama perché ha "messo incinta una professoressa". That's a crime. Qualcuno salvi Dominic, sia dalle signore pazze che da Scarlett, che, sapendo che lui è innamorato di lei, lo usa come più le piace. Povero Dominic.
Scarlett classica ragazza viziata, che ottiene tutto quello che vuole, ma alla fine non è detestabile. E solo una ragazzina, con la sua vanità, la sua imprevedibilità, il suo disordine, il suo egoismo. L'amicizia con Adamma parte un po' too strong (il primo incontro le da' il passepartout, che vabbè è inutile, but still), ma poi procede normalmente, con i dissapori tipici di sedicenni, compreso il lottare per lo stesso ragazzo, anche se si sono volute e si vogliono ancora bene. Cucciole.
Daddy issues di Adamma che vanno di potenza, con il suo rapporto stretto col padre, così tanto che lq madre sembra comparire a metà libro, ma il rapporto col genitore è sempre più stretto. E oh, guarda, c'è un professore uomo che è giovane e intelligente. E tutte le studentesse gli stanno sotto. Uh oh.
Ho trovato Adamma non troppo fastidiosa, ma pronta ad agire per quello che crede giusto: per questo va dalla polizia (anche se non ho capito perché Bone non stia quasi mai al commissariato. Fra esci dai pub ogni volta.), per questo non si fa trattare una merda da Scarlett, per questo sai che questo amore così passionale e intenso è un po' una red flag, anche perché nelle scene in cui sono mostrati i due si vede che lui non la vuole lasciar andare, che per stare con lui le fa perdere lezioni e allenamenti. Super mega Red flag.
Gli altri personaggi sono un po' stereotipici, classiche ragazzine che parlano di gossip e hanno la profondità di una tavola di cartone, ma non ho mai detto che questo fosse un capolavoro.
Lo consiglierei? Sì, è scorrevole, è interessante, e ci sono molti elementi dell'origine nigeriana di Adamma, cosa che la rende un personaggio più reale, non solo una classica ragazzina. Daje Tanya.
Libro davvero interessante, misterioso, con due linee temporali che si alternano, portando la rivelazione finale ad essere seguita dalla calma prima della tempesta. Fantastico.
Storia molto ambigua, con il main love interest identificato come "lui", che ok sì certe volte pensavo a "Him" delle superchicche ma questa è un'altra storia. Pur sapendo il twist finale, anche avendo letto questo libro più di un paio di anni fa, la storia è comunque scorrevole e interessante.
Tema del grooming che è inserito ma è quasi ignorato, con Dominic che ha la sua fama perché ha "messo incinta una professoressa". That's a crime. Qualcuno salvi Dominic, sia dalle signore pazze che da Scarlett, che, sapendo che lui è innamorato di lei, lo usa come più le piace. Povero Dominic.
Scarlett classica ragazza viziata, che ottiene tutto quello che vuole, ma alla fine non è detestabile. E solo una ragazzina, con la sua vanità, la sua imprevedibilità, il suo disordine, il suo egoismo. L'amicizia con Adamma parte un po' too strong (il primo incontro le da' il passepartout, che vabbè è inutile, but still), ma poi procede normalmente, con i dissapori tipici di sedicenni, compreso il lottare per lo stesso ragazzo, anche se si sono volute e si vogliono ancora bene. Cucciole.
Daddy issues di Adamma che vanno di potenza, con il suo rapporto stretto col padre, così tanto che lq madre sembra comparire a metà libro, ma il rapporto col genitore è sempre più stretto. E oh, guarda, c'è un professore uomo che è giovane e intelligente. E tutte le studentesse gli stanno sotto. Uh oh.
Ho trovato Adamma non troppo fastidiosa, ma pronta ad agire per quello che crede giusto: per questo va dalla polizia (anche se non ho capito perché Bone non stia quasi mai al commissariato. Fra esci dai pub ogni volta.), per questo non si fa trattare una merda da Scarlett, per questo sai che questo amore così passionale e intenso è un po' una red flag, anche perché nelle scene in cui sono mostrati i due si vede che lui non la vuole lasciar andare, che per stare con lui le fa perdere lezioni e allenamenti. Super mega Red flag.
Gli altri personaggi sono un po' stereotipici, classiche ragazzine che parlano di gossip e hanno la profondità di una tavola di cartone, ma non ho mai detto che questo fosse un capolavoro.
Lo consiglierei? Sì, è scorrevole, è interessante, e ci sono molti elementi dell'origine nigeriana di Adamma, cosa che la rende un personaggio più reale, non solo una classica ragazzina. Daje Tanya.
March 1, 2015
I finished this just now and I still have this heavy feeling of uneasiness on my heart!
This review was originally posted at Fluttering Butterflies
I love Tanya Byrne. Her debut book Heart-Shaped Bruise was my number one favourite book of last year. So when I heard that Headline were publishing a new book by Tanya this year, I squealed in excitement. And Follow Me Down is a very worthy second book by the lovely Tanya Byrne. It was very addictive reading and it really kept me guessing all the way to those tense final pages.
Certain things about the book jumped out at me right away as exciting. I love the boarding school setting. Don't you just love boarding school settings?! And around this boarding school is this lovely, creepy forest where things happen. Second really exciting thing in Follow Me Down is that the main character is a Nigerian teenager, Adamma, who is pretty and popular and has no trouble fitting in, making friends of falling in love. I think there definitely needs to be more non-white characters in YA fiction like Adamma.
I think the thing that will follow me around after reading this book is the feeling of deep unease and uncertainty as I finished this book. I love the way in which Tanya Byrne chose to tell this story in two parts, before and after and also in giving us plenty of mysteries that need uncovering. There's a lot within Follow Me Down that we as readers don't know and those secrets ate away at me. I really needed to know and it really isn't until those last few pages that we know for sure. That really ramped up the tension and unease for me not knowing how to feel about certain characters and situations.
I did like Adamma as a main character. She comes to this new school a bit unhappy leaving New York and her friends behind, but fairly quickly she makes friends with Scarlett and settles into Croften College. Scarlett is a bit dramatic and attention-seeking and is someone who wields secrets and knowledge like weapons but is also the first person to really reach out to Adamma and make her feel like she belongs. She's a tricky character, Scarlett, as is the relationship between Adamma and Scarlett. I love how Adamma is able to remember both the good and the bad of their friendship. Because it turns out that a boy will come between these two girls. And another one of the mysteries that Tanya Byrne throws at us is the identity of this boy, mostly referred to as him or he so that while you might have an inkling to who it could be ... you're never quite sure! And for me, it really changed my perspective on the story depending on who I thought 'he' might be.
Follow Me Down is a really tense and addictive read. I couldn't put it down once I'd started and by the end I was absolutely desperate to know what had happened and who was involved as well as being fully creeped out by this story. I thought it was amazing and I can highly recommend that you read this book!
This review was originally posted at Fluttering Butterflies
I love Tanya Byrne. Her debut book Heart-Shaped Bruise was my number one favourite book of last year. So when I heard that Headline were publishing a new book by Tanya this year, I squealed in excitement. And Follow Me Down is a very worthy second book by the lovely Tanya Byrne. It was very addictive reading and it really kept me guessing all the way to those tense final pages.
Certain things about the book jumped out at me right away as exciting. I love the boarding school setting. Don't you just love boarding school settings?! And around this boarding school is this lovely, creepy forest where things happen. Second really exciting thing in Follow Me Down is that the main character is a Nigerian teenager, Adamma, who is pretty and popular and has no trouble fitting in, making friends of falling in love. I think there definitely needs to be more non-white characters in YA fiction like Adamma.
I think the thing that will follow me around after reading this book is the feeling of deep unease and uncertainty as I finished this book. I love the way in which Tanya Byrne chose to tell this story in two parts, before and after and also in giving us plenty of mysteries that need uncovering. There's a lot within Follow Me Down that we as readers don't know and those secrets ate away at me. I really needed to know and it really isn't until those last few pages that we know for sure. That really ramped up the tension and unease for me not knowing how to feel about certain characters and situations.
I did like Adamma as a main character. She comes to this new school a bit unhappy leaving New York and her friends behind, but fairly quickly she makes friends with Scarlett and settles into Croften College. Scarlett is a bit dramatic and attention-seeking and is someone who wields secrets and knowledge like weapons but is also the first person to really reach out to Adamma and make her feel like she belongs. She's a tricky character, Scarlett, as is the relationship between Adamma and Scarlett. I love how Adamma is able to remember both the good and the bad of their friendship. Because it turns out that a boy will come between these two girls. And another one of the mysteries that Tanya Byrne throws at us is the identity of this boy, mostly referred to as him or he so that while you might have an inkling to who it could be ... you're never quite sure! And for me, it really changed my perspective on the story depending on who I thought 'he' might be.
Follow Me Down is a really tense and addictive read. I couldn't put it down once I'd started and by the end I was absolutely desperate to know what had happened and who was involved as well as being fully creeped out by this story. I thought it was amazing and I can highly recommend that you read this book!
August 28, 2017
This book...
So I liked the start of the book, the setting of the story : a teenage girl in a new school in England but waow I wasn't expecting an ending like that I actually had to put my book down while saying "Noo". So a really good plot twist at the end 😏.
So I liked the start of the book, the setting of the story : a teenage girl in a new school in England but waow I wasn't expecting an ending like that I actually had to put my book down while saying "Noo". So a really good plot twist at the end 😏.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2015
Follow Me Down hat einen starken Start und ein Ende, das einem Fausthieb in die Magengegend gleichkommt. Der Mittelteil … konnte mich nicht ganz so überzeugen. Wie auch “Heart-Shaped Bruise” wird in “Follow Me Down” abwechselnd von der Gegenwart und der Vergangenheit erzählt und wir starten im Hier und Jetzt, ohne zu wissen, was passiert ist ist – nur dass etwas passiert ist und dass es schlimm ist. Im Zentrum steht dabei die Freundschaft von Adamma und Scarlett, von denen letztere scheinbar spurlos verschwunden ist. Damit verknüpft ist eine Romanze zwischen Adamma und einem Charakter, der auch für Scarlett sehr wichtig ist – und hier hätten wir auch die zwei Problemzonen für mich. Zum einen wurde ich mit Scarlett nie warm, die wir zugegebenermaßen immer nur durch Adammas Augen sehen. Und obwohl die Autorin viele Passagen dafür verwendet, uns zu beschreiben, wie toll Scarlett ist – es ist wirklich nur erzählen, Scarletts eigentliches Verhalten hat für mich eine andere Geschichte erzählt, weswegen mir nie ganz klar wurde, warum die zwei jetzt befreundet sind. Zum anderen ist die Romanze zu offensichtlich als Geheimnis konzipiert. Bis zum Schluss wird nie konkret gesagt, wer genau jetzt mit beiden Mädchen involviert ist, aber es gibt zwei Kandidaten, die in Frage kommen und nur bei einem macht der Konflikt, der mit der Romanze kommt, Sinn. Deswegen ist nicht gleich alles von Anfang an klar – es bleibt noch immer die Frage, was mit Scarlett geschehen ist und inwiefern es vielleicht mit noch so einigen Dingen mehr verknüpft ist, die nahe der Schule vor sich gingen. Abgesehen davon nutzt Tanya Byrne die Zeit, um Leser_innen daran zu erinnern, dass es vollkommen okay ist, als Mädchen sexuell aktiv zu sein, und spricht das Stigma von Vergewaltigungen an, das aber nicht der vergewaltigenden Person anhängt, sondern der, die vergewaltigt wurde. Sie bietet uns außerdem einen Blick auf falsche Romantik und Beziehungen, die mensch sich selbst schönreden kann – die aber niemals nie gut sind. Ein weiteres Plus ist Adamma, die nicht nur ein gut ausgearbeiteter Charakter mit eigenem Kopf ist, sondern als Tochter eines Botschafters aus Nigeria außerdem noch einen Blick auf eine andere Kultur bringt, inklusive kurzer Sätze in Igbo, wenn Adamma mit ihrer Mutter spricht und es emotionaler wird. (Letzteres macht mich als Linguistin ja immer ganz hibbelig!) Vielleicht hätte mich das Buch auch etwas mehr überzeugen können, hätte ich nicht mit “Heart-Shaped Bruise” losgelegt. “Follow Me Down” ist keineswegs schlecht – es ist einfach nur nicht so gut, wie es hätte sein können.
May 6, 2013
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
When Adamma Okonma move from New York into England, she's a bit unhappy. She's moved away from her friends, her boyfriend, all because her father is Nigerian diplomat. So when her family put her in Crofton College, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, you can guess her reaction. So when she meets Scarlett, she begins to think things are looking up. But Scarlett is secretive, wants to be center of attention, runs away without warning. Their friendship becomes destructive. And then something comes between them, tearing them apart.
Told in two timelines - Before and After - we see Adamma become friends with Scarlett and their friendship grown then destroy itself and then we see Adamma after something unspeakable happens.
So, you're probably wondering: is this book as good as Heart-Shaped Bruise? Or is it, as Tanya feared when she was writing this, a one hit wonder?
Oh, Tanya. Why did you worry? This book is just as dark, twisty and as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. And, at the same time, it is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise. Adamma is so different to Emily Knoll, as is Scarlett. Follow Me Down is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise as Follow Me Down has two mysteries slowly intertwine together while Heart-Shaped Bruise is a dark revenge plot. The two mysteries - what happened to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with - will have you turning the pages and will have you guessing to the last page.
I loved this. I loved how this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, staying up late at night and guessing till I closed the book. I think you guys, who love dark contemporary thriller, need to get your mitts on this. And when you do, NO JUMPING AHEAD TO THE END!
When Adamma Okonma move from New York into England, she's a bit unhappy. She's moved away from her friends, her boyfriend, all because her father is Nigerian diplomat. So when her family put her in Crofton College, a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, you can guess her reaction. So when she meets Scarlett, she begins to think things are looking up. But Scarlett is secretive, wants to be center of attention, runs away without warning. Their friendship becomes destructive. And then something comes between them, tearing them apart.
Told in two timelines - Before and After - we see Adamma become friends with Scarlett and their friendship grown then destroy itself and then we see Adamma after something unspeakable happens.
So, you're probably wondering: is this book as good as Heart-Shaped Bruise? Or is it, as Tanya feared when she was writing this, a one hit wonder?
Oh, Tanya. Why did you worry? This book is just as dark, twisty and as addictive as Heart-Shaped Bruise. And, at the same time, it is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise. Adamma is so different to Emily Knoll, as is Scarlett. Follow Me Down is very different from Heart-Shaped Bruise as Follow Me Down has two mysteries slowly intertwine together while Heart-Shaped Bruise is a dark revenge plot. The two mysteries - what happened to Scarlett and who is Adamma romantically involved with - will have you turning the pages and will have you guessing to the last page.
I loved this. I loved how this thriller kept me on the edge of my seat, staying up late at night and guessing till I closed the book. I think you guys, who love dark contemporary thriller, need to get your mitts on this. And when you do, NO JUMPING AHEAD TO THE END!
May 20, 2013
Having loved "Heart Shaped Bruise" I was very keen to get onto Ms Byrnes latest book and indeed it was a great one. Very different from her debut, but in its own way just as stunning, this novel tells the tale of Adamma, daughter of a Nigerian Diplomat, who is attending the prestigious Crofton College whilst she is in England. There she meets free spirit Scarlett, a wonderful character that Miss Byrne has literally breathed life into through her writing, and the girls become fast friends. Enter a man. Yes you guessed it. The friendship is shaken. Then Scarlett disappears...
A story of the friendship between two young women, and the real life things that come between them, this will keep you turning the pages until you are done. Adamma is terrific - a very different outlook on life from Scarlett, and certainly a lot more loyal - that loyalty is tested to its very limits. How far would you go for someone you believe is a friend? And where would you draw the line? Scarlett herself is self absorbed but even as you are tutting at her you will also be wishing that you had a friend a bit like her.
The supporting cast of characters all do their part - I was particularly fond of "Bones" and yes, I was on Star Trek not BONES. Anyway, read this and enjoy it. It has just confirmed my belief that I want to read anything Tanya Byrne writes ever. Next please.
A story of the friendship between two young women, and the real life things that come between them, this will keep you turning the pages until you are done. Adamma is terrific - a very different outlook on life from Scarlett, and certainly a lot more loyal - that loyalty is tested to its very limits. How far would you go for someone you believe is a friend? And where would you draw the line? Scarlett herself is self absorbed but even as you are tutting at her you will also be wishing that you had a friend a bit like her.
The supporting cast of characters all do their part - I was particularly fond of "Bones" and yes, I was on Star Trek not BONES. Anyway, read this and enjoy it. It has just confirmed my belief that I want to read anything Tanya Byrne writes ever. Next please.
August 9, 2013
Adamma Okomma leaves New York for a sleepy, English boarding school near Bath. Thinking that it's the end of her social life, she is surprised when she meets the gorgeous, vivacious it-girl Scarlett Chiltern on her first day. Scarlett is rich, infamous and they instantly become inseparably. But Adamma also meets Dominic Sim, devilishly handsome, witty and in love with Scarlett.
When Scarlett and Adamma fall for the same guy, their friendship is lost in a battle for his affection. Adamma gets the guy, but loses her best friend and then, when Scarlett suddenly goes missing... things take a sinister turn.
I thought that this book was brilliantly handled and I throughly enjoyed it. The plot sucked me in and the chapters that jumped backward and forward in time kept me guessing. I loved the setting and I felt that it was described with tremendous detail without becoming taxing or difficult for the reader. The characters of Adamma and Scarlett were carefully and believably portrayed and the difficult topics were handled delicately. I passed this on to a friend straight after finishing it.
When Scarlett and Adamma fall for the same guy, their friendship is lost in a battle for his affection. Adamma gets the guy, but loses her best friend and then, when Scarlett suddenly goes missing... things take a sinister turn.
I thought that this book was brilliantly handled and I throughly enjoyed it. The plot sucked me in and the chapters that jumped backward and forward in time kept me guessing. I loved the setting and I felt that it was described with tremendous detail without becoming taxing or difficult for the reader. The characters of Adamma and Scarlett were carefully and believably portrayed and the difficult topics were handled delicately. I passed this on to a friend straight after finishing it.
July 8, 2013
It's Looking for Alaska, as a story of rumors at boarding school, of a girl who goes missing and people around her who know neither of them know the real her. It's (500) days of Summer, in the way that it's written, flashing between 'before' when Adamma first arrives at the school, and after Scarlett goes missing, leaving us a little lost in between; never knowing who to trust and what is true. The curiosity is what pulled me through, though. Wanting to know what happens next, what really happened.
I literally have no idea what happened at the end, but i was gorgeous and poetic and a little prophetic in a way that left me speechless. It left my heart feeling empty and full at the same time, which made me remember the quote from The History of Love, “What about you? Are you happiest and saddest right now that you've ever been?" "Of course I am." "Why?" "Because nothing makes me happier and nothing makes me sadder than you.” You, Follow Me Down, that's exactly how you made me feel.
I literally have no idea what happened at the end, but i was gorgeous and poetic and a little prophetic in a way that left me speechless. It left my heart feeling empty and full at the same time, which made me remember the quote from The History of Love, “What about you? Are you happiest and saddest right now that you've ever been?" "Of course I am." "Why?" "Because nothing makes me happier and nothing makes me sadder than you.” You, Follow Me Down, that's exactly how you made me feel.
April 15, 2015
I would have to give this book a 3.5. The plot was intriguing, most of the characters were well thought out (although I'm not entirely sure who Molly was and why she was such a significant character to appear so often but do so little) and each time I put down the book I looked forward to picking it up again. I had figured out the secret boyfriend by page 154 which was slightly disappointing as Tanya Byrne's other book, Heart Shaped Bruise, kept me guessing until the end. Whilst the ending fit and the mystery was solved I was left feeling it was lacking something. There wasn't a full or adequate resolution it felt almost rushed and suddenly just ended.
Overall I enjoyed the book but it did not live up to my expectations after reading Heart Shaped Bruise - which I would thoroughly recommend
Overall I enjoyed the book but it did not live up to my expectations after reading Heart Shaped Bruise - which I would thoroughly recommend
February 23, 2014
"Così giovani e così saggi,dicono,mai non si vive a lungo"
Ottimo thriller,uno di quelli dove devi cercare l'indizio più minuscolo per capire il colpevole,quello dove tutti sembrano sospetti,dove gli intrighi saltano fuori quando meno te lo aspetti,dove l'apparenza inganna...sembra tutto facile,ovvio e invece...
un romanzo che consiglio di leggere con attenzione perchè vi capiterà anche di tornare indietro e di essere divorati dalla curiosità nell'andare avanti...misterioso,inquietante,intrigante.Consigliato!
"Forza Alice.
Non segui il Bianconiglio?"
Ottimo thriller,uno di quelli dove devi cercare l'indizio più minuscolo per capire il colpevole,quello dove tutti sembrano sospetti,dove gli intrighi saltano fuori quando meno te lo aspetti,dove l'apparenza inganna...sembra tutto facile,ovvio e invece...
un romanzo che consiglio di leggere con attenzione perchè vi capiterà anche di tornare indietro e di essere divorati dalla curiosità nell'andare avanti...misterioso,inquietante,intrigante.Consigliato!
"Forza Alice.
Non segui il Bianconiglio?"
July 30, 2014
Slow, vague and boring
September 21, 2014
I loved this sharp, clever and deeply disturbing twist on the boarding school mystery story. Top marks.
September 21, 2014
I didn't finish this it made me sick
January 22, 2015
The ending was not fleshed out in the story and I felt the author took the easy way out. The back and forth timeline was not necessary as it made the over arching plot confusing.
December 3, 2019
My mind is thoroughly blown. This was great.
First read: 4 stars
Second read: 5 stars
First read: 4 stars
Second read: 5 stars
May 13, 2025
I'd recommend this to the dark academia girlies who are fans of Donna Tartt's SECRET HISTORY and Kate Moretti's THE SPIRES, as it kind of reads like a YA version of that. Set in an English boarding school, this is about Adamma, a Nigerian student, and her close and somewhat toxic friendship with the school golden girl, Scarlett. It's told in dual timeline, starting from Adamma's first day at school and ending after their friendship does... and something terrible happens.
I don't want to say too much about this book because less is more going in (I feel like I say this a lot??) but it's so full of surprises. Tonally, it's quite dark for a YA and deals with a lot of unsavory and mature topics. I actually like it when I find YA that is clearly meant to appeal to the college-age and/or college-bound youths, because I think there should be books for every maturity level of teens. Byrne always knew when to pull back and not provide too much detail, but this is definitely sensual and terrifying by turns, and often left me feeling desolate and hollow.
Loved the Nigerian protagonist and the little snippets of her culture. I also think that this author did the best job depicting the intimate push-pull relationship of vicious teen girl relationships in a way that puts her on par with Megan Abbott (who's famously good at it). The ending made me gasp, and was appropriately gutting. I feel like maybe part of the reason this book doesn't have more of a following is because it's ridiculously slow burn for a thriller. The character portraits are just as important if not more so than who did the bad things. That said, I'm absolutely obsessed. Do I wish the ending was happier and the pacing had been a little neater? Yes. But I'm still gonna read everything she writes.
4 stars
I don't want to say too much about this book because less is more going in (I feel like I say this a lot??) but it's so full of surprises. Tonally, it's quite dark for a YA and deals with a lot of unsavory and mature topics. I actually like it when I find YA that is clearly meant to appeal to the college-age and/or college-bound youths, because I think there should be books for every maturity level of teens. Byrne always knew when to pull back and not provide too much detail, but this is definitely sensual and terrifying by turns, and often left me feeling desolate and hollow.
Loved the Nigerian protagonist and the little snippets of her culture. I also think that this author did the best job depicting the intimate push-pull relationship of vicious teen girl relationships in a way that puts her on par with Megan Abbott (who's famously good at it). The ending made me gasp, and was appropriately gutting. I feel like maybe part of the reason this book doesn't have more of a following is because it's ridiculously slow burn for a thriller. The character portraits are just as important if not more so than who did the bad things. That said, I'm absolutely obsessed. Do I wish the ending was happier and the pacing had been a little neater? Yes. But I'm still gonna read everything she writes.
4 stars
March 4, 2020
This is not an honest review.
I read this book when I was still in high school, a good five or six years ago, and I remember not being entirely sure about the plot but falling desperately in love with the style of it.
The story has a fixed point in time, that is this mysterious disappearance of our equally mysterious homegirl Scarlett, and every chapter jumps from what happened before and what happened after and leaves us with the conscience that we probably know who did *it*, but do we really? As far as I know, the author purposefully never confirmed anything.
It reminds me a lot of a prosaic version of the TV series How To Get Away With Murder, which is definitely a pro to me. I'm not sure I really liked the story overall: I was so in awe with that style, that was a first time for me, that I think I kind of forgot to pay more attention to the content of the story (my fault, I told you this wasn't an honest review).
I'm giving it three stars for three reasons:
1) I used to be more eager to like books back then and I rarely encountered something that left me sour, therefore I'm not sure if I liked this book because it was good or because I was kind;
2) Again, I really liked the writing;
3) It's hint that a certain romance happens in the book and I am absolutely disgusted by it even if, in the end, it fits the story, but it's a huge no for me.
I'd suggest reading it anyway, of what I remember it was structured well and the story was interesting to get through. I'll definitely give it another chance in the future!
I read this book when I was still in high school, a good five or six years ago, and I remember not being entirely sure about the plot but falling desperately in love with the style of it.
The story has a fixed point in time, that is this mysterious disappearance of our equally mysterious homegirl Scarlett, and every chapter jumps from what happened before and what happened after and leaves us with the conscience that we probably know who did *it*, but do we really? As far as I know, the author purposefully never confirmed anything.
It reminds me a lot of a prosaic version of the TV series How To Get Away With Murder, which is definitely a pro to me. I'm not sure I really liked the story overall: I was so in awe with that style, that was a first time for me, that I think I kind of forgot to pay more attention to the content of the story (my fault, I told you this wasn't an honest review).
I'm giving it three stars for three reasons:
1) I used to be more eager to like books back then and I rarely encountered something that left me sour, therefore I'm not sure if I liked this book because it was good or because I was kind;
2) Again, I really liked the writing;
3) It's hint that a certain romance happens in the book and I am absolutely disgusted by it even if, in the end, it fits the story, but it's a huge no for me.
I'd suggest reading it anyway, of what I remember it was structured well and the story was interesting to get through. I'll definitely give it another chance in the future!
July 16, 2017
I have rated this a 3.5 stars.
This book is like something I have never read before. I hated it but I loved it at the same time. It made me think and question the book and characters a bunch. However, I did find the ending really hard to understand - but maybe that's how the author wanted it to be, like your questioning everything you've just read.
But I still had to search up a break down of the ending and it all ended up making 'sense' to thanks to this one blog. It told me that Adamma's boyfriend could of been Dominico or Daniel (Mr Lucas). This also means that either one of them could of killed Scarlett. cliffhanger?
I really hated Scarlett. She was annoying and rude and a horrible friend. She lied to Adamma so much, and she kept on making excuses for her! That really annoyed me.
I wish we got to know Adamma's best friend a little bit more; Jumoke. She kept on getting mentioned in scenes, but we never actually met her . . .
This book touches on subjects like rape and assault which I feel like was written really realistically and was not glorified in anyway.
Anyway, this book was something I am really glad that I read and I am going to be thinking about this for the next few weeks for sure.
This book is like something I have never read before. I hated it but I loved it at the same time. It made me think and question the book and characters a bunch. However, I did find the ending really hard to understand - but maybe that's how the author wanted it to be, like your questioning everything you've just read.
But I still had to search up a break down of the ending and it all ended up making 'sense' to thanks to this one blog. It told me that Adamma's boyfriend could of been Dominico or Daniel (Mr Lucas). This also means that either one of them could of killed Scarlett. cliffhanger?
I really hated Scarlett. She was annoying and rude and a horrible friend. She lied to Adamma so much, and she kept on making excuses for her! That really annoyed me.
I wish we got to know Adamma's best friend a little bit more; Jumoke. She kept on getting mentioned in scenes, but we never actually met her . . .
This book touches on subjects like rape and assault which I feel like was written really realistically and was not glorified in anyway.
Anyway, this book was something I am really glad that I read and I am going to be thinking about this for the next few weeks for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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