Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In Cornwall, a 16-year-old runaway and a senior with dementia form an unusual friendship that leads to mutual solace.Allison has always been able to cope with her angry, widowed father's abuse, especially with Kelly-Anne, her father's fiancee, there to mediate. But when Kelly-Anne leaves suddenly and her father burns her face, Allison runs away. Crossan, the Children's Literature Laureate of Ireland, conveys the teen's story in raw verse. While seeking refuge in a presumably empty house, Allison quickly discovers that it's occupied by Marla, an elderly woman with dementia. Confusing Allison for a childhood friend named Toffee, Marla invites the teen into her home. At first Allison pretends to be Toffee simply to live with Marla and survive, but when she secretly observes the disrespect and abuse Marla receives from caregivers and family, she uses her predicament to give Marla the life she deserves. Crossan weaves in flashbacks from Allison's past to help readers understand her thoughts and actions during this transition. Despite Marla's dementia and the age difference, it's clear that both women understand each other's hardships and grow in friendship because of this mutual sympathy. The effect is at once painful and beautiful. Although the spare format forces readers to fill in gaps, it also renders lovely imagery as Allison seeks the family she needs. All characters seem to be white.An uncommon, successful approach to a tough topic. (Verse novel. 14-18)

ALA Booklist (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Allison has grown up coping with her father's anger and volatility. But after his latest girlfriend e who truly cared for Allison nally hits her breaking point and leaves, Allison bears the full brunt of her father's rage and runs away. Cold on the streets of her Irish seaside town and without a friend to turn to, Allison finds herself hiding out in the shed behind an elderly woman's home. Marla has dementia and believes Allison is an old friend, Toffee, finally come back to her. What begins as an uneasy con borne out of Allison's need to survive slowly blossoms into a mutually supportive relationship as Marla comes to rely on "Toffee," and Allison grows affectionate and protective of Marla. The free-verse style suits the story, capturing the panic, worry, and disjointed state that both homeless Allison and confused Marla experience. The personal growth, found family, and genuine relationships will satisfy readers looking for the grit of realism softened by a hopeful, if bittersweet ending.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In Cornwall, a 16-year-old runaway and a senior with dementia form an unusual friendship that leads to mutual solace.Allison has always been able to cope with her angry, widowed father's abuse, especially with Kelly-Anne, her father's fiancee, there to mediate. But when Kelly-Anne leaves suddenly and her father burns her face, Allison runs away. Crossan, the Children's Literature Laureate of Ireland, conveys the teen's story in raw verse. While seeking refuge in a presumably empty house, Allison quickly discovers that it's occupied by Marla, an elderly woman with dementia. Confusing Allison for a childhood friend named Toffee, Marla invites the teen into her home. At first Allison pretends to be Toffee simply to live with Marla and survive, but when she secretly observes the disrespect and abuse Marla receives from caregivers and family, she uses her predicament to give Marla the life she deserves. Crossan weaves in flashbacks from Allison's past to help readers understand her thoughts and actions during this transition. Despite Marla's dementia and the age difference, it's clear that both women understand each other's hardships and grow in friendship because of this mutual sympathy. The effect is at once painful and beautiful. Although the spare format forces readers to fill in gaps, it also renders lovely imagery as Allison seeks the family she needs. All characters seem to be white.An uncommon, successful approach to a tough topic. (Verse novel. 14-18)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Two unlikely but resilient friends yearn to know who they really are in this sensitively told novel in verse. Escaping from her abusive single father after he burns her, 16-year-old Allison desperately hopes to locate and live with her father-s former fiancee. But Allison can-t find her, so she takes refuge in the Cornwall house of Marla, an older woman suffering from dementia who believes that the girl is her long-lost friend Toffee. As Allison cares for Marla and evades her other, ineffective caretaker and her mean-spirited son, affection deepens alongside her desire to stop pretending that she is someone else. A complicated friendship with Lucy, a wealthy local girl, heightens Allison-s feelings of inadequacy, until Marla, in a brief moment of clarity, helps Allison untether herself emotionally from her dad. Crossan-s (The Weight of Water) finessed portrayal of Allison palpably exposes, by turn, her selfishness, compassion, and longing to be loved, while the haunting narration pulls the reader into Allison-s thoughts and memories as she learns to cast off the invisibility she has used to protect herself. Ages 12-up. (July)

School Library Journal (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Allison has run away from home and her physically and emotionally abusive father in search of the only adult with whom she has ever felt safe. When she is unable to find her father's former girlfriend, Allison is homeless in Cornwall, England. The teen finds herself sneaking into an older woman's house in search of food. Gray-haired Marla has dementia and confuses Allison for her long-time friend, Toffee. While Allison finds ways to hide from Marla's relatives, she develops a strong, caring bond with Marla as her companion and imaginary friend. Allison's pain is raw, and readers are given an intimate look into her emotions in this first-person narrative told in verse. The sparse language does not provide much in the way of descriptions of the characters. Though readers do not find out the ethnic background of Allison, Marla, or Toffee, we do learn that Allison and Toffee share a large scar on their facesone that Allison tries to hide with Marla's bronzer, making her "implausibly tannedskin the color of apricots." Between Crossan's descriptions of abuse, drinking, and strong language, school librarians may find this better suited to high school readers. VERDICT An emotional verse novel that addresses domestic violence, teen homelessness, and intergenerational friendship.Monisha Blair, Rutgers Univ., NJ